slow_90firebird

I was thinking, I have run castrol GTX in my LO3 since I bought it. I changed from 5-30 to 10-30 when I realized the oil press. was kinda low. I change the GTX every 2000 or 2500 miles.

I was at walmart and browsing the car section, and I figured out that there were a few possibly better alternatives.

Super Tech, makes a synthetic that is pretty cheap

Also, I was considering trying a Diesel Oil. I was looking at Rotella T, and they have a 15-40 dyno oil for less than GTX. Also, they have Rotella T Synthetic for cheap too. But that is a 5-40.

The other ones I was considering were, Mobil Delvac, and Chevron Delo 400. I have heard good things about using diesel oil in a gas job, and surprisingly on the back of the containers I saw some certifications that begin with an S.

The last question I guess, is would it be too late (60,000mi) to switch to syn? I think if I did get diesel oil, I would be afriad the 15-40 would gel up, but maybe the 5-40 syn would be better?

UNCLE TOM

iTrader: (1)

i'm not an expert on oil by any means . i can only tell you what i have done . i was useing castrol syn. blend 10-30 . i also saw wal-mart synthetic , was curious because i know wal-mart does not have their own refinery . from what i found it's likely that they get it from castrol . syn. blend i also found out that blends are only about 20% synthetic and 80% dino. oil . well i thought that the blends were kind of pricey . what i do is buy wall-mart syn. and reg. motor oil ( your choice of brand ) , pour them into a 5gal. gas can , slosh around and use . 50/50 blend , and much cheaper . i'm happy . i do my own oil changes , ( my nephew has a 4 point lift ) . i have been doing this for close to 2yrs. now . i'm happy , i also put in a qt. of mineral spirts prior to each oil change . then start up , let idle for a few mins. then drain oil ( cleans out old sludge ) . if your concerned about press. it may be time to change the press. sensor . remember press. is not as important as flow . all i can add is that it work's for me . good luck .

Tbi-MAX

Oriely's has Rotella-T in 10w-30!! only place i can find it... everywhere else has the 15w-40, which i used a good bit of times myself.. but i like the rotella stuff, especially for flat tappet cams like the L03/L05 applications... it preserves engine life all together..

roadmasster

The Rotella T 5W-40 synthetic is getting good reviews over at bobistheoilguy forums, its the new cj-4 formula and has a bunch of cleaning additives in it. A lot of guys on that forum are running it including me.

slow_90firebird

Wait, I thought the LO3 was hydraulic roller, and the LG4 was solid lifter, flat tappet.

Either way, it sounds like I would benefit from a better addative package. I guess they call it ZDDP or something. I really am looking for a cheaper alternative to the M1/amsoil/RP craze, because I want my car to last, but I dont feel like replacing the valve seals yet. My car tends to use about 1-1.5 quarts every oil change. But I am afraid Mobil1 might increase oil usage.

I was reading about the dino Rotella, and I guess it was having problems with gelling solid below 30*f. That would not be good at all, I drive my car in the cold weather. Daily. However, I also read that the Synthetic Rotella doesent have that problem in winter.

Another thing I was reading about was the Delo 400. Supposedly this is a great oil. Pours at low temps, good additives, good wear ect. Anyone tried this? How about some others like the Mobil Delvac?

igotta355z28

iTrader: (1)

Wow....ok maybe i can help...we just studied engine oil in my Automotive Engine Repair Class (goin to school for my AAS In Automotive technology) first let me say i would never mix the oils like the guy above said, kinds shade tree mechanic stuff like that that will keep me busy working for years to come... Ok cant say this enough, chevrolet knew what it was doing when it built your engine, if it says to use 10w30 then USE 10W30!!! NOT 10W40..5W30..ECT.ECT. the engine designers have the clearances set up in the engine for the oil weights it says to use not whatever u choose to throw in... so if you have low oil pressure you should not put a bandaid on the problem by using thicker oil u should find the problem and fix it.... And on the subject of brands and syn versus syn blends and so on. I belive the federal law is that for a synthetic oil to be able to call itself synthetic its base stock only has to be like 2% synthetic.. lil scary aint it. and not all syns are created eqaully....we took a look at about 50 different oils in class and seperated them into ****, alright, good, and great catagories and boy aint it lonely at the top.... Great was 3 oils...Mobil 1 full synthetic (there is a reason vettes vipers and other super cars use it) Castrol Full Synthetic, and Valvoline full synthetic....good were castrol gtx and a cpl others...and it might be a surprise to see but some "performance" oils like Royal Purple went into the alright catagory.... and when it comes to switchin over to synthetic on a 60k mile engine...id say yeah its ok the problem with switching to syn on a higher milage vehichle is that the syn will clean out sludge and deposits that were actually preventing oil leaks, so when it cleans that out you might start leaking oil and if u do then there is not turning back youll either keep leaking or change gaskets.....i switched to mobil 1 full syn on my 99 v6 camaro at about 85k miles with no problems.....just please remember stick to the manufacturers recomended weights. and check ure service manual for frequency of oil changes cause there is no since in a 3000 mile oil change when u have quality oil in a good engine.thats just what the oil and parts companys want to drive sales...most cars are good for 5000 miles easy with good oil now days... if u dont believe me ask any Compitant ASE Certified Master Mechanics.....

robertfrank

iTrader: (27)

I use Mobil 1 10w30 and A/C Delco PF1218 filters exclusively.

89RS_82Z

iTrader: (2)

the LO3 is a roller........i been running cast syt blend 20 50 in mine forever (down south also), got great oil psi, low start up smoke (dang chevy valve guides), and pretty clean oil......... i ran rotella syt in my ford with a triton 5.4...... the rotella is a good oil and it has a S on it, its a good heavy duty oil, and has no problems at low temps its made to run in big rigs in the coldest temp you could ever think about

sometimes you got to band aid the motor by running heavy oil, its not worth it to rebuild a perfect motor with good compression just because the psi is a little low or it uses a tiny bit of oil....

i guess its being old school in my mechanicing but i like the heavy oil in it..... if it was colder here i would run 10 40

BTW K&N oil filters on all my cars

i actually run the 5 20 in the honda but it has 30k

slow_90firebird

Well, I can understand that some people have the "factory spec is best" opinion, especially if you have formal automotive education. Also, I am not recommending running 15w40 rig oil in your brand new honda S2000 either, this is a 18yo SBC motor. Totally different nowadays.

You cant deny, that the Hippies and tree-huggers have changed engine oil quite a bit in the last 20 years. And auto engineers have adapted the new cars just fine.

Basically, the main reason I wanted to try something else, was because my GTX comes out dark in color after even 2k miles. With the 1218 delco filter I run. I was hoping I will be able to find a low-cost alternative (possible synthetic, or a better dino blend) to run.

When I ran mobil 1 in my last car, I changed it every 3-4k miles, with a delco filter. Ran great, reduced valvetrain noise, but best of all, it went in light yellow, and came out light yellow! The GTX likes to get black fast.

I know Diesel cert. oils have great soot protection and detergents. They also have good durability over long drain intervals. Finally, they have additives that are good against wear and deposits, and these same additives were banned from regular auto oil years back.

Still interested to hear from people's experience using "atlernative" lubes. 89rs, you used rotella in your ford. Did it work good as an automotive oil? And you ran the synthetic one, right?

Also still interested in the Delo 400 and Delvac oils too.

igotta355z28

iTrader: (1)

oil is supose to get darker and fast cause it suspends dirt and ware metals in it oil has 4 main purposes in an engine 1. lubricate 2. cool 3. clean 4. seal. i have used rotella t in my last 355 with flat tappet cam i had no problems it ran good, u can use it too but try to get an appropriat weight is all im sayin.. in my opinion it would be better to run somethin like mobil 1 and then add in that GM cam and lifter prelube 4oz bottle with every oil change. pn12345501 should give u the protection for your flat tappets...just remeber the your rod and main baring clearances are less then half the thickness of a piece of paper...you really think those real thick oils are going to get in there very fast? it only takes 1.5 sec for a dry main bearing to turn molten under load...ok good luck man..

Artic White

I have a question. I've been using both 20w50 when I first bought the car but switched to 5w30 the past three oil changes. Here in So Cal I guess temperature doesn't matter.

What weight oil does Chevy say we should use?

Also I've read so many things about so many different filters, what would be the best to use. I now use Fram but I would like to discontinue that due to all the bad reviews.

Thanks!

igotta355z28

iTrader: (1)

on the subject of filters WIX filters are the best, we cut open several leading filters and wix are the best materials and design hands down. if you get the napa gold one from napa it is made by wix and is a premium filter, another very good copy is puralator pure one filter.....then the mobil 1 filters are nice just remember none of these are cheap

Artic White

Thanks for the reccomendation. Also does anyone know what GM said we should use in this motor for oil?

slow_90firebird

My oil cap says 5w30 right on it. The reason I switched to 10w is because of the oil pressure. FYI the 10W has never given me a problem this winter, right down to the below freezing temps, the oil pressure guage still reads good (actually better) pressure in the cold temps.

You have to keep in mind though, the ratings are relativity based. They are not exact. One companies 5w30 might be closer to 10w30, or 5w40, from another company. There is not that big of a difference as people think. It is not an exact science.

When I worked at firestone, we only had kendall 5w30 on the gun. Every car got it, from honda s-2000's to old BBC pickups. Never had a customer complain about the weight (well 1 did, so I had to fill up some extra 10-30 bottles with 5w in the back room...)

89RS_82Z

iTrader: (2)

yea the rotella worked great, and i was changing the oil every 2 weeks with it but i was going 5,000+ miles every two weeks and the truck stayed running for 12 hours a day non stop, heavy duty use, and lots of weight also

most oil will get black due to heat also, you can run a by pass filter system on a diesel (best filtering system by far) go and im not telling a joke a 100,000 plus miles on an oil change, all you do is change out the filter and top off the oil that the filter displaced, drivers range in there filter change intevals but most are around 500-750 hours, the oil is balck, but if you drain some in a test tube it comes out clean when a test is done on it, Detergent oil will turn a dark blue-black after it is heated. Non-detergent oil will turn a reddish-brown, the diesel motor will nomaly turn oil black fast even with a by pass filter...... by pass fliters can be used on gas jobs also and have great results


http://www.gulfcoastfilters.com/index.htm
^explains alot about oil and filtration^
you need to call them for filters on a gas job, number is on site

89RS_82Z

iTrader: (2)

and BTW the weight dont matter much at all on an 15+ year old SBC BBC or even the 6 and 4 clys (atleast the domestic motors) the newer ones even newer ford and chevy 8's you want to run the weight (or real close) depending on what they recomend in the book, my 5.4 did say 5 20, but it had over 60k when i got it, and the previous owner was running rotella in it also....... if it were a around town go to the store truck i would of used 5 20, what im getting at is our older style motors, the weight is not as big of an issue as newer motors

Tbi-MAX

yea, WIX is the filter i use... its the best.. and i use Rotella 10w-30 and i like to add STP oil breakin additive when i change my oil.. but when i 1st built the engine the machinist wanted me to use Rotella 15w-40.. with a breakin additive.. and yep the l05 is flat tappet for now, until i do a roller swap..

slow_90firebird

Well I guess if the LO3 is indeed a roller, I wouldnt have to worry about wiping cam lobes lol.

I still think that there is benefit to using oil with a better additive package / quality. I would also be interested to see how changing the oil affects the amount of consumption (out the tailpipe). Today, I checked my oil because I just hit the first 1k miles after the last change. When I change it, I pour in 5 new quarts, and it always overfills it about 1/4" on the dipstick. Today, it was about 1/4" low. All I had lying around was some Mobil1 5w30 so I topped it off with about 1/3 quart of that. Figure slowly introducing a good synthetic is one way to see how it reacts.

An another note, people (the diesel guys) almost always report an offensive smell from the engine bay after changing rotella. Not with Delo or Delvac though. I guess it has to do with Rotella's specific additive packages. Anyone notice this in gas engines?

DLV555

iTrader: (1)

Yes, L03 is a roller. Zddp is not as important in a roller engine. The LG4 is a hydraulic flat tappet, not solid. My Firebird has 145k miles and my Monte SS has 190k miles. I run 10W40 in the 'bird and 20W50 in the SS. Both are recommended 5W30 originally. I would never use that weight because while it would have been acceptable 16-21 years ago, those oil tolerances the engineers spent so much time studying have likely changed, and I personally want thicker oil in my engine. When I rebuild them then I'll most likely go back to 5W30 or 10W30, and I'll likely use Royal Purple once everything is broken in. I'll probably use a concoction of Rotella and EOS when I break them in. I use Valvline Max Life in my engines now.

89RS_82Z

iTrader: (2)

never had a wierd smell running rotalla.......i dont think you would have any trouble with the rotella syth in your LO3, infact im thinking of changing to it now that we all got talking about it, i havent had any issues with my cast syth blend, 3,000 miles and its still above the add line (and that even with small start up smoke) ...... if i have to top my oil off, i will go back to the cast syth blend

anyone run lucas??? i have a hard time trusting that bobistheoilguy.com or whatever it is............ i have never had issues with lucas, in fact im sure i has saved a motor i had at one time (chevy 454 pegged the factory and analog temp gauges and ran a while like that, didnt lock up, didnt burn oil after, didnt make any noise either)

brandotron

iTrader: (2)

Dude, no kidding. I switched to M1 recently, and my car just clicked over to 90k miles. I don't know if it's totally related...but my valve covers just started puking oil. I see it as a small price to pay if my engine really is that much cleaner.

Anybody got a rag?

slow_90firebird

if it's just the valve covers, you might be able to just tighten down the bolts a little more to squish the seal better.

brandotron

iTrader: (2)

Thought I'd try that first--I just noticed the leak yesterday

slow_90firebird

Yeah. I imagine if valvecovers start leaking, it would drip on the manifolds and create that nice smokey aroma just to make everyone think you drive a shitbox lol...

It could be worse. At least its not main seal or something. Valve cover gaskets should be pretty cheap and easy.

89RS_82Z

iTrader: (2)

and on the plus side you can sand and paint them a nice looking color

flaming-ford

iTrader: (7)

i use mobil 1 10w30 in my current tpi 305.... always pure one oil filter.

at the same time on my 140k miled l03 car i used rotella 15/40 but, it was worn as hell and oil psi often dipped below 10 psi wih 5w30.

synthetics are perfectly fine in high milage vehicles no reason not to switch over any1 who says otherwise is crazy........ Thing is it's a better oil so it cleans better, big deal. If your seals are wornout enuff to cause huge leaks they need replaced........ Gummy oiling systems can be much worse than clean oil systems with worn seals just my opinion.

slow_90firebird

I still cant figure out why my dad's 4.3 blazer gets 40psi at idle, and more driving. My car only gets like 20 at idle, and 30 while driving.

89RS_82Z

iTrader: (2)

30-35psi idle, 45-50 or so driving...........140K 305 tbi

slow_90firebird

My car gets those pressures below 170* but once I get up to 180* they go lower. A little thicker oil would probably help more, but that is just a bandaid.

I wouldnt even have trusted 30psi except that I have seen all these other people on this site run those pressures without problems.

flaming-ford

iTrader: (7)

mines 40-45-60 psi when hot but, its pretty newly rebuilt my old l03 ran decent enuff still netted a 17 flat at the track had terrible compression though and only made 15-30 max lol.

i checked the old 1 with a true oil pressure gauge also btw.......

89RS_82Z

iTrader: (2)

flushing the motor out made a world of help, when i got the car, i was running lucas and cast 20 50 and it never went over 35, now i do 30 at an idle..... i would say my average oil pis would be in the 40-45 ball park, motor is quiet as can be, but i do have one lifter that will lose some of its prime if it sits over a few days..... not to worried about it, compression is good, got good high vac readings...... i may replace all my lifters soon and put some 1:6 roller rockers, but no plans on going deeper than that


oh the reason i flushed it is the first/pervious owner ran quaker mistake in it, and it had some crud in it, but after the flush and running good oil everything is OK

DLV555

iTrader: (1)

Synthetic oil in an old enough motor will make it leak. I've seen it more than once. That's the prblem with synthetics and engine flushes, they work a little too well sometimes. I'f you want high quality oil and a leaky engine, be my guest. I'll go ahead and use my synthetic blend or plain dino oil that doesn't cause my engine to leak and be perfectly happy until my motor needs a rebuild. IMO synthetics are not worth extra headaches and a stain in the garage.

89RS_82Z

iTrader: (2)

if synthetics make your motor leak than you need a rebuild, as your gaskets are shot

flaming-ford

iTrader: (7)

well i disagree if the engine is serviced properly throughout it's life it won't leak but, to each his own.......

my old l03 ran castrol syntec numerous oil changes after flushing the block with atf and using seafoam to clean it numerous times..... it had 125k when i bought it. it ran good until 144k when it was totaled.

slow_90firebird

Alright time for a funny story...

My buddy used to have one of those Chevy SS fullsize pickups. He had the dealership change Mobil 1 every 2,000 miles. He loved that truck.

One day he was getting the oil changed, and watching from outside. One of the porto-rican employees came over while the other guy was taking the drain plug out. He used empty gatorade bottles to catch the used M1 coming from the truck, and then went outside and put it in his rusty accord.

89RS_82Z

iTrader: (2)

he could of just sticky fingered some new oil

DLV555

iTrader: (1)

When I went back to Valvoline Max Life the leaks went away. I'd say that I do not need a rebuild yet. The biggest leak I have right now is my oil pressure switch. That's no big deal. The engine uses very little if any oil between oil changes, and get low to mid 20s in mpg. Why rebuild an eninge that runs perfect but leaks when usuing synthetic oil?

89RS_82Z

iTrader: (2)

wierd, where was it leaking from......... i have never had a problem with a synt oil causing a leak

dont max life have a anti leak additive in it... i do know its good for high mile motors