Tell me your fave choices of oil for a neglected engine

I could make the case for almost any oil in a neglected engine.

Some say, start cheap... a la Supertech.

Some say a better oil to lubricate intermingled with the crud.. M1 0W-40.

Enter Valvoline 5W-40 as also very good.

There are many.
 
Wait, so now engine oils are capable of cleaning up engines? LOL

I got raked over the coals for asking about the same thing here. Any google search on the topic brings up plenty of posts on bitog saying do short OCI with decent oil and it should help clean some stuff up.

Would be nice to see some definitive data that shows they either clean existing engine crud or they don't, or to what degree. There is a lot of conflicting info on the internet about this topic. :) Oil companies have a lot of plain marketing wording that says they clean up existing deposits and some even claim to do it to a generally specified degree.

Any ideas why it is an often recommended thing to do by some but said to do nothing by others? Genuinely curious. :unsure:

Edit: To the OP, I used Pennzoil Ultra Platinum FS for two short OCI in my used van I purchased this year. For what it's worth, my first two changes were jet black by 1k miles. I'm at over 1k on a new oil change and the oil is pretty clean looking. Can hardly even see it on the dip stick. Does that mean anything? I don't know, but the color of the oil sure was nasty at first!
 
Last edited:
MrPlow said:
Wait, so now engine oils are capable of cleaning up engines? LOL

I got raked over the coals for asking about the same thing here. Any google search on the topic brings up plenty of posts on bitog saying do short OCI with decent oil and it should help clean some stuff up.

Would be nice to see some definitive data that shows they either clean existing engine crud or they don't, or to what degree. There is a lot of conflicting info on the internet about this topic. :) Oil companies have a lot of plain marketing wording that says they clean up existing deposits and some even claim to do it to a generally specified degree.

Any ideas why it is an often recommended thing to do by some but said to do nothing by others? Genuinely curious. :unsure:
Click to expand...
If it was who I think it was raking you over the coals, put it out of mind lol.

We are the populace and we have questions.
 
MrPlow said:
Wait, so now engine oils are capable of cleaning up engines? LOL

I got raked over the coals for asking about the same thing here. Any google search on the topic brings up plenty of posts on bitog saying do short OCI with decent oil and it should help clean some stuff up.

Would be nice to see some definitive data that shows they either clean existing engine crud or they don't, or to what degree. There is a lot of conflicting info on the internet about this topic. :) Oil companies have a lot of plain marketing wording that says they clean up existing deposits and some even claim to do it to a generally specified degree.

Any ideas why it is an often recommended thing to do by some but said to do nothing by others? Genuinely curious. :unsure:

Edit: To the OP, I used Pennzoil Ultra Platinum FS for two short OCI in my used van I purchased this year. For what it's worth, my first two changes were jet black by 1k miles. I'm at over 1k on a new oil change and the oil is pretty clean looking. Can hardly even see it on the dip stick. Does that mean anything? I don't know, but the color of the oil sure was nasty at first!
Click to expand...

Oils are inherently poor cleaners, but if you are looking to rinse the loose stuff away, an oil designed to keep contaminants in suspension for extended drains (a la Euro oils like M1 0w-40) are probably going to be your best choice.
 
If the carmaker allows "conventional," I would start with Castrol GTX (or Valvoline daily protection or Chevron Supreme or PYB) just to see if it burns any oil. (I quoted conventional because most of these are actually syn blends and don't need anyone trying to correct me.) I just don't see the sense in using expensive stuff if I'm dumping in more all the time. Keep an eye on the level and the color, do a short change if seems to darken quickly. If it doesn't burn any, next fill I would use Mobil 1 or Napa synthetic or QSUD (whatever synthetic is cheapest) and see if that cleans things up at all. Neglected doesn't necessarily mean beat up or poor condition -- some engines run forever even if treated poorly.
 
JMJNet said:
Define "neglected engine"? In what car, How old?
Otherwise, it will be just a philosophical discussion which may be the intended question.
Click to expand...
It could be because you know how it was treated. Too long oil changes, lower quality oil used. Maybe it is visual like a view inside valve covers etc.
 
ZZman2 said:
It could be because you know how it was treated. Too long oil changes, lower quality oil used. Maybe it is visual like a view inside valve covers etc.
Click to expand...
There are not really any "lower quality" oils from API SL on forward.. just different base stocks.
 
Whatever oil you go with, add a 1/4 quart of Marvel Mystery Oil. That will loosen up the carbon, and sludge, and I would change the oil filter only after the first 1000 miles and then top off what was lost from the filter only change.
 
ZZman2 said:
Well I think some meet minimal standards while others clearly outperform them. Or is it all a marketing scam?
Click to expand...
Marketing scam.

If it says API Sx it meets those standards.

Same as "Unleaded Gasoline, May Contain Up To 10% Ethanol." Has to be gas or it can't be dispensed or sold as such. It's all gas.
 
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