One of the reasons I never was totally convinced on synthetics. They say you can go longer before replacing them but you still have all that crud in your filter for a lot longer.
Without doing any scientific comparisons, I would think the WalMart brand would be pretty good although slightly less quality than the Mobil. I am basing this on the other WalMart brand products that I have purchased and their relative quality/values. This is by no means scientific or accurate but only a hypothesis. Based on the price the WalMart might be a better value. If you are changing your oil every 2-3K then there is no reason to use synthetic oil unless you are autocrossing on the weekends, driving 1000 miles per week on the Autobahn or using a coffee filter to filter your oil. I would agree that Amsoil is good stuff. I would also put in a vote for Redline racing oil but these are expensive alternatives that are NOT necessary for normal driving under normal conditions especially if you are changing you oil every 2-3K miles.
The crud you get in your filter is mainly two things: the impurities in regular motor oil (there will always be some in ther even after the best refining), and the tiny metal flakes that come from engine wear.
Most wear comes from cold engine start-up after all the oil has drained back down into the pan and you get direct metal to metal contact. The properties of synthetic lube oil allow it to leave a tiny lubricating film on the metal parts, thus directly reducing engine wear. And since it's not made from crude oil, the impurities are almost zero. Add that to the fact that synthetic oil stays much closer to its ideal viscosity under extreme temperature changes and doesn't break down near as fast as regular oil at high temps, not using synthetic oil just doesn't make sense.
Here is a good read on the differences
http://ezinearticles.com/?What-Is-The-D...-And-Conventional-Motor-Oil?&id=293637
http://ezinearticles.com/?What-Is-The-D...-And-Conventional-Motor-Oil?&id=293637
If you are really concerned, and want to baby your engine, I do for my truck. Buy some nneodymium magnets, I got a set of 4 for 12 bucks shipped. I gave two to my friend. The ones I got are .5" wide, 2" long, and .125" thick, and have a pull capacity of 8-12lbs I think. Then you can either make yourself an oil filter cap (make sure you use material that wont burst into flames) or just slap the magnets onto your oil filter. Do this will add an extra level of protection insuring a higher percentage of trace metals, obviously only magnetic metals are captured.
Basically what happens when you turn your car on, and the engine runs.
Cold oil is pumped into the engine, to provide both lubrication, as well as act as a detergent. Oil isn't meant to just lubricate, hence additives in it, that not only allow it to withstand greater temperatures and stress without breaking down, but to also allow it to carry away any trace amounts of dirt, and metal from your engine parts rubbing together.
It is important to note that all oil filters have a bypass valve. The oil filter can only filter oil so fast, and when you are cruising down the highway doing 85mph, the demand on oil flow is to high, and nearly all the oil in your engine flows through the bypass valve, and is not being filtered. Your filter makes up for this, when you are cruising around town, and stopped at traffic lights. Using the magnet trick above, the pull force of some good strong magnets (these can actually move a paper dollar bill due to trace amounts of iron in the money/ink) is strong enough to pull any magnetically attracted material out of the oil even as the oil bypasses the filtration media.
Oil does indeed break down, and it happens more quickly as the oil becomes saturated with contaminants and can no longer withstand the same level of temperature and stress.
You want your oil to get dirty. If it isn't dirty when you change it, then you are changing it to early. If it is like sludge, then you waited to long.
More important than a premium oil however, is a good oil filter.
Given the following choices:
A) Amsoil filter and oil (Or mobile 1, which is also a top end product, or royal purple, K&N Filter etc)
B) Generic walmart/fram filter, with good oil
C) Premium filter with wal mart brand oil
D) generic both
A- is the best choice, and also the most costly up front. Look to spend $10-15 for the filter, and $7.50-$8.00 per quart for Amsoil. A bit less for some other brands, though Mobile 1 and Royal Purple cost nearly the same.
C- would be the next best choice, if you want the best protection on a budget, spend the $10 bucks on a K&N, or Mobile 1 filter, or order an amsoil, and buy the budget $2/quart oil.
B- doesnt make any sense,
D- makes the most sense if you just don't care, or know any better.
Basically what happens when you turn your car on, and the engine runs.
Cold oil is pumped into the engine, to provide both lubrication, as well as act as a detergent. Oil isn't meant to just lubricate, hence additives in it, that not only allow it to withstand greater temperatures and stress without breaking down, but to also allow it to carry away any trace amounts of dirt, and metal from your engine parts rubbing together.
It is important to note that all oil filters have a bypass valve. The oil filter can only filter oil so fast, and when you are cruising down the highway doing 85mph, the demand on oil flow is to high, and nearly all the oil in your engine flows through the bypass valve, and is not being filtered. Your filter makes up for this, when you are cruising around town, and stopped at traffic lights. Using the magnet trick above, the pull force of some good strong magnets (these can actually move a paper dollar bill due to trace amounts of iron in the money/ink) is strong enough to pull any magnetically attracted material out of the oil even as the oil bypasses the filtration media.
Oil does indeed break down, and it happens more quickly as the oil becomes saturated with contaminants and can no longer withstand the same level of temperature and stress.
You want your oil to get dirty. If it isn't dirty when you change it, then you are changing it to early. If it is like sludge, then you waited to long.
More important than a premium oil however, is a good oil filter.
Given the following choices:
A) Amsoil filter and oil (Or mobile 1, which is also a top end product, or royal purple, K&N Filter etc)
B) Generic walmart/fram filter, with good oil
C) Premium filter with wal mart brand oil
D) generic both
A- is the best choice, and also the most costly up front. Look to spend $10-15 for the filter, and $7.50-$8.00 per quart for Amsoil. A bit less for some other brands, though Mobile 1 and Royal Purple cost nearly the same.
C- would be the next best choice, if you want the best protection on a budget, spend the $10 bucks on a K&N, or Mobile 1 filter, or order an amsoil, and buy the budget $2/quart oil.
B- doesnt make any sense,
D- makes the most sense if you just don't care, or know any better.
I used to have an old Chrysler Daytona that went through a quart of oil every 250 miles. I ran my parent's old oil that they took out of their car once it got that bad. 
Cheap oil, FTW!
Cheap oil, FTW!
eplebnista
Lifer
- Dec 3, 2001
- 24,123
- 36
- 91
Sludge is the most ominous enemy of my Viggen's engine. The chemicals and PVC system are the two things that
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