What people are asking for.

[oilrecovery2003]

I went to walmart today, the back way, through the auto section, much eaiser. anyway I ask the techs there what bottle oil is most requested. He said Castrol GTX and Valvoline. They run Pennzoil thru the lines. we got to talking about the board and stuff, and I asked about Quakerstate. Get this.

This guy said, and I quote. " I TALK PEOPLE OUT OF USING QUAKERSTATE OILS"/ Now what does that tell you. Either there are still a lot of people that still believe that "Myth". or there is somthing to it. Im sorry. But you have to admit, there isn't much as far as an additive package to their oil. GUM UP GUM UP GUM UP..... GO AHEAD GUYS, BLAST AWAY. WHAT I REALLY WANT TO KNOW FOR THOSE WHO DEFEND THIS OIL, WHO AND HOW MANY ARE USING QUAKERSTATE OIL???? Plese come out of the closet. I knew I wasn't wrong always using Castrol in all my other cars...But I never kept one past 70,000 until now.

Im really having a problem deciding what to do for summer. Shaffers 10/30 or 15w40. OR Delvac 1300. Pretty cheap stuff. And I really like the TBN of these 15w40 oils. Question is, do I really need a 15w40 for summer or just stick with 1030. I burn NO oil at 140,000 miles.

 

[JohnnyO]

I've always been one to change regularly, but I find it hard to believe that any motor oil will "gum up" or sludge up any more than any other oil if changed properly. FYI, back around 1981 or thereabouts I had a batch of the faulty QS in my car in the dead of winter ("Gee, I just changed the oil and the engine taps like crazy until it warms up."

) Doesn't mean it's bad stuff now or since, but I haven't used it since either.

 

[Matt89]

I ran a Chevy Cavalier 90K miles in 5 years on QS and Jiffy Tube filters (every 3K). Granted, that's not much of a test but I never remember my oil looking bad, weird noises, never burned any etc. This was in the early '90s.

I just ran QS 5w-30 for 3K in a Chevy Impala...it was not very dark when drained, no skanky stuff visible throught the filler cap.

As stupid as it sounds, I really think oils should be judged on performance, not contents. None of the oil makers really have any incentive to be significantly better than the API tests require - just to convince us that they are. SO, for dino oils I think it makes the most sense to buy what's on sale(probably what most people do). Never mind that the threads on engine life etc. are convincing me that unless you are trying to set mileage records (300K etc) it's dumb to worry about it. Yet I continue to log on

 

[labman]

The last time I let price push me into something other than Pennzoil, I tried Quaker State. It was in the late 80's and I ended up with a badly sludged up 81 Phoenix V-6. The valve covers were leaking because the oil return holes were plugged up. I was doing 6 month OCI's, 10-15K miles a year, mostly short trips with occasional longer trips. I do not take this as proof that QS = junk. My 77 LUV was getting the same diet with many fewer long trips and never showed more than some varnish. I remembered that problem when the owner's manual for my 92 Grand Am seemed to be saying I needed a shorter interval.

And oh yeah, not only do I admit using QS, but the truck was living on Fram filters.

[ March 20, 2004, 08:07 PM: Message edited by: labman ]

 

[sbc350gearhead]

I have a buddy that has 260k on his 94 s-10. He has used QS 5 or 10w30 every 5k. Most of his miles are on the freeway, as he lives 90 miles from work, but the truck doesn't use any oil between changes. I would have to say that QS couldn't be that bad. IMO, it is just as good as valvoline. I can't speak as to what QS was like in the past.

 

[KW]

My Dad has never ran anything other than QS and probebly never will either. He has never had an oil related problem. He is 74 and has had a lot of cars, all on QS every 3K. I recently pulled apart a 283 SBC that was clean as to be expected of a 40 year old motor (a few exhuast valves sunk). I don't use the stuff, but I don't see anything wrong with it either.

 

[doitmyself]

Labman,

You were doing 6 month OCI's on a 1981 car, at 5,000 to 7,500 miles and short trips, on oil that is of lesser quality compared to today's standards? And you got sludge?

Even with today's better dino oils, people are pushing the limit at 4,000 to 5,000 mile OCI's when the oil "gives out".

I imagine any brand would have sludged up under those conditions. These types of antecdotes keep the myths alive.

 

[Nosmo King]

Until the shift to their own label Synthetic oil,
Mercedes Canada LTD has used in bulk and recommended QS to all their dealers up here in Canada.

 

[FordSVTGuy]

I have not used Quaker State, but I can say that the last person who I would take advice from on which oil to use would be the guy at the Wal-Mart lube center. Sure he can tell you what people commonly ask for (which is always interesting), but anything else is just anecdotal. I am one to belive that if it is SL rated, it will be good for 3,000-4,500 miles, Quaker State included.

 

[Schmoe]

When I got our 02 Accord, I was using QS 5W-20 at the local screw-you-lube because that was the only 5W-20 they had at that time, at least that is what they told me. Then I found this board and wised up. I took some UOA's of the oil, which I posted, and the oil was definently dead by 3K, I mean viscosity and TBN's were almost non-existant. I fell into their 250K warranty gimmick. Some of you may remember that was one of my first questions I posted. Since that time, and after learning that you can still change your own oil and still be under warranty as long as you have reciepts, I've done all my own oil changes and have never jumped ship back to QS.

[ March 20, 2004, 11:10 PM: Message edited by: Schmoe ]

 

[TallPaul]

quote:

---

Originally posted by oilrecovery2003:
Question is, do I really need a 15w40 for summer or just stick with 1030. I burn NO oil at 140,000 miles.

---

Good question. I was running 5w30 until I installed an oil pressure gauge. My truck's spec is 40-60 psi at 2000 rpm. With the 5w30 I was getting 36 psi and when driven hard it would drop to 30. Now, with a 10w40 I am getting 45 psi (in spec) and driven hard can drop to 40. I will be switching to a 15w40 PCEO for this summer, just to minimize the viscosity spread. I don't think 15w40 has any advantage over 10w30 on viscosity spread, so if your pressure is good on 10w30, I'd say stick with it.

 

[Starbreaker666]

Ran 10w-30 in a '83 Chevy Blazer I used for rock crawling here in colorado. that motor was seriously abused at high altitiude and high temperature and extreme angles including upside down. Never had a motor failure.

 

[joatmon]

Arnold's old tractor must be rolling over in its grave .... oh wait .... it's alive .... Arnold's old tractor is alive .... it's a miracle .... QS has kept the old tractor used by Arnold's father alive .... and running well for over a billion years

God bless America and all those who use QS.