I'm 1,000 miles overdue on my oilchange due to funding problems. I intend on getting on real soon though. I was thinking of switching to Mobil 1 but I heard once you switch to synthetic you can't switch back. Money is tight so I can't squenge $30 extra for Synthetics for every oil change What's a good brand of nonsynthetic oil I can use for the time being? any out there that may actually give me performance gains? My car has 92K miles on it. Also is Mobil 1 the only GOOD synthetic that boosts performance or are there any others that are just as good, or better?

Thanks for the input all...

 

One of the best synthetics out there is actually the Wal-Mart SuperTech brand. It is made by purolator, and is among the best for oil and filters.

And you can switch back to regular oil at any time. On a side note, though, perhaps you should reconsider your finances if you can not afford $10 to change your oil before you go switching to synthetic which will run you closer to $20.

 

Ah, the FACTS of synthetics.

- You can switch to it at anytime.

- You can switch back to regular at anytime

- You can mix them (though this is somewhat of a waste)

- It WILL NOT CAUSE LEAKS: If you already have a leak, it will likely get worse. So if you have a small leak that you don't know about, if you switch to synthetic, you'll find out about it. But synthetic oil itself doesn't cause leaks.

With that said, a regular 3k oil change is just as good as a synthetic oil change unless you are in really extreme temperatures such as snow or desert temps. I, personally, use Mobil 1 and do 5k intervals. I can do this because I do 85-90% highway miles. I've pushed it to 7.5k, tested the oil, and found it was still holding up OK but I like to have a cushion.

Since you seem hard pressed for cash, unless you are in really extreme situations, I'd advise AGAINST synthetic. At least until you can have the cash for it. If you plan on changing it every 3k miles, and/or your driving situation requires you to, synthetic is a waste. Especially when synthetics are 2x more than regular oil.

Josh, you mention SuperTech as one of the "best". Hardly. Some would argue that it is even a "true" synthetic. SuperTech synthetic, which is made by Quaker State, is a group III oil which does not contain PAO or esters like Mobil 1 does. If you look at the oil analysis of ST compared to other synthetics, especially PAO-based, you'll realize why it is cheaper than other synthetics. It is, however, a decent oil. SL rated and fairly cheap...but I wouldn't go as far as calling it one of the "best".

Oil filters are harder to rate. SuperTech filters are made by Champion Labs and usually run $2. Mobil 1 oil filters usually run upwards of $10+ and are made by...Champion Labs. I won't go into detail but I will add that ST filters are fairly well made. Just stay away from Frap...I mean Fram.

BTW, I do like the transformation of your car. Went from Granny's grocery car to lookin pretty nice.

 

ImportKiller, thanks for your input. It is nice to have someone in here that is truly knowledgable about things like this. However, I am going to give a quick retort.

I get my information from a Lubrication Engineer. He runs 50+ oil shops in the FL area. Everything you mentioned does mesh up, for the most part. Synthetic is better, as it has more cleaning ablilty and thus will keep the inner workings of the engine in better shape. 3k oil changes with conventional oil will somewhat make up for this, but not entirely.

He personally uses SuperTech and has seen the ratings, putting it towards the top of the list. I was pretty sure he said that they were produced by Purolator, but perhaps it was Champion. I don't recall at this point.

And thank God you know about Fram! I get so tired of people arguing with me about this! Especially the older guys who have used them for decades. Fram used to be good, until they were sold over, and then over, and over. Now they are bottom of the barrel, and are only in business due to loyalty. Stay away from Fram!

And who's car are you speaking of?

 

Josh, I was referring to the Mark VII Bullitt on your website. The before and after looks impressive.

You hit it on the nose about Fram. People buy them because they recognize the brand name and see them everywhere. I mean Wal-Mart's brand ST has 1/2 the shelf space that Fram does...at Wal-Mart! And loyaltly does play a big part. Fram won't cause an engine failure (hopefully heh) but there are better filters out there...like the ST filter which costs less.

The ST synthetic oil is good, don't get me wrong. I mean, compared to conventional oil it is superior. And it is about 1/2 price of some of the other synthetics out there. I just didn't consider it at the top because I like synthetics to be PAO/ester and with a better additive package. But ST should still hold up in a 5k interval in a healthy engine. I do know from testing that it holds its viscosity well. I would really consider it a steal if it had a better additive package. Still a solid oil though.

Need4Camaro, I forgot to mention. You won't likely feel any difference between conventional and synthetic so there are no "performance" oils. It is somewhat easier for your engine but this likely doesn't translate into any real performance you can feel. Unless you had a drag car...then maybe you could feel Car and Driver oil vs. RedLine.

 

Thanks. I did not remember putting that link on this forum. (Not typically a good idea to flaunt a F*RD around a bunch of Chevy guys!) It was a lot of work, and thanks for noticing it! Don't get me started on it here, though, becuse I'll go on for hours about it!

And I see what you mean about the ST. I remember him telling me about "real" synthetic. You seem to know a lot about this, are you in the oil business?

 

hey man...if your looking for a good conventional oil, i would recommend Castrol GTX..been using it in my car..used it in my 4 stroke dirtbike (13.5K RPM redline)..and it seems to hold up just fine. You can get it at Wal-mart, autozone, etc..for about 7 bucks a gallon. I do 3K mile oil change intervals, just because i would rather have good conventional oil, than dirty synthetic.

 

This obviously out of the price range, but I use Royal Purple with a K&N filter. I know that's pricey, but my Camaro runs GREAT. The temperature is cooler, and is a bit more responsive. But Royal Purple is expensive so I would use Mobil 1 or Castro GTX.

 

Yup, *checking his wallet* I'm DEFINETLY switching to Mobil 1... sometime MUCH later. For now I'll try Castrol and stay away from Fram. Since I'm 1,000 miles overdue, would you recomend I put any oilcleaning products in there or just leave it be?

 

Nah man..dont worry about putting anything in there, just get some clean oil in there. My dad usually goes 3.5-4K miles or so on his Castrol GTX in his truck..and has never had any problems..i wouldnt sweat it. Good luck with the oil change.