First oil change coming up... suggestions?
06-23-2005, 10:13 PM
#1
First oil change coming up... suggestions? Hey guys, I have had my car for about 2500 miles and not sure how many the dealer & previous owner put on it since last oil change but the oil is startin to look a bit grungy now so its time for a change! Any suggestions on Oil or filters ?
I probably am not going to go with synthetic oil so does it really matter what kind of regular stuff I use or is it all the same? And I'm sure a war is going to erupt over what kind of Oil filter is best...
I probably am not going to go with synthetic oil so does it really matter what kind of regular stuff I use or is it all the same? And I'm sure a war is going to erupt over what kind of Oil filter is best...
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06-23-2005, 10:48 PM
#9
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Originally Posted by Luna
Does it only need 5 quarts? My old car an 88 cutlass pos needed almost 6!
According to the engine oil change section on this site you do need 6 quarts.
http://www.installuniversity.com/ins...sity/index.htm
so 6 is reasonable for that big *** engine 
06-24-2005, 12:25 AM
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Originally Posted by Luna
How much more is the synthetic? Plus I heard that synthetic oil basically breaks down to water if you run it too long w/out changing it , is this true and how long is that?
06-24-2005, 04:01 AM
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mobil one is the best oil you can buy imho. like someone else said, 5-gallon jugs at walmart for ~$20 and another quart for 5 bucks. K&N($10) or bosch ($6) for the filters. yes, the syn is expensive, but it works. i have a friend whos a mech, and he swears by it, tearing down many motors that have used mobil one and theyve been in far better shape than reg. oil users motors. ive also seen oil studys done that were posted on this site stating that mobil one still was lubricating an ls1 motor after 18000 miles, thats 18000 miles. Basically, the oil has many properties, one of them being tbn factor or rating. as long as the oil has a tbn >1 than its still lubricating. so they changed the filter and topped it off every 3k miles and the particulate levels in the oil actually lowered as the oil aged. this was due to the fact that the oil actually "breaks in." so, im sticking with mobil one and K&N filter every 3k with a top off to 6 guarts (ls1's only take 5.5 but many run 6 just in case). about the same price as reg oil and filter every 3k miles, but you get better protection and better lubrication than conventionals. And synthetic oil is way better with the heat than conventional oil and it wont break down as easy. if you value your car and want to use the best, only mobil one will do...
06-24-2005, 08:47 AM
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I changed my oil the day after I bought my Z. Couldn't stand not knowing where it's been.
No, synthetic oil will not change to water if you run it too long. The water/alcohol thing is waaaaaaay upstream in the process of manufacturing synthetic oils. That's something for chemical engineers to worry about.
Wal-Mart has good prices for the 5qt jugs of Mobil1. Another qt is $4.xx. If you drive like your Grandma then you could probably use Grandma oil. However, with a high performace engine I would recommend high performance oil. Synthetic is a much better engine oil than conventional petroleum oils hands-down. Synthetics are good enough to run longer than conventional so you can recoup some of your investment there. Plus, you'll be providing your major investment, your car, with much better protection than conventional oils could.
Regardless of what oil you choose, get a good brand name of the 5w-30 or 10w-30 persuasion and you won't be wrong. Get a good quality filter. No Fram filters. Mobil1, K&N, Purolator, and WIX are good filters.
While I know we all want to save a buck or two whenever we can, it's false economy to buy an expensive, high performance vehicle and fill the crankcase with the cheapest oil you can find. Many would argue it would be ok to do that as long as you changed your oil every 3,000 miles. They wouldn't be very wrong. But many would argue it wouldn't be the smartest use of your money.
You can search the forum for oil information and come up with tons of info, or you can visit some of these sites. Remember, GOOGLE.COM is your friend...
Extended Period Synthetic Tests on Z28
Oil Filter Comparison
Virgin Oil Analysis Samples
GOOGLE: Synthetic Oil (You may have to sidestep a lot of sales information)
Good luck to you.
No, synthetic oil will not change to water if you run it too long. The water/alcohol thing is waaaaaaay upstream in the process of manufacturing synthetic oils. That's something for chemical engineers to worry about.
Wal-Mart has good prices for the 5qt jugs of Mobil1. Another qt is $4.xx. If you drive like your Grandma then you could probably use Grandma oil. However, with a high performace engine I would recommend high performance oil. Synthetic is a much better engine oil than conventional petroleum oils hands-down. Synthetics are good enough to run longer than conventional so you can recoup some of your investment there. Plus, you'll be providing your major investment, your car, with much better protection than conventional oils could.
Regardless of what oil you choose, get a good brand name of the 5w-30 or 10w-30 persuasion and you won't be wrong. Get a good quality filter. No Fram filters. Mobil1, K&N, Purolator, and WIX are good filters.
While I know we all want to save a buck or two whenever we can, it's false economy to buy an expensive, high performance vehicle and fill the crankcase with the cheapest oil you can find. Many would argue it would be ok to do that as long as you changed your oil every 3,000 miles. They wouldn't be very wrong. But many would argue it wouldn't be the smartest use of your money.
You can search the forum for oil information and come up with tons of info, or you can visit some of these sites. Remember, GOOGLE.COM is your friend...
Extended Period Synthetic Tests on Z28
Oil Filter Comparison
Virgin Oil Analysis Samples
GOOGLE: Synthetic Oil (You may have to sidestep a lot of sales information)
Good luck to you.
06-24-2005, 11:30 AM
#15
I'm a German Castrol convert, I ran Mobil 1 5w-30 for 6000 miles, and I had noticeable piston slap in the mornings. When I converted to GC 0W-30, the piston slap quieted down A LOT. It's about the same price as the Mobil 1 (5.19/qt) and should last a long time (I'm waiting til my oil change light goes off before I change).
HTH
HTH
06-24-2005, 12:16 PM
#16
Ok I guess I will go with the synthetic stuff , I was just not sure because friends always told me its bad because if you don't change it exactly when your supposed to it essentially turns into water but obviously this is not true and I will probably break even with synthetic between the added price and the added protection and longevity of the oil. The AC Delco Ultraguard Gold filter was recommended by Install U or is the K&N Better?
06-24-2005, 01:22 PM
#18
I converted over to using Amsoil as my oil of choice (used to use Mobil 1 0w40), and I liked it enough to become and independent dealer for them. 
Here's the oil I'm currently using:
http://www.amsoil.com/storefront/xlf.aspx
I also recommend this one:
http://www.amsoil.com/storefront/tso.aspx
and this one:
http://www.amsoil.com/storefront/afl.aspx
If Amsoil products sound like something you'd like to try, then shoot me a PM, I always do special pricing for LS1TECH members.
Here's the oil I'm currently using:http://www.amsoil.com/storefront/xlf.aspx
I also recommend this one:
http://www.amsoil.com/storefront/tso.aspx
and this one:
http://www.amsoil.com/storefront/afl.aspx
If Amsoil products sound like something you'd like to try, then shoot me a PM, I always do special pricing for LS1TECH members.
06-24-2005, 02:32 PM
#20
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You can't go wrong with Mobil 1, Amsoil, or german castrol. I think Royal Purple should be very good as well, but people on the site seem to like those first three more.
Filters: Mobil 1, Wix, K&N, or Amsoil (if they make one that fits our cars).
Again on the mobil 1, I'd run 0w40 instead of 5w30.
And to think that I used standard valvoline and fram filters the first three years/25k miles I owned the car before I finally saw the light.
Filters: Mobil 1, Wix, K&N, or Amsoil (if they make one that fits our cars).
Again on the mobil 1, I'd run 0w40 instead of 5w30.
And to think that I used standard valvoline and fram filters the first three years/25k miles I owned the car before I finally saw the light.