Running heavier oil than spec

[fantastic]

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Certainly get some 40 or 50 grade in there. 15w-50 Mobil if you're normally above 20F. 15w-40 HDEO next. What are you thinking?

 

[Auto tech]

About 200k. Synthetic. My fingers are crossed. Do you have any predictions?

Hard to say without looking at it

 

[Auto tech]

About 200k. Synthetic. 5w30. Do you have any predictions for the longevity? It's a clean truck and has a decent maintenance record. It did have several different owners, but the last guy took very good care of it according to the shop he went to.

Hard to predict. I've seen engines in horrible condition continuing to run. They may consume oil or have lots of blow-by or smoky exhaust but still running. Those 4.3 engines were awesome. I have a 1994 4.3. they did tend to shed lots of iron that had you not had the magnet drain plug you may not have realized

 

[4wd]

Had a 2005 - ran Mobil 1 5W-30 or Delvac 15W-40
Many of them live long lives on the road and water …

 

[PBlackard]

Not many vehicles use magnetic drain plugs for oil (transmission, yeah). Something tells me this has been ongoing and the previous owner installed that to monitor.

My 2000 Chevy Express with the 4.3 Vortec came with the magnetic plug for the engine oil drain.

 

[Shannanigans]

I have a 1996 S-10 with the 4300. 318,000 miles. You could run a Euro 5-30 which is a bit thicker if you like but you don't need to baby that engine, just give shorter OCI's like 5,000 or 12 months. If see any sludge, use a quality engine flush.

What would you recommend for an engine flush? And thanks!

 

[bruce381]

rub on fingers is is smooth and silky or gritty

 

[bruce381]

also if sludgy and over 10K on oil change could just ne ? normal?

 

[1WildPig]

I'd add a half qt of Marvel Mystery Oil to the last 500 miles of your present oil change interval (so no more than 1/2 qt over full) and then change it using a full qt of MMO with the rest a 15w40, like Delvac 1300, for another full interval or about 2500 miles anyway ...and then, if no apparent issues, start using Valvoline Restore and Protect 5w30... adjust as you go along...

 

[Shannanigans]

rub on fingers is is smooth and silky or gritty

I'll do that tomorrw! Thx, and stand by....

 

[ZeeOSix]

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How many miles on that OCI? An engine with 200K miles on it shouldn't be generating that much normal wear, so something might be going on. Did you cut open the oil filter to see if there were any larger particles, or look in the drain pan? That debris on the drain plug is most likely just "black paste" like ferrous debris. Run the xW-40 oil and monitor on the next oil change.

 

[Shannanigans]

How many miles on that OCI? An engine with 200K miles on it shouldn't be generating that much normal wear, so something might be going on. Did you cut open the oil filter to see if there were any larger particles, or look in the drain pan? That debris on the drain plug is most likely just "black paste" like ferrous debris. Run the xW-40 oil and monitor on the next oil change.

Unknown OCI because the truck is new to me. Hopefully it the black paste you speak of. My plan is to change the oil again at a few hundred miles and monitor the plug and "feel" of the oil. These 4.3l Vortecs are usually solid and run for a long time. It was the first time I had seen anything like that on my drain plug, so pretty surprising and a little worrisome. I will definitely open the filter....I had planned on doing that by my roommate tossed it.

Thanks. Is there any oil treatment you would recommend? I don't know if cleaning out the sludge would be a good idea as it might precipitate an oil leak. Basically has no leakage now.

 

[perkz]

What would you recommend for an engine flush? And thanks!

You can run Restore and Protect for 3-4 oil changes, or the most aggressive oil flush I have used successfully is 505 CRO by ATS Chemical. It's expensive if you don't buy it quantity, but BG makes a good oil flush too.

What would you recommend for an engine flush? And thanks!

 

[ZeeOSix]

Thanks. Is there any oil treatment you would recommend? I don't know if cleaning out the sludge would be a good idea as it might precipitate an oil leak. Basically has no leakage now.

You're probably not going to push the engine real hard, so I'd just run 5W-30 Valvoline Restore and Protect and see how that does. What was the main reason why you wanted to go to a xW-40 grade ... just to help mitigate wear? If that wear is from something viscosity isn't going to help (like a cam lob or lifer, etc going), the thicker oil won't buy much extra time. Too bad Valvoline hasn't put the 40 grade Valvoline Restore and Protect on the market in the USA yet, but hear it's coming sometime.

 

[Shannanigans]

Without an issue. The 4.3 is one of the most robust engines ever. Very old school and will run what ever grade you desire without an issue. All it is, is a small block 350 V8 minus two cylinders. In every GM engine I've owned over the past 50 years I've run either 5w40 or 20w50, including my 2016 GMC Yukon all with great success. If you notice a decline in fuel economy it's only in your head. Keep oil changes at no more than 5000 miles along with a good filter and you'll be golden. Good Luck and enjoy the last of the good GM V6s.

Yep!!! True. My oil now looks and feels perfect after 500 miles. I will probably change it again in another 100 when I get home, just to keep flushing it out. Maybe then I can rest a little easier.

 

[Shannanigans]

You're probably not going to push the engine real hard, so I'd just run 5W-30 Valvoline Restore and Protect and see how that does. What was the main reason why you wanted to go to a xW-40 grade ... just to help mitigate wear? If that wear is from something viscosity isn't going to help (like a cam lob or lifer, etc going), the thicker oil won't buy much extra time. Too bad Valvoline hasn't put the 40 grade Valvoline Restore and Protect on the market in the USA yet, but hear it's coming sometime.

Yeah, I was thinking to mitigate wear. The plug would catch iron, which would come from the cylinder walls. I checked the oil today after about 500 miles and it felt good and looked very clean. Maybe I will run the Restore and Protect and change it in another hundred miles when I get home. Maybe those magnets on the filter are helping. I will find out when I tear it apart.

 

[Shannanigans]

You're probably not going to push the engine real hard, so I'd just run 5W-30 Valvoline Restore and Protect and see how that does. What was the main reason why you wanted to go to a xW-40 grade ... just to help mitigate wear? If that wear is from something viscosity isn't going to help (like a cam lob or lifer, etc going), the thicker oil won't buy much extra time. Too bad Valvoline hasn't put the 40 grade Valvoline Restore and Protect on the market in the USA yet, but hear it's coming sometime.

Yeah, I was thinking to mitigate wear. The plug would catch iron, which would come from the cylinder walls. I checked the oil today after about 500 miles and it felt good and looked very clean. Maybe I will run the Restore and Protect and change it in another hundred miles when I get home. Maybe those magnets on the filter are helping. I will find out when I tear it apart

 

[Shannanigans]

rub on fingers is is smooth and silky or gritty

The oil is slick and silky. After about 500 mi it also looks very clean. I think I will change it in another 100 mi or so. Maybe the magnets on the filter are helping. I hesitate to use a detergent flush because of dislodging sludge.

 

[Shannanigans]

You can run Restore and Protect for 3-4 oil changes, or the most aggressive oil flush I have used successfully is 505 CRO by ATS Chemical. It's expensive if you don't buy it quantity, but BG makes a good oil flush too.


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Thanks for this info. I'm a little hesitant to run a strong detergent flush because of dislodging the sludge and thinning the oil. I guess I could run it for the last 100 miles or so. The oil looks pretty good right now so I may tend to just do the restore and protect frequently.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Yeah, I was thinking to mitigate wear. The plug would catch iron, which would come from the cylinder walls.

There's other parts that are ferrous too, like cams and lifters, cam-chains, crank journals, rings, oil pump rotor, etc. As much black ferrous debris that there was on the magnet it's possible something like a cam lobe might ibe going. I hope not, but there has to be reason there was that much. If you just changed oil, I'd put more than 600 miles on it, like 2000-2500 to get enough miles to show anything meaningful on the magnets.