for Southeast U.S.A.? I have never used synthetic motor oil before, should I? I like Valvoline motor oil, no doubt other well known name brands are just as good.
If I drain/flush and refill the brake system in my 1983 Dodge van, should I refill with synthetic brake fluid? cuhulin
The "best" weight to use is the one recommended by the vehicle manufacturer for the conditions in your area. Probably 10W30 or 10W40, but check the owners manual. Valvoline is fine. Synthetic motor oil probably offers an extra measure of protection in very hot weather and will flow better at very low temperatures but I doubt you will see any significant advantages in the Southeast unless you do a lot of hot weather heavily loaded high speed driving. If you are changing your oil at the recommended intervals (probably 5,00 to 7,500) miles, using a high quality conventional motor oil like Valvoline is just fine.
I don't see why not. As long as it is compatible with the original brake fluid (DOT 3?) there should be no problems. Read your owner's guide to verify the original type used and then purchase new brake fuid (synthetic or not) that says it is compatible.
Ed
Non synthetic 10W30/10W40 is what I have always been using.I reckon I will stay with it, and Valvoline too.
Oil caps/dip sticks on my two walk behind lawn mowers (Briggs & Stratton engines) say to use 30W oil only.Why is that? cuhulin
I would assume that straight 30 is recommended because of the air cooled motor that runs pretty hot and also that the machine is not going to be started in subfreezing weather. OTOH, I use 5-30 synthetic in my snowblower up here in the frozen tundra...
Because using 10-w-30 dino oil may burn up the rings. You should be able to get straight 30 wt in API SL classification without hunting too hard. The rings on your lawnmower may run more than 100 degrees hotter than on a typical car engine if it is a hot day and the fins of the mower have dust and lawn clippings on them like many do. Those are temps beyond the design limits for multigrade oils.
-jim
Straight 30W motor oil is easy to find in the stores around here.That is what I use in my lawn mowers.I reckon Briggs & Stratton company knows best about that.If I lived in the frozen tundra, I would be more concerned about keeping meself warm. cuhulin
John M. Fierseisen used to post here a lot and recommended using the cheapest oil that met viscosity and quality requirements for your car, even store brands, except maybe in really cold climates or when the car was turbocharged. Considering that his job was designing oil additive packages, his posts should carry a lot of weight.
I've been using synthetic because it's usually been the cheapest stuff I can find, after rebate. Originally I thought there would be no problem putting 10W-30 synthetic in an old engine that had used only conventional, but a week or two after I did that with my Nissan, some seals leaked like crazy, maybe 1/2 tablespoon a day. I switched back to conventional after a couple of months, and the leaks stopped in about a week. OTOH I've had no leaks using synthetic in my 1986 Toyota.
What does Dodge say? I thought what mattered most was the amount of water absorbed by the brake fluid, provided it met manufacturer's minimum specs.
Have you ever seen that old motor oil tv commercial before?
What kind of motor oil are you using, Earl? ///Motor oil is motor oil!/// cuhulin
Don't confuse reality with TV commercials!
Ed
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