Jump to content

L20b Oil reccomendations?


Five&Dime

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 55
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Well shit. I bought a fram! (Only cause they're free with 5 qts)

I'm at 226k

Bet I can get to 1 million tongue.gif

 

Still haven't ran a compression test. Need to change the timing chain then I'll prob be good for another 200k before the rings get worn!

 

Buy castrol at walmart for $16 ;)

Link to comment

And you dont think the filters have updated at all? new manufacturing techniques, newer materials...?

 

wont really know til one of the nissan ones get opened...

 

I know they have.

 

My truck has 3 miles on fram filter. Probably change it when I do the timing chain.

Have you ever owned a mercedes diesel? that's an oil filter. That's what I want on my datsun!

Link to comment

Sure, fram isn't awesome.

I bet it's a lot better than anything factory.

 

Surely you've noticed the white or blue Genuine Nissan oil filters used on pretty much every Nissan/Datsun race engine, yea?

 

I actually just bought a Delco oil filter for the Chevy ('97 5.7, 148K miles) to eliminate a nasty knock every time you started it up. Previously had a Fram filter. When cold, the engine knocked so effing bad it sounded like a diesel. Put the Delco filter on, bam instantly eliminated the knocking.

 

 

OEM stuff is great, because it has to be. NO major car manufacturer is going to install a cheap part, if that part is directly effecting the longevity of an engine. They aren't going to put crappy products on anything that they may have to warranty out.

 

Fram just sucks, plain and simple. Doesn't matter if it's a ToughGuard or XtraGuard, it's Fram and they do things on the cheap. I know of too many people having issues running a Fram filter, I've seen the issues first hand, and I won't recommend a Fram to anybody. And that goes the same for those K&N oil filters - which by the way, are a Fram filter stuffed into a white oversized filter case, with a useless little socket attachment on the end. If you spent $12 on an oil filter, you're nuts anyways!

 

As far as oil, I prefer Mobil1. A little more expensive, but full synthetic. I usually ran 3-5K miles between changes. Others go the distance with 10K to 12K+ without issues, but I'm not that brave. Prior to the rebuilid, I only ran 20W50 Castrol GTX. I ran Royal Purple for years, and yes it's expensive, it did a damn fine job of keeping the inside of my L20B spotless and clean. After a few years of decent Datsun Abuse, if you go open up that valve cover right now I bet it's stiill clean as a whistle... synthetic oil has it's benefits.

 

If you run conventional, I'd run Castrol GTX 20W50 (warmer climates) or 10-30 (colder climates seeing constant freezing temperatures). 5w30 is what the KA24 calls for, I'll likely be running Castrol GTX as a cleaner-oil since it hasn't ran in years, and continue my Mobil1 use afterwards. Nissan filters and nothing less. :)

 

 

Honda guys use a lot of genuine parts too. It's pretty universal.

Link to comment

Fram is like Crest toothpaste, or Crisco oil. They've spent so much $ on marketing, that they dont have invest in their product.

 

Out here in the PNW, we have a huge farming and fishing industry,as well as trucking. Most of the marine ,agriculteral, and industrial equipment here run Baldwin filters. Not because they're cheap, or easy to find, or even known of. They work, Period. I run them on whatever is going to see abuse. The 521, and the sandrail mostly. They're about $12.00 to $15.00 each.

 

I would just make a bypass and run no filter at all, before I spun a Fram on. Pretty much the same thing, without the restriction.

  • Like 1
Link to comment

If your truck has 225,000 miles on it, it probably put 180,000 miles on it when Fram were decent filters. Actually, back in the day, they WERE good filters. As a post above states, the product has changed as the company has changed hands. Now it's more or less a toilet paper roll stuffed into a threaded bean can.

Link to comment

http://www.ttalk.info/Zddp.htm

this site recommends using diesel oil, off-road oil, 4-stroke motorcycle oil, and any other oil not API approved. it's pricey but i think i'm goin to go with 10w30 Redline Synthetic, and after reading this thread, a WIX filter. i noticed my friends 2000 gmc sierra soundling like a diesel for sometimes up to 30 seconds after starting and he had a fram filter. He put a purolator filter on it and even at the very first start it only ticked for a few seconds and didnt do it again. That led me to believe that Fram's really do suck even though thats all my dad has ever used. We never had any trouble (so far) but i think i should talk him into switching to something a little better.

Link to comment

Most racing team rely on sponsorships to afford to race. If Fram is your sponsor, you run Fram filters. There is even a good possibility that Fram may supply special filters to teams that they sponsor. Even if they do not, a full on racing engine is not designed for long life, it is designed for maximum power, with full on replacement, or at least a complete tear down, and inspection, on a regular basis, sometimes even after every single race.

 

Why do you like Datsuns? Is it because of the quality of the design? Pontiac used the same basic rocker arm setup in the OHC inline six cylinder they made, and they are known for having problems with the rocker arm to camshaft contact surface. Nissan did the engineering to get the metallurgy right so these parts live in the L engine.

 

In the 1970's when every car company was building 4 cylinder econobox cars, Datsun made one with independent rear suspension, the 510 sedan. By then they refined the OHC engine design in to the bullet proof L-engine a lot of us love. Nissan brought out the 240 Z. Another step above the competition in cars of that time. The 521 made minitrucks popular. Even Toyota had to play catchup. Ford had to run to Mazda to get a good minitruck. Chevy had to run to Isuzu to get their minitruck. Nissan has a serious competition department.

 

I will trust a Nissan oil filter on my Datsun engine because if they went to the trouble of all the above trend setting designs above, I am pretty sure that did pay a lot of attention to exactly what they needed for an oil filter on their engines.

 

A car company will not cut costs on an oil filter they put on their engines. It simply costs them too much when their oil filter fails.

 

A company that makes aftermarket oil filters has to make them at a profit. You make quality oil filters, you price yourself out of the marketplace. You have to make filters to the minimum quality needed to "get by" to able to compete in the market place. Additionally, an aftermarket oil filter company has to advertise, and sponsor race cars to get people to buy their product. Sponsorship of race teams, and advertising cost have to be included in the costs to make the filter, and neither does you any good in the quality of the filter you put on your engine.

Link to comment

Fram is garbage. I've always used wix and sometimes Bosch. Delo 400 is not that good like it used to be. It only contains about 500 ppm of zddp. The other diesel oil compeditors usually have 1000 ppm in there oils. Which is ok. from what I was told by Troy ermish and Dave rebello the more zddp the better. I am curantly using red line 10w40 in my l18. They told me that running synthetic oil was over kill but it's really hard to find oil high in zddp in non-synthetic and I don't like valvoline. So synthetic it is

Link to comment
  • 2 months later...

After reading this thread, I had to do some more research to satisfy my curiosity and lack of information on the subject.

In my search I found this write up.

http://www.zddplus.com/TechBrief2%20-%20ZDDP%20and%20Cam%20Wear%20-%20Just%20Another%20Engine%20Oil%20Myth.pdf

Now I'm not saying this is right or anything just wanted to share the info.

One more thing I will never touch FRAM again!!!!!

Link to comment

At one time Fram was one of THE best filters made. So it was bought up by some company that cared little for quality and just wanted the good image that comes with the Fram name. Likely the company (Fram) has been passed around like a 14 year old at a biker party. The bottom line is profit and to keep that up you put cheaper and cheaper materials into it. I believe they are made in China now. (geeezusss!!!) Spend $4 and get one and cut it open and compare to a NAPA or Wix and you'll find things like a cardboard anti drain back valve and very little filter material in it. Spend the money and get a good one.

Link to comment

Gonna change my oil for the first time on my l20b. I just went to Napa and got some oil, filter and new plugs. The filter he pulled up was for a 78 200sx which is a 2.0 engine, Same diameter but it's shorter than the one on the car now. Is this ok. I don't want to put a filter that wasn't meant for my engine on there. Does anyone have the filter number they use from Napa handy. The one I got is a Napa Gold 1521.

Link to comment

Yes, shorter is OK -- as long as the threads and oil seal are the same diameter. Original Nissan filters used O-ring, but most aftermarket are square-cut rings. Some Datsun engines used filters in several different lengths, depending on the car the engine was fitted to.

 

1978 200SX used the L20B engine.

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.