The Official Oil Thread

Discussion in 'DIY Instructables' started by JanglinJamie, Jun 30, 2008.

  1. JanglinJamie
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    JanglinJamie New Member

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    Any Reason I can't run Mobil 1 or another Synthetic in MY 2002 Subaru WRX with 110k miles on it? I've always run it in all of my previous vehicles, and I was hoping that I'd be able to run it in this high mileage turbo car.

    -Thanks,
     
  2. AWDimprezaL
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    AWDimprezaL has more posts than you

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    sure, no problem, but with that mileage watch the level constantly!
     
  3. Scuba Steve
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    Scuba Steve Well-Known Member

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    yeah, you might promote leaks....or so some people would say.

    As 3rik mentioned, go ahead...but watch your level.
     
  4. wall of tvs
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    wall of tvs Well-Known Member

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    There are several reports that M1 likes to magically disappear.

    I'd suggest looking into either Amsoil or Castrol Syntec.
     
  5. Threshld1
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    Threshld1 Well-Known Member

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    Pfft... High mileage... ;)
    I changed my T-lego to M1 at 185k. Im at 210k now with no leaks at all. I loose maybe 1/4 of a qt over a 4k change. I had replaced the front main, oil pump o-ring, rear cam support, oil baffle plate, and resealed the oilpan well before before i had switched though. Original rear main is still holding up. One of my front cam seals has a super minor leak but that was present before the switch.
     
  6. Dream
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    Dream Well-Known Member

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    I've never had any issues running Mobil 1.
     
  7. TSTRBOY2004
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    TSTRBOY2004 Well-Known Member

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    Id look at a high mileage synthetic oil first before M1...
     
  8. AWDimprezaL
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    AWDimprezaL has more posts than you

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    you drive newer cars ball stain!
     
  9. Dream
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    Dream Well-Known Member

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    lol, whatever poop stain. My dad has a chevy 1/4 ton with 300k on it, its whole life it's had mobil 1 synthetic :eek3: Original engine and all...
     
  10. AWDimprezaL
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    AWDimprezaL has more posts than you

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    STARTED with mobil 1, not switched to it.
     
  11. Scuba Steve
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    Scuba Steve Well-Known Member

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    LOL...who told you this, chet? :laugh:
     
  12. wall of tvs
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    wall of tvs Well-Known Member

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    mwahahahah
     
  13. sjwelna
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    sjwelna Well-Known Member

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    The subaru master tech that worked at a local performance shop in Cary, NC swore by Amsoil. From what I've heard, M1 tends to be a thinner oil at any given oil weight which is why people running it seem to lose it faster (blowby/etc). I've been running Amsoil 10w30 in the forester for probably the last 20k miles at least, I've been happy with minimal consumption. Just my .02

    -Steve
     
  14. Scuba Steve
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    Scuba Steve Well-Known Member

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    I've ran M1 syn. since I bought the car. I use 0 to 1/8 quart between oil changes...depends on how i drive.
     
  15. gc8
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    gc8 Well-Known Member

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    I've never had any issues with m1. Although on my old rs, I would run 10w30 because I was scared of it leaking :(

    I still haven't really seen any hard proof of m1 leaking or "disappearing"
     
  16. Back Road Runner
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    Back Road Runner Well-Known Member

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    Just check the oil level on every gas fill up. Mobil 1 can lose a lot of oil quickly if it gets burned off. When I fist switched to Mobil 1 synthetic, a lot of oil disappeared after the first 2k miles. I can't say why. However, this only happened on the first change over. Every oil fill after had no such loss. It may just be something specific to the first switch from dino to synth; I don't know. However, people do say it for a reason. You may see it; you may not. As well, it's probably on a one time event.

    If you switch to say a 5w30 and find more long term loss than you'd like to see or just happen to use the engine very hard, feel free to bump up the "hot" viscosity. Step to a 5w40 instead. What this does is give you an oil with more progressive additives that let the oil remain thicker when hot. It would behave like a 40 weight oil at 100C instead of a 30 weight oil. Thicker oil when hot equals less loss. This is also helpful for engines with a lot of wear and blow by. Heck, you can even purchase 5w50 weight oils for race applications with very high heat or very old and worn engines that have a lot of blow by. I'll advise not to go too high. Yes a 5w50 is actually still thicker cold than it is hot, but the rated engine oils are rated 5w30 or similar for a reason. A really thick oil with tight tolerance engines will not get sufficient oil. If you've looked at a Honda engine, you'll notice they suggest a 5w20 oil, seriously. Too thin is bad but too thick is also. I guess a layman's rule of thumb is simply to watch for oil loss. If you're losing too much, just bump it up a notch. By the way, you are open to use a 0w30, 5w30, or 10w30 or similarly 0w40/5w40/10w40. The first number is the "cold" viscosity and base oil weight. A 0w40 uses a 0 weight oil with an additive package that keeps it thinning out when it gets hot. In this case, the already thin 0 weight oil thins out very, very little when at 100C to act like a straight 40 weight oil when hot. In the summer, the 0 base weight has no helpful impact but in winter, it's very nice to have, just more pointless in the summer when a 10 weight oil isn't jelly on toast when cold.

    I personally just use a 0w40 simply because it doesn't cost me any more than another weight Mobil 1 and offers me the widest range of usability. I'd switch it up some if there was a price difference where I buy it.

    Amsoil is some kick ass oil too. I use their Server Gear 75w90 in my tranny and rear diff. I just recently swapped out the rear diff after 50k miles and plan to do the tranny on a free day with cash in pocket. Even after some time auto-x/rally-x/ice racing and a 50 mile drive back from my last auto-x on mismatched tires(tranny was not happy, a LOT of heat generated, also why I'm chaning fluid in the diff and tranny lol), there wasn't very much for metal shavings nor wear on the gears. That's not saying a ton for a NA though I guess. I gotta see if I can get the tranny plug out. The shop last time said they couldn't...so I'll find out if it needs to be sucked out again.

    I might start using their engine oil at some point, just never been compelled to over the Mobil 1.
     
  17. sjwelna
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    sjwelna Well-Known Member

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    Yeah I run the 75w90 in the rear diff, and run the Subaru Special S gear fluid from the dealer in the tranny. So far it's been a happy camper, but 99% of the time I shift it like a grandma and baby it. I haven't had hardly any issues with consumption unless the motor has spent an extended period of time of the oil change at high rpms (long 80+ mph cruising on the highway), or if I have to go beyond my standard oil change interval by a significant amount. (has only happened once or twice). Even then it only gets to about half way between the low and full mark on the stick.

    -Steve
     
  18. Musashi
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    Musashi Well-Known Member

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    I may have mentioned this before, but I have not figured out why or have not hear of a good explanation. So I am curious if anyone else has noticed or had similar experiences with M1. I have tried this product on several cars I have owned and each time I get the same result. What I have noticed when using M1 is the engine performance changes after a week or sooner depending, the feed back or out put from the engine seem to degrade as the oil ages. Granted I may be a little more sensitive to how my car performs and how the paddle feels. But I don't notice it with the other oils I've used. The last car I tried M1 was on my STI, I notice the power is not as strong, and after about a week the power feels like a spike rather than a linear band, the car is not as snappy and loss of torque. Of course this is all Butt dyno, but when I use Castrol or Amsoil the power stays consistant from oil fill to change. This is a big topic for me as its important to know what to expect based on the feed back from the engines output.
     
  19. WRX1
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    WRX1 _ Staff Member

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    Ok, every oil leaves deposits in the engine. Swapping oil brands will clean certain deposits and leave others. The worst thing you can do is constantly swap oil brands. With that being said, oil consumption tends to do more with the change in oil brands more so than the oil you are using. I went from havoline in my truck (when my dad owned it), to amsoil at 130k. It actually uses less oil now than before. I have run amsoil in the wrx since the first oil change at about 1500 miles, and I run about 8k a summer on it and it doesn't use a drop.

    Russ
     
  20. readymix
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    readymix ...Lest ye be trod upon... Staff Member

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    I use Shell Rotella T 5w40 in mine and it runs smooth change to change. I did notice what Mushashi is talking about with the M1 5w30 on the old 2.0L though. And I just passed it off at the time as nothing. But looking back on it, the first few drives after an oil change it was smooth as butter, then by the time it was oil change time again it didn't feel nearly as smooth. And the drop off from super smooth to not so smooth was noticable. You'd fire it up and drive it one day, it'd be smooth, turn it off and park it for the night, fire it up the next morning and it wouldn't feel as smooth as the day before. And it happened very consisitantly since the first time I changed to M1 at 3000 miles up until I swapped the motor out.
     
  21. Ryan
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    Ryan Sled drifting master

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    I've been running amsoil in my wrx almost the whole time and I love it. At mills fleet farm it cost almost the same as you would for a qt of m1 at some other stores. It runs about $6-something at mills per qt.
     
  22. Nuke
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    Nuke Well-Known Member

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    Same for me, same for me.
     
  23. readymix
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    readymix ...Lest ye be trod upon... Staff Member

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    Hahaha, I've found another Rotella guy! Rock on. After 3000+ miles do you also find your oil is still yellow and nearly as clear as the day you put it in? Seriously, the stuff was recommended to me by a guy that did a bunch of oil analysis for himself. I haven't been happier with my oil, and I'll never go back to M1.
     
  24. Musashi
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    Musashi Well-Known Member

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    ReadyMix-It was your recommendation from an earlier post that I went out and bought some Shell for my WRX, I really like this stuff, easy to find off the shelf. I found the performance of my car to be consistant during the life of the oil change which makes for a peace of mind when and if all the sudden the car starts to act funny and you're trying to figure what has changed recently if any. My cars do get to experience track speed every now and than when I'm testing on the course and if by just changing oil brands make that much difference in performance could you imagine what you're results would be like if you were using the right stuff. I don't swear by any products as some are often over rated and alot of money for nothing, but I know whats worked for me from my experience.
     
  25. wall of tvs
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    wall of tvs Well-Known Member

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    I use Rotella in my bike gearbox and clutch -- and really beat the piss out of it. Good stuff.
     
  26. readymix
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    readymix ...Lest ye be trod upon... Staff Member

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    I'm very happy to hear this, man. For a while there I felt like my comments were falling on deaf ears. It really is good stuff, and it is really well priced if you pick up the jugs at Walmart at 16 bucks a jug. I swear by it now. And I tell everyone I know about it. Seriously, I'm almost religious about my oil.
     
  27. dipp
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    dipp Well-Known Member

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    something about that doesn't sound right, because when your oil gets dark that is it cleaning the deposits and catching the dirt/grime in your motor. So if it doesn't get dark I would asume its not traping much of the harmful particles in your engine.
     
  28. readymix
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    readymix ...Lest ye be trod upon... Staff Member

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    Part of it might have to do with the fact that I hardly drive it. And when I do, rarely drive it hard. I know there were a couple months right after the tune where I wailed on it alot, and it was more brown than usual. But I usually cruise in the car and rarely redline it ever. I baby it and rarely have a chance to drive it except for weekends. That may explain my situation. But the reason I preach the stuff has more to do with how the "new oil change" effect doesn't go away and how the engine runs consistantly over the age of the oil.
     
  29. readymix
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    readymix ...Lest ye be trod upon... Staff Member

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    And I didn't mean to say that it wasn't discolored, I mean it is still kinda transparent, whereas with the M1 I found my oil to be thin and dark. This stuff comes out as thick as it went in and is brown but not opaque.
     
  30. Nuke
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    Nuke Well-Known Member

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    Yes, when my filter was clean, my oil was still gold.
    My filter is a bit dirty right now :laugh:, but the oil is still good. Car runs just as smooth.

    Rotella 5w40 FTW

    That Shell stuff's no joke.
     
  31. Paul Revere
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    Paul Revere BANNED

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    HAHAHA! Good thing I stumbled in here! Keep making comments like that and I wont leave old M1 on your floor ... yeah I left one there the day we put my injectors in to see if you would notice :laugh: Jokes on you now friend :biggrin:
     
  32. Musashi
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    Musashi Well-Known Member

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    That's how I felt about some of my post too, but know that whats more important is not the quick and direct response but rather how we influence others after having suggested these ideas and seeing it play out later, to make people ponder. This is a precious comment from a good friend who has shown me why its important. Thanks, bro! Thats another kudo's for you! :cool: And yes I like giving recognition when appropriate and as often as possible.
     
  33. readymix
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    readymix ...Lest ye be trod upon... Staff Member

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    BTW, I noticed your Nissan switch. Let me PM you...I might want you to help me with my driving a bit this fall or next spring ;)
     
  34. Scuba Steve
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    Scuba Steve Well-Known Member

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    Actually, check under your seat pal. I put it in there and I think the cap was loose. :kekekaugh:
     
  35. Paul Revere
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    Paul Revere BANNED

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    Nope! Jokes still on you! :laugh::laugh::laugh: Did you go out to the garage to check?
     
  36. readymix
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    readymix ...Lest ye be trod upon... Staff Member

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    What, your car crapped it out in his garage? That isn't something to be proud of. Kitty litter, a broom and a dust pan fixes it in 5 minutes too.
     
  37. Paul Revere
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    Paul Revere BANNED

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    No I left a gallon jug there after we did my injectors as a joke. I am very good at not getting it on the floor over there.
     
  38. sjwelna
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    sjwelna Well-Known Member

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    This----^ Mills Fleet Farm is my own personal Mecca. When I saw the palates of Amsoil I let out a little squeel after I moved back here. Finding Amsoil can be like searching for a needle in a hay stack.

    -Steve
     
  39. WRX1
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    WRX1 _ Staff Member

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    I can get you any amsoil you need for cost plus sales tax, just let me know.

    Russ
     
  40. Impreza 2.2 T AWD
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    Impreza 2.2 T AWD New Member

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    WTF No VALVOLINE !!!! All they do is make oil. Or I should say thats what valvoline specializes in. I use full synthetic and a oil additive from Lucas, it's supposed to stabilize the oil at high temperatures. Great for turbos I hear. BUt I guess I'm the NUB.
     
  41. AWDimprezaL
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    AWDimprezaL has more posts than you

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    i'm on the rotella bandwagon, i run it in my bike and oldsmobile
     
  42. Ej22TIM
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    Ej22TIM Well-Known Member

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    Sorry to say, valvoline blows... I wouldnt even run it in a lawnmower.

    in the 2 stroke community I know it as valva-run lean....

    just because they only make oil doesnt make them good. :dunno:

    what scientific evedince do I have to back up my opinion? none. because its my opinion. I have had bad luck with it and the bottom line is it dosent even exist to me anymore.:laugh:
     
  43. sjwelna
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    sjwelna Well-Known Member

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    Where are you located? Anywhere near Rochester? PM me details please.

    -Steve
     
  44. AWDimprezaL
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    AWDimprezaL has more posts than you

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    orly? thats all ive run in my impreza brother, everything else leaks out. and you know how i drive my impreza.
     
  45. Back Road Runner
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    Back Road Runner Well-Known Member

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    :eek:rly:

    I've been running Mobil 1 for a while. I wouldn't mind playing with Amsoil if I can get it for the price of dirt. What's the going rate of the Signiture Series 0w30?

    I'll have to stop down at Fleet Farm sometime too. I still need to grab some Severe Gear for my tranny. I can't say I've looked for the Amsoil motor oil there though or if they'd have any 0w30 on the shelf.

    It would be nice doing a few runs through with Amsoil to see how I like it compared to Mobil 1, although I have zero complains using Mobil 1.