Best Engine Oil?

I'm new to Tacomas, but not to engine oil. My previous truck ('88 Bronco) made it 285,000 miles using yellow-jug Pennzoil every 5000 miles. I was getting compliments on how amazingly clean my oil was on the rare occasions when I took it to shops for service.

Also starting at about 100k it would get Seafoam added about 200 miles before the oil change every other time. When it did die, it was electrical that did it in. The engine was purring like a kitten.

Point is: it's not the what, it's the when. Don't get lazy and start missing your service intervals and you'll be right as rain whatever oil you go with.

 

There is also a lot o misinformation from people on here that think purple oil is god.

If oil was so much better today because of additives wouldn't ever engine run for a million miles? Thats right they don't.

 

i use the signature series 5w-40. i am in florida, so not concerned with cold startups. i change every 10k. this is a 25k oil with 2 filter changes during that interval. i am a dealer so buying wholesale. in a cold climate not real warm in the summer i would use a 0w-30 or 5w-30 year round. by the way, using the 5w-40, the typical lifter noise is gone. using a lighter poil, the noise is there.

 

This again? Ok all brands are good even the cheap brands are API rated. I have been a diesel tech for well over 20yrs. I do oil samples on most of my customers engines annually. I have seen no differences in samples from the expensive synthetic to the good ole regular oil. The most important thing is regular oil and filter changes . Don't buy into the magical overpriced oils. This is from my 20 plus years of turning wrenches on engines not just my opinion.

 

On my Corvette, Chevy had Mobil1 5W-30 listed in the manual and required synthetic. When I pulled the top end of the motor apart to put in a new camshaft and new port and polished heads the motor looked almost brand new at 75K miles. Cylinder walls were perfect as well as the old heads, very miniscule wear.

On the Tacoma, the dealer charges me $19.95 for an oil change with Toyota filter. I let them deal with it while its still under warranty. I did install Royal Purple,

$28 75W-90 Synthetic Gear Lube - 1 Quart (Pack of 2)

75W-90, in the front/rear diffs and transfer case and went from 2500 rpm at 75 to 2100 rpm at 75 mph. So there seems to be some advantages to synthetic gear oil.

Bottom line: Put whatever you can afford into it, nothing is going to hurt the truck just change every 3-5K miles and you cant go wrong.

 

It's more than just a few chemical added.

Castrol began marketing it's "Syntech" as a synthetic. It is a Group-III hydrocracked mineral oil base.

Mobil filed suit claiming that it was not a true synthetic product.

The court found in favor of Castrol based upon the argument that the Group-III hydrocracked mineral oil was molecularly identical to the Mobil Group-IV base stocks.

This opened the door for Valvoline, Pennzoil, and Shell to add "synthetic" to the marketing of their Group-III products.
Prior to that point, the only game in town was Mobil-1, Amsoil, and RedLine.

To remain price-competitive, Mobil began blending Group-III with it's Group-IV basestocks, differing levels on different products.
Example, Mobil-1 15w50 automotive oil performs marginally better than Castrol GTX and comparable automotive synthetics in my motorcycle.
Mobil-1 V-Twin 20w50 maintains viscosity over 3x as long... matching the performance of Amsoil's motorcycle oil.

 

Impossible. It's a mechanical link. The oil didn't alter your gear ratio.

 

Yea I thought the same thing too but the day before I was running 2500 the day after I was running 2100 at 75 mph, nothing else was changed. I didnt change anything on the engine; oil, plugs, filters so something changed for it to go down and thats all I did. It was either the oil or pure f***ing magic.

 

If oil was so much better today because of additives wouldn't ever engine run for a million miles? Thats right they don't.[/QUOTE]

i agree on thiss ^ but engines have changed.. there not the same as before. on a older truck id say just use a plain oil.. on these newer aluminum engins its a bit different, id run something clean and that lubricates great with minimum residue.. also you gotta be aware of ur gaskets as well as when you introduce something different.. but in my opinion id use either what ever factory came with or run aftermarket AMSOIL with a factory filter.. there larger then aftermarket yunk.. & im just throwing it out but id use royal purp in my differential.. but thats just my view

 

Yep magic because there is no way that, that is possible, if you pulled off two spark plug wires it would still have to turn the same RPM to go 75!

 

That is correct the base lube is dino oil. If you have your reading glasses on read the back label of a Mobile 1 can look for the little tiny asterisk. There may be as many as 3 truly full synthetic oils out there Mobile 1 is not one of them. If it makes any one feel better you’re A/C runs full synthetic PAG oil. If you want your engine to last change the oil among other things burning gasoline makes water no lube made can deal with that and guess where it ends up? yep on the bottom.

 

It's important to start right. I recently bought a new Taco and just replaced my oil this past weekend.

I have used Mobil 1 in my 80 series LC since 94. She has 402,000 miles, no mechanical issues, just the usual service and still going.

I remember the million mile BMW back in the early 90's and I was sold.

Mobil 1 is the only oil I will ever use. The quality of the filter is equally important, so factory for me.

Cheers

 

I'm glad somebody brought up this topic. I was wondering about this.............................

 

LOL!


Hey, nice place you've got there. My compliments to the decorator you hired to dress up the rock you've been living under!

 

There is SOME variance with an automatic because of slippage under load and TC lockup.... but I paid attention to my 5-lug today.
75, downhill, foot not on the gas (so engine braking engaged), and I was taching around 2300, maybe 2400.
I know the gearing and tire size between the 5-lug and 4x4 is different, but at 70mph under steady load (moderate hill, not enough to drop out of 4th) or straight and level, foot on the gas to maintain, I'm at 2100.

These numbers are all "indicated"... actual GPS speeds are about 5mph lower.

 

I have been using canola oil lately at my oil changes.

Works great.

Best thing is if I change it when hot I can chop up a potato and toss in my oil pan and when I am finished I have some french frys to eat.

 

Just my two cents, but...I've always used 10-30 NAPA brand oil and NAPA Gold filter, for two reasons. One, I was always told oil is oil, it's all about when you change and what weight you run per what time of year it is, blah blah, so I stick with 10-30. Everyone I've ever talked to says it's a healthy medium for our little monsters (Yotas) for year round use. Second, price.
As for the filter, NAPA Gold is one of the filters (there's several, Toyota prolly one of them) that uses NO PAPER PRODUCTS in their filters. Solid metal. FRAM is the main culprit for having cardboard in their filters. If yer worried about bad oil, what do you suppose cardboard particulates will do over time? That's right, build the f*** up, and that's obviously not a good thing.
Now, with that said, I've recently gotten a "new" Taco that I want to treat like a gold plated coin. So, I've decided to switch to Amsoil full synthetic, and that's in the engine and the entire drive train. Why? Well, they were the FIRST to develop a full synthetic anything back in the late seventies (at least that's what they claim. I haven't seen lawsuits on 'em soooo.....) and I've talked to people that use it and have gotten more fuel economy, less heat in everything it's ran in (tranny, engine, diff, etc) and is generally some bad to the bone shiznat. Amsoil currently offers a six month introductory membership and then no obligation after that with the option to pay $20 a year. You pay for shipping, but you get the oil at COST. Throw in the fact they sell some bad @$$ filters and I'm sold man. Switching over means you cut the life of the synthetic on the first change, so we'll be generous and say half. After that, you stay current, use the recommended filter for yer ride and oil and you shouldn't have to change but every five to ten, depending on how hard you drive the thing, what elements it's exposed to, etcetera etcetera etcetera man. Even though I'm switching over, I'll still change every five MAX. Anyway, I've typed a book here, so take it for what it's worth and make yer choice. Once I'm switched to Amsoil, I won't change again.

 

I'm accustomed to changing every 3K btw and I cranked almost 380K outta my last Taco and the thing ran like a swiss watch.

 

10w30 is WAY too heavy for Colorado. You are not getting adequate oil flow on startup.

Depending on the year, and whether it's a 4 or 6 cylinder, Toyota specifies anything from 5w30 (which has been a standard for over 20 years), to 5w20 or 0w20.

New engines aren't like old engines. Tolerances are tighter and lighter oils are better for both long term durability and fuel economy.
10w30 has not been recommended by any auto manufacturer since the mid 1980s.