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Using 10w-30 engine oil on a 3.5 DOHC, need you thoughts!! #951789 07/01/09 01:08 AM
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 139
3
3esso Offline OP
Wheeler
I have been considering to switch to a 10w-30 engine oil, as I have been using 10w-40(Titan UNIC MC Full Synthetic) for the last year or so.

The problem is appearently the cost of the oil I have been using and the fact that my engine keeps losing oil (and I don't know where it happens) I see no appearant leaks or any signs from where I park my car, nor do I see smoke coming from the tailpipe. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Anyways my Question: Is switching to this new type of oil (10w-30 Ford Synth-Blend) a good Idea or bad??

Is this type of oil going to give me more of the crazy tapping noise of VLA's or less ??? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" />

is the Oil I am considering too thin for the engine?? That is because I live in a very HOT-Humid conditions.

Any Idea helps <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />


96 NJ SWB 3.5 pajero(Bone stock)
84 NA Hi-roof Pajero(also Stock)
Re: Using 10w-30 engine oil on a 3.5 DOHC, need you thoughts!! [Re: 3esso] #951790 07/01/09 01:28 AM
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,607
Mad_Scientist Offline
Roll Me Over
*****
Yeah, I wouldn't use a thinner oil. I use 10w40 synthetic with no issues. When do your VLAs tick? Engine hot or cold?

If you're losing oil and it's not leaking or smoking, is it getting in your coolant? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" />


'97 Montero 'LSR' - 4.6 gears & factory rear locker, 33" Procomp muds on 15x8 steelies, 50mm coil spacers, T-bar crank, Airlift, sans rear sway, 50mm rear frame & fuel tank lift, Aisins, ARB front bumper + 10k lb winch, 50mm DIY body lift, rock sliders, cut rear quarter panels...
Re: Using 10w-30 engine oil on a 3.5 DOHC, need you thoughts!! [Re: Mad_Scientist] #951791 07/01/09 06:03 AM
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 850
ES_97Sport Offline
Rock Warrior
*****
Quote
Yeah, I wouldn't use a thinner oil. I use 10w40 synthetic with no issues. When do your VLAs tick? Engine hot or cold?

If you're losing oil and it's not leaking or smoking, is it getting in your coolant? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" />


Personally, I'd stick with a 10-40 full synthetic - especially with those temps. I've used 10-30 full synthetic Mobil 1 in a 3.0 for the last 400,000+ miles without issues, though.

I did have what sounds like the same thing with 'disappearing oil' in my 3.0L. No smoke, no leaks, nothing in the coolant. Nothing anywhere. Passed emissions tests with flying colors. I switched back to the Mitsu PCV valve (after reading some posts on this board) and switched to 10-40 full synthetic (high millage) Mobil 1 and mysteriously my oil isn't disappearing like before. I also had on and off ticking. Cold, hot, in the middle - didn't matter. Switching to the 10-40 helped - it's not as bad as it was with the 10-30. I'd bet that it'll get worse if you go with a thinner oil.

How 'HOT' is hot? If it's 100F+ degrees regularly, I'd be thinking of maybe running something slightly heavier than 10-40.

I wouldn't run a 'blend' unless I was desperate. What's your oil change interval? What's the price difference between a full synthetic quart and a blend quart? Here the cost is about 40-50% more for a full synthetic than blends. Its actually cheaper to run a full synthetic in the long run because a reasonable change interval on full synthetic in our engines is 8,000 miles. The change interval for blends is 5,000 and I definitely wouldn't push that.

I've got just over 450,000 on my 3.0L and I only change the oil and filter about every 8-9,000 miles. Been doing that since the day I bought it new off the showroom floor. Engine still runs like a top despite the weird missing oil thing (that seems to have gone away) and the annoying occasional ticking. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Edward

Re: Using 10w-30 engine oil on a 3.5 DOHC, need you thoughts!! [Re: ES_97Sport] #951792 07/01/09 04:11 PM
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 785
V
vr4 Offline
Rock Warrior
*****
i personally use motorcraft 15w40 HDEO (diesel) oil on all of my mitsu 6g7x engines


87 Montero V6 SWB auto. dual bouncies
89 Montero V6 SWB 5 speed. dual bouncies
97 3000gt VR4 upgraded turbos, 10:1, E85
91 Stealth TT twin 18Gs, cams/heads, E85
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Re: Using 10w-30 engine oil on a 3.5 DOHC, need you thoughts!! [Re: Mad_Scientist] #951793 07/01/09 06:09 PM
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 139
3
3esso Offline OP
Wheeler
Quote
Yeah, I wouldn't use a thinner oil. I use 10w40 synthetic with no issues. When do your VLAs tick? Engine hot or cold?

If you're losing oil and it's not leaking or smoking, is it getting in your coolant? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" />


My engine ticks almost anytime when the oil gets about half it's life, sometimes its the morning cold start, or while on the highway, or even driving slowly

I change my oil about every 5000 miles, half way through that the ticking starts, and I almost can stop it evrytime just by either revving the engine over 3500 RPMs or shutting it down & restarting it, even sometimes both ways dont work right away

And I just checked the coolant, no oil in there. could be as been said; it is related to the PCV


96 NJ SWB 3.5 pajero(Bone stock)
84 NA Hi-roof Pajero(also Stock)
Re: Using 10w-30 engine oil on a 3.5 DOHC, need you thoughts!! [Re: ES_97Sport] #951794 07/01/09 06:31 PM
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 139
3
3esso Offline OP
Wheeler
Quote
Quote
Yeah, I wouldn't use a thinner oil. I use 10w40 synthetic with no issues. When do your VLAs tick? Engine hot or cold?

If you're losing oil and it's not leaking or smoking, is it getting in your coolant? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" />


Personally, I'd stick with a 10-40 full synthetic - especially with those temps. I've used 10-30 full synthetic Mobil 1 in a 3.0 for the last 400,000+ miles without issues, though.

I did have what sounds like the same thing with 'disappearing oil' in my 3.0L. No smoke, no leaks, nothing in the coolant. Nothing anywhere. Passed emissions tests with flying colors. I switched back to the Mitsu PCV valve (after reading some posts on this board) and switched to 10-40 full synthetic (high millage) Mobil 1 and mysteriously my oil isn't disappearing like before. I also had on and off ticking. Cold, hot, in the middle - didn't matter. Switching to the 10-40 helped - it's not as bad as it was with the 10-30. I'd bet that it'll get worse if you go with a thinner oil.

How 'HOT' is hot? If it's 100F+ degrees regularly, I'd be thinking of maybe running something slightly heavier than 10-40.

I wouldn't run a 'blend' unless I was desperate. What's your oil change interval? What's the price difference between a full synthetic quart and a blend quart? Here the cost is about 40-50% more for a full synthetic than blends. Its actually cheaper to run a full synthetic in the long run because a reasonable change interval on full synthetic in our engines is 8,000 miles. The change interval for blends is 5,000 and I definitely wouldn't push that.

I've got just over 450,000 on my 3.0L and I only change the oil and filter about every 8-9,000 miles. Been doing that since the day I bought it new off the showroom floor. Engine still runs like a top despite the weird missing oil thing (that seems to have gone away) and the annoying occasional ticking. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Edward


Well it is easily over 100 degrees here on a daily basis in the summer <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Before going to the 10w-40, I was using 20w-50 (I have tried many brands) All was worse than the 10w-40 in the ticking issue.

And what about the PCV, could it be the problem with the oil, because the PCV hose along with a big part of the valves cover are coated in a thick coat of oil, How can I tell if my PCV valve is bad??

and btw the Synthetic oil is almost double the price of the regular and the blended oils, it different from brand to brand.

And as I said above I change my oil about every 5000 miles


96 NJ SWB 3.5 pajero(Bone stock)
84 NA Hi-roof Pajero(also Stock)
Re: Using 10w-30 engine oil on a 3.5 DOHC, need you thoughts!! [Re: 3esso] #951795 07/01/09 08:25 PM
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,006
P
pcc Offline
Body Damage is Cool
I went to 0w-40 Mobil 1 and did several oil analysis. It mostly cured my start-up ticking and gave great wear numbers. My mileage is not that much so I change it only once per year with a filter change at 3000 miles with top up. Total miles on oil would be about 6K/yr. You can probably go longer with regular driving, but I would prove it out with UOAs. Of course if you have a leak the synthetic gets pricey.

Last edited by pcc; 07/01/09 08:26 PM.

92 Montero LS 3.0L V6 Auto, Stock, Original owner, 185,800K miles
Re: Using 10w-30 engine oil on a 3.5 DOHC, need you thoughts!! [Re: pcc] #951796 07/02/09 12:52 AM
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 16,227
off-roader Offline
Web Wheeler
*****
I've got some interesting, fresh first hand experience with the theory/practice of using thinner oil / thicker oil to cure ticking.

I switched to 5w30 for the last oil change (10w40 previously) and found the ticking actually increased a noticeable amount.

After a thousand miles or so, I added a thickening additive and immediately the ticking decreased substantially and has remained that way since.

Now I know this flies in the face of the logic that thinner oil will be better able to lubricate the top end but perhaps there's a correlation with the age and condition of my engine's oil passages. In my case, perhaps they need to be properly cleaned in order for thinner oil to work.

I'll try running a can of seafoam in the oil (it says you can use it) just before my next oil change to hopefully clean out the built up 'gunk'. Afterwards, I'll try using a thinner viscosity oil.

What do you all think? Pros? Cons?


Off Roader
98 Montero with the Winter Package
89 Montero minty clean and reserved for overlanding trips or Cars and Coffee events
96SR (3.15:1 xcase, 35's) gone to the rust gods
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Re: Using 10w-30 engine oil on a 3.5 DOHC, need you thoughts!! [Re: off-roader] #951797 07/02/09 02:04 AM
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,006
P
pcc Offline
Body Damage is Cool
Mobil now makes 0w-30 and even 0w-20. They advertise they meet or exceed the 5w-30/20 and 10w-30 oils and are approved by mfgrs. I'm a firm beliver of thin(er) viscosity on cold start and thicker (a little) on hot run. I use 0w-30 M1 on my other two vehicles and have gotten the best UOAs since I've been doing them. Your experience on thicker oil to stop the ticking may be because it leaks down more slowly?? When I used 10w-30 I had bad ticking on start-up.


92 Montero LS 3.0L V6 Auto, Stock, Original owner, 185,800K miles
Re: Using 10w-30 engine oil on a 3.5 DOHC, need you thoughts!! [Re: pcc] #951798 07/02/09 08:07 PM
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 139
3
3esso Offline OP
Wheeler
Well it looks like I will reuse the oil I always have been using.
any one of you guys heard of the advice that says: to clean the noisy VLA's you could try to add a little ATF to the engine a week or more prior to the oil change, it suggests that the ATF have some cleaning addectives that helps clean the oil passages!!
And this should help stop the ticking noise, Anyone??

Thanks for your input guys


96 NJ SWB 3.5 pajero(Bone stock)
84 NA Hi-roof Pajero(also Stock)
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