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Syn 5w-30. STP. I'm going cheap. Used to run Mobil til I stopped believing in brand name. Runs the same...to me.

 

I use Napa 5/30 5.5 quarts

I change oil around every 3000 miles or so

Toyota filters

 

with 320k original miles, provided the engine hasnt been rebuilt with new bearings, and given the cold environment, a larger viscoaity range multigrade synthetic will give better protection than a thinner oil. something like 5w 30 would be good for a newer engine, but as your clearances might be a little worn, it may be worth going for a 5w 40.
the extra 10 at operating temp will keep pressure up all the way through the crankshaft to the skirt sprayers and also the topend.

 

BTW u disnt actually say anything about what oil u are using. lucas is a brand and quarts are an american measurment, which by the way is incredibly stupid measurment. haha. thi k about it, breaking down gallons into quarters then measuring them into full quartera and half quarters. cmon USA

 

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I use 15w 40 normaly the brand that has the V on the front

 

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right. as u are in such a cold environment, i would recommend dropping the W number down to about 10 or 5. what exactly is the temperatute there in the morning when its cold?

 

ok so we got a brand, valvoline.
they have many oil product lines, but i cant find a 15w-40 except their gas and diesel range. and some pics on the net of a grey bottle racing 15-40 but thats not on the valvoline.com site.
which oil u using haha.

 

on the valvoline website, i find my recommendation for u is..
valvoline max life (red bottle) synthetic blend high mileage in 10w-40.
purely for its seal rejuvenation properties.
the std durablend has higher zinc levels and a slight better (lower) startup viscosity and alight better (higher) hot viscosity but thats no good if your leaking oil out a seal.

 

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oh. so the point of this thread was actually to tell everyone that what u are using should be the best. .
higher mileage vehicles need thicker oil yes. but not on the w scale the w scale doesnt come in to the equation here. when the vehixle is cold, the oil is incredibly thick and there is no problem with oil pressure even from a 0W oil.
No matter how worn ur engine, if it runs without banging loudly at operating temp, when stone cold, there will be sufficient oil pressure with any oil.
The thickness u need with an older engine is in the hot number, the second number. this is how the oil acts when hot. This is where the worn bearing and clearances start to become affected by the heated thinned out oil. Its this number u want to keep up. 40 is fine.
but i suggest u move ur w number lower, as a 15 weight oil will take longer to push through the pump and filter when cold, than a 5 or 10 w. this is cruicial as there is no oil in the galleries at this initial startup stage and the faster u can prime them, the less initial startup wear u will receive.

 

Well said there.

15w in cold weather...that didnt look right, but to each his own. Leaky engine history perhaps?

STP beats Lucas hands down. Just by feeling the bottle and the way the container looks.
.
kidding

Oil is so debatable like briefs vs boxers

 

no joke, i choose a brand we have in australia called Penrite simply because the bottle is sexy and black. our marketting in our country has really got their finger on the pulse. check out Penrite oil penrite.com.au and look at those beautiful containers haha
and theyve just got soo soo many different oils.
some with zinc, some with moly, some with seal rejuvenators, some with this, some with that. we are blessed with Penrite.

 

5w30 Castrol Synthetic or mobil if on sale in all of my toyota's all year around in Northern Ontario, Canada, using OEM toyota oil filters, I actually use the oil filter from a 4.0L Taco as it is taller, 475,000km on 3.4L, 350,000km on 3.4L, 230,000km on 3.4L, and 150,000km on a 4.0L taco. we see temps as high as 32*C and as low as -32*C, the engine with 475,000km's plows my driveway all winter no block heater, and sits all summer. 5w30 is very fuel efficient as well, thats why they recommend it, only place I ever had oil leaks was the valve covers due to dried out 18 year old gaskets. I change oil every 8-10,000Km.

 

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Valvoline High Mileage, a Toyota D3 filter, and a 5k mile interval

 

the idea that oil makes an engine more efficient has truth, but dont use it as a reason to choose thinner over thicker.
the tested maximum increase in efficiency is publicly available from shell and castrol, as about 4%.
this is in a tested envieonment on an engine with the perfect clearances to benefit from it.
our old toyotas certainly dont come close.
for this reason, i would be choosing hot viscosity protection over fuel economy any day, as a bottom end rebuild would be in the thousands, and the 1% fuel savings would be measured in the 100s of dollars over 10 years.
Engines should use oil to protect their insides.