Jennyann20 wrote:
> I just wanted to know if anyone knew what’s the best oil for my ’87 L6.
> I’ve heard from various people that I shouldn’t use Mobil 1, but I thought
> that it was ok. Can anyone help me?
> Jennifer
Jennifer:
When I switched from regular oil to Red Line synthetic in a
140,000+ mile engine I had since new and which was previously very
tight, a number of oil leaks manifested themselves within a short period
of time. A mechanic told me subsequently that the synthetic oil was
"thinner" and, therefore, more likely to leak than conventional oil. As
well, he indicated that synthetic oil removes the accretion that builds
up in areas within the engine crevices over time when using conventional
oil. Once this is removed by the synthetic, the engine is more prone to
leakage. This purported "cleaning" characteristic, combined with the
apparent thinner nature of the synthetic makes the result, I believe,
inevitable in an engine with some age.
I ended up spending several hundred dollars replacing
seals/gaskets that had previously functioned perfectly. My opinion is
that synthetics are appropriate for relatively new engines, but will
cause problems in engines with some mileage on them. Although someone
out there may argue that the age of my engine made it a candidate for
leaking anyway, I can tell you that I went from having absolutely no
leaks to having several at once after changing to synthetics. Not only
was the oil more expensive, the costs associated with fixing the leaks
made the whole switch something I wish I had foregone. I would put
synthetics in a new car, but not in an old one. My engine has over
200,000 miles on it now and except for the short period in which I put
synthetic oil in the car, it made it that far with conventional oil.
Since your car is an ’87, based on my experience, I would recommend
using normal oil and changing it frequently.