DAHa.. got it. I forgot about that...uh...story. Good points.

bkg

This is almost off-topic but not quite ~
I'll re-affirm the opinion that if the oil meets spec's the manufacturer can't void warranty -

I had a new Deere riding mower that, after only 30 hours use or so, developed a huge knock (I think the mech said it was the "bottom end", i'm not a mechanic, dont' know exactly what it was)
Long story short û The dealer said I caused the damage by using the wrong type of oil. When I showed them that I used the 10W-40 it listed as approved in the mowerÆs manual, then the service manager said (this is so much crap) that the manual was wrong AND that I had to pay for 2 of his mechanics (one hour each) for removing the 10W-40 and putting in the correct oil, which was 10-40.
Well, I hit the roof, called a friend of mine who is a lubrication engineer and he said they were full of crap, I called the factory in Wisconsin and talked to someone there û
Bottom line is they put a new engine in and if the oil is listed as approved, the warranty has to be honored.
BTW, that was the ôGreat Outdoorsö John Deere dealer in Des Moines, Iowa. Avoid them like the plague.

Since I just switched to Redline, I thought I'd share a little detail (I've made two return trips to get what others on this board recommended). The MT-90 is GL-4 so while great for the tranny & transfer case, their regular 75-90 gear oil is better for the diffs (GL-5). I have truetracs so I don't need a friction modifier, but I took back their non-shock gear oil for their regular 75w-90 gear oil. I'm a novice, but I think this is a good setup for the south. Since you get such a wide range of temperatures in/around Sonora, the knowledgeable people around this board might have better suggestions for your situation. The Redline did help my tranny and transfer case run better (cooler, quieter and easier shifting).

A local performance auto store that I got my Redline from only sold high end motor oils including Royal Purple, Redline and ....Valvoline [racing version]. A person who worked there said that all regular, name brand oils are made in the same production facilities except for Valvoline. Anyone know if this is correct?

Also, if someone uses synthetic, is it ok to switch back to dyno (several people have said not to)? If not, does the same apply to a blend?

I have used probably every oil under the sun. I have driven cars from MB to Mercury and Audi to Volvo. Most of my cars I fixed myself, and thus changed oil in myself.

I have found that most engines can really benefit from synthetic oil between 20,000 and 120,000 miles. That's a long time for most folks (though my friend's 2003 Toyota Echo now has 98K on it...). Depending on when your engine begins getting 'tired' you may actually want to switch back to dino-juice. Get whatever life is left out of the engine (and sure, lots of engines will go further than this) and change the oil regularly.

DO NOT stick synthetic into a 'beater' or older car that has not had it before. Stick to dino and go from there.

Also - mostly we here run gas-fired rigs. However it is critically important that diesel owners run a diesel-approved oil. Rotella, DelVac or Amsoil. NOTHING ELSE. DelVac gets my vote. VERY good stuff. If your diesel is brand new, check out Delvac's follow-on synthetic replacement.

If you have a turbo in the good Lord's name please use a turbo-approved oil (if you have an oil-cooled/lubed turbo). Follow manufacturer's recommendations, but if you ever, EVER skimp on your oil YOU WILL WIPE OUT YOUR TURBO or at least it'll die way sooner than you expect. Turbos spin at just-wrong velocities and need a special kind of love to work right. Personally I avoid used vehicles with turbos for just this reason.

So, which is better? If an engine is broken in properly, synthetic is best for the 'long haul' of your ownership. You might want to monitor your compression beyond 120K miles and possibly consider switching to ancient-plant-rot if it begins to slide.

I've never had a problem with Valvoline but when someone says it's the one professional mechanics use I have to wonder if Valvoline paid them to say it. No offense, just interesting when you consider their punch line. Which professional mechanics, anyhow? I was a pro mechanic and frankly I don't remember using anything but Aeroshell but maybe Valvoline doesn't compete in that market.

Remeber, a good oil is WORTHLESS with a junk filter. I don't promote one filter over another, but if you search google you'll find some pictures and facts. Make your own judgement.

Well stated.

As for the comment a couple of posts ago about oil factories. This is incorrect. All oils except Valvoline are not made at the same plant. If that were the case all oils would perform exactly the same in all of the tests. They do not.

I just dropped in a new 22re stroker from TCR down in Tuscon. since it is really hot down there he told me to put in nothing but 20-50 valvoline, and after 5000 miles i could run the thickest synthetic i could find. Now I personally chose Mobil 1 for two reasons. 1 they have a 15w-50 the thickest i could find, and 2 My grandfather worked for mobil oil and i beleive they are the number one petroleum indisutry in the world (slight bias <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />).

i hear great things about amsoil but it is much harder to come by, and castrol doesnt seem to be a full synthetic (somebody know if this is true?). and redline gets rave reviews for gear oil from most everyone on this forum, and its all my bro and i will put in our jetski.

I am hoping to put some redline mt90 in my tranny soon but i dont know where to buy it in Tempe and ordering it off ebay costs an arm and a leg. anybody know where to get it or have any surplus up for offer.

good luck on your oil selections!

I list a number of sources for Redline for under $8/qt. on my page. Also, try looking on Redline's dealer page for local suppliers. I found a local-to-me race shop that carries it and even gives a case discount.

We're just having fun with it.

I will say this though, I became a Valvoline afficianado when the motorcycle shop I worked for as a teenager had some experiences at Bonneville. They would build bikes just for the lake. They kept blowing up motors after two or three runs, and got tired of rebuilds. They began to suspect the Pennz they were running. Next year, they ran nothing but Valvoline and had zero engine problems. On teardown, very little wear. These were machines that were seriously leaned on, BTW, and oil was the only change. Made a believer out of me, though admittedly that was a loooooong time ago... <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shiner.gif" alt="" />