Automotive motor oil ?

[hamerican gigolo]

I was just wondering if there were any auto mechanics on the forum. I was shopping for motor oil.

Can you use the store brand ( Wal-Mart,Mejier,etc.) & would they offer the same protection as the

national brands ( Pennzoil,Castrol,etc.) Can i save a couple of bucks or am i being penny-wise &

pound foolish? Any help at all would be greatly appreciated.

[backinit]

Former Diesel Mechanic here. I have to change my company vehicle's oil at 5000k or I get reminder emails. I do believe oils today are better. I typically change the oil in my personal cars (conventional oil) between 5 - 8k with a fram filter. If it was mostly highway miles I would wait a little more. Synthetics 8 - 10k. I have never had an oil related failure and when I change the oil on the low side it's barely dirty.

[Cary]

A follow-up...

Years (and years) ago I was told that a motor started on "regular" oil, say for the first 50k miles, should not be switched to synthetic oil as leaks and other bad things could happen. True?

I heard that. I took the Mobil 1 back out of my 76 Vette after reading that it's a lot more "slippery" and can find places to leak that conventional won't. GM cars already leak enough oil as it is

One of my buddies is a mechanic and he swears by Royal Purple in his truck. When I did my own changes, I used Valvoline, but now I use Pennzoil because that's what FASLUBE puts in... Oil is a lot better than it used to be. I generally change my oil in my daily driver around 5 to 6,000 miles; even then the computer is telling me I have engine oil life left.

[Hamerica]

I am a backyard mechanic, have had 4 motors built for classic cars and even "grease monkeyed" at my Dad's Exxon Service Stations back in the day when there were service stations.

I have a '97 Ford F150 4x4 with over 220K and I have always insisted on Valvoline The beginning years I used conventional oil. After 125K moved to the synthic mix and continue to use the same.

I personally don't recommend switching brands of oil.

I like Royal Purple, Mobil 1, Ford, and of course Valvoline.

Most of this is from my own personal experience.

Thanks,

Hamerica

[Armitage]

Why can't you switch brands? I figured it'd be like switching brands of strings...

[HSB0531]

The high (250k) mileage minivan gets a Wix filter and Penzoil non-synthetic.

Both Shelby GLHS's get Mobil 1 and a Wix filter in the motor, and Mobil 1 in the transmission.

Never had a problem.