Castrol syntec is very good. German Castrol is even better. They look pretty much the same at first glance, but if you read the bottle carefully, some are made in the US and others in germany. The german made castrol oil has some phenomenal numbers when tested. Saw some at autozone the other day....

Yes. At least I know the Quakerstate isnt gonna kill my car <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Its just my car. I use it for everything. I have a 2 1/2 year old little girl, and I am a stay at home mom. So any town runs, any out of town runs *2 hour tops* we take my car. Will be getting driven longer distances this year, since hubby is working away from home. Just want to make sure it is gonna stay running as well as it is now

Virginia

I just finished my first ever oil change. From the mess of the first, it may be the last. Damn it was messy! I used Havoline 10w30 Synthetic and a Purulator Pure Oil filter. I did a decent job except for the mess.

And, it cured about 90% of the engine peck. It still does it a bit at high rpms, but that may go away after a little driving. I am very satisfied. Thanks for the help everyone.

It can get messy. The Fumoto Oil Drain Valve can be worthwhile if you plan on doing oil changes yourself. I like the fact that I don't ever have to replace the drain plug washers, and no more hot oil running down my hands when I try to remove the plug.

It has been granted 'genuine parts' status by several automakers including (and most importantly) ISUZU. If I were offroading, I'd probably stick with the stock plug, though it is so well built I think it could handle it.

Forget the AC Delco & Motorcraft filters. I buy NAPA Gold filters (oil filter is the same as Wix--very good, IMO). I trust the Bosch name, though I think of them as more of an electrical/electronic co. than an oil filter manufacturer. I'd bet that Bosch doesn't make their own oil filters.

I'd also forget the synthetic blends. Either go synthetic or don't. I also buy NAPA's store-brand synthetic oil. Mobil1 and Amsoil are the only other synthetics I am personally familiar with, and while both are excellent products, the NAPA represents a value I can't resist.

As always, YMMV.

Since Napa was closed today, I had to go with the Purolater. I'll try Napa oil and filter next time. How often do I need to change oil now?

I didn't get rid of the peck completely, so I'll probably wait til next change and try the Mobil 0w30.

Even with the synthetic, I still change my oil and filter every 3000 miles. I look at it as cheap insurance for prolonging the life of my motor.

Dan

I use the Castrol synthetic blend, and it seems to work very well. I also just recently used Sea Foam in the crankcase. I poured about a 1/4 of the can in the engine and ran it about 2-3 miles, then changed the oil. My motor is running much quiter, and it feels as though it's got just little more pep. If you have some tick in your engine, you might consider a little Sea Foam.

Tim B
99 Rodeo

Hey Anthonyn, do you know which part you ordered for that oil plug? They've got two listed. F106 and F106 with nipple. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

I went with the one without the nipple (F106, not F106N) to conserve ground clearance. The non-nipple extends out an extra 1/2" beyond the stock plug, but does not really affect ground clearance much, cuz the plugs on our trucks are at a slight angle. I think the nipple will extend out a full inch. The only reason to get a nippled one is so you can attach a hose and have the oil drain into a container. I didn't really see the need in my case.

BTW, I compared the thread height of the fumoto plug with the stock plug and it matches perfectly. This means that the fumoto plug does not extend any further into the pan possibly reducing oil drainage. I worried about this a bit when I ordered the plug, but it turns out to be a perfect replacement.