Oil Recommendation for Cross Country Trip

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My son and a buddy are driving from NC to CA this summer with various stops in National Parks along the way. Their vehicle is a 2005 Suburban w/175k miles, 2WD with a 5.7l motor. We are in the process of sorting out the mothership for the journey, doing what you'd expect mechanically and the boys have taken out the rear seats and rigged up sleeping/living quarters when camping is not an option. It has been a fun project. Last on my list before they take off is going to be an oil change using a Wix XP oil filter. Their route is still in flux but the estimated round trip will exceed 8000 miles. I have in my current oil stash the following and my question is which one would be best suited for this type of journey?

M1 5W-30
M1 0W-30
Valvoline Syn Power 5W-30
Castrol GTX Magnatec 5W-30

Another thought is to exchange the M1 for M1 extended performance 5w-30. Thanks
 
Mobil I 10W-40 High Mileage. Replace oil and filter when you return home. Sound like the journey of a lifetime. Drive safe and don't be in a hurry to get somewhere. Regards
 
Hmmm, considering you didn't mention any other grades of oil, only what you have in your stash, all are fine/great oils for the duration considering that much of the trip will be highway...a good thing for 8000 mile OCI.

I may consider the Mobil 1 0W30 as(IIRC) it has a slightly higher cSt(in the 30 range) than the other 5w30s that you listed. And the M1 0w30 may also be a bit more shear stable over those 8K miles compared to the 5w30s...but, I may not be completely correct in my reasoning. Others will chime in with good information.

And regardless of which oil you use for the trip, make sure that the guys have some extra qts for topoffs along the way!

Best of luck and safe journey
 
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Any of those oils you already have will do about the same.
If you buy new, get Mobil1 0w40 for the trip. That oil has higher standards, used in Porsches, Mercedes, etc., also racing, high-performance, and cheap at Walmart. Fram Ultra oil filter is also very hard to beat with its media.
 
Originally Posted By: Char Baby
Hmmm, considering you didn't mention any other grades of oil, only what you have in your stash, all are fine/great oils for the duration considering that much of the trip will be highway...a good thing for 8000 mile OCI.

I may consider the Mobil 1 0W30 as(IIRC) it has a slightly higher cSt(in the 30 range) than the other 5w30s that you listed. And the M1 0w30 may also be a bit more shear stable over those 8K miles compared to the 5w30s...but, I may not be completely correct in my reasoning. Others will chime in with good information.

And regardless of which oil you use for the trip, make sure that the guys have some extra qts for top-offs along the way!

Best of luck and safe journey


+1

But I'd consider 5W-40 HDEO as it will be getting seriously hot out west this summer...

Also, I'd run an oversized oil filter. WIX has plenty of options. But more volume and more filter area are both good things with the A/C on and 110* on long mountain climb to say 13,600' at Lizard Head Pass in Colorado
laugh.gif
 
Along with picking a oil for this trip, make sure you have a clean air filter in place. If in doubt, change it out. Check your tires, and go over the entire vehicle to make sure everything is in working order. Make sure you have emergency tools and flashlights.
 
Long legs, no need to 0w or 5w, since ghe cold starts are at minimum percentage. I'd go 10w40 semi orvfully.
 
I think you have the 5.3 motor. Mine runs very quiet on heavy 30 grades and I'm sure I'll be using 40 grade soon. Also since I have been using BC 0w30 I have had no piston slap! I think a 100C cSt of at least 12 is best in my experience.
 
You make a good point, but I wonder how much this Chevy will heat the oil under even arduous conditions since it won't be all that heavily loaded with only two passengers and their gear minus the weight of the removed seats and it won't be towing?
Also, a higher HTHS oil, like any 5W-40 HDEO, will only serve to further increase the non-trivial thirst of this Suburban.
While a Suburban will never be the choice of hyper milers, every little bit helps.
If I were the OP, I'd use whatever oil the beast has had over the years. If it's mostly had M1, then go with that, my reasoning being that consumption on whatever the engine's seen over the years is already known.
 
My opinion, I'd opt for M1 5w-30 or get some 0w-40 or 5w-40. LS engines run great on anything really.

Other pre-road trip checks I like to do:

-If it's been a while or unknown service history, service T-Case (if 4WD), Transmission, and Differential(s) with a syn 75w-90.

-Check brake pad material remaining.

-Check cooling system condition; coolant; clean and wash the radiator, A/C condenser, transmission cooler, and transmission cooler stack for restored cooling efficiency; straighten radiator fins with radiator comb if needed; drive belt; fan clutch.

-Re-balance tires and inspect for damage, inflate to max allowable psi for handling under load and at high speed. Less rolling resistance too from higher pressure. Check spare, jack, and tools required to change tire.

-Air filter(s) engine and HVAC system

I'm sure there is tons more others can provide.

Sounds like it's going to be an awesome time, enjoy.
 
A 5.7L in a 2005 Suburban? Do you mean a 1995?

I'd use Mobil 1 5w30, should be able to do 10k miles. Give them a quart for top offs.
 
I would say go with the Mobil 1 5W-30, only because that's what my 2001 5.3 has used since new. Really, anything in your stash should handle that trip.

Be sure to send a few extra quarts and a funnel. I did a similar but shorter trip at around 50k, and used half a quart in the first 2000 miles.

Given the Suburban's mileage, changing the ATF would be a good idea. DNVDMAX has some other good maintenance suggestions above.

Tell them to use the Tow/Haul button on the steep up and down grades, and manually shift down to at least 3rd on steep downhills. My pickup has 3.42 gears, and I regularly went down one hill in Wyoming in 2nd with a lot of brakes.

I hope they have a great trip.
 
Personally, I would feel more comfortable with a new (OEM quality or better - not a cheap one) fuel pump. Perhaps these later model GM vehicles have better pumps but I know I have replaced a few around the 200k mark. I would also take a spare battery with me in case of battery or alternator failure.
 
Originally Posted By: HosteenJorje
Mobil I 10W-40 High Mileage. Replace oil and filter when you return home. Sound like the journey of a lifetime. Drive safe and don't be in a hurry to get somewhere. Regards


I guess you didn't read OP's post? He has these oils to choose from:

M1 5W-30
M1 0W-30
Valvoline Syn Power 5W-30
Castrol GTX Magnatec 5W-30



My vote: put in the M1 5w30 and drive on....
 
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Of the choices I would rule out 0w30 if wear protection is your goal. Since that engine doesn't require anything special I would run the Castrol since it's more robust with a higher SG. A higher SG by extension would give you a higher molecular weight base oil which is a good thing. If you were towing in the California heat I would consider moving up to a 40 weight.
 
I wouldn't sweat it.

I'd use the 5W-30 that you have been using all along and move forward.

I wouldn't pack a spare battery or a spare engine but I would pack a few extra dollars in anticipation of any minor hiccups you might encounter with the old Chevy.

I would change all the fluids if they haven't been lately along with replacing any old/suspicious hoses and belts.

That might head off an overheating problem down the road.
 
A spare battery seems excessive, but a portable jump starter could come in handy. I had a marginal battery that would start with a jump starter even after being drained.

This kind of use is frankly pretty easy on motor oil. I remember before going on a long trip with my folks, I changed their car's oil with a regular Mobil 10W-30. I figured it was going long miles with few cold starts. It went though some pretty hot places, including Death Valley.

The most Important thing was a functioning A/C and cooling system.
 
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