Valve cover bolts/synthetic oil

[grh777]

Hello, I have a really dumb question. I started removing my engine in March. Now a liver transplant and 8 months later I have installed a used engine. I remember where everything goes but two valve cover bolts. Can anyone tell me where the two valve cover stud/bolts go in my 92 4.0? Front/back?, inside/outside? I don't remember anything attached to these bolts.

Also, I've heard that if you convert to synthetic oil you can't go back to regular. I have no way of knowing what was in this engine, so what will happen if it used synthetic and I put regular back in it?

Thanks

 

[exbass94]

Also, I've heard that if you convert to synthetic oil you can't go back to regular. I have no way of knowing what was in this engine, so what will happen if it used synthetic and I put regular back in it?

If you switch back to conventional, you engine will melt into a steamy metal puddle exactly 13 seconds after you pour it in.

Seriously, I don't know who came up with that nonsense, but it's total, well, nonsense. You can switch back and forth between conventional and synthetic as much as you want and NOTHING bad will happen. One of my biggest pet peeves is ridiculous oil myths. Next time you hear someone spewing that crap, do me a favor and give them a swift punch in the dick.

 

[Mike Tonon]

I've heard that synthetic soaks into material deeper and faster and because of that, if you have been using conventional oil and you switch to synthetic after a certain number of miles it could cause a leak or for that matter cause a leak to become bigger. I also heard synthetic actually cleans sludge and carbon off of the engine and that could cause blockage. I don't think it would usually be that big of a deal to switch though. I did it with my 87 Ranger and didn't notice any problems.

 

[exbass94]

I've heard that synthetic soaks into material deeper and faster and because of that, if you have been using conventional oil and you switch to synthetic after a certain number of miles it could cause a leak or for that matter cause a leak to become bigger. I also heard synthetic actually cleans sludge and carbon off of the engine and that could cause blockage. I don't think it would usually be that big of a deal to switch though. I did it with my 87 Ranger and didn't notice any problems.

Gaaahhh it's too early in the morning for all this nonsense.

Synthetics don't cause leaks. If a gaskeet is already seeping, a synthetic may make it slightly worse, but if it's good nothing will happen. The whole "causes leaks" myth has a LITTLE bit of truth to it, but has been blown way out of proportion. Synthetics can be farily effective at cleaning engines. However, it doesn't just blast all the dirt and crap away instantly. It takes thousands of miles, several oil changes worth, to even BEGIN to make a difference. It loosens junk extremely slowly, tiny bits at a time (not NEARLY enough to clog anything) and it gets caught by the filter. And if the oil has been changed regularly, there won't even be any junk in the engine to begin with.

Guys: DON'T BE AFRAID OF SYNTHETICS!!!!! If you want to use them, or stop using them, or mix them with conventional, GO AHEAD!!!! Your engine will never know the difference!

 

[Big Jim M]

Wow!!!

Another synthetic thread!!
OIL is just oil! I'll say it again...Oil is just oil! We can mix ANY brand... ANY type... ANY weight! It's just OIL!
If you can buy it at WalMart it is ALL GOOD! If you can buy it at a parts house... It's all good!
SYNTHETIC oil is simply oil that has been made to withstand hotter temps than our engines can make!
We have no need nor no use for SYNTHETIC! All the advertising is just to get more money out of our pockets.
SYNTHETIC oil does NOTHING to our engines that normal oil cannot do!!
Some oil bands put a little more cleaning additives in their cans than others do. This is TRUE of both the normal oil and also synthetic oils.
Prolly the best bet is to use a house brand of oil... Like WallyWorld oil or the oil with the parts house name on it! If your engine does come apart when using that oil you may have a better case against them places than you might having to fight MOBILE or other oil brand names...
What most guys don't know is all oil comes from 3 or 4 different plants in the US.. All the oil in these plants comes from the SAME well! When it exits the plant it has many different labels from different companys..
So essentially all oil in a particular part of the country is exactly the SAME except for possibly how much of a particular additive it may have in it.
So use whatever is on sale and you will have the exact same sucess as if you spent many more dollars and kept moBile one in there.. EXACTLY the same!
Big JIm

 

[Mike Tonon]

Another synthetic thread!!
OIL is just oil! I'll say it again...Oil is just oil! We can mix ANY brand... ANY type... ANY weight! It's just OIL!
If you can buy it at WalMart it is ALL GOOD! If you can buy it at a parts house... It's all good!
SYNTHETIC oil is simply oil that has been made to withstand hotter temps than our engines can make!
We have no need nor no use for SYNTHETIC! All the advertising is just to get more money out of our pockets.
SYNTHETIC oil does NOTHING to our engines that normal oil cannot do!!
Some oil bands put a little more cleaning additives in their cans than others do. This is TRUE of both the normal oil and also synthetic oils.
Prolly the best bet is to use a house brand of oil... Like WallyWorld oil or the oil with the parts house name on it! If your engine does come apart when using that oil you may have a better case against them places than you might having to fight MOBILE or other oil brand names...
What most guys don't know is all oil comes from 3 or 4 different plants in the US.. All the oil in these plants comes from the SAME well! When it exits the plant it has many different labels from different companys..
So essentially all oil in a particular part of the country is exactly the SAME except for possibly how much of a particular additive it may have in it.
So use whatever is on sale and you will have the exact same sucess as if you spent many more dollars and kept moBile one in there.. EXACTLY the same!
Big JIm

The lack of a proper oil for a certain engine could pose a problem in the long run. If you believe all oils are the same, put 90w in your engine.

And to the other comment here, its not black and white, but a question of how much harm would it do. I was explaining worst case scenerio.

 

[97RangerXLT]

well as for oil, I think it is has been well documented above. the advantage that synthetic has over regular dino oil is extended service, so if you rack up a boatload of miles in a short period of time, it might be cost effective to use synthetic, otherwise, regular oil will do you well.

Now for those pesky bolts...one goes on the inside passenger valve cover at the back, the other goes on the inside drivers valve cover at the front. your engine wire harness has plastic clips that slide on top of those bolts.

AJ

 

[Big Jim M]

Howdy Mike

The lack of a proper oil for a certain engine could pose a problem in the long run. If you believe all oils are the same, put 90w in your engine.

And to the other comment here, its not black and white, but a question of how much harm would it do. I was explaining worst case scenerio.

Your 90W comment is about as silly as any I've seen on this forum!!
Around hereabouts we smile when we make remarks like that one!
Big JIm

 

[skyy_4life]

now i do say FROM EXPERIENCE that if you have a high mileage engine that takes a 5w30 or 10w30 oil and you put a full synthetic 0w20 in it, the ****ing engine WILL leak within time. i have done it myself and have learned my lesson. i have also worked in a shop since i was 16 years old and have learned that putting 5w30 conventional oil in a toyota that takes 0w20 full synthetic WILL have long term results against the engine.

for normal conventional oils, no it doesnt make a huge difference with what oil you use, but there IS long term results from dramatically different oils such as conventional 5w30 to full synthetic.

 

[Big Jim M]

Howdy Sky

now i do say FROM EXPERIENCE that if you have a high mileage engine that takes a 5w30 or 10w30 oil and you put a full synthetic 0w20 in it, the ****ing engine WILL leak within time. i have done it myself and have learned my lesson. i have also worked in a shop since i was 16 years old and have learned that putting 5w30 conventional oil in a toyota that takes 0w20 full synthetic WILL have long term results against the engine.

for normal conventional oils, no it doesnt make a huge difference with what oil you use, but there IS long term results from dramatically different oils such as conventional 5w30 to full synthetic.

All that is simply WISHFUL thinking! Were it to be true the cans would ALL SAY your engine would last dramatically longer!
In truth all the synthetic can do is to withstand higher heat than conventional oil can withstand.. The problem with that though is our engines DO NOT reach a temperature that conventional oil can't take.
It's all about advertising.
Didja know Mobile not only furnishes the oil but also the filler caps for Corvetts? Why? You might ask... ADVERTISING! Cause if it's good nuf for a vette then I should run that stuff too, is what they are hoping for us to think.

Nope! Oil is just oil. As long as we put oil that isn't too thin or too thick in our engines they will last as long as any others with higher priced oils in them.
Big Jim