I started using Full Synthetic oil in my AP1 - initially I was using Mobil 1 and that crap was burning off faster than I could pour it in... not literally, but 2+ qts between oil changes and by the time I get to the 3k mi the car ran like shit. When I dump the oil it was really thin and watery, so I changed the PCV and switched to Castrol which has pretty much resolved the burning issue back down to the normal burn for an AP1 engine. The problem is that it is still getting pretty watery and I noticed on nights when the temp goes below 40°F here the cold starts are brutal - almost violent like there is nothing coating the engine. I want reading about Lucas oil at the parts store. After doing some research here I didn't find much in the way of positive or negative comments about this stuff, tho I did run across a post about how their marketing is better than their product which does me now good.

I still owe about 8k on this thing and drive 70+ mi/day. I need to keep this engine running for at least another year or 2 until the car is paid off. If this stuff works, it seems like it would be my savior, I just don't want to go taking any more chances ruining my engine.

thanks.

 

Your oil is fine.

 

all oil looks watery when you dump it, even a good 40 weight oil looks that way, don't let appearance confuse you. I don't believe Lucas oil stabilizer won't do anything to help you out, thicker oil flows slower and may be worse in some conditions - i.e. cold start up.

Try Castrol 0w30 , it seems to have what you might be looking for, fast flow at cold start up, and decent hot temp viscosity - best of both worlds. You can find that oil pretty much everywhere. If you run a good oil you don't really need extra additives.

I'm not an oil additive basher, I just think Lucas oil stabilizer won't do you any good. I do like the Lucas upper cylinder lube though, it goes in the fuel tank but it is designed to lube the upper cylinders by leaving a fine residue between shut down and next start up. I also like Lubro Moly's MOS2 moly additive treatment, I'm going to run it for a bit over the next season and see if it helps any once I do another used oil analysis next year.

 

Thanks for the info.

Cheers.

 

If you're worried then get a UOA. Don't rely on the appearance of the oil.

 

Lucas Oil = Garbage. To call it 'snake oil' would be a compliment. A quality synthetic does not require "stabilizers". Additionally (and as mentioned before), the color of an oil is not an indicator of oil life remaining or contamination.

Castrol synthetic barely makes the spec for its viscosity range on the bottom end (low temperature) - including their 0W30 (GC), which means it doesn't circulate as well as it should at colder temperatures. Also - motor oil goes through a thickening phase as Viscosity Indexers (VIs) break down, which contributes to your low temp start-up problems. The more VIs in the virgin oil - the more the oil will thicken - the broader the viscosity range, the more VIs are used in the oil. Ultimately, as the oil thickens as the VIs break down - it will fall out of its viscosity spec and begin to shear down (go through rapid "thinning"). This is a very watered down explanation.

I highly recommend Amsoil products for both the oil burning issue and for low temperature pumpability. Amsoil ATM 10W30 actually specs out more like a 5W30, but they have kept it a 10W30 in order to fill a marketing slot, and arguably because as an API certified 10W30 can keep additive package components (that help maintain robust HTHS characteristics and low NOACK volatility) that a 5W30 or 0W30 cannot. Amsoil ATM is also not encumbered with VIs, which means it remains at a consistent viscosity throughout its service life and it will not shear down. Amsoil's 5W and 0W30 are great choices for cold temperatures that remain below the freezing mark for long periods of time.

You can order it online and purchase it at dealer cost by enrolling in their Preferred Customer Program. The cost plus shipping is a comparable to M1 EP.

 

i use only Amsoil.i just went to the dominator series.. .. and for the people that dont know Mobile1 is not 100% synthetic. nor does it have the zinc in it anylonger.. High Zinc content is what you need for turbos.. mmmm Amsoil dont get me started on diff oil lol

 

I did a test on an oil change by using Amsoil oil, and the results were horrific. Poured in 5.3qt, and I basically babied the car for almost 2500 miles. Seen Vtec once, and even then not 9krpm. So what happened after about 2300 to be more exact? Only 3.5qt came out of the engine. Yep........... wtf. I switched to Castrol FS and things are looking up now.

 

well I like Amsoil and I've used their products in the engine and diff for the last two seasons. FWIW, Mobil1 does make 100% synthetic oil, and like most other manufacturers they have lowered the zinc and phosphorous to meet new industry standards. Amsoil has a line of group 3 oils that aren't 100% synthetic, and they too have oils with lowered zinc and phosphorous (low SAPS). Mobil1 is still a good oil despite what you read in the internet, their EP line is a great oil, and if you want to see one of the best built additive packages look up Mobil1 Racing oil, it has so much zinc and phosphorous it isn't recommended for street use, lol.

 

thanks for the input guys I think I am going to try the a slightly thicker oil on my next change. If that doesn't work for me I will consider the next step. At the moment I can't see paying $10/qt and having to wait for shipping. It aint that bad yet, so hopefully a thicker oil will help.