Oil

[EA1191]

Is information available for the lubricating properties and engine protection of the available engine oils? There are some cheaper oils such as the KMX oil from Kmart which I am going to use because the car is not used much and not pushed hard. Think it could be re-refined and perhaps may add some additive.
Anyone used lower priced oil for long periods?

[BuuBox]

Even the most expensive oil is cheaper than an engine rebuild.

[Greg302]

ive been using big w $10 oil for months, i havent had any probs.

[ilsautomotive]

I wouldn't see any benefit in going el cheapo in this area, especially since oil costs nothing compared to petrol these days. Normally I use Shell Helix Plus but for the new EA motor I am going to look at fully synthetic.

[NZ]

One extreme to the other jack. As long as your synthetic oil isn't too light. a decent 20 weight oil for the average motor

[ilsautomotive]

I should add we're talking about a 180,000 km 3.9 vs a 55,000 km AU3. It says on the 710 cap what grade of oil they recommend but it's ridiculously light. I'll do further research in good time. :shifty:

[EA1191]

Once had a Valiant for 25 years and when the head was removed the engine was in almost new condition.
Almost undetectable ridge in the cylinders, the valves were in very good condition and nothing to be replaced. Thought it was because better oil had been used, but was told it was more likely very good lubrication design.
Not sure what the requirements are for good oil, but the average family car engine should have lots of lubrication tolerance built in.
Maybe more important to change it more often.

[ilsautomotive]

Falcons have a good tolerance for limited oil changes, especially compared to, say, a Honda. Oil is a pretty darn complex area but I do believe you get what you pay for.

There is debate over infrequent synthetic changes and frequent non-synthetic changes. Either way Ford and others seem to think 15,000 non-synthetic is A-OK on a brand new bloody car!

[jabba]

Originally Posted by Greg302

ive been using big w $10 oil for months, i havent had any probs.

...YET...

That the thing with oil. It won't stuff your motor staight away, It does it over time. Watch out for bore glazing and gunk build up under the tapper cover

[Veefore]

According to actual real-world testing, as long as you use the correct grade as recommended by the engine manufacturer (SG, SH, SJ etc) and change it every 7500km it doesn't matter what brand you use. When we tested in taxis we found that every oil performed the same up until about 5000km. At that point only Penrite (non friction-modified) started to show some wear. The others still showed none. If you are going to go above 10,000-15,000km then a high quality synthetic may be more suitable. The difference between cheap and expensive oils isn't in the amount of lubrication that they provide. It is in how long they will provide it for. Having said that, what kills most oil is contamination from the combustion process.

[flathead 276]

I use Penrite hpr30 in my EBXR8 and Castrol XT10w-30w in my AU2 ute, I've always used quality oil & I anticipate no problems. Rebuilds are expensive, regular oil changes are the key, to long engine life. So I agree with you Veefore, although I do wish taxi owners would change diff oil more regularly, there is nothing I hate more than a whiney diff. Unless of course its a quickchange.

[hornet]

I now use amsoil fully synthetic. I gained over 2rwkw just from changing my oil, i'm happy with that

[EA1191]

Are those expensive additives worth using. There was a sale and I bought something which is supposed to clean the injectors, remove moisture, clean the fuel system and and generally fix everything. Had the impression that the engine was quieter and smoother, and may improve. Imagination?
Someone mentioned that when they used a certain oil they noticed a difference. I have always noticed a difference when the oil has been changed, no matter which oil. More noticeable on low powered cars.