Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Best synthetic 5w30 oil and filter combo

Whichever name brand full synthetic I find on sale or the cheapest................no matter what some think, for a normal automotive engine in regular, normal conditions & use, there's no real advantage for any, just better marketing for some.

Fram, Puralator, Mobil 1, NAPA or WIX filters..............usually the upgraded versions, but at 5K mile intervals, again, it really doesn't matter much.

My 2 vehicles both take 5-20.

My 2 motorcycles are a little different story because of running at higher temps & they require 20-50 weight so the selection of oils is considerably narrower.

Mobil 1, Valvoline, Amsoil, Redline & Royal Purple all have been used with no issues; I think Redline might be slightly better in both lubricity & temp performance than the others, but that's subjective.

And I work in the automotive internal engine components business for a company that has numerous dynos..............we use whatever the OEM engine spec calls for, today usually a semi-synthetic at the weight called for, usually 0-20 or 5-20. All the test engines come with oil already in them for the initial testing.

MM

Are the Fram elements made out of cheap cardboard like their filters?

I've wondered if the bulk oil used in the oil change places was in truth what it is represented to be. The filters they use are not any I've seen for sale in stores. I had to take the state truck to Jiffy Lube or some such place. My captain refused my offer to change the oil myself. I caught quick change places missing grease fittings several times and one time Jiffy Lube's man had to be directly told by me to fill the oil to the full mark. He told me that as long as it was over the add mark it was good. I figure most any major brand of oil and a Wix or NAPA are good. I use Mobil 1 and Wix and the reason I change my own oil is not just to save money. Consider the type of employee that would change oil for a living.

+1 on the WalMart full synthetic, but IMO the Super Tech Filters do a slightly better job than the standard Frams and such (99% vs 95% filtration), so even though they are the bottom of the barrel pricewise they are a value above the mid-market ones.

Surprised me when I came to that realization, but there it is!

Lotta truth to this.

I also use the oil change to grease, top off fluids, and inspect the undercarriage for emergent issues. Catch things all the time, that could lead to real problems.

I have an 04 Malibu. Hardly changed the oil and used the cheapest oil and cheapest filters. I bought it with 89K, I now have 175K. The engine runs so well, but now it goes to the junk yard..... Sub frame is all rusted out . I bought an 08 Impala and has aluminum sbframe and shoul dlast longer. I might just go synthetic. It is a 3.9L. and only uses 4 quarts. I find that very odd they only use 4qts . so an engine that size with only 4 qts. may be a good idea to use synthtic.

Yup. But the correct SAE blend: 10-30 is pictured.

Wal-Mart full synthetic, motorcraft filter for my f150.

NEVER use a piece of crap Fram filter!

5w-40 Rotella in the year round engines.


Either Ford or Carquest labeled filters. Clarkscor?

4

As with a LOT of aftermarket parts, there are only a few real manufacturers; all the other "sellers" buy "private branded" with their name on the box or the product from those few manufacturers that are now becoming fewer & fewer.

It ain't about who makes it, it's all about marketing.

Just sayin'.

MM

Quality synthetic oil does not "break down" anywhere near as fast as conventional oil... However it gets contaminated with carbon and unburned fuel residue just as fast as regular oil... That's why it turns black.. Carbon is abrasive... So i change oil when it gets dark!... If you want the long oil change interval that a full synthetic can provide, You should install one of those remotely mounted small micron catching super filters like the big trucks use... I use the best quality synthetic blend i can find, It's a good compromise!...

If by "combo', ya include kit, and the filter is on toppa the engine, this is your huckleberry:

https://www.amazon.com/FOUR-UNCLES-...oil+vacuum&qid=1638847664&sr=8-4

Never crawl under a car again, and it's so easy, you'll do it on schedule.

I have Fumoto valves on everything.

Me too kingston. Wouldn't be without 'em.

I know you.Same,same.

Numero tres here.

woops...........use 5w30 in two rigs

0w20 in the other

Mobil 1 extended protection and Fram ultra. I run this combo 20,000 miles and get a used oil analysis every time. Oil and filter still have plenty of life left even after that many miles

I also do my own to make sure it's done right and likewise inspect while underneath. I also rotate the tires since the change intervals are close enough to tire rotation intervals. Just makes sense to do it all at once and more or less offsets time spent driving to service centers and waiting in a lobby. I also go ahead and do transmission fluid changes on the Honda on most oil changes. It takes about 3 to 4 drain/fills to change the majority of the transmission fluid due to the torque converter holding residual fluid. Rather than do that in one event like I used to, doing it at regular oil changes works out to keeping it fresh instead of once every 30K and is much cheaper than paying for that service. It really isn't much extra time or effort to pull one more drain plug while up on stands. I pull the tires and rotate while oil/fluid is draining.