Mobil One Oil in older engine?

[Dick W.]

Re: Mobil One Oil in older engine?

Anytime you change an older engine to synthetic and do not get a plethora of new leaks, you are very fortunate. It has been my experience that synthetic oil will invent new places to leak that had always been dry before. The modern engines use totally different sealing methods and material. Remember the old adage "the only Chevrolet engine that does not leak oil is out of oil". That pretty much describes the engines prior to the one piece rear main oil seal. I would never try to run synthetic in those engines.

[Stuart F.]

Re: Mobil One Oil in older engine?

Back in the day with our early 55 thru say 59 Chevy engines, we were always aware of the rear seal leakage problem. We took to reassembly using the entire rope seal that came in the gasket kit without cutting off the ends. It took a lot of extra effort to get it all rolled in there, but it was worth it. Of course, an engine assembled this way usually could not be started with a starter the first time. The car had to be push started and then it was always necessary to have the idle turned way up to get it to idle at all for the first number of minutes. You could actually hear the idle speed increase in a matter of minutes and we would have to keep adjusting the idle speed back. After setting the timing and a few adjustments, the first drive for a few miles would break in the seal just right. It would never leak after that, and the engine would start and run like gangbusters. Anyone else recall that technique?

Stu Fox

[Bill M.]

Re: Mobil One Oil in older engine?

Back in the day with our early 55 thru say 59 Chevy engines, we were always aware of the rear seal leakage problem. We took to reassembly using the entire rope seal that came in the gasket kit without cutting off the ends.
Stu Fox

FYI: The '58 283 was the last with the rope seal. The '59 283 had the rubber seal.

[Stuart F.]

Re: Mobil One Oil in older engine?

Bill;

Thanks for the clarification. I was guessing at the years for the rope seal. That's why I said "55 to say 59". Actually, as I recall, the last engine we built was a 58 so that rings true. Perhaps that method would be worth looking at again. It sure worked great.

Stu Fox

[William F.]

Re: Mobil One Oil in older engine?

After reading Duke's oil article, I talked to a Valvoline oil tech rep.
Conversation went something like this:" I bet you're asking about ZDDP. I(tech rep) have to answer this one about 60 times a day. It's an Internet myth. If you're breaking in a new engine, use Valvoline racing oil. Otherwise use Max Life which has plenty of ZDDP for the older engines-although less than the racing oil. The additive package in CJ oils isn't appropriate for Corvette application."When I told him a knowledgeable advanced engineering degree member of NCRS advocated CJ oils, tech rep replied"Where's his lab-mine's right next door."
If they sell both kinds of oil, why would Valvoline have reason to mislead?I called Valvoline. Why don't some other members call the other oil companies and let us know what they say?

[Ronald L.]

Re: Mobil One Oil in older engine?

There is a more recent thread on the myths of ZDP (could not find it after a hour) and given all that and this, I did ask Valvoline too. Here is their reply:


This is the real story behind the myths. With ever increasing limits on emissions, automobile manufacturers have tightened emission control systems on newer vehicles. This is one of several factors considered when the American Petroleum Institute (API) sets standards for engine oil. The current API standard is SM which replaced the previous SL classification. Because phosphorus can poison a vehicles emission system, the level of zinc is lower for current engine oil. Because of this, many hands-on car enthusiasts and engine experts believe the lower levels of zinc in SM engine oil is causing excessive wear in older style push-rod and flat tappet engines. This is despite the fact that all new engine oil classifications are intended to be backward compatible, which in turn has resulted in the widely accepted belief that modern engine oil is not adequate to protect older engines.

Valvoline uses an advanced zinc/phosphorus additive that keeps higher levels of phosphorus in the engine oil where it protects the engine, instead of poisoning the catalytic converter. Valvoline is the only brand offering this unique additive across its entire line of passenger car engine oils, including SynPower which is the only synthetic offering this additive.
The only exclusion to this would be if you are operating a high performance or aggressive cam application, where high Zinc levels may be required. Because of these requirements, there are high-zinc engine oils available to meet this need, such as our Valvoline VR1 Racing Oil. The VR1 Racing Oil establishes a 75% higher zinc content than SM engine oil with a balanced additive package designed to work in both racing and street-legal applications. This product will protect older style push-rod and flat tappet engines and carries an oil change interval recommendation of 3 month/3,000 miles.
It is important to note, however, that the entire additive package still needs to be balanced for best performance. For example, engine oil with a high zinc level but low detergent may not perform over a drain interval of 3,000 miles or longer.



BTW-- I then popped a note back, why not mix synpower and VR1 synthetic racing oil. They said as long as the viscosity is the same that is OK.

Valvoline is the only supplier I know that with the synthetic has a 300,000 mile engine guarantee. Of course it is expensive, you have to change the oil at less than 4000 mile increments. That alone will save your engine. Whom ever is thinking 7000 miles is OK has never anaylzed what comes out in that gunk. One reason the OEM's dropped back from the 7500 oil change interval is the engines were not lasting 100,000 miles.

[Jean C.]

Re: Mobil One Oil in older engine?

Two contributors to this thread each contacted Valvloline in one manner or another and I am astonished that both Valvoline responders recommended Valvoline motor oil. Go figure.
Best regards,

[Dick W.]

Re: Mobil One Oil in older engine?

They can keep their Valvoline. From past experience with Valvoline, I will stay with Rotella. I have used either Texaco Ursa, BP Vanellus, or Rotella since 1961 and have never had any problems. Six months of using Valvoline in a fleet operation was enough for me.

[Joe L.]

Re: Mobil One Oil in older engine?

They can keep their Valvoline. From past experience with Valvoline, I will stay with Rotella. I have used either Texaco Ursa, BP Vanellus, or Rotella since 1961 and have never had any problems. Six months of using Valvoline in a fleet operation was enough for me.

Dick------


For conventional motor oils, I think that Shell has the best products on the market. Many, many years ago I saw a friend of mine take the valve covers off his sister-in-law's small block Camaro. The car had about 100K on the clock and it had been using Shell motor oil since it was new. The sister-in-law happened to be a tightwad-type b*tch but she would take care of her car. However, she would have the oil changed at EXACTLY the factory-recommended interval----no less and no more.

When my friend took the valve cover off, everything looked like NEW. There was ABSOLUTELY NO sludge or varnish. The underside of the valve covers looked like fresh steel-----not even a trace of varnish. I contrasted that to how my original 1969 Corvette small block looked after 110K with regular oil changes with Pennzoil. I became sold on Shell motor oil that day. I do use Mobil 1 synthetic in the 92 Corvette, but I use Shell in everything else.

AeroShell motor oils are probably the most widely used oils in the aviation industry, too.

[Ronald L.]

Re: Mobil One Oil in older engine?

All oil is not created equal. They type of crude determines the type of moculelar structure you get. Your car and my car were both on a diet of penzoil, from the hills of Pennsylvania of course, and that crude is know to varnish engines. Waxy crude to be exact as my memory. Sorry Penn Lovers, lab testing has shown this for years.

Joe, I'd lie to see once you switched how much of the varnish was pulled off with a different oil. Also need to up the change frequency.

Of course Valvoline is going to reccommend their own products they'd be pretty stupid not to.

[Joe L.]

Re: Mobil One Oil in older engine?

All oil is not created equal. They type of crude determines the type of moculelar structure you get. Your car and my car were both on a diet of penzoil, from the hills of Pennsylvania of course, and that crude is know to varnish engines. Waxy crude to be exact as my memory. Sorry Penn Lovers, lab testing has shown this for years.

Joe, I'd lie to see once you switched how much of the varnish was pulled off with a different oil. Also need to up the change frequency.

Of course Valvoline is going to reccommend their own products they'd be pretty stupid not to.

Ronald-----


Pennsylvania-derived crude oil has not been used to manufacture Pennzoil (or, any other oil I know of) for YEARS. In fact, I think the last to use Pennsylvania crude was Kendall and they stopped about 30 years ago. Valvoline used to, also, but they stopped about 40 years ago, or more. I don't know that my 1969 ever saw a drop of Pennzoil manufactured from Pennsylvania-derived crude oil.

Nowadays, the base stock used for motor oils is not the critical factor. The critical factor is the additive package.

[Jean C.]

Re: Mobil One Oil in older engine?

Duke,
.... You can read anything on "the internet", lot of it BS. What do oil company experts-engineers say about oil for vintage V8's.
Thanks,
Bill Ford

Bill,
I believe if you use the internet to access API and SAE papers on motor oils or to access numerous oil company technical specifications for their products as Duke and others have, you are getting factual information based on scientific analysis, certainly not BS.

As what oil company experts-engineers say about motor oil use in vintage V8's, if you attended the Chevron tech presentation at the 2009 National in San Jose, you will recall that the presenter agreed that when compared to a API S-category motor oil, a diesel engine motor oil with an API C-category classification is a good lube for vintage engines.

Best regards,

[Tom M.]

Re: Mobil One Oil in older engine?

They can keep their Valvoline. From past experience with Valvoline, I will stay with Rotella. I have used either Texaco Ursa, BP Vanellus, or Rotella since 1961 and have never had any problems. Six months of using Valvoline in a fleet operation was enough for me.

Dick & Duke, I have 5 diesel work trucks with Cummings, powerstroke,duramax engines
I have been installing Rotella T , 15-w40, in them for 25 years

Is this a good choice for my L88 too ?

thanks Guys , Tom

[Dick W.]

Re: Mobil One Oil in older engine?

Dick & Duke, I have 5 diesel work trucks with Cummings, powerstroke,duramax engines
I have been installing Rotella T , 15-w40, in them for 25 years

Is this a good choice for my L88 too ?

thanks Guys , Tom

Like I said, I have run Rotella, Ursa, or Vanellus in EVERYTHING I have owned, including my L/88, since 1961.

[Jim L.]

Re: Mobil One Oil in older engine?

Many, many years ago I saw a friend of mine take the valve covers off his sister-in-law's small block Camaro. The car had about 100K on the clock and it had been using Shell motor oil since it was new. The sister-in-law happened to be a tightwad-type b*tch but she would take care of her car. However, she would have the oil changed at EXACTLY the factory-recommended interval----no less and no more.

When my friend took the valve cover off, everything looked like NEW. There was ABSOLUTELY NO sludge or varnish. The underside of the valve covers looked like fresh steel-----not even a trace of varnish.

To me, this speaks well of doing regular oil changes more than it indicates the superiority of Shell oil.

When my anemic S-10 Blazer had 180000 miles on its 2.8L engine, I had to pull the intake manifold to fix an oil leak. The inside of that engine was just as you described for the engine of your friend's sister in law. My engine, since new, got regular oil changes and the only oil it ever saw was Pennzoil.

I see the common denominator here being regular oil changes.

Jim