What is your favorite oil?

[Curious George]

I know this has been covered, but I was hoping to get more feedback from more members. Let's not turn this into a "Dino vs. Synthetic" debate. Just name your oil preference and why (optional). I welcome empirical experience and scientific data.

I prefer a good synthetic (group III, IV or V). I have had good luck with "Dino" oil in the past and still do in the girlfriends car, but I think a nominally priced synthetic is worth the difference.

CG

 

[Hib Halverson]

About the only "nominally-priced" synthetic I can suggest for roller lifter engines is Mobil 1 10W30.

For flat tappet engines, a "nominally-priced" synthetic is Mobil 1 High-Mileage 10W30.

 

[longspur]

The only oil I use in a car engine is Mobil 1 5w 30.


2001 vette 36,000 miles
2005 Envoy 65,000 miles
1997 Sonoma 110,000 miles

None of these cars use any oil between changes.

No scientific testing done but they all run strong.

 

[John Robinson]

In the beginning

Yup in the beginning there was Mobil 1. At least a decade has past since then and now we have other brands that are fully synthetic(note I said fully not partial) Being a penny pincher I use what ever brand is the sale item of the month at Advance Auto Parts. They usually have an oil and filter promo every month for about $25.00. As with all things time has a way of improving them and I believe that any fully synthetic oil today is comparable to the Mobil 1 of 1993 or better as I am sure that Mobil has also made improvements to its Mobil 1 since since it was introduced.

 

[Tuna]

Mobil 1 10w30 is all I've used in my engines since 1992.

I don't throw it away every 3000 miles either. I stays in the engine for 12-15K miles before it's changed. However, I do change out the oil filter every 3500 to 4000 miles just to keep a reasonably fresh filter on them.

 

[catbert]

When I was racing it was Royal Purple synthetic. Now it's Pennzoil Platinum full synthetic.

 

[MBDiagMan]

Oh no! An oil thread, yikes!

This is sort of like opening a thread with a question about reliion or politics.

There are three basic principles here:

If it's a roller cam engine, you can use about any premium oil in a reasonable viscosity range.

If it's a flat tappet cam, you need a zinc additive oil, which includes the diesel oils that the truckers use which also have high detergents which will keep your engine squeaky clean. You can also use Racing Oils, but with most of them you give up lots of the detergents which can lead to sludging.

The third portion of the principle is: WHATEVER OIL YOU USE, CHANGE IT AND THE FILTER REGULARLY!

 

[Curious George]

Has anybody heard of or used a brand called "Amtecol"? It is a "true" synthetic and PAO based, but some people have expressed it has a "weak" additive package.

CG

 

[93Rubie]

Mobil 1 10w30 is all I've used in my engines since 1992.

I don't throw it away every 3000 miles either. I stays in the engine for 12-15K miles before it's changed. However, I do change out the oil filter every 3500 to 4000 miles just to keep a reasonably fresh filter on them.

I assume you do mostly highway driving and put those many miles on in a year. Last I checked condensation gets into the oil and should be changed yearly regardless of mileage on it. Water and oil don't mix and you do not want water in your engine.

I agree with MBDiagMan, whatever you do change your oil and filter on regular intervals. It is cheap insurance to keep your engine lasting longer. Doesn't really matter what oil brand you use as long as it has the latest API rating. If it has the latest rating you can be assured that the oil you are buying meets there standards for that API rating.

Me personally, Mobil 1 5W30 FULL Synthetic is what GM recommended and filled my LT1 with and by golly then its good enough for me. Especially since the LT1 does not have oil cooler and runs hotter than most.

 

[WRECKER88]

The first thing i did when i got my Corvette was drain the factory oil and put Mobil 1 5w 30 in.

 

[vetteboy86]

I run castrol GTX in my birds, and my daily driver. In the Vette, truck and wifey's car I use mobil 1. I change the convential oil and filter every 2k miles or every season, usually every season. For the Mobil 1 extended performance I change oil and filter every 4k miles. Why I do this, I do not know.:W

 

[catbert]

The first thing i did when i got my Corvette was drain the factory oil and put Mobil 1 5w 30 in.

View attachment 323

Wasn't that the factory fill?

 

[Hib Halverson]

Wasn't that the factory fill?

Not in 89.

M1 became factory fill in the LT1 for 1992 and in the LT5 for 1993.

 

[onedef92]

I use Mobil-1 5W 30. But I've also used Castrol Syntec 5W 30 (whichever's on sale at the time.)

 

[Robertwav1]

Mobil 1 5w-30 always. Use 0w-40 mobil in a crossfire (nonvette). Makes the 5w-30 seem cheap! :eyerole

 

[db2]

I run Penn Plat 5-30 in all my cars and use Wix filters.


\db2
Carolina

 

[nelson84]

I don't use synthetic, I run natural oil from crude. If you run low just add some cheap stuff at the gas station, less stress than worrying about finding your brand in a pinch.

 

[onedef92]

Has anyone used Castrol EDGE 5W-30 Synthetic? It supposedly outperformed Mobil 1 5W-30 in recent tests.

http://www.castroledgeusa.com/#/why-upgrade/results

 

[catbert]

Has anyone used Castrol EDGE 5W-30 Synthetic? It supposedly outperformed Mobil 1 5W-30 in recent tests.

All of the new super premium synthetics advertise greater this and that, but I've not seen ANY supporting data. I use Pennzoil Platinum, but haven't sprung for their super premium for the same reason. Sooner or later the tests will come out.

 

[Florida Guy]

Mobil 1 5w 30
Only because that is the only oil that has been in my Corvette.