But I finally got together the data on the "Care and feeding - Lubrication" section I am about to reveal to you all now. Now those that know me in person, know that I am picky. In that finickiness, I am also not brand loyal. As soon as the new, next generation of "Super Lubricants" come along, I will post that data. But here are my findings thus far...
I would have to say that in order of preference, my choices of lubricants would be:
1. "German" Castrol 0w-30
2. Mobil -1 Extended Performance
3. Shell Rotella T Synthetic 15w-40 and Shell Rotella T 10w-30 conventional mix.
Shell Rotella T "cocktail: I would use the ratio of one full quart of Rotella T 15w-40 Synthetic to 3.5 quarts of the 10w-30 conventional oils as a "deep clean" oil before switching over to any other synthetics. This oil formulation is known as an HDEO or Heavy Duty Engine Oil. It will not bear an energy conserving API "Donut" or "Star burst" logo on the bottle because of it's mixed fleet application. Also it does not bear the API certification because it has not been aditized for friction modification needed to gain the minuscule 2% fuel savings to meet CAFE regulations. It is really supposed to be used in light and heavy duty Diesel engines, but is an extremely durable oil in gasoline engines. It's a steal at under $3 quart, IMO. However,the purpose in mind to be using this oil is that is an extremely detergent, high solvency oil. If you put this in your engine for 5000 miles before switching to synthetics, it will actively clean all of the crud, varnish and junk in the valve train, ring packs and slowly break up and de-sludge deposits spread throughout the engine. You may have to swap your oil filter at about 2500 to 3000 miles to maintain filtration at acceptable levels. It can plug a filter eventually as it loads up with garbage when this oil cleans the crap out of your block. Also, since this is a rather heavy oil, you may perceive sluggishness at initial start up until the oil thins at operating temperature, but it's still an acceptable oil fill down to -25 degrees at least, so don't worry about your block seizing up on cold winter days. Once the 5k Run is done, you may keep using this hand blend in your GM/Chevrolet 4.3 V-6 for up to about 7,000 miles, changing oil and filter at the same time.
Mobil -1 Extended Performance 10w-30/5w-30 (M-1 EP): I would heartily recommend this oil for the initial, or permanent run of synthetics in this engine, or any other Cast/Forged Aluminum piston - Iron block/Iron Sleeve Aluminum Block engine construction. Hondas and Toyotas LOVE this stuff. Despite the newer engines leaving the factory are filled with 5w-20, switching to this oil will not at all impact safety, nor the longevity of these engines; but will protect it like NO OTHER oil on the planet. Honda and Toyota motors really seems to have an affinity for this oil, as do Subaru blocks. It's relatively polar constituents and viscometric properties literally bond to surfaces in these engines for virtually no metal-to-metal contact. It runs damn near forever in 60 degree opposed GM/Chevrolet engines since the 4.3 and other v-6/v-8 small block designs in this family (Series-II 3800, 3500, LS1, LS(xx) ) are very light on the oil. This oil provides superior anti-shearing and oxidation properties, a big plus in our engines that still spin on timing chains and balance shafts. Once cleaned by a run on HDEO oil as stated above, this will KEEP an engine clean with no sludging and thickening for well past 10,000 miles. What one would do is fill up on M-1 EP and run for 7,000 miles initially. This clears out the previous HDEO dose and any other gunk still just solvent and floating in the oil that is too small to be caught by your 20 micron or smaller oil filter. Then, once refilled with fresh M-1 EP again, spin on a quality filter and cut loose for at least 10,000 to 15,000 miles, or 1 year. Top off the oil at every fill up with more M-1 EP as you go through this first interval. It does a final cleaning and polishing up of the internals of your engine. Until it does so, slight consumption will be seen because dirty/carbonized ring packs burn just a minute amount of oil until clean and re-establish a tight seal on the cylinder walls. If you still experience slight consumption, the M-1 formulations of the 5w-30's is extremely light, almost a 20 weight oil in all reality - and could just keep on slipping past your rings, or slightly worn valve guides/seals. Switching to a 10w-30 formulation should stop it up right on your next 10,000+ mile run. However, change oil filters every 6000-7500 miles as the filter does clean the oil and in time, will get plugged though the oil is still good and functional.
The ungodly holy grail of all motor oils - "German" Castrol 0w-30: Up front, let me say this - this oil does not perform well in all engines. In particular, Ford modular V-8's, any Ford motor utilizing Variable Cam Technology (VCT) or any Japanese/American/whathaveyou VCT. It's *extremely* potent, non-additized, pure synthetic base makes it too damn slippery for these engine's ECMs to correctly monitor the restrictive valve flow needed to shift the cam actuators on these engines. It will produce rough idling, reduce fuel economy, and generally make the engine in your F-series truck, Cougar, Lincoln, Grand Marquis and Variable Cam V-Techs run like shit. You have been warned! Now, for the rest of us - and this includes Porsche, AMG/Mercedes, BMW, GM, Chrysler, Dodge, Toyota, Mazda (But NOT a rotary engine! This stuff will slip right past the wiper seals and is not recommended) , Honda, Hyundai...etc...etc..etc... As long as you have OHV, OHC, SOHC, DOHC or roller cam push-rod engine - There has never been a better oil made on this planet. However, finding it a bit of a snipe hunt, as i will illustrate below. This oil has found it's way into the U.S. on extremely limited production runs from Germany. Unlike Mobil -1 or any other synthetic formulation, it is indeed a completely pure, non-additized, non-friction modified oil. It is 100% synthesized base stock containing more than 30% proprietary, complex synthesized, non-hydro cracked/polished hydrocarbons.It has absolutely ZERO petroleum products in it. As such, it is extremely inert, maintains viscosity nearly indefinitely, never oxidizes, never sludges. It just gets dirty - and as such can see more than 20,000 miles of service under ideal circumstances. Porsche endorses this formulation as a lifetime oil fill. But then, their cars carry a 16 quart sump, synthetic fiber filter and made to such close tolerances, this is the only place where you will see this same oil run for over 250,000 miles. It caries similar Long Drain properties according to AMG/Mercedes specifications and is a year round, all-season fill on BMW 3/4/5 series motors. It does DAMN well in a GM/Chevy small block as a result if there are not other internal issues with your engine. It is the magic green elixir of unfounded run-time in nearly any engine it is put into. Where the best Mobil -1 shows "No significant wear during it's service cycle", German Castrol (GC) exhibits "Virtually undetectable wear in it's life cycle". A word of caution, due to GC's unique, balanced design, it should not be mixed with any other oil, or any additives. Frankly, none are needed. It makes engines run like silk. One engine I witnessed running on this stuff had to have the engine hood lifted to even tell if the car was idling. Now finding this oil is a problem! It's distributor, Castrol - has put 4 different bottles out on the shelves. Only two contain the GC formulation, with only subtle differences between the labels. Also, since it was produced under these two labels under a limited run, you have to look for specific bottle markings, characteristics, and date codes. Otherwise, you have this gold-amber stuff that is just not the same thing. So how do you find this gift from Bavaria? Here's how:
First, you have to look at the front of the bottle. Older 2002 stock which is the first year that CG showed up in the U.S. looks like this:
After 2002, 2003 through first week 2005 bottles look like this:
Note that the weight of the oil (0w-30) is printed on the bottle with red paint/black background. Also, ONLY the 0w-30 formulation carries this oil inside the bottle. You will NOT find true GC in any other grade. Syntec in 5w-30/10w-30/15w-40 is made and bottled in other locations. The lower weights and the "false" 0w-30 labels are filled up with oil blended in New Jersey. The 15w-40 is bottled in Belgium. Any other label color denoting the weight (I have seen orange and yellow print bottles) also do not carry the CG, but again, American blends made in New Jersey, and will be gold in color when they are opened. Now on with further identification marks:
On the back, you should see this:
Note that it carries the same red on black printing for the oil weight. Note that is also contains endorsements for "ACEA: A3/B3 B4 -98", BMW Longlife-01, MB 229.1, MB 229.3, VW 502 503 505 and Porsche. The non GC labels will lack these marks, and will have the "API Service SL/CF" on the *front* of the bottle instead of the back as you see here. Also, look under the Castrol label "Made In Germany". However, there are other bottles that look like this made after the 1st week of 2005 that DO NOT contain the green ambrosia. So to further prove that you have th right stuff, flip the bottle over...
On the bottom, if the first few digits of the series number start with M02xxx, M03xxx, M04xxx, M05xxx, or M0501xx - you have indeed struck green amongst gold! Bottles labeled M01xxx(2001) or M0502xx(2005, second week) do not contain the German formulation. Here are some quick pictures of what the numbers would look like:
2002 series number:
2003 series number:
I regret I have not been able to find ANY 2004 stock, but 2005 stock will look like this:
It has unique physical properties which can be immediately perceived without having to open the jug. If you do - well, be prepared to buy the quart, they will not look favorably on you if you did that to all of the bottles on the shelf! They look at you weirder yet if you sniff the stuff. You MUST RESIST smelling it until you get it home. It has a sweet, candy-like scent, reminiscently of Gummi Bears! But the easiest way to tell what you have in the bottle is that the other unique property it has is that when it is exposed to direct light, it fluoresces a most verandt shade of green...like elves or leprechauns! Tilting the bottle in a strong overhead light source or direct sunlight is enough to make it glow. Direct flash photography brings the green out through the level strip on the side of the bottle:
Here's what the stuff looks like when you peer down inside the neck of the bottle - if it passes the above checks, you have found the stuff. Snatch it and take it home! There has never been a better oil made on this planet for just a hair under $5/quart. This same crap sells under the "Castrol SLX" and "SLX+/++" label in the U.K and European Union....for the equivalent of $20/$25 U.S. per litre! *Sticker Shock*
Now you say, "Sheesh - that's expensive" or if you are a Mercedes/Porsche owner "That's just too cheap to even look at"... WRONG. This is the "Super Lube" of the century. There are rumors that the SLX formulation in the U.K. even exceeds this oil masquerading here in the U.S. and chances are, it will again arrive here on the shores of the U.S. under the very same Castrol Syntec 0w-30 label. That would be the shit to replace this stuff, but until I can confirm it, or find another product that *CAN* supersede this limited run of GC, I will report it. But be warned - there is only ONE franchise in the U.S. with the rights of distribution and resale. That would be Autozone. And before anyone in NW Arkansas or NARFA goes crazy looking for it? I already own ALL of it. ;) To our brothers and sisters up in the Great White North, you may find this rare gem of a product in stock at Walmart Super Centers and Canadian Tire stores. I am already working on ties up there to just have the stuff shipped down to me. And since Memphis is the headquarters of Autozone here in the U.S., it's not long before stores are restocked, and I will eventually, and hopefully get my paws on more of this limited product if it's still stockpiled. Usually calling ahead and getting a clerk to read a sample of numbers off of bottles will work - be sure to tell them that you will buy their entire stock if it meets your requirements. They are more than helpful in that regard when there is some money on the line. To date I have collected 41 quarts total, 6 of them in a factory original case shipped from Germany. Good luck, happy hunting, and enjoy this sublime performance/long life engine oil to the extreme when you find enough to fill what you drive.
A word on Filtration:
I am not a Fram person at all. Their filters are garbage, made out of the cheapest, thinnest paper media and cardboard end caps, with a glued seam, not crimped. But, the filter that will go the distance with the extended fill-time that this oil provides is a Fram Extra Guard filter. It's all steel construction, blended paper and synthetic fiber media pleated onto a wire mesh frame and solid steel core and steel end caps makes it a sure winner. Its got a crimped, rather than glued element seam, and features a Silicone anti-drain back valve - as opposed to many that carry no, or a mere nitrile rubber valve inside. These filters are up to the task of going the full 7000+ mile run on GC, but it should still be changed at least 6 months after you fill up on fresh oil the second time. Run 15,000 miles/1 year on a GC fill-up, swapping the filter out at 6 months/7500 miles, and you're set. A good Second choice on quality alone would be a Wix filter, followed by yep, plain old Ac-Delco PF52 for the GM/Chevy 4.3. The Fram Extra Guard part number for 4.3 Litre, GM/Chevrolet Blazer is "XG3980". It *might* also cross over well into Malibu and Malibu Maxx with the 4.3 Litre aluminum block - be sure to compare filter sizes if it proves to be over-sized against interference with engine parts, or worse yet - it extends so far down as to become struck by road debris or scrape the ground when moving. (Think speed bumps and rough country roads) Let the hunt begin! Comments are welcome, as are questions. I left a ton of tribological data and information out of the discussion as there is just too much to compare and make sense for the layman. I will help anyone that asks what oil would be best in their driver/racer/beater for their driving habits and load too. Finding an economical and affordable match can be a bit of a jigsaw puzzle, but I have some inside track data on engine lubes. I can also share some of the data I do have in order for those interested to make their own minds up. Oil formulations are constantly changing, and usually for the better. But hands down, and I cannot say this enough; this oil when found in the U.S. is PEERLESS. Nothing can even come close to it.