11-26-2006, 11:52 PM
that's a weird situation Jeff. i don't have scientific knowledge but i can offer my opinion, especially as my car also suffers from slightly low idle oil pressure and noisy hydro lifters.
just run a good quality oil of probably 5W30 or 10W40 year-round. thicker oils may actually increase oil temperatures due to the greater thickness of the oil. to be sure, you may want to look into doing a Blackstone Labs oil test on some oil after you run it, the results will be valuable and its only like 20 bucks.
as for dino vs. synth, i can't figure out what the heck would make your engines run so much "smoother" with the dino. my only guess is that the dino can't move through the engine as easily as the "slipperier" synth -- which keeps your oil pressure high (like blowing water through a straw vs. blowing molasses through a straw). that only makes halfway sense though, because the viscosities are the same, right?
as for myself....i use castrol 5W40 synth. my engine always runs relatively hot, right on 225 degrees, and never higher unless i'm really beating on it and then its only maybe 10 degrees more. my lifters have become sludged up over time due to using too low a viscosity of oil, so i'm now looking into a few different, time consuming methods to get this sludge out of my system. its not a common thing with engines, but it happens, especially in these days of extended oil change intervals. just keep that in mind.
just run a good quality oil of probably 5W30 or 10W40 year-round. thicker oils may actually increase oil temperatures due to the greater thickness of the oil. to be sure, you may want to look into doing a Blackstone Labs oil test on some oil after you run it, the results will be valuable and its only like 20 bucks.
as for dino vs. synth, i can't figure out what the heck would make your engines run so much "smoother" with the dino. my only guess is that the dino can't move through the engine as easily as the "slipperier" synth -- which keeps your oil pressure high (like blowing water through a straw vs. blowing molasses through a straw). that only makes halfway sense though, because the viscosities are the same, right?
as for myself....i use castrol 5W40 synth. my engine always runs relatively hot, right on 225 degrees, and never higher unless i'm really beating on it and then its only maybe 10 degrees more. my lifters have become sludged up over time due to using too low a viscosity of oil, so i'm now looking into a few different, time consuming methods to get this sludge out of my system. its not a common thing with engines, but it happens, especially in these days of extended oil change intervals. just keep that in mind.
2010 Civic Si
2019 4Runner TRD Off-Road
--------------------------
Past: 03 Xterra SE 4x4 | 05 Impreza 2.5RS | 99.5 A4 Quattro 1.8T | 01 Accord EX | 90 Maxima GXE | 96 Explorer XLT
2019 4Runner TRD Off-Road
--------------------------
Past: 03 Xterra SE 4x4 | 05 Impreza 2.5RS | 99.5 A4 Quattro 1.8T | 01 Accord EX | 90 Maxima GXE | 96 Explorer XLT