Wal-Mart's 5W-30 Motor Oil

So far I have always used FRAM Oil Filters.

Since COSTCO (in their infinite Marketing wizdom) stopped selling Mobil's 5W-30
motor oil in cases of 12, I have had to go to Wal-Mart and buy their SAE 5W-30
(Super-Tech) in a 5 quart plastic bottle for about 75% of COSTCO's price....

I have been using it in my '93 3 cylinder rebuilt Metro (The Phoenix) with a
FRAM Oil Filter.

What I wanted to post here is how Wal-Mart's oil is behaving versus Mobil's oil...

I am now up to 2,000 miles on this very yellow Wal-Mart oil.

From my experiences before with Mobil's oil, the Mobil oil would be quite Black
and opaque by now.

This Wal-Mart oil has barely darkened and is still quite yellow and still transparent...!

Has anybody had this experience with the Wal-Mart "Super-Tech" brand of SAE
5W-30 Oil?

What would be the difference in components?

Is what is happening a good thing? I would assume so, but one never knows.

Admittedly, my engine now has new valves and new rings, but would that
make such a vast difference in how the oil color changes with miles run...?

The Wal-Mart Oil is API Service SM, SL, SJ, SH, ILSAC GF-4, GF-3 SAE 5W-30.

BTW - I have a FRAM Oil Filter on the engine (as before) because I had purchased
a bunch of them and had them around (didn't want to just throw them away!).

So, the oil filter is not responsible for this difference in the oil's appearance at 2,000 miles.

I will switch the oil filter to the Wal-Mart Super-Tech filter in a few days without changing the oil....

DoctorBill

...Admittedly, my engine now has new valves and new rings, but would that
make such a vast difference in how the oil color changes with miles run...?
DoctorBill
Valves will not make a difference in oil color, rings alone will make all the difference in the world. This is also a solid indication that you did a good job replacing the rings. You are now sealing compression gases in the chamber, and throwing them out the exhaust where they belong, instead of leaking them passed the rings and into the crankcase (aka blow-by). It may be noted however that even a brand spanking new engine is not going to seal 100% of its compression gases (and thus the requisite for the PCV system, a small amount of blow-by is normal) but you are seeing a clear indication of proper piston, ring and cylinder co-operation. You should still change your oil at 3k miles, not so much to get rid of free radicals suspended in the oil anymore (which turns the oil black), but in order to maintain proper oil viscosity.

-mechanicmatt

Well, I'll see if it was the ring-job keeping the oil from turning black by watching
the Wal-Mart Oil in my wife's '93 Geo Tracker.

I used Wal-Mart's oil in her's (150,000 miles) about 500 miles ago. Mobil oil
turned black in her vehicle and in my Jeep Cherokee by 3,000 miles.


My baby (The Phoenix) is working so nicely right now! (Knock on wood!)....

After 5 tanks of gas, it is averaging 42.3 mpg here in winter weather varying
from -2 °F up to 45 °F in ice and or slush.

Runs so quiet, I cannot tell what rpms I'm running at! Lot of road noise with
the ice and snow....

I plan to keep doing the 3,000 mile oil change until I croak. Been doing that all
my life and have had good luck with engines lasting.

Why skimp on $12 worth of oil and filter and have one's engine crap out?

People can argue till they're blue in the face about "modern oils being able to
go 10,000 miles before needing to be changed..."

Let them blather....it 'ain't worth the consequences if they're wrong...

DoctorBill

PS - "...a solid indication that you did a good job replacing the rings.

Take that to heart all you folks wondering if you could replace the rings!

If a old clod like me can do it - you can too! The rings that is.

Someone else does the Valves when you cart the Head into a shop.

I personally dont care for Fram oil filters after reading some feedback on them off several forums.....I use AC-Delco filters on all my vehicles. Oil is a another HUGE Subject but there's a big difference between the Dino Oil your using now and Mobil 1 Doc...The obvious being Mobil 1 is a full synthetic oil. The Dino oil in my opinion is what you should be using for now since you just did a complete rebuild. You can switch to Mobil 1 later after she's had some time to break in Doc. I've never personnaly used the Super-Tech brand from Wal-Mart.....Cant give ya any feedback on it.

Hey doc ......Ive been using TropArtic synthetic blend from Wally World for $1.68 a qt. A synthetic blend for dino price. It gets very high ratings on Bob the oil guy @ http://theoildrop.server101.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?Cat= (http://theoildrop.server101.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?Cat)= If you haven't checked it out it has everything you want to know about oil, additives, filters, etc. I have read that a full synth will turn black because it's cleaning the sludge from your engine.

Doc,

Certainly rings will reduce carbon transmission to the oil but perhaps the differences in additives is the answer too. The Mobil probably has superior detergent and suspension properties that suspend the carbon in the oil instead of depositing it somewhere in the engine like non-detergent does.

You might ask - "What's the purpose of non-detergent oil then?"
You would want to use non-detergent oil when running in a new engine so that any metal particles or debris will settle on the bottom of the oil pan and not suspend in the oil.

Personally I like black oil, it tells me it is cleaning my engine.

Cheers,
B.D.

You're baaack.....you disappear for months, then return....

I thought you might be going to eschew this Forum...nice to hear from you again.

Your comment brings me back to that old stand-by that I hear from almost
everyone who works on or sells stuff for automobiles....namely, "Add a cup of
automatic transmission fluid to the oil when you change it. Acts as a detergent
agent and keep the engine clean."

I have done that on all my older cars ever since I was told to do it by almost
any mechanic I asked about it. Most volunteer it w/o being asked.

One day I was in Shucks or NAPA and saw those little 8 oz bottles of detergent
additive for motor oil for $2.95.

When I used it, it sure as Hell looks exactly like transmission fluid.

That, of course means nothing, but I decided it probably was transmission fluid.

So, now I buy a quart or two of ATF and dole it out myself. Costs one Hell of
a lot less that way....at $2.00 a quart it is 1/3 the price to use ATF.

Now - I have been wondering if I should use that on my "new" Phoenix engine
or just let well enough alone...

What say you? (As Bill O'Reilly would say)

BTW - The Phoenix just keeps going and going like the Energizer Battery Bunny on TV.

DoctorBill