I would just like some recomendations on what is the best Motor Oil to use on Mustangs that have over 100,000 miles. My 1995 GT just hit 115,000 and i would like to get another hundred thousand out of it. Thanks!
I had been using the Valvoline MaxLife because it was recommended for higher-mileage engines...but last oil change I switched over to Mobil 1 synthetic with a K&N oil filter and have been pleased so far. I'm going to keep an eye on the oil level though...I've heard that the synthetic might reveal any clogged leak points. But I've seen SEVERAL guys that run Mobil 1 syn on high-mileage engines with absolutely no problems.
the detergents in pure (PAO) synthetics can clean out sludge and reveal leaks (commonly referred to as creating leaks. not true).
if you are interested in using a high milage oil, i might suggest M1's high milage. from what i gather, it is the only high milage oil using PAO base stock. many others use group II's and group III's, which are dino oil based. i have not tried a HM oil, but if i were to, i would likely try the M1 HM. otherwise, i like running PAO synthetics (read M1). good value for the money, IMHO.
Jordan, that is a nice combo you have there (M1 and K&N) - are you planning on going with an extended OCI? i would think you could safely run it for 7K miles (though a UOA is always nice and recommended to see how things are doing)......might help defer some cost (unless it is not an issue). although studies and UOA's have shown that PAO synthetics can go for much longer than 3K, i have a hard time leaving stuff in there - hard habit to break.
I don't know if I plan on an extended OCI or not...definitely not 7k miles although I've heard 5k-6k is nothing for a synthetic. I'm just going to play it by ear...I'll check the dipstick @ 3k and see how the oil looks. If it's really dark I'll probably go ahead and change it. Actually, I planned to do my first oil change after switching to synthetic at 3k or less, because I feel like there might be extra sludge that needs to come out due to the detergents in the M1...
But after that, I'll probably change between 3k-4k and see what happens. If the oil looks REALLY clean I might go 5k, heh. I'm sure the fanatics on here would be appalled at the thought of anyone going 5k between changes, but I've seen people go that long or longer with dino oil. It's not the fear of the synthetic breaking down that would worry me...it would be the thought of extended OCI's meaning more sludge and contaminants hanging out in the oil. So I know what you mean about not wanting to leave any oil in there for too long.
Oh well, if something happens to the engine it's just an excuse for me to get stroked.
i hang out in some oil forums, and some of those folks are nuts. many run Amsoil for 25K miles (with several filter changes during that interval). but they tend to get UOA's done throughout that time.
but it is insane how many miles some will run even dino oils (4-6K miles or more, often), as you commented upon. i have the exact same concerns you do: there is still blow-by, HC's and so on getting into the oil. and while the synthetic can handle it, the idea of contamination in there gets to me. im really an old-school thinker.....
since i dont do extended OCI's really (i let it go for 4 months sometimes, since sometimes it only has 200 miles on it. LOL), i did not think about the fact that you just switched over...i totally agree about getting that stuff out of there since it will have cleaned your seals. LOL. better safe than sorry. most of the time, when i first switch over, i will run a group III for a couple thousand miles to clean things up. BTW, if you have not guessed, im too lazy to do UOA's....
but most HM oils have around 15-25% group III's in them (crude generalization [M1 HM not included]- but fairly accurate, IMHO), so you probably have cleaned things up a bit already. i am gonna swap the stang over soon - are your running 15W-50 or 10-30? how is pressure vs what you ran before? im just curious....
5.0 Dom's, sorry to have chatted on your thread. i think the info is kinda interesting and pertinent to us all, IMHO. im always trying to get all the oil info and opinions i can. plus you got some bumps.
good luck.