What oil do you run?
- Thread starter Jon01
- Start date
N
NOSjohnWE4
Guest
earl...er, oil
factory recommended is 5W-30. i believe Buick engineers knew what they were doing when they built these motors but technology has changed.
I've run as low as Mobil 1 synthetic in my N/A car with good results. some people claim leakage around the seals when using synthetic but I've yet to see this on either of my cars.
if your not comfortable using Synthetic then use Dyno-oil in the factory recommended 5W-30.
remember: the heavier oil you use, the slower it will flow. believe it or not in my N/A chevy 350 I went from a 13.01 to 12.89 just switching from 10W30 petro-based oil to the 0W-30 Mobil 1 synthetic.
I know it may sound hard to believe but I'm a hardcore budget racer and try one thing at a time to see what or how it changes the car. BTW...air temp, barometric pressure and all other "outside variables" were identical ( I log these each and every race using a weather station).
HTH...
John C.
LedSLED Motorsports
->wheels, slicks & tire GUY
factory recommended is 5W-30. i believe Buick engineers knew what they were doing when they built these motors but technology has changed.
I've run as low as Mobil 1 synthetic in my N/A car with good results. some people claim leakage around the seals when using synthetic but I've yet to see this on either of my cars.
if your not comfortable using Synthetic then use Dyno-oil in the factory recommended 5W-30.
remember: the heavier oil you use, the slower it will flow. believe it or not in my N/A chevy 350 I went from a 13.01 to 12.89 just switching from 10W30 petro-based oil to the 0W-30 Mobil 1 synthetic.
I know it may sound hard to believe but I'm a hardcore budget racer and try one thing at a time to see what or how it changes the car. BTW...air temp, barometric pressure and all other "outside variables" were identical ( I log these each and every race using a weather station).
HTH...
John C.
LedSLED Motorsports
->wheels, slicks & tire GUY
I just use Mobile, (Not Mobile 1 Synthetic), 10W30 in both cars. Good quality, cheap oil that is changed often. Im a firm believer that it really doesnt matter what brand oil you use, its how often you change it. And, there is a such thing as changing the oil too often. I usually change my T-type's (daily driver), about every 2000-2500 miles. HTH
Let me share one of my experiences.I try to run synthetic in my GN when possible,usually Castrol Syntec 5w-50.I decided to use a synthetic in my daily driven, 65 miles one way to work, Toyota Corolla.For the last 10 yrs. I've only gotten 230-235 miles per tank of gas with the a/c on in this car.I was in AutoZone and saw a 5w-40 Havoline Synt. ,it is a $1 per qt. cheaper than other synthetics so I decided to put it in the Toyota so I could extend my oil change intervals in it.Using the same gas station as always,taking the exact same route to work my mileage went to 275-280 miles per tank!!!! This is with absolutley no other changes!Just had to change it again and decided to use just a regular Valvoline 10w-30 and the car is back to the 230-235 miles per tank!!!I know some people are gonna say no way, but that is just my experience and an honest to God accurate account of it.
And when it comes time to change it again I will go back to the synthetic.BTW it used no more of the syn than it ever does a reg oil.
This is with absolutley no other changes!Just had to change it again and decided to use just a regular Valvoline 10w-30 and the car is back to the 230-235 miles per tank!!!I know some people are gonna say no way, but that is just my experience and an honest to God accurate account of it.And when it comes time to change it again I will go back to the synthetic.BTW it used no more of the syn than it ever does a reg oil.
Ran Mobil 1 15-w50 in my 87 since the day I brought it home, and never had a problem with the turbo or anything for that matter. When the engine breaks in on the 85 I'll switch it over also. That far north though I would run the thinner weights for the winter months (5-30 or even 0-40)
F
Fred 86 GN
Guest
15W-50 Mobil synthetic
I just started using the thick stuff -- 15W50 Mobil 1 synthetic. I wanted more oil pressure and more "cushion" in the bearings for protection.
I used 10W30 Mobil 1 synthetic in my old 87 GN. Did not have a problem with it. Course did not have an oil pressure gage on that car either...otherwise I may have ran 15W-50 in it too!
5W-30 oil is fine for the stock power levels on a newer engine, but for engines with lots of miles or when doubling your power output from stock, I think a heavier oil is a safe change to make.
I would not recommend running a 50-weight oil in sub-freezing temperatures, especially don't rev the engine till it warms up. Unless you like to explode your oil filter.
I just started using the thick stuff -- 15W50 Mobil 1 synthetic. I wanted more oil pressure and more "cushion" in the bearings for protection.
I used 10W30 Mobil 1 synthetic in my old 87 GN. Did not have a problem with it. Course did not have an oil pressure gage on that car either...otherwise I may have ran 15W-50 in it too!
5W-30 oil is fine for the stock power levels on a newer engine, but for engines with lots of miles or when doubling your power output from stock, I think a heavier oil is a safe change to make.
I would not recommend running a 50-weight oil in sub-freezing temperatures, especially don't rev the engine till it warms up. Unless you like to explode your oil filter.
Castrol GTX 10W-40...... and I only buy it when it is on sale and get it for around 69 cents/quart or less. A few cases at a time of course!
Every 2K-2.5K miles I change the dinosuar lube.
I've run Mobil 1 synthethic in the past and IMO a waste of your $$$.
Standard oils are fine.... just change more frequently as stated already.
GNX7
Every 2K-2.5K miles I change the dinosuar lube.
I've run Mobil 1 synthethic in the past and IMO a waste of your $$$.
Standard oils are fine.... just change more frequently as stated already.
GNX7
M
MDVSYNTHETICS
Guest
Originally posted by 2QWIK4U
Let me share one of my experiences.I try to run synthetic in my GN when possible,usually Castrol Syntec 5w-50.I decided to use a synthetic in my daily driven, 65 miles one way to work, Toyota Corolla.For the last 10 yrs. I've only gotten 230-235 miles per tank of gas with the a/c on in this car.I was in AutoZone and saw a 5w-40 Havoline Synt. ,it is a $1 per qt. cheaper than other synthetics so I decided to put it in the Toyota so I could extend my oil change intervals in it.Using the same gas station as always,taking the exact same route to work my mileage went to 275-280 miles per tank!!!!
And when it comes time to change it again I will go back to the synthetic.BTW it used no more of the syn than it ever does a reg oil.
I believe it. Less friction means the engine works less for the same power output. It will also run cooler. Check out these reports from the real world when people switched over to Amsoil 0W-30:
1992 Dodge Dakota Pickup - 18.23 mpg to 18.98 ...4.1%
1986 Buick Skyhawk - 35.4 mpg to 37.73 ...6.6%
1993 Ford Aerostar - 25 mpg to 27.2 mpg ...8.8%
1993 Chevy Suburban - 13 mpg to 15.32 mpg ...11.7%
1993 Mercury Villager - 18 mpg t0 21 mpg ...16.7%
1993 Cadillac STS - 17.48 mpg tp 24.47 mpg ...40.0%
1994 Olds Cutlass Supreme - 21 mpg to 30 mpg ...43%
All figures reported to AMSOIL by individual passenger car motorists driving privately owned stock vehicles on road under uncontrolled ambient conditions.
information on Valvoline Racing oils
I know this is an old thread, but I didn't know where else to post this.
After having a conversation with a local turbo Buick guru, I recently started looking into Valvoline's newest motor oils currently marketed under their "Racing" product line. This includes their "Racing Conventional", "Racing Synthetic" and "Racing VR1" motor oils. I belive the VR1 has been around a little while, but the other two are fairly new offerings to the general public. When I first started looking into them, nobody seemed to know much about any of these oils.
A visit to the Valvoline website only generated more questions for me so I call their customer service line. I managed to get through to someone in "tech support" (didn't know an oil company would have tech support) and was very surprised by how willing and able they were to discuss and explain their products in terms that I could understand.
In a nutshell, the Racing Conventional and Racing Synthethic are classified as "Not for street use" because they have *NO* detergent properties and Valvoline recommends you change your oil every 300 miles (yes, 300 not 3000!) if you run either one of these. The VR1 is a different story. From what I was told, the VR1 is basically same as the Racing Conventional with the addition of detergents to extend the necessary oil change intervals for a street driven vehicle.
So, what's the big deal? Maybe nothing, but their "Racing" line of motor oils is supposedly just that. It's supposed to be the same oils that were developed for race engines and Valvoline's motorsport endeavors. Don't know if that's true, but the Racing line of motor oils supposedly has some additives like zinc and some heavy metals that are supposed to help protect engine bearings under extreme conditions. I was told these oils would be very well suited to run in an engine with tight bearing tolerances like a Buick. They said they send me more information in the mail. I'll post more on this subject after I've had a chance to read what they send me.
I'm interested in these oils because it's starting to sound like they may be a better alternative to the Red Line oil I've been running in my GN. This stuff is also costs much less than Red Line.
Rob
I know this is an old thread, but I didn't know where else to post this.
After having a conversation with a local turbo Buick guru, I recently started looking into Valvoline's newest motor oils currently marketed under their "Racing" product line. This includes their "Racing Conventional", "Racing Synthetic" and "Racing VR1" motor oils. I belive the VR1 has been around a little while, but the other two are fairly new offerings to the general public. When I first started looking into them, nobody seemed to know much about any of these oils.
A visit to the Valvoline website only generated more questions for me so I call their customer service line. I managed to get through to someone in "tech support" (didn't know an oil company would have tech support) and was very surprised by how willing and able they were to discuss and explain their products in terms that I could understand.
In a nutshell, the Racing Conventional and Racing Synthethic are classified as "Not for street use" because they have *NO* detergent properties and Valvoline recommends you change your oil every 300 miles (yes, 300 not 3000!) if you run either one of these. The VR1 is a different story. From what I was told, the VR1 is basically same as the Racing Conventional with the addition of detergents to extend the necessary oil change intervals for a street driven vehicle.
So, what's the big deal? Maybe nothing, but their "Racing" line of motor oils is supposedly just that. It's supposed to be the same oils that were developed for race engines and Valvoline's motorsport endeavors. Don't know if that's true, but the Racing line of motor oils supposedly has some additives like zinc and some heavy metals that are supposed to help protect engine bearings under extreme conditions. I was told these oils would be very well suited to run in an engine with tight bearing tolerances like a Buick. They said they send me more information in the mail. I'll post more on this subject after I've had a chance to read what they send me.
I'm interested in these oils because it's starting to sound like they may be a better alternative to the Red Line oil I've been running in my GN. This stuff is also costs much less than Red Line.
Rob
buickman69
Retired Buick Enthusiast
- Joined
- Dec 2, 2001
My '87 has ALWAYS had Mobil 1 15/50 Synthetic since 1st oil change when new.
If I'm not mistaken the factory recommended 10-30 for the turbo Regal. 5-30 may be suitable for extremely cold climates and in my opinion 15-50 should never be used on a Turbo regal. If you look closely at a contained of 15-50 you will see that it does not contain the star burst symbol. That symbol is the petrolium industrie's standard for efficiency. Most wear occurs at start-up. 15-50 oil just doesn't flow well at start-up. don't use it!
- Joined
- May 26, 2001
Just some further comments as we have been looking into the "best" oil to use. Since there are many different situations of use and engine build, the term "best" may be different for use in the various catagories. My interest here is primarily in performance and relability with extreme use, not normal street driving.
To address the above comment that "most wear occurs at start up", the synthetics will drain off bearings in a few days. This will be more of a problem in occasional use T-R's. The factory engineers I discussed this with were also in agreement and would rather not use synthetics for vehicles that sit a week or more w/o being started.
Since the Buick recommendations were made 20 years ago, many things have changed, especially the additive package in oils. This is especially true of the heavy metal, anti-wear additives. This is why for years we have used the GM Engine Oil Supplement [EOS]
in our cars that are raced.
Our race cars and "weekend warrior" cars probably never see more than 300 miles w/o an oil and filter change. In this situation it make no sense to use the expensive synthetics, and probably better off using race oil as it contains more anti-wear additives.
Synthetics have been used with no problems by many owners. Having rebuilt many motors with over 100K miles, if they have had good regular maintaince, the condition of internals are very similar with either synthetic or regular oils. The only aftermarket cam we have had go bad was one that used synthetic oil?
For years we have used Kendall oil, but is is hard to obtain and is now going to the new "SJ" spec which has less EP additives. Our oil of choice now is the Valvoline Racing. There is a trade-off in effiency between gas mileage and reliable performance so we are not concerned about the "effiency" rating.
