I have really learned a lot visiting this site over the last 3 weeks, and have confirmed some of my previous beliefs and blown some out of the water. Thanks.
Here's my questions:
Location and climate: Knoxville, TN 4 Season climate. 2 vehicles:
1- 1996 Ford Explorer V-6 4 liter push rod engine, 78000 miles and 800 miles into and AutoRx treatment.(Oil appears very similar to the way it looked when I started it, the dipstick is clean now.)It averages 7-9000 miles per year, mostly an 8 mile one way commute, more on the weekends. Maybe 4 trips a year averaging 500 miles round trip.
I am planning on trying the GC after the flush with Wally World 5 qt Pennzoil 5W30 and extending oil change interval to ??? (have been changing every 3-3500 miles or 3 months, whichever came first,usually the 3 months.)
2- 2003 Dodge Ram 1500 with the Hemi engine (hold 7 1/2 Qts with the larger Ford Filter) 2950 miles on it, changed the break in oil out at 2000 miles to Valvoline Duro Blend 5W30, before I joined the forum. I will change oil according to Chryslers schedule during the warranty period. I will drive about 7500-9000 miles a year with daily commutes of 5 miles one way. More on the weekends and some trips over 500 miles RT.
For the Hemi, I am leaning toward a good Dino, maybe the Pennzoil 5W30 and the larger Ford filter, changing at 4000 miles. I really am still clueless as to what weight oil to use, the bells aren't going off yet. Book says the same old 5W30-10W30 with the temp chart which basically means either here. I will most likey keep this truck more than 10 years.
Your opinions and comments are appreciated.
The More I read, the more ?'s GC or Not?
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There are many good oils to chose from but don't let the GC crowd have you believe it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. Any good dino changed at normal intervals is fine such as Pennzoil. With synthetics Amsoil/Mobil 1/Schaffers if you can find it and GC. I personally would not use the GC bc we dont know if it will stay around or not or what it really is. I prefer M1/Amsoil.
I agree with buster on this one. I would add that if you plan on keeping the truck or at least the engine for the next 10 years I would go right to synthetic oils. The benifitts of synthetic become aparent years 5 through 10!!
Basicly in the long run wear reduction is not that big of an issue. I say this because most good oil do a fine job of reduceing wear to a sane number. In the long run carbon,sludge,varnish are the bigger threat. These items gum up your ring pack, block off oil galleys,destroy seals...........
Synthetics give you much better protection against these items. If you insist on useing DIno oil at least consider Lube COntrol to try to keep these items in check!!!
P.S. How do you like that Hemi????
<b>JB</b>, do you think you'd realize the same long run benefits of less sludge, carbon, etc with a good synthetic blend that you'd get with a full synthetic?
quote:Not when compared to my oil of choice, HDEO 15w-40...currently, it's Pennzoil Long-Life for me. [ October 21, 2003, 12:25 AM: Message edited by: Jelly ]
Originally posted by JohnBrowning: Basicly in the long run wear reduction is not that big of an issue. I say this because most good oil do a fine job of reduceing wear to a sane number. In the long run carbon,sludge,varnish are the bigger threat. These items gum up your ring pack, block off oil galleys,destroy seals........... Synthetics give you much better protection against these items. If you insist on useing DIno oil at least consider Lube COntrol to try to keep these items in check!!!
First thanks for your input!
Second, I love the HEMI. First truck, always had performance cars, 58 TR3A, a 65 & and 67 GTO, 85 Merkur Sr4ti, 93 Bonneville SSE w/ Supercharger and didn't want to part with power until I drove one of my associates HEMI. Now I have a hot rod truck that get's 15 + on the highway and 10 in town and climbing (My SSE gets about 13 the way I drive it.)
The Explorer was where I was going with the GC since its way out of warranty and extended drain intervals is attractive to me.
For the Hemi, I hadn't considered the DELO but will, since I thought it to be primarily diesel oil. I was leaning toward Dino and 3-4000 mile changes for 7 years under the Dodge warranty. It seems like a waste to dump synthetic every 3-4000 miles to comply with the warranty requirements. The ability to keep things cleaner with synthetic is well taken, but I have taken my GTO engines apart after 80k and one at 110k and no build up and only needed to break the glaze on the cylinder walls. I think I used Quaker State in the 65 all the time and Havoline in the 67 for whatever reason and never changed brands. The Auto RX in the Explorer looks like it doesn’t have much to clean, we’ll see in another 300 miles.
I just read the post on thicker thinner and it says a lot about my question. Yes I want protection first, then I want all the help I can get on fuel economy. On the HEMI, I don’t do much hauling or towing, just pick up a load of lumber, much, stuff etc. drive it home, it’s my daily driver. The Explorer is my wife’s “CAR” daily driver with no severe duty driving.
Thanks for your input and patience as I learn.
Hal
It looks like I have to side with Jelly, but not any particular brand of HDMO, and perhaps 10W30 November through April. API CI-4/SL and/or GF-3 says it all.
The proper additive package will prevent ring and chamber deposits from forming. Whether or not the oil is a synthetic.
[ October 22, 2003, 10:01 PM: Message edited by: userfriendly ]
quote:Bingo friendly.
Originally posted by userfriendly: The proper additive package will prevent ring and chamber deposits from forming. Whether or not the oil is a synthetic.
![[Big Grin]](images/icons/grin.gif){kind=icon}
Like I said in a previous posts, the reason I like HDEO 15w-40's so much is because of the additive package. Yes, the base oil quality is also high, but the additive package is what makes it unique and special in my mind, and for $6/gallon, it can't be beat.
By the way, I mentioned Pennzoil Long-Life simply because I'm having very good results with it right now; most notably, consumption has dropped significantly in comparison to Delo.Now you are being un-fair to our friends at Chevron.
Jelly, what do ou think of the chance that after switching over to your HDMOs, it took a while for your engine deposits to clean up especially in the ring package and liner polishing department.
Both improvments to your engine's operating condition contributing to the lower engine oil consumption. Not the superiority of one brand or the other accomplishing the task.
I have heard some people bragging up Delo as one of the best engine oils for reducing consumption, perhaps at the risk of cold flow numbers. ![[I dont know]](/forums/graemlins/dunno.gif)
My HDEO's you say??
Well, I can't buy your argument...I've ran Rotella in the summer in this truck before.
I ran Delo for about 4,000 miles. Consumption stayed the same throughout its operational period.
As soon as I put Long-Life, consumption stopped.
Thats all I can say...
Oh...one last thing. Yes, Delo is a 15w-40, but its CCS is like 6000@-20C. Nothing to write home about, but not too shabby either...
Jelly;
I find your last post extremely interesting.
I've been staring at the screen for ten minutes.
I've tried just about every 15W40 in several vehicles.
Prior to the availability and my experimenting with 5W40 group IIIs, and Esso's PAO XD-3 0W40, all of the engines used or consumed some oil over time.
Those same engines consumed absolutly no oil up to 8,000 miles, when switched to 5W40s.
After switching those engines back to 10W30 and 15W40 HDMOs, the engine oil consumption did not return. At least for the time being.
Strange.
You have me wondering if Pennzoil used a group III corrector to improve the low temperature performance, instead of a lighter group II+ base oil and more VI improvers in their long life formula.
Well, I'm definitely a newbie when it comes to oil formulation (know a little, but not a great deal), so I asked MolaKule what he thought:
- Better and more shear-stable VII's
- Slightly higher viscosity
- Some added esters
- Slightly better anti-wear and detergents/dispersant package
By the way, what's a group three corrector?
Read the links posted in the group III 2008 thread.
Corrector: A high VI lightweight base lube, possibly a synthetic or group III added to the blend to improve low temperature flow performance.
What is GC?
quote:German Castrol. More exactly the Castrol Syntec 0w30 with "Made in German" on the back label. Must say "Made in German", the other US made Castrol Syntec 0w30 is just group III oil.
What is GC?
I had to buy a quart of top-off oil while out-of-town. Bought Penzoil LL as I think 15w-40 is a good make-up oil. Anyway, it smelled good. ![[Cool]](images/icons/cool.gif)
Really good like M1. I tried smelling the more generic and crappy oils too -little to no smell for the $.84 Accel oil.
Am I on to something?
Really good like M1. I tried smelling the more generic and crappy oils too -little to no smell for the $.84 Accel oil.
Am I on to something?I have a 97 AWD Aerostar 4.0L OHV. Just under 200,000 miles that I use for recreation, boat towing, etc. I have used GC the last 2 oil changes and the 4.0 LOVES it.
Taking my son back to university in Washington from So California this summer, I made a banzai 3 day 3,100 mile trip. Engine smooth. No oil consumption and gas mileage was better than I had seen using Mobil 1 5W-30 and 0W-40 (also on long trips). Checking out the magnetic drain plug after draining , it was spotless. First time in awhile that it has
Although I try other oils I have been using mostly Synergyn and Torco in my other vehicles, but am sticking with GC in the 4.0. Loaded up on the buy 5 get one free special.
[ October 25, 2003, 11:55 AM: Message edited by: tenderloin ]
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