What is the best motor oil out there?

Question

I use Pennzoil 10w-30 now but I was wondering if anyone could recommend something better. I have an 87 Chevy Truck with 121,000 miles on it.

Answer 1

The brand today really doesn't matter. The oil companies have a strict minimum specifications they have to meet. The preference of the owner is often made based on selection and use of an oil over a period of time. Reality is that if another oil was selected then the performance would have been the same if the manufactures service intervals had been followed. More folks are opting to go with synthetic oil in their cars. I have noticed that higher mileage vehicles will at time use a little oil when changed over to the synthetic. Not saying you should not change I am just recommending that you check it regularly to make sure you maintain the proper level. In 30 years of using thousands of gallons of various brands I have never found one brand better than the other. Texaco, Chevron, Pennzoil, Quaker State, Mobil, and Castrol to name some brands I have used. Only sludge problem I have ever encountered was in vehicles that run in town and just on short runs. Just pick one, service regularly and enjoy your vehicle.

Answer 2

Pennzoil is one of the best selling oils out there (owned by shell), in NO WAY does it cause sludge, if it does...... its either a sludge prone engine, or you pushed the oil beyond its limits (which would do the same to others) 20w-50 is reserved for oil pressure problems..... actually causes more wear (because its a 50 weight, its hard to get into tight clearances) and shears to a 40 weight anyway.
Valvolines OK, they use the bare minimum of additives in they're regular oils..... maxlife is ok. I'd keep on using what you've been using.... you'll get another 150,000 to 200,000 miles out of that engine (pending no bad mechanical failure) use pennzoil in peace..... if you want to step up, use they're 10w-30 high mileage oil.... has a good additive pack. People dog pennzoil, when they only know what they have heard....


Btw, don't use cheaply made, defective and overpriced fram filters!!

Answer 3

I personally don't like Pennzoil, too gummy, it gunks up inside the engine. I'm told it's because it's made predominantly from Pensylvania crude which is very waxy.

If you really want the "best", get a di-ester synthetic like eon-II. There are alot of good synthetic and synthetic-blend oils on the market, but it really doesn't make sense to pay the price for racing oil with radically high and low temperature range characteristics if you're just driving a pickup with 121K on the clock.

I'm really finicky about oil myself, and I tried using synthetics for a while, but don't like them because they lubricate so well they burn off too quickly.

I now use a 15-50 wt GL-5 rated oil made by Texaco. I buy it in a 55 gal drum from a warehouse, so I don't know where you would get this same oil one quart at a time.

More important than the quality of oil is that it is kept clean. I have used the famous "Frantz" toilet paper filter for 30 years now. This makes it possible to remove the solid particulates from the oil without changing out all the oil. The volume of paper also takes water right out of suspension too, so acid never forms.

Good system.

Answer 4

This question is so subject to a personal preferences that it really doesn,t have a right answer.Bottom line is just use a name brand oil and change it along with the filter at regular intervals and you should never have an oil related problem.I believe every 3 month,s or 3,000 miles is a good general rule of thumb for the service interval.

Answer 5

I would have to go along with Shelly, Mobile One or any good synthetic. But before your first oil change, try a synthetic blend to flush out the sludge and change it and the filter out at 3000 miles before switching to full synthetic and you will be fine. I would only double your normal oil change interval because your oil filters will probably need changing before the oil wears out, unless you have access to an oil analysis lab.

Answer 6

clean oil. oil is oil but the synthetic blends or the true synthetic is going to be better. pennzoil is the only one i have ever heard of coming out of its own factory.

Answer 7

wont use pennzoil on my trycycle wheel--oops i dont have a trycycle --valvoline or castrol -and mobile 1 is good synthetic and change it regular i have a 93 with 221k on it valvoline engine runs great no smoking nothing

Answer 8

mobile one hands down. you get three times the use out of it and it would be awesome for that old chevy. but if your oil hasn't been changed in a while you might wanna start w valvoline bc the sludge just doesn't go over well in mobile one.

Answer 9

there is nothing wrong with penz-oil everyone has their opinion for your car with that many miles you dont want to go to synthetic oil use castrol 20/50 it will protect your engine life much better