your favorite oil weight/filter combos???

[a.d._510_n_ok]

Pretty much what the title asks - what do you run and why?

[phatdave]

Castrol 30...thtas what Nissan said to use.

 

Filters? Double something or other.

[Farmer Joe]

i like the trop artic brand oil. but they dont sell it anymore, so i use chevron 10 30 in the winter and 15 40 during the summer. i also use motorcraft filters. an FL-1A to be exact.

[datzenmike]

For a stock motor any good 10W30 will do. It's more important to change it often and with a filter than what kind. Do not use diesel oil because it has more ZDDP. It does, but it also is highly detergent and will clean the carbon off the rings that helps seal in compression

[Bandit240]

I use Castrol 10w-30 all the time in both my L20b and A14. Nissan filters on both engines for everything, fuel, air and oil.

[datsunaholic]

I use Chevron oil (10W30 in changes after September and 10W40 in changes after March) because I can get the Chevron cheaper at Costco. Dino oil is dino oil as long as it isn't the REAL cheap non certified stuff; I'll use anything that I can get cheap in a case as long as it's API certified. The trucks leak too much for Synthetic.

 

For filters I use Motocraft FL-1A because I get them by the case (my Uncle is Parts Manager at a local Ford dealer). The Motorcraft filter is a Purolator element in a custom can. I also use Wix filters when I have to buy them... I do NOT use Fram or cheap Fram (Pennzoil) filters because they 1) explode and 2) have cardboard bypass valves.

[Llittle_Llama]

i just switched to syn on the ranger last week. i ran a K&N filter on it also (was a sale at the parts store) so i will see how that turns out...

[moparvwfreak]

castrol 20w50 in the 620 and 10w30 in the pathy. and factory filters when i can get em but otherwise FL-1A on the 620 and whatever i can find for the path.

 

now my dubs on the otherhand, Kendall 20w50 and factory filters on all except my 16v jetta. that gets 15w40 with factory filter and no issues.

[Roman Tasel]

I use castrol 10w-30 with a good KnN oil filter.

[scooter]

royal purple 20-50

and a fram.. but i didnt know about the cardboard valve!!! thats gettin switched soon

[Llittle_Llama]

when i can afford it......royal purple FTW....

[scooter]

when i went to synthetic i had to turn down the idle :blink:

[Llittle_Llama]

when i went to synthetic i had to turn down the idle :blink:

 

what vehicle was that on? you notice any HP increase? i know on all out race cars they can pull 1-2, but on us not so much, lol. my 1-2 might be a little off too, dont really remember all that well.

[thisismatt]

Castrol and either bosche, mobil 1, or walmart supertec (wix) filters, which are all hands down better than Fram. I pretty much don't want any engine advice from anyone using Fram garbage.

[Guest DatsuNoob]

I run castrol and a bosch filter, or castrol syntec blend in my Toyota. Pretty good stuff.

[Llittle_Llama]

ok, i hate to sound like i have no idea what im talking about (on this i have no clue) but school me on fram please. i LOVE there grip filters..... so easy to use on the ranger. is there another filter that has that? i have not used them since i came to this site (I KEEP hearing how bad they are) but no one says why.

[thisismatt]

This is an old but relevant article on various filters:

 

http://minimopar.knizefamily.net/oilfilters/reference.html

[slodat]

I run 20/50 and a Japanese filter from Discount Import. I can't remember the brand.

[datsunfish]

Napa 10-30. Supposedly the exact same as valvoline with a different label. Otherwise valvoline. Chevron if I need to buy it at the qwick E mart. And napa gold filter since it has a check valve so it has oil ready at startup.

[thisismatt]

Napa 10-30. Supposedly the exact same as valvoline with a different label. Otherwise valvoline. Chevron if I need to buy it at the qwick E mart. And napa gold filter since it has a check valve so it has oil ready at startup.

Every filter should have a drainback valve. Fram has one, it just sucks :D

[mike]

I had a fram blow apart on the crimp where it mounts the outer case/canister to the base. I used to think that an oil filter was an oil filter until then... Not any more. I use wix now.

For oil on the dattos I use plain jane 5w30, usually castrol because its always on sale somewhere, on my Tacoma I use Mobil 1 synthetic, and on my GMC its whatever I can find cheap in a gallon jug... I still spend a little extra on a good filter though.

[Llittle_Llama]

think im pretty sold on the mobil 1 filter from here on out.

[DanielC]

I use OEM filters only. Nissan filters on Datsuns/Nissans Toyota filters on Toyotas. Motorcraft filters on Fords, AC/delco/ filters on GM.

My reasoning is this. The car manufacturers have spent literally millions of dollars on oil filters for each engine. They will have to replace the engine under warranty if the engine blows up, or wears out due to an oil filter failure. They may cut costs on many things, but not oil filters.

A modern oil for our older engines is not a good thing. The camshaft to rocker arm interface on a L-series is a critical wear point. You want an oil with high ZDDP levels to protect this area of your L-series engine.

Many modern engines have roller interfaces on the camshaft, and the oil is not as critical, because the engine no longer has a metal to metal straight wiping type interface on camshaft and other parts.

ZDDP is being removed from many oils because on high mileage engines, with catalytic converters, it can poison the catalytic converter.

My oil of choice is Valvoline VR-1 racing oil, in whatever weight the engine is recommended to use. I prefer to use straight weights, and let the engine warm up a little before driving off, and driving gently at first, until the engine starts to warm up, and the oil pressure drops slightly. I do not run and engine at WOT for the first 15 minutes of operation.

Avoid orange filters with grip things. It exists only to fool you into buying a cheaply made piece of junk with a bare minimum of filtering media inside it. Fram makes oil filters to make a profit. They do not care about your engine.

Edited December 15, 2008 by DanielC

[datzenmike]

I like the L and Z series cams. They are crossed drilled and oil fed. How are push rod Chevys oiled? Doesn't it just dribble down from the lifters? No wonder they wear the lobes off the 305.

 

Even with lowered ZDDP I don't think they are nearly as at risk. Very important to change the oil though.

 

Snake oil:

 

http://www.baileycar.com/oil_additives_html.htm

[hang_510]

castrol seems to be the favorite...

 

i use syntec in the 4runner w/OEM filters

 

20W-50 in the 510's w/whatever filter was on sale and i bought 4-5 of.

if its burnin oil, then any straight 40 thats cheap