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The Swith to Full Synthetic Oil @ 97,000 miles

9K views 70 replies 18 participants last post by  Lumpy 
#1 ·
Looking to put a better oil on the 2001. Amsoil, Royal Turdple, or Mobil 1 (probably Mobil 1 due to value).
In addition I plan to put synthetic in the transmission and rear end.

Has anybody in the forum done it and seen positive/negative results? Just want to stay away from any potential pitfalls.
So far everything I've read seems to indicate I would be fine going to synthetic.

If so what weight do you use? 5W30?
Has anybody experienced the 0W30 offerings available by various oil companies?
Apparently all it offers is better cold cranking performance, a benefit which I would think is worthwhile, specially in the winter.

Thank you.
 
#52 ·
I can squeeze under the safari, but raising it makes it easier. Bridgette the midget couldn't squeeze under the '99 Astro to get to the drain plug and oil filter! :mrgreen:
 
#53 ·
rev_les said:
I can squeeze under the safari, but raising it makes it easier. Bridgette the midget couldn't squeeze under the '99 Astro to get to the drain plug and oil filter! :mrgreen:
Yep, I experienced the same thing today, but finally got it done. :banana: lol

Having the ramps would definitely help with "comfort". Its a tight squeeze with just the jack stands unfortunately. I got a bit paranoid about the space and that cross member that supports the transmission. Man, if the van comes down and you're under that low piece of metal, it would be a crushing blow to my rib cage and brain box :( . Having the ramps would definitely give me a little bit of peace of mind.

Some Positive finds:

• Engine sounds smoother (could be my mind though) and I can definitely tell the engine starts much more quiet.
• MPG improvements remain to be seen in just the 20 miles I drove today, but I'll get a chance to get better results this weekend, I hope it helps a little bit though (companies like Royal Purple say that their Synthetic oil improves MPG and Horse power, so I don't see why it would be any different with the oil I used). I used Mobil 1 0W-30 Synthetic with the Royal Purple filter.
• So far the oil pressure appears to be much more consistent (just over the half way line, sometimes 3/4's of the way up), and it doesn't dip as low when idling.


Some concerns and questions:


►Filter Removal: I bought one of those wrenches with the "teeth" for filters. It was a horrible fit and did not work at all. I had to give the filter a few taps with my wrench and use some brute force to overcome the slipping of my oily hands on the filter. Thankfully it budged and slowly I was able to remove it without using any special filter tools. But for future reference: do you use a tool to remove it? Would one of the filter wrenches with the flat metal band that fits around the filter work better for the Astro/Safari? The filter is really wedged in a corner, kind of hard to get to...

►The oil I drained had close to 4500 miles (mostly highway miles). It was pretty dark which I heard is peculiar of the standard petroleum derived lubricants... Will the synthetic oil get just as black? Should I be carefully observing the color of the oil when I drain it?

► Another thing I noticed: that transmission gets HOT and STAYS HOT!!! The car had been off for over an hour, I could safely touch all engine parts, exhaust, etc (I even spilled some hot oil on my hands which wasn't too hot either) but the transmission was almost too hot to the touch even after I was done the job. Wondering if this is normal. Trans fluid is at a good level it seems..

► Found out that the plug that was already installed had the magnetic tip as well. I also noticed a coating of extremely fine metal shavings stuck to the tip of this plug as well. No idea how old they are (I am sure the mechanics in charge of these "fast lubes" don't clean the tip of the plug when they replace the oil), but ideally, should I be seeing any shavings on there AT ALL? Is it normal to have a little bit? Or is any amount of that stuff a really bad sign? ...I think that there should not be any in there, but who knows.... maybe its other debris not from the engine? IDK??!!

► The new oil I used came from one of those 5-Quart jugs they sell. I checked the manual: 4.5 Quarts are needed (including oil in filter). Then I proceeded to pour the new oil and left a little bit in the bottle... guesstimating for 4.5quarts. Then I checked the dip-stick to see where I was and this is where I was a bit confused:

After I dry the dipstick and re-insert to pull back out real fast and check the level, I see no CLEAR/DEFINED line of oil sitting on the stick's LOW <----> FULL hashmarked range. I tried this like 5 times and every time I got a large bead of oil siting in the proper "Full" line but the wetness went still higher on the stick. This made it difficult for me to know whether I had put too much in???
If the manual is right @4.5Qrts, then I had to be spot on, but the stick was not giving me a clear reading. Being the newb that I am and fearing that I could hurt something if I added too much oil I got under the car again and drained a little bit of the new oil for precaution's sake. Then I check the dipstick again but it still gave me the same unclear reading!!!

Is there a trick with these dip-sticks or what? I am having the same problem with the transmission dip-stick.

► Finally: how much extra oil is necessary to hurt something in the engine in the case you over-fill? The manufacturers warn against over-filing, but how much is too much? When should I go and drain some out? What are the specific risks related to overfilling?

I know its a lot of questions and writing, sorry. I thank all of you for all the help and advice that you have given this newb! :dunce:
 
#54 ·
I have every oil filter wrench known to man and they all bite with one exception.This baby will get anything off easily or it way to tight and it time to get out a hammer and screwdriver.Autozone is where I think I got this one.
oil filter wrench.jpg

The oil fill line being low and blurred is normal.All that oil still in valve cover and running down over everything.Got to just give it a little time to settle.You want clean looking oil when it comes out?Change it every 3000 miles for a while it will get cleaner looking.My Synthetic is a darker shade of gold at 5000 miles at 3000 it still looks pretty clean when it comes out.My brother teases me about changing oil so often.He says I know it time to get gas because I have changed my oil twice already.When you run an engine as hard as I do oil changes are just cheap insurance.Trannies are always ungodly hot for years after you stop driving them.Metal shaving on the oil plugs thats what it for, a little is normal.It doing its job and keeping that garbage out of the engine where it causes excessive wear.Oil overfilling.If it way overfilled oil level hits crank in engine which robs power.But the biggie ts that it sprays the oil around so much it causes oil to have air bubbles in the oil.Which is not horrible but reduces lubrication ability of oiling system.To be honest I always run a half quart over when I change oil.I use around a quart between changes so it a half quart low at the next change.No harm no foul I just dont have to add between changes.More horsepower due to oils is because of less friction in the engine.It so small you wont feel it.Taking off my clutch fan is 20 horses? Thats what they say.It is noticible with the air on climbing a hill.Feels like it used to with the air off.Not really a difference at all.It did idle real funky the first couple times I started it when it was off.Till the computer reset to the new deal.Thats my take on everything.Now the great part of what this forum is about.I get to read others opinions compare it to what I know and ajust my thinking when they got a good point.Help a little learn a little.Thats what makes this forum stand out above any I ever saw before the quality of people here.
 
#55 ·
Synthetic is superior in some ways , and it may help increase MPG , but don't expect big gains numbers , you may notice increase over the course of time . synthetic lowers the friction between moving parts and is much better at keeping things clean .
The filter pliers I use , they have jaws that are shaped specifically to fit filters . like a re-engineered set of channel - lock pliers , makes it so easy to remove the filter in seconds -just grip and turn . Once it loose just spin off . They look similar to what is in the picture , with just a little bit of an offset to get in tight places
Synthetic will get black in time as it removes and cleans the inside of engine just depends how long it is in the engine
I f you change your oil regularly you will not likely see shavings on the plug , if it's not often changed it may show up , also depends on what is lying on the floor of the oil pan

I only fill mine to the full mark , overfilling increases chance of pressure on seals/gaskets and create leaks as well as causing air bubbles in oil, a little overfill not likely to cause serious problem , I just keep it at the top of the full mark and not go above it I usually have an inch of oil in the last quart bottle when i finished , seems it holds a little more than 4.5 but not quite the full 5 , but it depends on the design size of the oil filter , some brands may hold a little more than others ,
A 'windage tray' is an option that comes on many performance cars that keeps the excessive amounts of oil off of the crankshaft reducing parasitic drag, it does increase hp and torque due to it allowing the engine to make as much power as it was designed to make . You can say it is compared to running shoes as most people can run faster in running shoes than they can run in their work boots :mrgreen:
 
#57 ·
chevymaher said:
Now the great part of what this forum is about.I get to read others opinions compare it to what I know and ajust my thinking when they got a good point.Help a little learn a little.Thats what makes this forum stand out above any I ever saw before the quality of people here.
That's what I am talking about as well. I know I write too much and a lot of the times there is so much on my mind that I want to say that it gets all jumbled up in one post, so that's why I have to be careful when I write. LOL I have a hard time shortening and simplifying I guess.

Thanks for the info. I think I should be just fine with the mount of oil I put in then.

;)
 
#59 ·
I picked up a set of those plastic ramps. Rated for SUV/Truck/Van weight.
Getting under the car was MUCH easier and driving up on them was not as dodgey as I thought it was going to be...
Getting my girl's honda on the ramps dwas a different story because it bearly added any lift. For that vehicle it would be better to use the jack stands.
So I guess I'll keep them to work on the van.
 
#60 ·
Seems you got it covered. If you don't have a transmission cooler, installing one will reduce temps and increase life. I don't know if you're having a temp problem but you do say it stays hot for a long time. Also, I read a few things that bug me.

97,000 miles is not too late to switch to synthetic. If the oil was always changed on time, the engine should still be in well enough shape to take advantage of synthetic. I've got a Sonoma I'm about to sell that has 232,000 miles that has nothing wrong with the engine. Oil pressure on it is like a new engine but it has never ran on anything but 5w-30 conventional.

Also, while a heavier 40 wt oil will work (I actually use 10w-40 in my 87 Astro due to the mileage, age, hot climate, and mostly because the gauge reads a little low but it barely moves anyways), too thick is not a good thing. I wouldn't put 20w-50 in these engines unless you have some special circumstances where you need it somehow. If your oil pressure is at least 20 psi hot idle, you should be good. If it's below that, it usually helps to bump it up a grade but by the time you need 20w-50 to keep oil pressure up, the engine needs repair/rebuild/replacement.

Not trying to start anything...
 
#61 ·
One man's opinion. Save your money and use cheap oil. Consumer Reports did a study with 60 brand new New York taxicabs. 30 got regular oil changes and 30 got synthetic oil changes. At 100,000 miles they tore down all 60 engines and measured all the parts to compare to factory spec for new parts. The synthetic oil engines were no better than the regular oil ones. Besides, if you have a problem that would break down regular oil from heat, synthetic oil isn't going to fix that.
 
#62 ·
Hello folks, just had a situation on a newer 2003 Astro. The Oil Stick is pulling WITH IT the "straw" that holds it in place.
Despite my attempts to hold the straw down in place at one point the straw came out with the stick.
What is a good way to fixing the problem so I don't have to keep bothering with this totally loose, totally wobbly straw that comes out and creates a headache?
The straw is really beat up, bent and rusted. It needs to be replaced!
Thank you!
 
#63 ·
The tube is held in place via a screw that's attached to the trans dip stick tube. The trans dip stick tube is bolted to the top of the trans bell housing and block, so it's not going anywhere.

Here's a few pictures captured during an engine change. I'd get you a current picture, but it's 1:45 AM and raining outside. :hand:

Note that the screw is already loose and the position of the tubes are now reversed. I think you'll get the idea. BTW, it's not uncommon for the weld to break on the tubes where the flat plates are.
 

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#65 ·
Is this a modification that you made?
My oil tube is all the way to the left, sticking out precariously amongst some other stuff.
I need to get a new tube because the one I have is in really bad shape. Is that part available at a pep-boys?
 
#71 ·
Bis said:
The stick itself is not the problem. Its the tube that holds it which keeps coming out and is all bent and rusted.
Same answer, I'd think. They're mounted with just some really simple nut/bolt affair. One of mine mounts to an exhaust manifold stud on the passenger side. The "top end" of it was originally welded to a bracket that bolts to the top of the engine somewhere. The weld has broken and I've simply put a hose clamp on it instead of welding. That way I can bend/move it when trying to access various parts of the engine.

I think no matter what the style, a junkyard will be simple and hopefully cheap.

Lump
 
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