Anyone using it? What brand?
Pros and cons?
General opinions?

Mobil-1. Much lower pour point (= flows through the engine quicker on cold start), much greater heat resistance (= less coke/sludge formation), greater lubricity = lower engine friction. Much greater resistance to deterioration = stays stable over longer periods = some consolation for the fact I have to store my \6 so much of the year.

BUT, even plain old ordinary regular normal engine oil off the shelf is VASTLY better today than it was even five years ago, let alone 44 years ago when the Slant-6 was designed. For most of us, myself included, synthetic is completely unnecessary overkill.

Don't let the Scamsoil droids convince you their expensive gunk is superior to properly-tested, properly-certified regular or synthetic name brand oil, 'cause it's not. Nevertheless, a lot of those guys get pretty religious about the matter.

I run mobil 1 full synthetic 20w50 w/the taller 1qt filter (wix# 51773).

To add/expand SlantSixDan's list, synthetics also exhibit better viscosity characteristics over varied temperature ranges, so it won't get really thick when cold or thin out when hot, but stays more constant.

I agree its overkill, but I like how synthetics tend to leave engine inards cleaner. I figure synthetics may be a better choice for me as well because I don't drive my car consistently enough to be changing the oil more then a handful times a year so a more stable oil would help from deposits collecting.

Remember, slants have lasted several hundreds of thousands of miles on ordinary dino oil so don't stress about it. Its kind of neat though to see peoples eyes bug out when you tell them your oil changes cost you $30.

Diesel oil is good stuff also. Better anti-wear and cleaning additives than what you get in automotive oil. My oil is still clean after 1K miles and short trips (10 miles to work and back). Don't know if its as good as synthetic oils, but its a cheaper alternitive (I like cheap).

Clean? So the oil protects itself to become dirty? A teflon oil, which rejects $#!+? And the dirt goes... where?

There is a flow of 10...50% of exhaust gases passing the piston and rings. And as the exhaust tube is sooted, so there is some going to mix together with oil. Its better to get that smut off the drain plug than in the engine parts washing machine. And cheaper, if a man is looking for economies.

OK. It is money wasting to put quality oil in old, worn engine. But when a slant six is rebuilt using quality parts and labour, it can use well even thinnest modern motor oils.

I have used 0W-30 (any synthetic) oil all seasons. When the slant is in good shape, the oil consumption stays in acceptable level. I have recorded 1 liter / 5...7000 kms, which I usually keep the change interval.

So I do not add anything between changes.

PS. The ministarter is word-to word "mini", when its time to crank the slant at -30C (quess its near -60F). Old V8 model gives better results.

Thanks for the replys guys!

My motor has less than 60,000 miles. For a /6 barely broken in

Cost is not a big deal as I can find Mobil 1 10w30 in 5qt jugs at the local
xxxmart stores for around 20$ u.s. Even with a filter I can do it myself
for 30$ u.s.

The advantages I see are: better cranking in cold weather and not having
to change the oil as often.

I know that the mantra of these days is "change the oil every 3000 miles".
That's great if changing oil is your new hobby. Of course you can't go
wrong changing the oil frequently but in Europe many drivers don't change
oil until the 10,000 mile mark and europeans keep their cars for a long
(10 years average) time. Like gas, oil is more expensive in Europe too.

As this relates to the /6, there are many instances I know of where the
oil changes were neglected. Like my 77 Aspen. I chnged the oil once
a year weather it needed it or not

The /6 is an amazingly durable engine. I think, under normal driving conditions, a twice a year oil change with synthetic oil would be reasonable.

The 3000-mile oil change is a badly out-of-date notion as regards today's oil and filters in most engines in most cars on the road today. The major exceptions would be worn engines that dirty their oil quickly, vehicles used primarily for short-trip service, and vehicles used in climates that experience extremes of heat and/or cold (where it may be necessary to change the *grade* of oil before the oil itself is in need of changing).

But, the oil change industry likes the 3000-mile change interval for obvious reasons, so we still get a steady stream of "advice" to change oil every 3K.

Engine oil analysis is a terrific tool for homing in on the exact needs of any particular engine in any particular vehicle driven under any particular conditions. The best site on the web for discussing vehicular lubrication is www.bobistheoilguy.com .

Hey! I'm a scamsoil droid.

_________________
It's a Slant thing. Even I don't understand.

1974 Duster, EFI /6 soon to be turbo...

Get that Monkay! Get that nasty thing!!

This may add something to your quest for the perfect oil.

http://www.nordicgroup.us/oil.htm

OK, well, you practice your religion without preaching it to me, and everything'll be just fine.

I was doing ok with this article till this came up:
Since "Big Oil" is in bed with the un-elected president in the U.S., don't expect any action of lower sulphur fuel for a while in the United States. If Al Gore is re-elected in 2004, and the Supremes don't simply ignore the election results again, then there is a chance for lower sulphur fuel in the U.S. beginning in 2005.

Sorry, if a guy can't keep his politics out of his tech article, I have a hard time taking anything he says seriously, no matter how accurate he may otherwise be.
Hey Dan, when have you seen me 'preach' anything in these pages? So what you're saying is that it's ok for you to attach a negative meaning to the product ('scamsoil') and the people who use it ('droids') but you don't wish to read something you might disagree with? Sorry, gotta call you on that.

_________________
It's a Slant thing. Even I don't understand.

1974 Duster, EFI /6 soon to be turbo...

Get that Monkay! Get that nasty thing!!

There's been no announcement on a rollback or stall on the introduction of low-Sulphur fuel in the US.

You? Never. My reaction is due to the bad behavior of way, way too many Scamsoil types over the years. Please consider my comment as it was intended: A friendly warning not to do it around me.

Agreed.

D/W

_________________

If it ain't broke, fix it!

Excuse me .... but ...er....um, synthetic oil was the topic.....
is it good? or bad? Or a evil plot driven by underground aluminum nazis
to gain an upper hand in the lower tech believers?

Everything about synthetic oil is good, except the cost. Running good oil is not an immediate gratification kind of thing. However, I did switch to 5w30 (Mobil 1) in my Ramcharger and saw an immediate 10 degree drop in coolant temp, which was good, as it was running a little warm.

_________________
It's a Slant thing. Even I don't understand.

1974 Duster, EFI /6 soon to be turbo...

Get that Monkay! Get that nasty thing!!