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What oil are you guys running ?

Matt Prior

By Matt Prior
in Engines & Drivetrain

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Grumpy Bear Senior Enthusiast

Grumpy Bear

Posted
Posted
On 7/11/2020 at 10:41 AM, Matt Prior said:

........ whats the best oil everyone recommends for these truck i have the 5.3 

 

Also do you guys wait for the oil %on the dash to change the oil or do you go 5000 k then change it ? 

 

As you can already see there isn't a 'best oil' that EVERYONE will recommend. 

But there are allot of serviceable oils many will recommend.

Fact is that list is really long.

 

As to your second question, again, you will not find a consensus among members as to oil change interval length. Some change as little as every 2,000 and others literally never change their oil. 

 

Fact is, facts have little to do with it.

 

The only thing members will agree on is that any oil is better than no oil.

 

If facts mattered then there would be a consensus.

 

Personally I use AMSOIL, Red Line and Kirkland and in the truck change it every 5K

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Grumpy Bear
Grumpy Bear

As you can already see there isn't a 'best oil' that EVERYONE will recommend.  But there are allot of serviceable oils many will recommend. Fact is that list is really long.   As t

txab
txab

Best way to search the site is by using Google. Put your search parameter in followed by :www.gm-trucks.com   example:   best oil site:www.gm-trucks.com

imiller1974
imiller1974

I wonder how many dumbass threads like this one are posted on this site? What oil? What trans fluid? What tires? What filter? No wonder all the good members, with good content, hauled ass from here...

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TheGreatOne Enthusiast

TheGreatOne

Posted
Posted (edited)

Pennzoil Ultra Platinum or Amsoil for me.......there is even a YouTube video that has a oil shootout.....they all performed but the 2 i mentioned stood out and thats what I use.

Edited by TheGreatOne
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dieselfan1 Senior Enthusiast

dieselfan1

Posted
Posted
They have it in stores. Bottom of Rack. Maybe your store just hasn't received it yet
That's where I got it.
At that price I'm changing oil in my lifted truck every 2500-3000.
And my stock truck every 3500-4000.


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scrapen Enthusiast

scrapen

Posted
Posted (edited)

.....

Edited by scrapen
Black02Silverado Senior Enthusiast

Black02Silverado

Posted
Posted

AMSOIL Signature Series 0w-20 here as well as the filter.

 

If anyone is interested in AMSOIL and wanting to save money on purchases by being a Preferred Customer, send me a PM and I can set you up.  :)

dvzzz Enthusiast

dvzzz

Posted
Posted

I am trying to buy 100% synthetic vs. full synthetic. This topic has been beaten to death on 100s of threads, but all I concluded that 100% synthetic is quite good for LSPI. I do not think Amsoil's other XL and OE oils are much worse than their Signature as they are 100% Synthetic even OE. Just change the oil on OEM 5000 miles intervals with Amsoil OE and AC Delco filter or Pennzoil Ultra Platinum and your 5.3 GDI will like it. Amsoil OE is not that much more than PUP with a Preferred discount.

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Grumpy Bear Senior Enthusiast

Grumpy Bear

Posted
Posted
42 minutes ago, dvzzz said:

I am trying to buy 100% synthetic vs. full synthetic. This topic has been beaten to death on 100s of threads, but all I concluded that 100% synthetic is quite good for LSPI. I do not think Amsoil's other XL and OE oils are much worse than their Signature as they are 100% Synthetic even OE. Just change the oil on OEM 5000 miles intervals with Amsoil OE and AC Delco filter or Pennzoil Ultra Platinum and your 5.3 GDI will like it. Amsoil OE is not that much more than PUP with a Preferred discount.

LSPI is not  base oil dependant. It's a calcium concentration issue. SN+ spec is calcium under 1K ppm. Most increase the magnesium to offset the loss in TBN. Not nit picking. Informing. It's only an issue on small displacement high boost motors. 

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dvzzz Enthusiast

dvzzz

Posted
Posted

@Grumpy Bear that is why I come to this forums. Thank you. When I spoke to Amsoil they were pushing LSPI is a problem with GM's 5.3, I guess they were selling me. They said that even their OE oil is zero LSPI while Dexos allow for up to 4 events. 

 

 

3 minutes ago, Grumpy Bear said:

LSPI is not  base oil dependant. It's a calcium concentration issue. SN+ spec is calcium under 1K ppm. Most increase the magnesium to offset the loss in TBN. Not nit picking. Informing. It's only an issue on small displacement high boost motors. 

 

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Ozer Enthusiast

Ozer

Posted
Posted

Dont get caught up in the "Best Oil" race. Use whatever 0w-20 you can get on sale. Heck, i even mixed different brands of same weight before. Rotella is my current brand, loaded up on the last sale.

Change it before 7500 or 25% and you'll be good. Just remember to use the best filter, for me its usually Mobil 1 extended performance. They go on sale sometimes.

Grumpy Bear Senior Enthusiast

Grumpy Bear

Posted
Posted (edited)
13 hours ago, M1ck3y said:

https://540ratblog.wordpress.com/

 

1 hour ago, scrapen said:


Thanks that is a nice read. Of the handful of 0W20’s he tested I’m amazed at Quaker....considering its $18 for 5qt at Walmart.

He's been around awhile. He relies on a term he calls film strength. Tests using a device of his own making that he is unwilling to fully explain. I've used the term myself but it's not really an accurate term in definition. He's in engineer and should know better. Oil film doesn't have strength it has thickness. Thickness is determined by several factors. 

 

Most tests of this "type" use a SET load and determine effectiveness by either measurement of the resulting scar or by difference in weight of the test sample. He seems to use a variable load to reach a certain amount of wear. Same test done backwards. That's fine.

 

 These test the EP additives effectiveness when the film thickness falls below the asperity height (roughness height). As an engineer he should be familiar with the Stribeck curve and what determines film thickness which is not the sole property of viscosity. 

 

Such is the problem with these test. They comment on what happens AFTER film failure. He's testing off the shelf oils, not the bases pre-additive, and attempting to extrapolate backwards. His work has some value but a box of salt is needed and the ability to ignore his bravado. 

 

It is true that some parts of the motor operate in the boundary regime where the EP package is called on; rings to cylinder wall comes to mind. This is were a bit of smoke and mirror is used. He segregates these test by dividing by fifths (I believe) the tested range encompasses 100% of all samples. What he does not do is define the requirement.  

 

In rough back of the napkin calculations his worst group far exceeds any normal motors operation for that test. 

 

Some perspective. I have a recipe that requires orange juice so I need to know how many oranges to buy. I find a fellow that has tested ten varieties of oranges and test them all for juice volume and ranks them from 1 to 10 based on the results of the squeeze.  I find out that the range is 4 ounces to 2 ounces. Thing is my recipe only requires 1 once of juice. Hardly matters, volume wise, which one I choose. 

 

 

Edited by Grumpy Bear
  • Like 1
Grumpy Bear Senior Enthusiast

Grumpy Bear

Posted
Posted

I used QSUD in the wife's 2.4 Terrain until the rings collapsed. That's what GM calls it when the oil breaks down to varnish 'gluing" the rings to the lands at the minor diameter allowing unbelievable oil consumption. It might have a good EP package but it oxidizes easy. 

 

Point is, there are other considerations than how it protects when you leave the drain plug out. 

 

How does it do outside the lab? 

M1ck3y Senior Enthusiast

M1ck3y

Posted
Posted (edited)

What did it for me is the fact that amsoil declined quakerstate's invite to do a public displayed oil test.

 

And as far as I'm concerned, I take his testing as legit. Is there anyone else doing this? Beats picking a brand based on commercial's or what color the bottle is.

 

Look up quakerstate's testing. Real world taxi cabs. Idling and running all day. Sounds pretty brutal to me.

 

To each there own, just thought I would share. I have very little knowledge of oil and what defines a good oil. So I rely on those that know more. Personal choice.

 

 

Edited by M1ck3y
mookdoc6 Senior Enthusiast

mookdoc6

Posted
Posted

Being from the "farm" my reasoning on how about procuring quality oil is as such.

 

1. Bottle Color?

2. Price?

3. Is this really the lowest price?

4. Operate in Hot grueling stop/go traffic for 12,000 miles?

5. How much do I have left in crankcase?

6. Under 2qts of filling back to full line....This is my "Huckleberry" 

  • Haha 1

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