Oil question. Again. Don't flame me.

My choices, as they have been given to me by my turbo-head cousins and based upon availability.

 

#1 - Brad Penn green racing oil (Because driving 15 miles to work is racing?)

 

#2 - Motorcraft 5w20 synthetic blend (it's apparently better quality than the 5w30?)

 

#3 - German Castrol (increasingly rare)

 

#4 - Pennzoil Platinum

 

 

I was advised that Mobil 1 would scatter the engine, turbo, transmission, the ozone layer, the fjords, and all of the planet's glaciers (after I had put it in my engine). So far I'm 500 miles in and down about a quart. I'm replacing my oil tomorrow night. That's just LAME on the part of Mobil 1.

 

The Brad Penn stuff looks legit and is recommended by Buschur and many others, but in my case I don't really see it being a necessity. I drive a lot of interstate with the cruise set at 72mph, and I drive 32 miles every day to and from work on backroads. I rip on it a bit here and there, but nothing like sustained abuse of racing.

 

I know there was a thread here saying "tow it" if 5w20 gets poured in... but the Motorcraft 5w20 is a better oil than their 5w30. On-par with the unicorn tears Castrol stuff even, so I have heard.

 

If the 5w20, even if it is as good as unicorn tears, is ill-advised, would I be ok to run the pennzoil platinum?

 

I will not blow $10+ per quart on Amsoil or Royal Purple, so don't even bring that up. I'm neurotic about oil cleanliness, and I adhere to a ridiculously short OCI. $100 a month on oil is insane. $5 per quart is fine.

 

3000 miles is a LONG time for oil to be in my engines. I know, I know, there's still plenty of life, blah blah blah... I don't like dirty-looking oil on the dipstick. Deal with it.

Lots of guy's here use Shell Rotella t6 5w-40 and a good filter.

 

Castrol synthec is also good.

 

Both my cars run Amsoil European full SAPS 5w-40 and go 7000+ miles on the oil changes.

 

Good to know your smart enough the check your oil. Never let these cars run low on oil. Always top it off.

Thanks for the recommendation on the Rotella... That's what I'll be using this time around.

 

My question is pertaining to the grade and viscosity of the available Motorcraft oils... BITOG's users seem to really really like the 5w20 stuff.

 

..as far as filters go, is the Fram Ultra Synthetic filter OK to use? Seems to be fairly well-made.. I'd imagine it would do OK with a 3k OCI..

I used fram for the first 150,000 + mile with 5w-30 dino oil that was on sale at Walmart in my 05, never had a issue.

 

No bearing noise, the cylinder walls still had the hone marks from the factory.

Motorcraft synthetic blend 5w-20 is a good oil, for certain applications. I would never put a synthetic blend 5w-20 in a turbo subaru, they're too hard on oil.

 

Out of the oil choices listed, I'd go with pennzoil platinum. Theres nothing wrong with mobil 1 in my opinion, their 0w-40 is especially good.

 

As far as filters go, you can use pretty much anything. Personally I just stick to oem subaru oil filters because I know they have subarus 23psi bypass valve setting, and I know whatever media they use must be able to handle 12+GPM of oil flow since they're OEM.

I always use rotella T6 and a black subaru oil filter. They are cheap if you get them online

I like Penzoil Platinum 5w30. I do a lot of oil analysis and they always come back good and telling me to put more miles on the oil. It's also usually on sale at walmart for $24 for a 5 quart container.

I always use rotella T6 and a black subaru oil filter. They are cheap if you get them online

 

I thought Subaru OEM filters were made by Honeywell (AKA Fram)? Have read too many bad things about Fram to ever use one. I've used Purolator classic for years and never had any problems with them.

 

+1 for Rotella T6 5W-40

Don't use 5W-20, even 5W-30 is borderline too thin for our engines.

<< use t6 here also ...

 

think im going to try the fram silver toughgaurd this time only.. im getting the one for the 2012 fozzy. its a inch taller, same dia as other subbie filters 2.69

 

fozzy filter is 2.69 dia ..3.47 high

lgt is 2.69 dia ...2.65 high

 

figure cant hurt to have alittle more filter

I've used Valvoline synpower 5w-40 for over 2 years, no problems at all.I use oem filter, oil change every 5000kms.Shell roto is a good oil but here in new Zealand they changed the formula so is no longer suitable.

Actually the black filters are made in Japan by Tokyo Roki, the blue filters are made by Honeywell. I however will never use a frame filter. Take one apart sometime and see what they use on the insides. Then open up a tokyo Roki or a win filter and compare.

So far I'm 500 miles in and down about a quart.

 

If you're lossing a quart of oil every 500 miles, then there is something else going on with the motor than just the oil grade/brand. If in fact you are lossing this much oil, then it's time for a compression test.

Actually the black filters are made in Japan by Tokyo Roki, the blue filters are made by Honeywell. I however will never use a frame filter. Take one apart sometime and see what they use on the insides. Then open up a tokyo Roki or a win filter and compare.

 

This is why I used the fram ultra... look at the link and the construction of the filter.... CLICK HERE

 

Looks a lot like a K&N, actually.

 

I'm refilling my oil tonight with the T6, and leaving the Fram on there since it cost me a dear $13.00.

If you're lossing a quart of oil every 500 miles, then there is something else going on with the motor than just the oil grade/brand. If in fact you are lossing this much oil, then it's time for a compression test.

 

I checked it on a non-level surface, and I didn't wait for it to drain back into the pan. Might have been more like half a quart. It didn't do that on the oil I drained out of it.

 

There's 1500 miles on this engine. The 1000-mile drained oil looked pretty good.

 

I'll stick with either the uber-fram or Subaru filters, and rotella T6.

 

<correction- after looking at some specs, THIS ONE looks like a very very good alternative to the Subaru OEM Filter... /correction>

 

Thanks for the advice, folks!

So I drained and filled last night... filtered the M1 through blue shop towel.. some tiny chunks of what looked like carbon materialized in the improvised filter media.. soft, crumbled between my finger tips and not feeling gritty so I'm not too worried about it... wondering why there's tiny carbon chunks in the oil, though... it's possible there was leftover crap in my drain pan but I've been washing it with simple green and drying it with a shop towel every time I use it since I bought this car (for obvious reasons... I don't want any contaminants in my drained oil because this car is still new to me and I need to get to know it better...)

 

The first drain had shimmer, second drain 500 miles later had very very little shimmer... thinking that's from assembly lube. This is a good sign. Means the seller did not lie about engine being apart for new crank, bearings, and pistons.

 

If the drain oil were still shimmery, I would suspect bearing material in the oil. I'll wait 2 more oil changes to send in a sample to Blackstone. I need to know if it's happy and healthy before I start throwing parts at it.....

 

If they give the OK, it's getting either a vf52 or something similar. I'd like 260-280 awhp reliably, and I'll stay at that power level for 200,000 miles.

 

Torque and my Gtech say I'm getting 212 to the wheels right now, which looks pretty close to what it should be doing. Ran 5.6 0-60 and a 14.7 @ 105 on level ground, according to torque so it doesn't seem to be hurting for power...

 

 

The boost peaks 13psi at 4000rpm in 4th gear and falls to around 10.5 from 4200 to redline. I don't have the balls or the road to see what boost it makes in 5th anywhere past 4200rpm.....

 

http://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/q71/s720x720/1014352_10201481257220312_1221342031_n.jpg

Nice numbers.

 

I only use GC, but I realize there are other choices.

...and now I see another German option available at NAPA...

 

Altrom Liqui Moly?

 

Anybody used this stuff? Seems kinda pricey at $38/5qt... Is it worth the money?

Thats good stuff too, lot of BMW and other Euro guys use it.

...and now I see another German option available at NAPA...

 

Altrom Liqui Moly?

 

Anybody used this stuff? Seems kinda pricey at $38/5qt... Is it worth the money?

 

Use it, send a sample in the Blackstone Labs and read the results.

 

Do you use a Fumoto drain valve. I have 3 of them. Makes changing the oil and getting the sample very easy.

I may buy a fumoto. If I do, I'll be one of the guys who trims it down so no threads poke through the pan and I'll likely use the weak blue loctite so I don't have to tighten the snot out of it since it's brass.