Good deal on Mobil 1 Oil...

[Silvertwinkie]

I know this isn't exactly Airstream realted, however, for anyone that might be interested, I was at Wal-Mart this evening and saw that they have what I would consider a pretty sweet deal on Mobil 1 synthetic motor oil-- many different viscosities avail too.

$18.88/5 quart jug.

Happy oil changing!

Eric

[Chuck]

That is good. I was checking out the prices at costco and Sam's on mobil-1, and they were getting either 24 or 25 bucks for a case of 6 quarts.

I was thinking about switching, but I don't know....the added cost is significant. do you think its really worth it? can you go longer between oil changes if you use synthetic? (as if I religiously get my oil changed every 3k miles...shyea, in my dreams ) Oh, well. I have good intentions. does that count?

I will be changing the rear-end oil to synthetic before I start towing this year, as the manual, as well as our resident chrysler engineer, recommend it.

wondering about the tranny, too. what do you think?

[59toaster]

That is a good price. I was buying at Costco for 22.99 so about hte same price but a lot more convient. Do they have the 10w30 or just the 5w30?

NOW one thing I have noticed with synthetic is it tends to get used faster then Dino oil. This is for a number of reasons. It will slip by rings and valve guide seals. I ran this in my wifes 79 blazer with a crate engine (New factory GM motor). On dino oil that engine would use 1/2 a quart in three thousand miles. With the mobile one I was using a quart every 2000 miles.

If you already have some oil seapage you will have full blown leak after this stuff. I was running it my Supra with a know bad seal in the distributor housing (of couse not servicable other then a $200 distributor housing). It was eating a Quart of Mobile1 every 500 miles. Swapped to Dino oil and after it worked the remaining M1 out it was down to a quart every 900 miles. It seemed to be improving even more.

That said it does protect the bearings great. I think I'm going to try the Blend next go around. It's cheaper then the Full synthetic and it stands to reason that it may disappear at a slower rate.

I have been changing the synthetics at 4k.

[Silvertwinkie]

The had 5w30, 10w30 and 15w30.

I was doing the Costco thing too until last night.

I have been running Mobil 1 fully synthetic for a few years now. I don't seem to be losing any oil. I got the Caprice with 34k on it and started Mobil 1 at about 48k, it now has 71k on it. On the other side of the moat, I have it in my '96 Impala SS too since about 3000 miles. The car only has 4700 miles on it, so maybe not such a great thing to measure by, but the Caprice (so far) holds all of it.

I went synthetic because it can take a bit more of a beating than conventionals. I have it in the trans and in the rear end, although I have heard both positives and negs on the rear end with Mobil 1.

Eric

[53flyingcloud]

For 19$/5 quarts Heavy Duty fully Synthetic for my Diesel

This is, not counting shipping cost.

Will take a look at it..thanks
ciao

[wb13798]

i have used mobil 1 for years my blazer has 116k on it and runs like new. doesnt use or leak any oil so far. change the filter every 5k miles and fill back up , full change at 20k. only use 15/50 the jug with the red top. also i only use AC oil filters. all my vehicles have mobile 1 15/50 and it has worked great. i have had friends who complained of leaking seals , but mobil 1 softens the seals normally. that has been my experience with mobil 1. lol
al

[Silvertwinkie]

Al,

I have seen small amounts of oil around the front pan gasket, but nothing serious to loose any measurable oil yet.

Have you tried the high end GM oil filters that have better filtration?

For example, my Caprice takes a PF-52. The high end for the PF-52 is UPF-52 (Ultraguard Gold).

They cost about $6.50 a filter, less than some of the $10 ones and it got some fairly good comments made from around the circles I hang. They claim effeciency of 8-10 microns.

I have also heard a few rumors of GM nixing them and then not, but at any rate, I buy mine from a local dealer.

Regards,

Eric

[wb13798]

the filter i use is a 10 micron. i used a hastings filter untill ac came out with the 10 micron filter. anything less than a 10 micron is meaningless . the oil will turn black in a 100 miles but if you get any on your fingers it is slick. my son thinks any oil that is black needs to be changed. got to educate him . i change the oil in the silver weenie on a different schedule. the 454 cooks oil but not mobil 1. i change the oil and filter every 5k../ lol
al

[53flyingcloud]

I use a dual Amsoil filter sys in my diesel Burb and, after the recent break-in period, switched it to Amsoil synthetic oil.
This was after I flushed the dino oil out and had the new filter system installed. So far, the oil hasn't turned 'black’. In fact, I have had to turn the dip stick sideways in order to see where the "wet" level is.lol
The heavy duty diesel oil is 15w-40w and, the cost is just but pennies above the recent posted Mobil synthetic oil found at Wal Mart.
My experience with Synthetic oil goes all the way back to '75, when I first learned of Mobil 1. I have used it in all of my Volvos and MB with excellent results.
The Amsoil filter system SDF24 claims to takes the filtering down to less than 1 micron. Cost of replacement this filter is 8$
ciao

[LittleRadio]

I bought a new Ford Contour SE with a 24-valve V6 engine in Dec '94 and put in Mobil 1 synthetic after the initial 5,000 mile engine "break in."

Thereafter, I changed the oil and filter (using Mobil 1 and Motorcraft OEM filter) every 7,500 - 8,500 miles.

Engine has always used a little bit of oil. When I changed it, it was usually down .5 - 1.0 quart of oil. But because it took something like 5 quarts, I wasn't worried about running low; especially since synthetic oil won't "gunk up" at high temperatures and turn to sludge (at least very easily).

I handed my beloved chariot to my brother at 110,000 miles, now it's got 165,000 miles on it, and it still runs like a top.

I HIGHLY recommend going synthetic. But here are the "quirks" about synthetic that I've experienced, take 'em for what they're worth:

1) synthetic oils don't "wick away" engine heat as well as dino oils, so your engine may run a little hotter placing a bigger burden on your cooling system. Make sure your radiator is cleaned regularly to remove road grime and bugs, and always get the high capacity engine cooling option on your vehicle if it's available.

2) synthetic oils tend to seem "thinner" even when in the same viscosity as dino oils, so older engines (those built on 1960's technology/design) always seem to burn more of it (for example: Ford's 302 cubic inch V8 in the Mustang, Jeep's in-line six cylinder in the Cherokee and Wrangler... etc...). Use a heavier synthetic to try to reduce this, and don't worry about "seasonality..." synthetic oil flows well in the winter at almost any viscosity... and stands up to brutal summer heat, too.

3) newer engines (like the multi-valve OHC engines of today's manufacturers) have much tighter tolerances than old engines (previously mentioned), so they burn less oil. Use 5W-30 Mobil 1 for best results, unless manual says otherwise, and don't bother changing it every 3k miles. Go 5k - 7k. These "tighter" engines have less combustion chamber "blowback" and fewer contaminants get into the oil, meaning you don't have to change them as often. Just be sure to check your dip stick to prevent running dry! (Besides, on this schedule, using M1 and doing it yourself costs the same as going to Jiffy Rube every 3k miles).

Hope that helps. e-mail me with more questions if you have them!

Tony
LittleRadioProductions@attbi.com (soon to change to Comcast...)

[davidz71]

53FlyingCloud,
I'm sold on the Amsoil myself. I have used it for over 10 years and when I neglected to order from the factory, I would use Mobil One. I installed the dual bypass filter in my '92 Z71 4X4 after I bought the truck at 33,000 miles. I would go 9,000 miles, change the full flow filter, add a qt. 5W-30, tun another 9,000 miles and change the full flow as well as the larger bypass filter. The 5.7 litre engine was running strong and used less than 1/2 qt. of synthetic over the 18,000 miles. That truck would be driven daily by my 19 yr. old today if he hadn't totalled it trying to miss a deer that jumped out into the road in front of him. The engine had almost 144,000 miles on it so someone got a heck of an engine. I'm trying to figure out how I can put this unit in my newer truck after buying 45 degree fittings for the plate that fits to the engine.

If an engine burns dino oil then it will probably burn syn. oil. Using synthetic in an engine in poor mechanical condition is just a waste of good oil in my opinion. Some people have reported that oil loss was decreased so anything can happen. The '01 2500hd in my driveway uses Amsoil 5W-30 in the engine (8.1) and Amsoil series 2000 75W-90 synthetic gear lube in the rear without additive. It is a blue color that matches my Airstream. With just 18,000 miles on the truck, I will changing over to Amsoil synthetic ATF around 24,000 so I can't wait to see if it makes a difference in the Allison transmission.

[53flyingcloud]

Craig

Sorry to hear abt the loss of the dependable truck but..At least your son wasn't hurt~!That's the most important thing..
I have to say; I had heard abt Amsoil products but, never really gave it much thought until recently.
When my last diesel engine blew a head gasket, I was B@#$@S.
I had babied that engine in just abt every way but right.(as it turns out) I've since found out that, all the efforts that I put into changing oil/filters/fuel filters/ etc was all for naught~! I paid the price, big time.
Now, I know better and believe me, when they say 'informed consumer' that's just what they mean. It's up to you to read all you can to get around the advertised garbage.
The new diesel got broken in the right way. This mean not going over 50 mph, varying the speed/shifting thru gears/waiting till it was ready to "roll"/waiting to shut it down after the drive.
I changed out the engine oil after 1k miles/threw away the filter/ and, had the dual oil filter system install. I'm now using Amsoil's 15-40W heavy duty diesel synthetic oil.
I then took it out for a long trip down to Va Beach, Va. Total mileage was around 2k miles with an average 19 mpg. Not bad considering I drove 65 to 75 the whole trip up and down some high hills in NY, PA and Va. BTW, the oil still looks clean~!~amazing
Thanks for the tip on your scheduled replacement. That abt the same as what I had in mind for my replacement cycle.
My next attack is the ATF in the tranny with Amsoil filter in there as well. The rearend will be done in similar fashion.
BTW, the wife's Saturn is getting a similar treatment, as well as my son's Jeep.(They don't mind as DAD is paying for it..lmao)
Anyone need CHEVRON diesel oil??
I've got abt 2 gallons..unopen...lol
ciao

[wb13798]

amsol oil
amsol oil is ok but i dont think it is any better for the price when compared to mobil 1 . what is a quart of amsol . i bet it isnt $4 . more like twice . are you really GETTING YOUR MONEYS WORTH. any synthetic oil is better than dino. lol
al

[53flyingcloud]

any synthetic oil is better than dino.

That statement, I have no problem endorsing.

If the truth be known, Amsoil does cost more than Mobil 1 but..at the current sales price for Mobil 1 at Wal Mart..it works out to be a matter of pennies more. Granted you have to be a preferred customer with Amsoil to get that but, it's price is every day. We're only comparing synthetic oil here now~!
The only synthetic oil out there that looks better than Amsoil is: RED LINE and, it's just a small percentage figure.
Here's another excellent review on oil.
vintage triumph register
Lastly, on the subject of: Oil Additives
Oil Additives
ciao

[davidz71]

I'm one of these people who just has to take the time to compare not only price but what is in the package as well as the reputation of the manufacturer. There are all kinds of posts on Amsoil, Royal Purple, Mobile One and Red Line on www.pickuptrucks.com forum. It's like saying which is better Chevy or Ford? I agree with the statement that any synthetic is better than dino oil because of it's ability to flow through the engine on startup (particularly in winter), its ability to fight viscosity breakdown under high heat and the fact that the synthetic base stockw that make up the Amsoil oils have synthetic molecules that are uniform in size rather than ragged as they are in dino oil. All this leads to better engine wear protection. Is an average driver who runs dino oil and changes every 3,000 miles going to see a difference vs. synthetic. Maybe and maybe not. Some individuals do not see a mileage gain and many do not see less wear on their vehicles because they sell them after a few years. The real test is at high mileage the engine will show less wear or if the engine is used under harsh conditions such as towing and high heat. If I bought and sold a vehicle each year then I wouldn't even put in synthetic, heck, I have heard of people who run the engine for a year and never change oil. I can't live like that because I drive a vehicle for up to 157,000 miles before I sell it.

As far as my 9,000 miles, filter change, 9,000 miles then both filter change routine goes, I figured what I would spend at Walmart on AC filters and 5 qts. of oil every 3,000 miles and that was what I ended up paying for the 7.25 qts. of synthetic and 3 filters over the 18,000 miles of use. I also felt better about taking 7.25 qts. of oil to the recycler rather than 30 qts. of dino oil and 6 AC filters. By the way, my dual filter bypass system added 1.25 qts. over the regular 5 qt. system.

[Silvertwinkie]

I agree, it's the whole Ford, Chevy thing all over again...at least we aren't including Dodge in the mix!

I think Amsoil is better than Mobil 1. Clearly Amsoil has a larger, documented change interval. Mobil 1 does not state an actual mileage.

Mobil 1 for the average "Joe" like me, costs less than Amsoil and frankly, I still change my oil every 3000-4000 miles especially when towing. I know I don't have to with either, but hey, I'm a bit old school, I don't let the plugs or the coolant go the full 100+k they say they can go. For me though, I use synthetics because they do take a bette beating than conventional and leave less residue, if any. Synthetic can take much higher temps an lower as well. Perfect for my application.

Both are great products. It's a choice and frankly, you won't go wrong with either.

Eric

[john hd]

here in the salt belt our vehicles don't last that long.

unless it is a harley bathed in it's own oil mist and not normally driven in the winter.

for me, expensive oil = less money for beer!

b.t.w. i use valvoline in all my stuff, bike included. buck and a half a quart. however, i do use synth gear lube in the differential. 75w140, six bucks a quart at farm and fleet.

you guys can have the 40 dollar oil changes, thats 4 cases of beer!

john

[Silvertwinkie]

Again John, putting things into perspective. A man has to have priorities.

But as most in debt Americans, spend the cash on the oil and buy the beer on credit. If you happen to pass on, at least you pass on happy and it gets written off on the rest of us. So in essence, we all would have bought you your last round.

But I do like your thinking.....

Eric

[davidz71]

So John,
Where is one of your famous pictures with a Miller Genuine Draft sitting on top of a can of Valvoline?

[john hd]

alright,

gotta change my oil this weekend, i'll snap some pics.

i did not know my photos had gained such a rep!

i was gonna put a beer can in my post about drain valve repair.

maybe it could be like where's waldo? see if you can spot the beer in the post.

john