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Motor oil?

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Devanmc

Veteran CEG'er
Joined
May 14, 2007
Messages
589
Location
Novi, MI
I figured i would ask the collective since i think one thing and my dad thinks another. Currently my Zetec has about 140k ish on it(swapped tach, so idk any more). Since i got the car at about 110-115k 2 years ago i have been running a synthetic blend of somekind(brand has varied) conditioning it to run on sythetic in my next oil change. I am doing this because i beat the piss out of that motor with mods an driving hard.

My dad says the high quality oil isnt helping anything and think it is(increasing engine life and minimizing wear). who is right?
 
Ehh it doesn't really matter. I'll admit, I'm a sucker for that stuff too but on another level I know it's a waste of money. Oil is oil, use the right vicosity and change it every 3-5k. Now if you live in an area that has a very extreme climate, that's different. But anywhere in the states, you're fine.
 
Devanmc said:
My dad says the high quality oil isnt helping anything and think it is(increasing engine life and minimizing wear). who is right?
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As long as you're using an SL or SM oil your dad is right. Motor oil has come a long way and now any similar rated oil will hold up to abuse just like another oil. The difference is with a synthetic you can feel more comfortable running it longer intervals as compared to changing a good SM oil every 5000.
 
alright, interesting to hear. One note,the other morning(maybe like 5-10*) after my hour paper route and some parking lot fun(maybe 5min). My high speed cooling fans were on when i parked it. If that gives you an idea how hard i am on this thing(180 t-stat too). i guess ill just feel good with a safety net then. :shrug:
 
That actually doesnt give us any idea of how hard you drive the thing. Just keep using what you're using and keep an eye out for good deals/rebates if you want to stock up.
 
If you must use synthetic don't get suckered into $8-$9 per quart of Mobil 1 or whatever. Super Tech from wal mart is a very good full synthetic and cheap. If using regular dino oil then the $8 per gallon jugs at advance/autozone are just fine and the most economical. Just FFS DO NOT use a Fram filter. They are trash and known to come apart for no reason and destroy entire engines. I ALWAYS use Wix(napa) filters although Motorcraft and Purolators are fine to.
 
A very good comment about the filters. The MC filters are excellent for the price since you get the silicone valve and the purolator quality. SuperTech filters are also good for other cars and are made by the same company that makes the Mobil 1 and K&N filters as well as the STP and ValuCraft brands.
 
i usually just go with fords OEM filter for the zetec. It is actually in trouble shooting manuals that the wrong filter can mess with oil pressure going to the VCT solenoid. \ :crazy:
 
Synthetics are for long drain intervals (think 10,000 miles or so) or extreme stress (think racing a lot, or extreme temps (this winter is giving us some of those). For all else conventional or semi syn is really all you need.

You should really look into Valvoline maxlife, it's semi-synthetic and and has seal conditioners your 10 year old engine could probably use.
 
ohsigmachi said:
Synthetics are for long drain intervals (think 10,000 miles or so) or extreme stress (think racing a lot, or extreme temps (this winter is giving us some of those). For all else conventional or semi syn is really all you need.

You should really look into Valvoline maxlife, it's semi-synthetic and and has seal conditioners your 10 year old engine could probably use.
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thats what i used on my Zetec. still ran strong when i pulled it at 241K miles from a blown pressure plate.
 
alright alright. ill just use a normal blended unless im going to the track then ill put in synthetic. :shrug:
 
Devanmc said:
alright alright. ill just use a normal blended unless im going to the track then ill put in synthetic. :shrug:
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Meh, if your going to use a dedicated track oil, just get some VR1 30 or 40 weight. I know I come off as a big Valvoline guy (and I do use it in one of my vehicles and my lawn mower), but it's a good solid oil; and the VR1 is a cheap "race" oil that will keep your zetec plenty happy for an all day track session.
 
Oil is oil......use any decent brand motor oil and call it a day.

Don't get all hung up on the details of each oil. Just change it every 3k miles and call it a day :)
 
Definitely use motor oil. It will prolong the life of your engine.
 
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