Maybe this question has already been answered in another thread, and if so I apologize. I figure we're probably all in agreement that synthetics are better, but not everybody uses them for whatever reason. So who makes the best conventional, mineral oil? Has there been a definintive study? Or do we just have some good, educated opinions?

 

My favorite conventional or dino oil includes CHEVRON SUPREME, Citgo Superguard. I also like Kendall GT-1 oils, and would never hesitate to use any of these.

 

All the SM oils are great and can exceed the oils of 5-8 years ago by 3x. Most moddern oils that are 5w20,5w30 or 10w30 are made using GP II/II+ basestocks. Just pick and oil you like that is SM and you can't go wrong. Even walmart has the SuperTech line for the really bargin shoopper and its a good oil for its price bracket and meets the OEM's warranty requirements.

 

If you want data, go to Bobistheoilguy and look at UOA's. Other than that, I would shop mostly on price. Castrol GTX is the biggest seller to the DIY market. Pennzoil and Valvoline tend to carry the highest shelf prices along with it. Chevron (Havoline), Conoco (76, TropArctic, Kendall, Motorcraft) and XOM (Superflo, Mobil Clean) sell equal or better oils at lower prices. I normally buy Chevron, but have put PepBoys Proline or Coastal in the 1987 Dodge.

Jim

 

I like Chevron Supreme.

 

I'm a Penzoil fan myself, but I've never heard anybody having motor problems from their oil, so I guess all the oils do their jobs if they are serviced correctly.

 

Any good brand on a closeout sale, or with mail in rebate....

I picked up 4 cases of Havoline around $1/quart a little while ago.

 

Our mechanic at work, a big Chebby fan, swears up and down that Pennzoil sludges up the engine. I dunno. With regular oil changes, I use whatever meets the 4 qualities of a good motor oil: brown, slick, cheap, and available.

 

Y not use the best MOTORCRAFT

 

Yup; and all Aamco shops are rip-offs and Mickey-D's sell worm meat as hamburgers. Have the technician show you an engine that is sludged up solely on the brand of oil used, any brand, and ask him how he determined that. Unless he sent oil samples in to a lab for diagnosis, he cannot tell with any certainty that any particular brand of oil caused anything.

Years ago, when most vehicles used non-detergent oils, there was some claim that cetain types of oil, either shale or parafin based oils, might cause more sludge than other kind. Of course that is a moot point these days, unless you are using non-detergent oil because of bad rings or excessive bearing clearances. Then it is still a moot point.

Any type SM oil meets or exceeds all new car manufacturers requirements. Anything more than that is just personal preference for daily drivers and Saturday night drives.

However, if we are talking all out racing engines, then the there is a different set of parameters that need to be followed.

For me, I have used Wal-Mart Super-Tech or Tech 2000 for years with no adverse effects.

Regular maintenance is the more important equation in this thread.

Dan Harriman 84 F150 lwb
Orange, Texas

 

I know, I know, I know. He's old & set in his ways. Two engines, equally sludged, one with a Pennzoil bottle in the trunk and the other with Brand X -- he'll point and swear about the Pennzoil and the vehicle owner, and ignore Brand X while cussing that vehicle's owner for lack of maintenance. And if either is a Ford, Dodge or foreign, he'd make a sailor blush.

 

Well it sounds like the general consensus is that if it's SM, it's OK. I'll probably stick to the more well known brands anyway, as I figure they have more R+D to put into additives. I've traditionally been a Havoline guy but I've used Valvoline, Mobil and Pennzoil as well. Thanks for all the replies.

 

API rating as in SM or SL means that any oil that meets the say SM spec is at least as good as any other oil that meets the spec. Some oils will just meet it some will exceed it BUT at least you know you are taking apples ans apples here. Any any leget SM oil will be OK.

bruce

 

If I had to run conventional I would use Valvoline Premium Conventional, but for now I will stick with Maxlife blend.

 

Pennzoil, and other similar oils, based on that Penn. crude oil (Quaker State, Wolf's head ect.) had that sludging reputation back in the late 60s through the 70s.
Since then, however, Pennzoil is manufactured at different facilities, and the SAE standards are much higher now.

All oil has improved since then, and that includes Pennzoil. I don't use it, but if I ever had to add a quart, or change my oil with the correct viscosity Pennzoil, I would not hesitate to use it.

In fact their Pennzoil Platinum synthetic oil is a very high quality lubricant. Whomever says Pennzoil sludges engines, look at their age and if they were working on cars in the 70s! haha.