I for now use the Ford MotorCraft Semi synthetic blend. Probably will use the full Synthetic next change. Truck is under warranty, and 2.5 years old with 14k miles so far. Use it for towing so I do more frequent changes.
94 degrees Fahrenheit is not anywhere even remotely close to hot enough to warrant diverging from the manufacturer's recommended viscosity.
Yes, because there's no possible reason that AMSOil, a company that exists to sell an overpriced and over-hyped product that does not demonstrably outperform Mobil 1, would try to scare people away from synthetic blends. :hmm:
A synthetic blend won't harm anything, so there's no reason to "beware" of it. It will perform slightly better than conventional oil as well, though, of course, not as well as full synthetic. Given that most "synthetic blends" have little to no price difference between them and conventional (both run around $5/quart at the local shop), it's just silly to bother with conventional when, for the same price, you can get something that is at least slightly better.
ZV
Hell, I refuse to let anyone else change my oil anymore, because they seem to like stripping plug threads. Out of 3 times I have taken (or let my SO take) a car for an oil change, twice I've ended up having to repair the plug seat, once from a dealer shop.
At least the quicky lube place was good about paying for the repair (though that was a nice aluminum pan, so I just tapped it out and put a larger plug in), but the dealer refused to acknowledge fault, and it wasn't worth dragging them to small claims over.
I use Amsoil in the bike. I was using Mobile One 4T until Mobile changed the ratings and other riders found it was causing their wet clutch to slip. I had never had a problem. I don't use the manufacturers oil as that is more expensive than anything else. I haven't had any issue using AMSoil and it is only a couple bucks more a quart than Mobile One 4T was.
There's nothing wrong with the product. AMSOil is good oil.
But their marketing scare tactics about synthetic blend are pure smoke and mirrors. There are lots of equally good oils that can be gotten more easily than AMSOil and that cost less.
ZV
For cars maybe... For motorcycles, you generally want a motorcycle specific oil - specifically with a rating for wet clutch. That can be hard to find a close fit for a bike.
I've been riding motorcycles for 18 years. I'm aware of the needs caused by a wet clutch.
You can either use one of about a billion widely-available automotive oils and add an equally widely available friction modifier as used in clutch-type limited slip differentials, or you can use any of several widely-available motorcycle specific oils from Mobil, Castrol, Valvoline, Royal Purple, Redline, etc. It's not at all "hard" to find a good motorcycle oil. They're everywhere now.
To suggest that AMSOil's motorcycle oil is somehow more special than any of the other more easily found and cheaper motorcycle oils is flat wrong.
AMSOil is a decent synthetic. But in the real world it doesn't do any better than other, more widely available, options. When I can walk into the Harley dealer and pay less for the Harley branded synthetic oil than I would pay for AMSOil (not even counting shipping), or walk into my local auto parts store and buy a quart of full synthetic Castrol motorcycle-specific oil for much less, it doesn't make any sense to go through the hassle of hunting down AMSOil.
And I know, I know. You can buy your way into getting "wholesale" prices. Just what I want from a company. A system where they'll extort $20 from me every year just so I can save "up to" 25% on their overpriced oil.
Even if I get the maximum savings it doesn't make sense. I change the oil in the bike once a year. It takes 3 quarts. So that's $12.85/quart on the surface. Plus $8.50 shipping. Factor that in and it's $15.68/quart.
The Castrol is $9.69/quart on the shelf at my local O'Reilly's. No shipping. In terms of total price, I'm saving nearly $6/quart by going with the Castrol (when you factor in shipping) and there's no way the AMSOil is that much better.
Even if we take the wholesale option and assume there's the full 25% discount, that still only takes the price/quart down to $9.64 for the AMSOil. It looks like it's cheaper, but then you have to add back in the $20 that you are forced to pay to get the wholesale price, plus there's still the same $8.50 shipping. So with the "wholesale" price my total cost would be a whopping $19.14/quart for the 3/quarts/year I use.
AMSOil is good oil, but it's not meaningfully better than Castrol's in actual use. And if I decide I don't like the Castrol for whatever reason, there are at least 4 other brands of motorcycle-specific oil on the shelf at the local O'Reilly's for me to try out.
AMSOil just isn't worth the trouble it takes to buy it. If it were on the shelf at my local parts store for $12 or $13 per quart, I'd be inclined to use it. But as it is, why bother when many options that are just as good are both cheaper and easier to get?
ZV
I've been riding motorcycles for 18 years. I'm aware of the needs caused by a wet clutch.
You can either use one of about a billion widely-available automotive oils and add an equally widely available friction modifier as used in clutch-type limited slip differentials, or you can use any of several widely-available motorcycle specific oils from Mobil, Castrol, Valvoline, Royal Purple, Redline, etc. It's not at all "hard" to find a good motorcycle oil. They're everywhere now.
To suggest that AMSOil's motorcycle oil is somehow more special than any of the other more easily found and cheaper motorcycle oils is flat wrong.
AMSOil is a decent synthetic. But in the real world it doesn't do any better than other, more widely available, options. When I can walk into the Harley dealer and pay less for the Harley branded synthetic oil than I would pay for AMSOil (not even counting shipping), or walk into my local auto parts store and buy a quart of full synthetic Castrol motorcycle-specific oil for much less, it doesn't make any sense to go through the hassle of hunting down AMSOil.
And I know, I know. You can buy your way into getting "wholesale" prices. Just what I want from a company. A system where they'll extort $20 from me every year just so I can save "up to" 25% on their overpriced oil.
Even if I get the maximum savings it doesn't make sense. I change the oil in the bike once a year. It takes 3 quarts. So that's $12.85/quart on the surface. Plus $8.50 shipping. Factor that in and it's $15.68/quart.
The Castrol is $9.69/quart on the shelf at my local O'Reilly's. No shipping. In terms of total price, I'm saving nearly $6/quart by going with the Castrol (when you factor in shipping) and there's no way the AMSOil is that much better.
Even if we take the wholesale option and assume there's the full 25% discount, that still only takes the price/quart down to $9.64 for the AMSOil. It looks like it's cheaper, but then you have to add back in the $20 that you are forced to pay to get the wholesale price, plus there's still the same $8.50 shipping. So with the "wholesale" price my total cost would be a whopping $19.14/quart for the 3/quarts/year I use.
AMSOil is good oil, but it's not meaningfully better than Castrol's in actual use. And if I decide I don't like the Castrol for whatever reason, there are at least 4 other brands of motorcycle-specific oil on the shelf at the local O'Reilly's for me to try out.
AMSOil just isn't worth the trouble it takes to buy it. If it were on the shelf at my local parts store for $12 or $13 per quart, I'd be inclined to use it. But as it is, why bother when many options that are just as good are both cheaper and easier to get?
ZV
Yeah, they started from a kernel of truth, but then just went into ridiculous marketing bullshit with it.
Motorcraft synthetic blend is actually cheaper than Valvoline's conventional oil (by about $1/quart at my local auto parts store).
AMSOil makes a decent product, but I've always felt that their marketing was a bit dishonest and their proclaimers a bit cult-like. When I can get Royal Purple for just under $9/quart it just makes absolutely zero sense to spend $11+/quart for AMSOil.
ZV
Hell, I refuse to let anyone else change my oil anymore, because they seem to like stripping plug threads. Out of 3 times I have taken (or let my SO take) a car for an oil change, twice I've ended up having to repair the plug seat, once from a dealer shop.
At least the quicky lube place was good about paying for the repair (though that was a nice aluminum pan, so I just tapped it out and put a larger plug in), but the dealer refused to acknowledge fault, and it wasn't worth dragging them to small claims over.
You're right. If you buy three quarts a year, it isn't worth paying to get wholesale pricing. When I change oil in both of my trucks I'm using 13 quarts (just engine oil, not transfer case, transmission, differentials), so it's worth the "hassle" of ordering it online. If only you had a dealer offer to sell you stuff at cost, you wouldn't have to worry about getting "extorted" to get reasonable pricing... *cough*
Anyway, I think I ran Castrol in my bike too. It worked great.
Subarus love Rotella T6 5w40. MR2 transmissions hate Royal Purple. To each their own.
I had my dealer do the oil changes for the first 36K of the car, that way I figured they could not deny me any warranty claim due to not changing it or using incorrect oil. When I first started doing my own I found the drain-bolt on so tight I had to jack-stand the car to get clearance to use a huge breaker bar!, that thing had to be well over 100ft-lbs on it, F-ing morons. The filter wasn't much fun either, I barley got it off before I was going to resort to the old "spar it with a huge screwdriver" method!..
I'm currently on the fence between investing in the Fumoto valves for both my cars, or in a MityVac. Since my C230 puts the oil filter up top with a MityVac I could change the oil without jacking up the car, or getting on the ground at all (in fact over at benzworld there was pics of a guy doing his oil change in a suit =)Which is why a dealer or quick change place will never change my oil again and if they have to they will use the Fumoto Drain valve I install on every one of my vehicles. I've had to use breaker bars on my old truck and use a bolt extractor on our chevy... How the fuck does even a pimple faced oil change kid at the dealer round over the drain bolt in an aluminum pan? How?
http://www.fumotousa.com/
My 2012 F-150 has never had a dealer oil change. I buy my oil and filters from the dealer and perform the change myself. I keep the receipts and scan them. If my engine blows tomorrow, I'm covered and it is up to Ford to prove otherwise.
I've been using those drain valves for years and they are bullet proof though they drain slower.
Which is why a dealer or quick change place will never change my oil again and if they have to they will use the Fumoto Drain valve I install on every one of my vehicles. I've had to use breaker bars on my old truck and use a bolt extractor on our chevy... How the fuck does even a pimple faced oil change kid at the dealer round over the drain bolt in an aluminum pan? How?
http://www.fumotousa.com/
My 2012 F-150 has never had a dealer oil change. I buy my oil and filters from the dealer and perform the change myself. I keep the receipts and scan them. If my engine blows tomorrow, I'm covered and it is up to Ford to prove otherwise.
I've been using those drain valves for years and they are bullet proof though they drain slower.
Drive carefully at all times, and if you run over any foreign object on the road pull over and check the valve for any damage or leak.
I'm currently on the fence between investing in the Fumoto valves for both my cars, or in a MityVac. Since my C230 puts the oil filter up top with a MityVac I could change the oil without jacking up the car, or getting on the ground at all (in fact over at benzworld there was pics of a guy doing his oil change in a suit =)
But I worry about the longevity of the MityVac - anyone here use one?
I've always been intrigued by those Fumoto Valves, but my Cruze is pretty low to the ground and the drain plug points straight down from the oil pan (same ground clearance as the lowest point on the car).
I'd be worried about it scraping on large speed bumps, being hit by rocks, etc. Is that a real concern?
EDIT: I guess it is a real concern.
wtf???? D:
Which is why a dealer or quick change place will never change my oil again and if they have to they will use the Fumoto Drain valve I install on every one of my vehicles. I've had to use breaker bars on my old truck and use a bolt extractor on our chevy... How the fuck does even a pimple faced oil change kid at the dealer round over the drain bolt in an aluminum pan? How?
http://www.fumotousa.com/
My 2012 F-150 has never had a dealer oil change. I buy my oil and filters from the dealer and perform the change myself. I keep the receipts and scan them. If my engine blows tomorrow, I'm covered and it is up to Ford to prove otherwise.
I've been using those drain valves for years and they are bullet proof though they drain slower.