Oil

[tndude]

Like most of you, I change my own oil. I’m a frugal guy so I’ll go to my local Autozone and buy one of the cheaper oils. Usually about $1.20 a quart. Not the cheapest but one notch up. I don’t understand what the difference is between the range of prices. They range from $1.00 (10w 30) a qt. on the low end to $2.50 (10w 30) a qt. on the higher end. I change my oil every 6,000 miles so I suppose the $1.20 oil is just effective as the $2.50 oil.

Is there really any difference in the quality of one oil brand to the next? Lets keep this simple and just focus on 10w 30 oil for this discussion.

I kind of look at oil as the same as over the counter drugs. If you go to the grocery store and look at the brand Pseudoephed and compare the ingredients to the grocery brand pseudoephed….it’s the same thing. Furthermore, most major brands sell their contents to the grocery chain and allow them to slap their name on the box. My point is that it’s the same product just different packaging. I bet the oil industry is very similar.

Do you think this is true for oil? Is there any difference??

Your thoughts…..

[Scotch]

Synth is better. I've noticed a temp drop by switching over. It lasts longer too. We've done back-to-backs switching all fluids in the driveline (engine, trans, rear axle) to synth and recorded RWHP gains between 5-10. I will always run synth in my stuff.

SP~!

[Ummgawa]

Based on the Standards laid out by the automotive and petroleum industry, all Motor Oils have a stamp that delineates it meeting these (minimal) requirements. Now, between you and I, I'm not putting Wal Mart oil in my 45K 69 Camaro or my 2001 Silverado. Period.

But that's just me.

[MarkM66]

Just read this website, more info then you'll ever need, :D .

http://theoildrop.server101.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php

[JamesJ]

First, that website will leave you with more questions then when you got there, lots of info.

We run the local auto parts store (NAPA) oil in many of our car, most are old motors (Flatheads) so the tolerances are not near what they would be on a new motor. Most of the cars don’t even have oil filters. But back to the question the NAPA oil is one of the major company’s they just put it in the NAPA container. Same with many other parts they sell, there filters are Wix, many of there other parts are DANA. I think that the most important thing is to change it regularly. I would not run oil for 6K miles except in my truck which has 15 quarts. Except if you have some sort of bypass filter or something.

http://www.oilguard.com/ bypass filter

http://blackstone-labs.com/index.html Get an oil analysis

[jannes_z-28]

Oil is a topic for different opinions.

One of Swedens most prominent enginebuilders (dragracing and street) says that syntetic oils are only for modern engines where the tolerances are more tight than on old engines.

In older ones like our musclecars big and small blocks the tolerances are wider and there a syntethic oil might not work properly. In some cases you wouldn't even reach the correct oilpressure.

Even when the syntethic oils are more expensive they are not by that better. For older enginetypes like a '69 bigblock like mine I run with basic engine oil, not necessarily expensive.

The more expensive oil also has additives that don't do any good in a engine like we run, if we change the oil very often. The additives are mostly there to make the oil last longer.

Just my thoughts...


Jan

[tndude]

Thanks for every ones thoughts. I misstated the frequency of oil changes – I do it every 3K miles not 6K. I agree that synthetics are a higher quality, hence, the higher price but I’m still not sure if there really is a difference between Pennzoil 10w 30 at $2.50 a qt vs. Exxon 10w 30 at $1.20.

Yea, if I had $45K in my 69 camaro I’d for sure would go with synthetic because I’d want the best for the car. But as for my 98 Avalon that is not worth very much…. I’m ok with the $1.20 qt.

JamesJ, your comment helps to support my theory.