maxlife or full synthetic?

[User Name missing]

I have a '96 Ranger 2.3 with 126K+ miles. I've been putting valvoline maxlife oil in it but now I'm wondering if theres a good reason to keep using this oil or switch to full syn. like I have in my other vehicles to get a few more 1k miles between oil changes? Whats your opinions? I have a '99 sunfire that just recently turned over 75k, in which techinically I should be using maxlife too.........but I really dont want that damn car to last. I do so I won't have yet another vehicle payment, but I hate the damn car. Too hard to work on and there always seems to be something wrong with it.

 

[daniel3507]

You could switch to a full synthetic high mileage. I just went from maxlife to mobil 1 high mileage and havent had a problem

 

[heptofite]

I've had good luck with royal purple, but you can't beat rotella T6 for a syn that'll keep the engine clean.

That, and a gallon of T6 is roughly 20 dollars, while a gallon of RP is about 45...

If you're just trying to extend your OCI, a good filter and a fill of RP is *supposed* to last 12k, but i would personally be afraid to run it that far.

straight dino Rotella T is good to 5k, not sure on the interval for the T6.

T6 is in one weight, 5w-40, dino rotella is 15w-40, if it's any other weight, it's not the right oil.

In terms of actual engine protection, you're not gonna beat Rotella T/T6 for over the counter oil, and not for the price either.

 

[adsm08]

How long are you trying to make this OCI anyway? The detergents in most oils break down and become inert after 3 to 5 months anyway. The only way I'd consider using a 12K oil is if I was driving cross country a lot.

A big part of how many miles you can put on your oil (aside from driving conditions ie: city vs highway and long trip vs short trip) is your crankcase vent system. One of the biggest reasons oil change intervals are up from 500 miles back in the 30s to 7500 on new 09+ stuff is that addition of and improvements to the PCV system. If it was just for lubrication and didn't have to clean all the crap from the blow-by gasses off of everything your oil could, theoretically, last almost indefinitely.

 

[Original_Ranger84]

Another thing is the weather... Extreme cold synthetics will do better because they retain essencetially the same viscocity in cold weather and it breaks down less quickly. When you change your oil also depends on weather. if its been really wet out for months I say change it. and in the extreme cold i change it every 3,000 but only 5,000 in hte summer. it just seems to dirty up quicker in the cold winter.

If the engine has minor leaks i would refrian from getting synthetic because being that it retains its like fluidness in the cold it will be more likely to leak out faster too... On my moms subaru we switched it to synthetic and it started eating through oil like mad, my ranger has no problems. <-- not sure how that relates but sometimes synthetic really just isn't the answer.

 

[LearjetMinako]

I have been using Royal Purple since 90K miles. Ranger now has almost 125K miles. Engine barely burns off any oil. Maybe 8oz every 5k miles. I do a full change every 5k miles. Since I drive about 5k miles a year. For oil filters, I have always used a Motorcraft. But this next oil change, I will be using a PureOne filters.

The deal with RP 12k mile oil change is that if you drive that mileage in a year. Do a full change, and then on the next 3 oil changes, just change the oil filter and top off the engine oil.

 

[Original_Ranger84]

The deal with RP 12k mile oil change is that if you drive that mileage in a year. Do a full change, and then on the next 3 oil changes, just change the oil filter and top off the engine oil.

Yeah I was about to mention you don't just let it go for 12K miles, you still gotta check it. Most oil you actually would probably be just fine going 2,500 miles swapping the filter out and going another 2,500 in all honesty. Just get good filters. Motorcraft is really good, I picked on up from walmart the other day as a spare, its 3 bucks compared to the 5 i was spending on the Fram TG and the casings look cheesy as always I mean its an oil filter, but I could really tell the difference in quality between the 2.

 

[hoosier1104]

I am getting ready to switch to AMSOIL in my 05. It is a little on the pricey side but my uncle is a distrobutor for them and he HOOKED me up with some at his cost.

 

[babytruck]

I have been using Royal Purple since 90K miles. Ranger now has almost 125K miles. Engine barely burns off any oil. Maybe 8oz every 5k miles. I do a full change every 5k miles. Since I drive about 5k miles a year. For oil filters, I have always used a Motorcraft. But this next oil change, I will be using a PureOne filters.

The deal with RP 12k mile oil change is that if you drive that mileage in a year. Do a full change, and then on the next 3 oil changes, just change the oil filter and top off the engine oil.

my uncle has a v10 f250 and does just that. I didnt believe his oil really lasted that long. he pulled his dipstick and showed me that the oil was still a little purple after 11k its really topshelf stuff.

Also worked at O'reilly's for awhile and had a WIX rep come in and show us cross cuts of the filters right off our shelf. FRAM is JUNK!! they have a cardboard flap deal that when the pressure of the oil trying to pass through is too high it gives way to allow your motor to just circulate the unfiltered oil back through engine.

motorcraft 100% of the time for me!

 

[heptofite]

my uncle has a v10 f250 and does just that. I didnt believe his oil really lasted that long. he pulled his dipstick and showed me that the oil was still a little purple after 11k its really topshelf stuff.

Also worked at O'reilly's for awhile and had a WIX rep come in and show us cross cuts of the filters right off our shelf. FRAM is JUNK!! they have a cardboard flap deal that when the pressure of the oil trying to pass through is too high it gives way to allow your motor to just circulate the unfiltered oil back through engine.

motorcraft 100% of the time for me!

that's to prevent oil starvation, if the filter blocks up, and there's no bypass, the engine won't get any oil, or worse, the oil filter could burst.

 

[Original_Ranger84]

my uncle has a v10 f250 and does just that. I didnt believe his oil really lasted that long. he pulled his dipstick and showed me that the oil was still a little purple after 11k its really topshelf stuff.

Also worked at O'reilly's for awhile and had a WIX rep come in and show us cross cuts of the filters right off our shelf. FRAM is JUNK!! they have a cardboard flap deal that when the pressure of the oil trying to pass through is too high it gives way to allow your motor to just circulate the unfiltered oil back through engine.

motorcraft 100% of the time for me!

Which filter did he cut though... cause there are (stupidly) different levels of filters. The econ-version, regular, tough guard, and extra guard. the Tough guard is decently built but the others are cheap.

I mean i can get why you don't wanna pay 15 buck for a k&n oil filter but why get a 2 dollar filter that will allow your engine bad oil which will kill it faster? not to mention i don't think the company make hardly anything off of them, they make most of thier profits from the mid range filters that all auto shops use.

 

[daniel3507]

Ive seen quite a few comparisons online about oil filters. Every time i see one Fram is at the bottom no matter what kind they use. K&N filters are always near the bottom too. PureOne or Motorcraft for me.

 

[LearjetMinako]

that's to prevent oil starvation, if the filter blocks up, and there's no bypass, the engine won't get any oil, or worse, the oil filter could burst.

I think he means where the by-pass valve meets the cardboard glued ends. When the cardboard gets worn, the oil will bypass the by-pass valve reguardless if the valve is open or not. And all grades of Fram filters are like this.

One way to tell when a Fram bypass has failed. When doing an oil change, let the oil drain out of the old oil filter. And then shake it. If you hear or feel something rattling inside, most likely the by-pass valve has come apart.

 

[babytruck]

that's to prevent oil starvation, if the filter blocks up, and there's no bypass, the engine won't get any oil, or worse, the oil filter could burst.

I am aware of that, but i still wouldnt purchase a fram filter for my truck, heck i wouldnt put a fram on anything well unless it was vital or you gave me a bunch of cash

 

[Original_Ranger84]

I was reading somewhere on one of the newer oil test that fram has a bent piece of metal holding the bypass valve up on the TG filters... in any case I ahven't had a problem with them but I change my oil when I'm supposed to. I'm actually thinking the filter could be the contributing factor to my moms car going through 2 engines...