The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Mobil 1 oil. Anyone using it?

I'm going to try some in our '62 today. I have avoided it in the past because of the cost, but after learning a little about it I've decided to try it out. This poor engine has been abused so I'm gonna baby it for a while.

I was just wondering if anyone else had personal experience with Mobil 1.

Thanks.

Yes, I use Mobil 1 in my BMW and my motorcycle. Don't expect it to make an old engine sing, in fact, expect it to spring new leaks. Synthetic oil is thinner for a given viscousity than dino oil- the molecules are more uniform in the synthetic so it flows through little holes a lot easier than dino, which has some really big molecules in it that tend to plug up small leaks. You should only use synthetic in a new engine that has good seals.

Uh oh.

::::makes a quick U-turn::::

hmmm

I didn't think of it that way....

Well I see Josiah has caught you on this one all ready. You may think you are doing that old engine a favor but what you are probably doing is setting yourself up for a rebuild in the near future. I have seen lots of folks go this way. Sometimes cleanliness isn't the best thing, especially with an old engine. So start saving your pennies.

1. So, when it comes to old Chevys, cleanliness is NOT next to Godliness???



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http://www.billygraham.org/qna/qna.asp?i=2945&s=130

Where in the Bible does it say that cleanliness is next to godliness? My mother keeps quoting this to me (especially when she's trying to get me to clean my room), but I can't find it anywhere. -- E.M.

Dear E.M.:

From time to time I hear people quote something that they sincerely think is in the Bible, but in reality comes from some other source. The old saying your mother quotes is one of those; it is not found in the Bible.

Don't jump to the wrong conclusion, however, and think I'm saying you don't need to bother cleaning your room! Even if this proverb your mother quotes isn't in the Bible, many Bible passages do talk about the need for proper hygiene, and for order and discipline in our lives. Your mother knows that the habits you establish now will probably stay with you the rest of your life.

In other words, if you always take the easiest way in life now, you will probably do the same thing later on. But where will that get you? It means you will probably end up avoiding things that may be hard or unpleasant, but could help you get ahead in life if you would but tackle them. The Bible says, "One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys" (Proverbs 18:9). It also warns, "Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in slave labor" (Proverbs 12:24). Don't become a slave to laziness!

But I hope you won't lose sight of something that is far more important than this -- and that is your relationship with God. God loves you, and He wants what is best for you. In fact, Jesus Christ came into the world so you could know God and be His child forever. If you have never done so, open your heart to Him today.
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2. My son is already talking about his "next" engine!

Uhoh, that had a Chief sort of ring to it.

More of a thump than a ring...

Lets try not to be too judgemental. He who is without wear, throw the first rod.

Anyhoo, synthetic oil is a bad idea for old motors. And when we say old, we mean wear-wise. I wouldn't switch any high-mileage motor to synthetic, because of the chances of increased leaking and oil pressure differances due to engine wear.

Just use Castrol 30W and change it when it turns dark brown, or 1,500 miles, whichever is first.

The less you disturb an old Chevy 6, the better. Once you change things, or go into one, there is no turning back, young skywalker!

good luck

chip

yo chip, better point him at Solowookie....

I agree that you should not use Mobil 1 on an older engine but not for the reasons stated.
A few years back, my daughter had a '93 FFFF Probe (sorry about the four letter word) with 230,000 miles. Actually, it's a mazda with a blue oval on the hood. Ran well and used no oil between 3,000 mile oil changes. The hyd lifters were on the noisy side. With Mobil 1 that thing was so quiet, you would never suspect it then wanted a quart every 600 miles. Going back to regular oil did not quench its thurst. Valvoline Max Life reduced the consumption to 800-1000 miles but the damage was done. There seems to be, no going back. I wouldn't know about smaller molecules. I think it simply cleans the sludge and varnish from around the seals.

Hi Richard,

Was it burning the Mobil 1 oil, or was it just leaking out all over the place?

Yes, Yes.

Mr. Frog...Don't do it!! For all the above reasons! Don't get me wrong..the stuff is great, and I use it in several of my vehicles. But it is not recommended for use in applications such as yours. Remember (and the geezers on this forum may want to help me with this ...older engines ran on non-detergent oil, and in a lot of cases on high mileage engines, switching to newer, high detergent oil "broke" loose all sorts of crud deposits that collected in various parts of the engine (back then) and caused some problems in some cases...especially with the inferior oil filtration systems used on earlier engines. Just use a high grade of oil and use a quality filter.
"Don't spoil the help!"

I use it in my '97 Saturn which we bought new. Every 3000 miles I change the filter and add a quart! After years of hearing good things about it, I tried it on a new car with 80,000 mile warranty........ still going fine at 86,000 miles! I wont use it in a tired old engine, but the new 250 6cyl will be getting some.

I'm not so sure its a good idea to just change the filter & add a quart. Even though synthetic oil may resist some breakdown modes of dino oil, the crankcase contaminates (combustion gases, metal shavings, etc) still end up down there. And they stay there unless the oil is drained. That can't be good. How does the synth oil counter that?