Valvoline Max Life full syn vs. Super Tech

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Aug 30, 2011
Messages
71
Location
WV
Posted something about having to change my camshaft due to short driving using 5w-30 Super Tech full synthetic. I was changing 6 months/3000 miles. Anyway, I bought a used cam and rockers and changed them with my cam bearings and shafts. And it was fun, no it wasn't and I did the timing belt/balance belt/water pump and even the oil pump with OEM honda. And all the seals. 3000 miles later, I'm not happy, the cam isn't scratched but there are lines in the oil, the rockers look to me like they will be scratching at some point. Sorry, hard to describe but it doesn't look like an even coat of oil on the lobes after it sets all night. So I switched to valvoline max life full syn 5w-30 as some recommended here. Just did it today but you know how 90s Honda have a rattly valve train noise and I just adjusted the valves with the new cam, it's the way they sound. Anyway, it's definitely more quiet, I've owned that car a long time and I can tell the difference in sound at idle. We'll see about the cam but I'm changing every 3 months. It's only $20 for 5 quarts at Walmart and pure one filters with coupon at Advance Auto. I don't want to put another cam in it. Engine doesn't burn oil and there is no rust on the car, so the work was worth it to me, I guess. Just paid for parts.
 
I seriously doubt the Super Tech caused the cam failure. If it failed with Super Tech synthetic, it probably would have failed no matter what oil was in it.
 
Perceived "damage" probably not oil related.

Super Tech is going to do as good as any other oil in this application.

You may be seeing the effect of the used cam and new bearings wearing in.

There may be some eccentricity in the used cam surface.
 
Originally Posted By: SilverC6
Perceived "damage" probably not oil related.

Super Tech is going to do as good as any other dino oil in this application.

You may be seeing the effect of the used cam and new bearings wearing in.

There may be some eccentricity in the used cam surface.


My same bearings and shafts, his used rockers and cam. Was told bearings are line bored for each head, you can't just switch valve trains. Also, it was fully syn super tech. And there was varnish in the engine, a good amount of varnish and I'd been using full syn super tech/pure oil filters for years 3000 miles/6 months. Here's a picture of the varnish. I don't think Super Tech full syn 5w-30 is the best choice for short trip driving. Wife mostly drives it back and forth to work, 5 miles each way. Hate to ask but how to add an image from a camera? When I had it all apart, I took pictures and I'd like to post some so you can see.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Uh oh, don't let Merkava see this one...


I read the opening post but I can't make heads or tales of what the guy's saying.
 
A used cam has wear.

Unless the machine shop refinished the lobe surfaces (not likely for a lot of reasons), it will not match the new bearing surfaces.

New cam and new bearings, everything matches, no problems.
 
@op :sadly not one is gona say its the oil.it will always be something else .but i think you did good going with the non moly valvoline .oci is 3000 mile but asie from rlthat even their premium conventional place 21 in a 48 brand wear test .still in the outstanding rank with their 5w30 .so i think you can safely sleep .let us know how fare your honda
 
Originally Posted By: SilverC6
A used cam has wear.

Unless the machine shop refinished the lobe surfaces (not likely for a lot of reasons), it will not match the new bearing surfaces.

New cam and new bearings, everything matches, no problems.


The cam that I had to replace was the original honda cam. And it went from near perfect to scratched pretty badly in less than a year. Most of the rockers were scratched too. I could post pictures if I knew how. And what I'm saying is these heads keep their same cam bearings because they are line bored. When you buy the whole head off ebay the bearings aren't redone for the most part, the bearings seem to last a very long time. The valves adjusted fine, they are solid lifters, I adjusted them when I put them back together. I see what you mean maybe some unevenness in surface cause patterns in the oil film though. Because different rockers and cam. I'm still not happy with the way the oil film looks though. I'll have to wait a week to and then look at the oil film on the cam with the valvoline, maybe it will look the same but the car sounds different.

And the cam he sent me looked really good, I was surprised how good it looked. I would have changed the whole head but then I would have needed a gasket set. Another $100 for the gasket set. It's only about $220 for a rebuilt head. The guy on ebay rebuilds them and sent me a camshaft and rockers for $40 shipped. I asked him if he wanted more, I mean they looked great, I felt like it was too low. He just rebuilds heads and had a lot of spare stuff. He's in washington state nwcylinder heads is his seller name on there. Anyway, if I ever need a head, that's where I'm getting it from.

And how do I post a picture? Do I have to put it on photobucket first then link?
 
Last edited:
You got the link to the wear test, I'd really like to see that. Non moly valvoline? Is the 5w-30 full syn High Mileage non moly? Don't really understand, thanks!
 
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4

I read the opening post but I can't make heads or tales of what the guy's saying.


That's because he does not know what a paragraph break is.

Basically is purporting that Super Tech full synthetic caused his cam to wear out. Of course there is no UOA to back that up or any independent inspection of the cam. Just his anecdotal empirical summation.

My money is that he had a soft cam or improper tight valve adjustment on his Honda. If Super Tech was actually bad, the board would be littered with others complaining.

My 1998 Corolla with nothing but a diet of Super Tech, got over 286K before it was totaled. Cams on it never wore out. Of course the valves on it were self adjusting.
 
I did valve adjustments properly less than 100,000 miles. I'm saying Super Tech synthetic, at least 5W-30 is not the best oil for short trip daily driving. If you only drive 3000 miles in six months, you probably should pick another oil weight/and or brand. I guess I will post pics to photobucket and link them. Not that it will do any good, you'll say it's not real varnish or something.
 
Originally Posted By: clearanceman
I did valve adjustments properly less than 100,000 miles. I'm saying Super Tech synthetic, at least 5W-30 is not the best oil for short trip daily driving. If you only drive 3000 miles in six months, you probably should pick another oil weight/and or brand. I guess I will post pics to photobucket and link them. Not that it will do any good, you'll say it's not real varnish or something.


Like I said, anecdotal at best unless you got a oil analysis of the oil used to back that up.

You "think" it is the oil but you really do not know with certainty.
 
All those used parts will have wear patterns that are different from the originals so they will establish a new pattern. I bet that is what you are seeing. The majority of failed cams I see could be atributed to an earlier engine overheat. Without knowing your car's history that's what I would bet on.

As for what's in the drain pan, it's hard to say. Does kinda look like a corner off a brown paper towel. I dont think it came from the filter. It would have to go thru the oil system and find a way out, so it would have been really shreded. The largest oil passage is in the crank but if had come out there it would have been shredded and/or balled up. I just dont see that happening.

I'd give everything a some time to wear-in and re-adjust the valves and check the cam. I bet you will be just fine.

Good luck and let us know your outcome.
 
I owned that car for 8 years and used synthetic from day one, never going more than 4000 miles between changes even when I drove 40,000 miles a year. Those pics are super tech full synthetic for the last 4 years, short driving 3000 miles/6 month OCI. I don't think that level of varnish is normal for a full synthetic with that mileage change.
 
The paper towel thing is honda bond, the oil pump has to be put on with honda bond, that's residual honda bond when when it was installed. There was nothing physically in the engine except some sludge at the bottom of the pan and a lot of varnish. No oil passages were blocked. Those cam pictures were the old cam that started the whole replacement thing, I changed it before it could come apart. It was getting close to doing that, it was well into the heat treated part.

My dad owned the car before I bought it (bought it new, wanted to trade it at 129,000 and I bought it from him). As far as I know, it's never been overheated, the head has never been off which is a good indication it was never overheated. I know he got the oil changed on a regular basis at the Honda dealer, at least every 5000 miles and like I said it's had full syn since I owned it with short intervals, no more than 4000 miles OCI.

I hope not to put another cam in it. It's possible the oil pump was starting to go, but I checked the old one and it was within spec. No way was I not going to put the new OEM pump after I took half the engine apart but the old pump didn't test bad either.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: clearanceman
I owned that car for 8 years and used synthetic from day one, never going more than 4000 miles between changes even when I drove 40,000 miles a year. Those pics are super tech full synthetic for the last 4 years, short driving 3000 miles/6 month OCI. I don't think that level of varnish is normal for a full synthetic with that mileage change.


Short and low mileage driving does not bring the oil up to temp long enough to burn off the condensation. Your varnishing would happen whether it was synthetic or conventional regardless of brand.
 
Originally Posted By: Hootbro
Originally Posted By: clearanceman
I owned that car for 8 years and used synthetic from day one, never going more than 4000 miles between changes even when I drove 40,000 miles a year. Those pics are super tech full synthetic for the last 4 years, short driving 3000 miles/6 month OCI. I don't think that level of varnish is normal for a full synthetic with that mileage change.


Short and low mileage driving does not bring the oil up to temp long enough to burn off the condensation. Your varnishing would happen whether it was synthetic or conventional regardless of brand.


So it will happen with maxlife too unless i get the car out on the highway a couple times per week? Not used to seeing sludge and heavy varnish with a full synthetic oil short oil change intervals. Pure One filters too.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top