Re: Choice of oil

Posted by Dave Brownell On 2014/3/16 17:06:47

These days, I tend to worry more about what they're putting in fuels than what they're leaving out of oils. Ethanol seems to be my downfall when it comes to small engines, chain saws, outboard motors and really old cars. I do use either Rotella or Delo motor oils in the Packard, BMW and oldest (pre-Cat converters) Corvettes, but mostly Mobil 1 in everything else. At our house, we heve an oil change "festival" in both the Spring and Fall where as many as a dozen cars/trucks get serviced, and clothes get changed once (someone in clean clothes moves the cars around).

I don't remember the last time an engine oil failure was recorded, using this system. It's probably been 25 years. But, when it comes to fuel system issues, I don't have enough fingers to keep up with the count.. We have found one alledgedly "ethanol-free" station, but it's almost 80 miles distant so we don't use much of it. We have coaxed four GM trucks to at least a half million miles, mostly on a diet of Mobil 1 and whatever gas is available. That streak of luck will end if they degrade gasoline to 85 percent.