Old skool, a couple of our cars have some leaks, but I woudlnt say its any worse with the synthetic that whatever was in it when we bought them... My toyota has been running on amsoil the longest and its got no leaks at all, the blazer has seeping valve covers but I tightened them a bit and cleaned the mess off with brake cleaner and I think that should fix it, Ill know in a month or so... The only other leak on the blazer is those stupid lines that run up to the oil filter by the air filter box... Im thinking about trying to relocate that behind my bumper or somewhere near the bottom so when they leak it hits the ground and not my truck...

I dont use seafoam in the crankcase, I use a litre or two ATF, it cleans like nobodys business, pour it in and use the car for a week, then change the oil. Seafoam is for sucking in the brake booster vaccum line and adding to the gas.

 

i was gonna ask about the Castrol, but couldn't remember what their's was called.

which is funny, 'cause i still **** my pants whenever i see "Jimmy" getting whipped.

 

I use AC Delco & Napa Gold. Never had any complains about using OEM filters. I run Motorcraft on our Ford & Mopar on our Jeep. I use AC Delco on our Blazer but I also will use Napa Gold on these vehicles also. Super Techs are good filters also. I have used them also a few times.

 

if you look at a super tech and a ac delco together they look exactly the same just different colors but i think the ac's might be different now than they used to be. super tech oil is good too. i won't put oil in my truck that looks dark like its been used already, super tech nice and light in color.

 

A/C delco has begun to cheapen their filters.. Start avoiding them, Best is Wix/Napa or if you have a Car Quest parts store, their red and blue line of filters are made by Wix. Made good and Made in the U.S.A. also, the myth about synthetics making your used engine leaks is half and half, It doesn't cause leaks, it just cleans the inside of the engine better and flushes the gunk away from the sealing surface of the seals, and it just basically uncovers an existing problem that you had anyway. people that say they have used frams for 20 years and never had a problem.. It might have held the oil. but it damn sure didn't filter it worth a crap its like saying jiffy lube changes oil and has only had to replace a bunch of peoples engines, guess there great too huh?

 

sorry, that's what i was getting @ in my question (a few posts back).

thanks for confirming what i already knew. still not sure if i'm gonna do the change over................gonna think about it though.

 

Old Skool:

Synthetic oils are synthetic because they are processed so that every molecule is exactly the same, no chunks, nothing to burn off and make your oil thicker. They are only a million times better. Now, if you didn't start using synthetics immediately then you can have some problems with leakage, so just use the next higher viscosity... or, to be honest, an oil leak will protect your engine from rust. I have the tiniest leak in my passenger valve cover and no intention to fix it, why? I have no rust in my engine bay or immediately behind the engine.
Synthetic flows better when it is cold and has much more film strength then conventional. The only reason to use conventional is needing a rebuild and not wanting to do it. I have a 4.3, a 5300 and a 2200SFI, they have only been running synthetic since forever, no problems at all.
The single largest benefit is that they prevent the formation of sludge which is when a little bit of water vapor and blow by get whipped up into the oil and form these black chunks which can clog oil galleys and cause a myriad of problems. Sludge is going to form from short trips where the engine doesn't reach the burn off point where any water would be driven out of the oil, so in your grocery getter, you'd better run synthetic.
Bottom line: to prevent premature failure, synthetic is the only way to go.

Regards,

Thomas

 

ok, lets get this straight, one last time.

i'm not old (i'm only 37), and my name was more for the sake of what vehicles i like (luv).

now that being said, i know all about synthetic oils, how they're designed, what the benifits are (there are plenty), etc.

what my point of my earlier question was..........how many of the members on here, that have made the switch to synthetic, have experienced the "typical" (?) leaky engine syndrome? 'cause i kinda like not having a hugh oil stain in my driveway. and unlike your position Thomas, i hate working on a vehicle that is a cesspool under the hood, or under it period.

not harping on anyone in particular (Curtis' DVD comments, jesh!), just setting all straight on where i was coming from.

so, if i understand you correctly Thomas, if our trucks require 10W30, when switching to a synthetic, i should go up to a 15W40? just looking for clarification here.

kinda funny actually, i run synthetic's in my diff's ('Burb & Blazer), and in the trans i built for my LB, but the prospect of a leaky engine is the only thing that's stopped me from going there as well.

 

If your engine requires 10W30, then I would run 15W40 in the summer and 10W30 in the summer, yes. I currently run 10W40 in the summer just because I don't like to see my OP go below 40. Unless you put 20W50 in it and it's 4*F out, you're not likely to hurt anything. That said, with a thick oil, it is imperative to let your engine run at least 30 seconds before you put a load on it.

If you really don't like the thought of working on an oily engine, then you might want to stick to some nice thick dino. However, the most common oil leak is the valve covers, which are easy to fix.

Now, I told you I have a leaky valve cover, but here's the extent: If I fill it up 1/2 way on the dipstick, I'm in the bottom 1/4 of the operating range when I change my oil. It's barely noticeable, there is just some oil on the bottom of the oil pan.

Finally, to be honest I did think Old Skool meant you were old... sorry!

So, in a nutshell, my point is precisely what you said, I use synthetic and allow a small oil leak because I want my car to last forever (I feel really bad for the person who will hit me and total it.) even if that makes it more difficult / unfun to work on.

Regards,

Thomas

 

Well darn, I just got my oil changed today at Jiffy Lube....

And considering I haven't heard a word of Penzoil, I guess that's not a great oil to be using? We've been using it for quite a while now.

-Joe