Oil advice needed

[Lennyz525i]

I've searched through the old threads on this, the synthetic VS dino engine oil seems to be a yes/no debate. I'm currently running mobile1 syn 10W30, have done so for the past 15K miles. I'v got an old M20 motor with 166K on the clock, I drive it pretty hard. Most of my drives are pretty short and I live in a warmer climate. I also have a little bit of dripping going on, which kinda makes me want to switch back to dino oil. To M20 owners with similar conditions, what kind of oil do you prefer and what weight?
Thanks

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

Lenny,

I have been using this stuff for a while on 100k + M20, and my garage floor is spotless.

I'd check out the source of the leak and plan to fix it soon, it would have leaked sooner or later with the Dino juice anyway.

[632 Regal]

I'll second M1 0w40

[liquidtiger720]

Not to hijack or anything, but M1 0w40 okay for the m50tu engine? or is the oil to light to engage the vanos?

[epj3]

I know this doesn't prove much, but my 128k mile 535i's oil is still almost clear...3,100 miles sine my last oil change... look how clean, and I think the synthetic oil is part to blame.
http://www.bmwchannel.com/eric/e34/valveadjustment/valveadjustment%2520004800x600.jpg

[Lennyz525i]

It's not dripping bad, just a little. I've replaced both oil pan and valve cover gasket. M1 0W40 seems to be very populair. What's the advantage of 0W though? My concern is that my car might start dripping a little more.

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

Is when the oil is cold, it is light and gets picked up by the pump right away during start up.

[epj3]

It's not dripping bad, just a little. I've replaced both oil pan and valve cover gasket. M1 0W40 seems to be very populair. What's the advantage of 0W though? My concern is that my car might start dripping a little more.
I'm assuming the '90 525i has the M20? I used 10w-30 in my 88 325is and it never ever had a problem - just burned a little oil, but it did have 182k miles on it when it was totaled... I think the bently manual has a table of what kind of climate you drive the car in, and it lists what oil weights to use - I know 10w30 worked for me here in PA over the summers.

[632 Regal]

- just burned a little oil - I know 10w30 worked for me here in PA over the summers.

in oil technology since the Bently and owners manuals were written. It's all a matter of choice and I choose M1 0w40, which surpasses ALL of the Bently and manufacturers recommendations. If you want to run lemonade in your car so be it, I choose something better. My car has a couple miles on it and I burn about 1 quart every 8000 miles, I dont think I'll be switching anytime soon.

[Kalevera]

Nobody's really said ANYTHING about German Castrol, which the people over at BITOG *swear* by -- they claim it's better than M1.

any thoughts....anybody?

best, whit

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

listen you can hear the thud, thud of an empty oil bottle hitting the hide of a horse.

[632 Regal]

I hear that horse....thud

[winfred]

what was that about the necrophilic who was into beastiality, one day he realized he was just beating a dead horse http://members.cox.net/wdixon27/lol.gif


I hear that horse....thud

[jplacson]

Is Castrol German? Always was under the impression it was from the UK, under BP.

I'm using Castrol Formula RS. No complaints... never ran dino oil on mine since I got it so I can't say if it really improved performance. I'm just hoping it protects my engine as good as they say it does. :P

[ryan roopnarine]

Is Castrol German? Always was under the impression it was from the UK, under BP.

I'm using Castrol Formula RS. No complaints... never ran dino oil on mine since I got it so I can't say if it really improved performance. I'm just hoping it protects my engine as good as they say it does. :P


american castrol distributions are usually made in the US. the european conventional, in general, may be made in the UK. there are two synthetic castrols, however made in germany and belgium, ie germancastrol 0w30 aka castrol syntec SLX, and castrol syntec 5w40. the aforementioned two are the ones to get in the US, so people like me spend godawful amounts of time hunting them down. if i could find enough of it, i'd switch all of the 30wt vehicles i service to 0w30, even the e34, which is supposed to use a 40 or heavier oil. its good stuff, most people find.

[632 Regal]

with the protection factor.

To make a long story short, rescued the 1st ex wife (Junior in tow), truck overheated about 35 miles away from home. Added water and fired it up, white smoke, blown head gasket. This was a small block chevy 350, iron heads and block.

Anyways drove it on down the highway and the smoke stopped about 1 mile after takeoff, temp gage buried in the hot zone...being the 1st exes vehicle I ran it hard and all the way home...the FULL 35 miles. Got home and opened the hood...everything was melting, exhaust manifolds were red and cooled to a dark purple, melted all wiring and hoses and starter.

Replaced the head and gasket. The engine shop I got the head from is an old friend and guaranteed that the engine was toast, said Id be back for a shortblock cause its toast, even called me for a followup thinking I went somewhere else. There was absolutly no cylinder scoring and the bearings didnt even knock when I got it running again. Never did change that oil out either. Mobil one 5w30 with about 40k on it too...was the 1st ex anyways.

That proved it to me, I'll NEVER EVER go back to dino oil. I know our cars cant stand that heat abuse because of the aluminum heads/blocks and wouldnt torture it like I did the old iron chebby but I do know that it protects like no other.

for whatever it was worth, my 2¢

[jplacson]

Oh, here in the Phil... Castrol is distributed by BP (British Petrolium) hence I just assumed that Castrol was a UK brand.

Dunno if Formula RS is a rebranded syntec or something... it's a new line over here in the Phil (complete with Montoya's pic in it...hahaha) fully synthetic, "WilliamsF1 recommended" or some marketing slogan like that.

Will ask Castrol Phil next time we have a meeting with them. :)

[jplacson]

Well, from what I've read on synthetics... they really work well all-around. So the minute I bought my car... the 2 things I did regardless of the stealers recommendation... change timing belt, change oil (requested for Castrol Synthetic) It 'felt' smoother... but like I said, could've just been a combination of things that I did to my car.

But even if it doesn't improve performance... as long as it protects my engine... I like it.

[632 Regal]

Read up! Synthetics "improve" mileage and performance. I was one of the first to run this shyt in the racecar when it had the small 468ci engine, picked up almost .04 in a quartermile over the standard castrol 20w50 dino oil. Used to grenade engines regularly and havent since I used the synthetic stuff. albeit I havent been on a track since my 1st divorce in 98 but the 632 will be blood curdeling..if I can get someone to drive it.

[jplacson]

Thanks for that info! :)

[Kalevera]

Hey Ryan - I ran across your postings/testings when doing a search. So you'd run the green stuff over M1 if you could find a reliable supply? best, whit

[632 Regal]

Ryan did a lot of research and if it was available id run that stuff too! Imagine cool blue to cool and green to lube...the uses are endless.

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

That twitch got ya going...didn't it!

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

Now the thud be from an empty coolant jug

[ryan roopnarine]

Ryan did a lot of research and if it was available id run that stuff too! Imagine cool blue to cool and green to lube...the uses are endless.

i have blue in the radiator, green in the crankcase, pink (not red really) in my transmission, and purple in mah rear end.

[ryan roopnarine]

Hey Ryan - I ran across your postings/testings when doing a search. So you'd run the green stuff over M1 if you could find a reliable supply? best, whit
if both were priced around the same, ie between 4-5 $ per quart for mobil 1 or gc, i'd use gc. its just that the pepboys coupon lets you get 6 quarts of 15w50 m1 for 16.00 plus tax, that's a hard offer to pass up when the green isn't even in town. its skinny (30 weight ) enough to run in mom's car, fat enough (almost 40 weight) to run in the e34 and reduce consumption dramatically, quiets stuff down....some people have had a neutral or negative experience with the stuff, i can understand if they don't like it. i just like it a lot, and it comes back sooooo clean in the used oil analysis.

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

an adult website, just to test the respones