Oil for 97 Trooper

[Abax25]

Picked up a 97 Trooper, to do light towing. (Dirt bikes) and whatever random household chores it could be used for.

I know these have oiling issues, and have read really old threads about using certain oils to help aid that. What are people having decent luck with these days?

It has 150k miles, and was extremely low on oil when I first checked it out. So she is burning or leaking!

 

[andyd]

Depends on where you live. As thick an oil as low temps allow.

 

[Abax25]

Originally Posted by andyd
Depends on where you live. As thick an oil as low temps allow.



Temps can get down to single digits here in the cooler months. Rare, but it happens. Usually 20-55 degrees in winter

Synthetic or non? Interval range on these?


Thanks.

 

[scrier]

Keep a stash of the cheapest 10w30 (for summer) and 5w30 (for winter) in your vehicle ... its gonna go thru oil no matter what so just use whatever is cheapest. I had a 98 Trooper for several years ... burned thru 1 qt every 400+/- miles.

On one same day round trip to Alabama, it went thru 1 qt every 200 miles of highway driving. We drove down in morning and I had to top it off. When we drove home that night and I had to top it off again, then new girlfriend was wondering if we were gonna make it back home.

As long as I stayed on top of the oil, car was fine. Really miss it ... very comfortable and utilitarian

 

[zrxkawboy]

I would try a HM oil.

 

[maxdustington]

Thicker the better! Try to scoop up some clearance 10W30!

 

[Oro_O]

A cheap oil would be a bad idea, as the problems will get worse. As you know, they have oiling issues. The '97 much less so...

I have a '98 SLX, which has the more problematic 3.5l. It has more consumption issues vs a 3.2l because of bad drain design in the OC ring and piston skirt. The 3.2L you have is OK in this regard, but some internal passages are too narrow and create issues, which is common on both engines. Camshafts can get starved from this so it is not a trivial thing. More robust 10w30s (which is what Isuzu says to use) definitely are better than 5w30s and your climate does not demand the 5w30.

Since you are inheriting someone else's maintenance and have no idea what it is, it would be VERY wise to do an engine flush or two. I have had great success with idling with kerosene for 20 minutes before draining the oil. A blocked passage I had in the left cylinder head is now good. I've tried a lot of oils and I buy the Mobil 1 10w30 HM in spring and fall when on rebate (it is now), so it is $13/5 qts. and that feeds the beast nicely. I also add a few ounces of lubegard biotech and that has made a noticeable improvement. My 98 would go through 1qt in 400 miles like scrier said. BUT, with piston soaks and engine flushes, and a strong 10w-30, I now go through 1qt every 1200 to 1500 miles. 10w40 doesn't help and I've tried a lot of oils over many years and settled on the M1 10w30 HM as the best compromise in this engine. Given how cheaply you can get it buy shopping smart, it's also plenty cheap enough. My valve guides were also leaking a bit, and the M1 HM cured that with no other intervention by me.

You are probably loosing a decent amount of oil via the valve cover gaskets, spark plug seals, and cam shaft seals by 150k miles. It is almost certainly due or overdue for new seals up top. The 3.2l does not have the piston issues and excessive burning like 98+, so your losses are most likely leakage + normal consumption, and be manageable if you fix the leaks.

 

[Abax25]

Thanks guys.

I drove it 100 miles today, luckily no loss on the dipstick or any visible leaks. I will keep a hawk eye on the oil level, and probably end up doing the valve covers , etc at some point as I'm sure they probably do leak.


These beaters shockingly drive kinda nice.

 

[Abax25]

Originally Posted by Or
A cheap oil would be a bad idea, as the problems will get worse. As you know, they have oiling issues. The '97 much less so...

I have a '98 SLX, which has the more problematic 3.5l. It has more consumption issues vs a 3.2l because of bad drain design in the OC ring and piston skirt. The 3.2L you have is OK in this regard, but some internal passages are too narrow and create issues, which is common on both engines. Camshafts can get starved from this so it is not a trivial thing. More robust 10w30s (which is what Isuzu says to use) definitely are better than 5w30s and your climate does not demand the 5w30.

Since you are inheriting someone else's maintenance and have no idea what it is, it would be VERY wise to do an engine flush or two. I have had great success with idling with kerosene for 20 minutes before draining the oil. A blocked passage I had in the left cylinder head is now good. I've tried a lot of oils and I buy the Mobil 1 10w30 HM in spring and fall when on rebate (it is now), so it is $13/5 qts. and that feeds the beast nicely. I also add a few ounces of lubegard biotech and that has made a noticeable improvement. My 98 would go through 1qt in 400 miles like scrier said. BUT, with piston soaks and engine flushes, and a strong 10w-30, I now go through 1qt every 1200 to 1500 miles. 10w40 doesn't help and I've tried a lot of oils over many years and settled on the M1 10w30 HM as the best compromise in this engine. Given how cheaply you can get it buy shopping smart, it's also plenty cheap enough. My valve guides were also leaking a bit, and the M1 HM cured that with no other intervention by me.

You are probably loosing a decent amount of oil via the valve cover gaskets, spark plug seals, and cam shaft seals by 150k miles. It is almost certainly due or overdue for new seals up top. The 3.2l does not have the piston issues and excessive burning like 98+, so your losses are most likely leakage + normal consumption, and be manageable if you fix the leaks.



Who's running that special on M1? I will stock up.

 

[jongies3]

I'd run either PYB, QSGB or VWB and call it a day, whichever one you can get cheaper. I wouldn't shell out the cash for synthetic on a beater, and those three are highly favored conventionals on BITOG.

 

[Charlie2015]

VML 10w40

 

[dave1251]

Rotella 10W30.

 

[Abax25]

Originally Posted by dave1251
Rotella 10W30.



I actually have a stash of T5 in 10w-30. Should probably just use that for now. But I know some have had good luck with certain oils in these motors due to their factory design flaws.

 

[Oro_O]

Originally Posted by Abax25
Originally Posted by dave1251
Rotella 10W30.



I actually have a stash of T5 in 10w-30. Should probably just use that for now. But I know some have had good luck with certain oils in these motors due to their factory design flaws.



T5 10w30 would not be bad.

I picked up a lot of T6 5w-40 on the crazy Autozone clearance + rebate. But I am going to run that in the Lexus and repurpose the M1 stashed for it to the truck. T5 or T6 in 10w30 I would use happily, however.

People who ran T6 and premium oils from new changed them conservatively generally have no oil use issues. If it has no real burning and only leaking, wide-spread synthetics are going to be ok.

 

[Oro_O]

Originally Posted by Abax25


Who's running that special on M1? I will stock up.


Mobil 1 runs the rebate every apr/may and sept/oct. $12 off a jug, limit 2 I think. I buy it at Walmart and then after tax and rebate, it''s ~$13/ 5qt. jug.

 

[Abax25]

Originally Posted by Or
Originally Posted by Abax25


Who's running that special on M1? I will stock up.


Mobil 1 runs the rebate every apr/may and sept/oct. $12 off a jug, limit 2 I think. I buy it at Walmart and then after tax and rebate, it''s ~$13/ 5qt. jug.


Dang, that's cheap!

 

[BrocLuno]

Isuzu with 150K - HDEO like Delo/Delvac 15W-40. Always good down to 0*F. Add a full can of BG109 about 100 miles before your next change for a few cycles. Will free up any ring issues

 

[Abax25]

Quick update:

Again this was purchased for light towing, and beater duties. It's actually a solid truck for what it is, starting to really like it, but have a few questions..

I purchased this from the original owner, but it had been sitting for almost a year with almost no use. I only took it for a 5 min test ride, as I started to hear it knocking. Knowing these have lifter issues, I just assumed that's what it was but eased it back to the owners home. Checked the oil and it was bone dry, with the passenger side area smoking like crazy. Oil was puking from most likely the valve cover. He had some 10w-40 supertech laying around, and it took roughly 3 quarts to get it to the full mark... Not good, but this was a one owner truck and cheap. Bought it anyways!

I drove it around for roughly 200 miles, and would check the leak and level constantly. When popping the hood, I would always see the passenger side smoking still and you could smell oil burning with the hood popped. Tossed a very small amount of MMO in for 50-100 more miles, and changed the oil with Rotella T5 10w-30. I've put roughly 250 miles on with this oil, and it hasn't smoked once nor has the oil level moved. I've been beating the death out of this thing, as it hasn't moved in so long.. What on earth would cause it to randomly stop leaking?!

The one downside, it's now ticking on it's first cold start in the morning. These are well known for lifter tick. It seems to last anywhere from 10 seconds, to a minute and doesn't come back till it sits overnight. Should I go with a 0W-30 next oil change, to try and rid the nasty lifter tick on cold start? It's been in the 60s-80s here.

 

[dave1251]

You could try a PCMO containing esters it may help but I would not hold your breath.

 

[Oro_O]

Very unlikely to make leaking valve covers stop. Did you check the torque on the cover bolts? That can help. After 20 years and 150k miles, those gaskets and spark plug seals should be pretty worn.

Good oil with esters can reduce it, and valve stem leaks, and clear up lifter noise. The spark plug seals also are prone to leak in these - perhaps that was the source of a lot of the oil and those got reconditioned. The 97 MY does not have the high oil consumption the 98 to 02 do, so its odd he let it get that low. I don't know what's precisley in the T-5, but if it's been in there a month, it could have done some good.

Next time you change your oil, I would really do a flush with Kerosene or a similar off the shelf flush. The oil journals in these are tight (all 3.2l 6vd1 as well as 3.5l 6ve1) and prior neglect - which this clearly has signs of being 3qts low - can lead to constricted or clogged passages. Especially if it had higher VII oil in it like 5w30 or 10w40. This can really help fix this fast. When I changed my valve cover gaskets I found clear evidence of it, despite a few years of good oil and MMO use at changes.