Which oil is the best for vipers ?

[VIPERMAN]

I have read in some online reports that AMSOIL was found to be better than Mobil 1.
Anybody tried something other than Mobil 1 ?

 

[JonB]

I HOPE FLOGOR POSTS...... TOM H IS OUR OIL GENIUS. DO WHAT HE SAYS.


Mobil One
Mobil Delvac
Castrol Synthetic
Valvoline Synthetic
Roya; Purple maybe

No Amsoil..... detergents incomapitible for some reason ??


Higher miles cars with seeping seals try a High-milege petro oil once cycle. Seals stop seeping ! HONEST !!!! Synthetic is too 'leaky' its so slippery it slips past seals

 

[Steve 00RT/10]

Oil analysis on this board has pretty well proven Amsoil better than Mobil 1. My car is Series 2000 Amsoil from head to toe. My engine oil is tested every 6000 miles. I have put 33,000 on the car to date. So too will be my new Unitrax complete rear end assembly. Unitrax has no problem with me using Amsoil lube in the differential.

Tom uses diesel oil in his car. According to Tom, it's all about additives. There's more additives in diesel oil. Tom is the guru in this area.

Steve

 

[AJ]

diesel oil? i learn something every day...

alex
02 gts
few other cars

 

[dblankenbaker]

diesel oil? i learn something every day...

Synthetic diesel oil

 

[Ron]

Delvac 1 is the Diesel equivelent of Mobil 1 - a nice 5W-40 viscosity with high ester content and plenty of additives. Also excellent "adhesion" to metal internals which is valuable to engines that are run infrequently.

Typically great UOA (used oil analysis) and comforting in that it's a full synthetic. Tom would say that the synthetic diesel oil isn't necessary, and I believe him 100%, but it makes me more comfortable to spend the extra money on a synthetic anyway. Guess they have good marketing.....

p.s. Delvac 1 is fully rated / approved for gasoline and diesel engines. No warranty issues if you decided to use it.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

I think it's more important to change the oil regularly than to worry about which is the absolute best.

 

[BigCarrot]

Interesting read.

http://neptune.spacebears.com/cars/stories/oil-life.html

 

[Yellow Fever]

I think it's more important to change the oil regularly than to worry about which is the absolute best.

I agree with Chuck !

 

[Steve 00RT/10]

I think it's more important to change the oil regularly than to worry about which is the absolute best.

For a purely street driven car, it is a myth, possibly pertutated by big oil, that drain intervals need to be every 3000 miles or less under normal driving conditions. Oil analysis proves this. I run my 01 GMC 5.3L pick up, bought new, 20,000 miles between changes. There is 123,000 miles on it now. I use a quart every 10,000 miles or so and do oil analysis. European drain intervals are in the 12-15,000 mile range, and have been for a while. They are governed by a stricter standard--the ACEA. Amsoil meets all these standards. I would guess Mobil 1 does too. For cars driven harder, oil analysis is a good tool.

The oil test website referred to above by Big Carrot is an intersting read. I remember this site from a year or so ago--before they tested any Amsoil. I might note that the Amsoil being tested against the Mobil 1 is just your basic 5W-30 synthetic oil. I use Series 2000 0W-30 in the Viper, which is the best oil they make. It advertises a 35,000 mile drain interval under normal driving conditions. I have been changing mine at 6000 relatively hard miles, with oil analysis. The report comes back saying the oil is perfectly capable of more mileage. I'll guarantee Mercedes and BMW would not have extended drain intervals if there was risk of engine damage....especially under warranty.


Steve

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Steve, I'm by no means an expert. It just seems to me that while the oil composition may very well be holding up, the impurities from blow-by, gasket seepage, etc. may add to mechanical wear and would make changing the oil cheap insurance on a Viper.

My S-10 pickup however...well, you don't wanna know how infrequent the oil has been changed during it's 90,000 miles.

 

[Steve 00RT/10]

Chuck,

Certainly no expert here either. I have been using this stuff since 1976 with nothing but good results in over a million miles. I never did oil analysis till we got the Viper. Your point about cheap insurance is well taken. I have chosen to follow the other route and run the oil a little longer in the Viper. I would guess most Vipers do not see really severe use and are kept up with mechanically probably better than any other vehicle owned.

Your S-10 is still going strong with limited petroleum oil changes. From what I've read, lubrication is very seldom the cause of engine damage or failure. The add packs in today's oils, both petroleum and synthetic, will serve an engine today far better and longer than the oils of the 60's or 70's. I am from that long ago, where I was taught to change oil every 1500 miles and if the car was stored, the tires came off the ground so they wouldn't go flat. Neither of these policies are necessary today.

Steve