Best Brand of Oil

I know I may start a small-scale war here since a lot of times
preferences for brands of oil differ from person to person, but I still
thought I'd get a "vote".

I have a 1990 Honda Prelude that I recently dropped in a JDM B20A. (Had
to replace my B21A1 because it was burning 4 quarts of oil per week)
The B20A has about 50K miles on it, and it's running great. (It's only
burned about 3/4 of a quart in over 2,500 miles, and most of that is
probably my fault since I'm an aggressive driver) The time for an oil
change is drawing near, and although I know the correct weight is 5w-30,
any suggestions on the best brand/type? I've always heard Castrol GTX
is good, but others swear by synthetic. I don't know what brand the
mechanic that installed the engine used, and frankly, I don't care, as
long as I'm using an oil that will prolong the life of this engine. As
far as weather goes, I live in the piedmont of NC, so our average
summertime temperature is upper-80s to lower-90s. (Don't know if that
matters or not, but figured I'd mention it anyway)

One final question: The B20A's horsepower peaks at 5800RPM, so when I'm
shifting, that's usually what I rev it up to. Is this going to hurt the
engine even though the redline is at 6500 and I NEVER rev it that high?

Thanks in advance!

Jon

 

Hi Jon: I think if you stick with any good name brand you cant go
wrong.BUT having said THAT >? when you operate machimnery at or near
its potential constantly, it doesnt matter what brand of oil you use .
it will break down and wear out quickly.
Speed kills in more ways than one .

Having said that, THOUGH IF I WAS REVING MY CAR ENGINE NEAR ITS UPPER
LIMIT MOST OF THE TIME ?I WOULD OPT FOR A 10 W 30 OR 15W 40 DEISEL
RATED OIL.

Deisel rated oil has more anti-wear phosphorous in it than regular
auto oil.

Of course with those few miles on the engine I would suggest 15w50
Mobil 1 synthetic , as far as I know ?; the best motor oil on the
market today as many high performance cars come filled with Mobil 1
from the Factory including Porsche , Dodge Viper Mercedes-Benz etc..

There MAY be a SMALL chance of developing some leaks with synthetic on
an engine that has 50,000 miles on it but its cheaper than a another
engine to repair if it happens

I had a Honda Accord with75,000 miles on it when I swtiched to Mobil 1
and never had any leaks

I personally use Mobil 1,5w30 in my `02 Camry-4 but it only had 45,000
miles on it when I bought it, so far no leaks and it starts in the
wnter every time .

I know you`re in the sunny south , but up here synthetic in Ontario is
almost mandatory in winter .

Mobil 1 does not even begin to thicken until the temp reachers -47 *
F(according to the label) and I can vouch for this as my car starts
like it is summer every day in the winter.

I also use Mobil 1 15w 50 in my `01 750 Honda Shadow and the
difference is amazing compared to dino oil .
shifts are smoother and neutral is a snap to find.

Synthetic by its nature is MUCH slipprier than dino is the reason why.

I used to use dino oil in all my vehicles but since Mobil 1 came out ?
thats all I use now

Of course the only time I get near to the upper rev limits is when I
drop the car into passing gear but this is not on a daily basis and is
infrequent at best.

Hope this helps ?
mred

 

Thanx for the input. As far as my revving it up to 5800RPMs, I although
I do it everyday, it isn't constantly. I drive 90 miles on the
interstate everyday going to and from work. I only rev it up like that
on my entrance to the interstate, and that's it. The rest of the time
I'm cruising around 4000RPMs in 5th gear going about 75-80MPH. (That's
a Prelude's gear ratio for ya) Of course, when I'm driving in the city
I can't rev it up like that, I'd get pulled over for sure. ;-)

What is your opinion of Lucas Oil Stabilizer? Does the 20% ratio work,
or does it lead to more sludge build-up in the long run?

Thanx again!

Jon

 

I have had good results with Lucas Oil Treatment, as well as Lucas Oil Fuel
additive.

No sludge buildup in either my 93 Nissan Altima or my 98 Civic.
t

 

I have never hard of Lucas oil stabilizer up here in ontario.

What I used to use was: Militec oil additve . It claims much less wear
on an engines internals .They call it a metal conditioner

When I used deisel oil in my cars I used MILITEC as well I think it
was 8 oz to an oil change .

I have never ever had a problem with my car engines , I think
basically because I changed the oil MORE frequently than what others
would consider neccessary (every 4000-5000 kilometres severe
service)and the fact I ALWAYS used deisel rated oil , which has MORE
friction modifiers than conventional energy saving auto motor oils.The
Militec didnt hurt either

Since my driving was mostly in the city back when I was working I
always used the severe service schedule.
Now I`m retired and my driving is about 50-50 and I use Mobil 1 grey
cap in the spring and Mobil 1 yellow cap (extended service) in the
winter.(15,000 mile oil)
I change oil and filter spring and fall.

I`m talking 350,000 k on an `86 2 litre Honda Accord too; only
problem I had was maintenance (adjusting the valves once or twice)

 

I'm not one to talk "junk" on the internet, but your first response
was absolutely retarded. If you put 15w40 or heavier viscocity oil in
your honda you will put extremely excessive wear on your crank case,
and possibly destroy your engine. It will also hurt your gas
mileage. Plus Deisel oil is made for deisel fuel. Its just not made
to stand up with all the detergents and additives that are put into
gasoline. I own two oil change facilities and one all around repair
shop and it is my life. As far as which oil is best. If you look-up
any test by the API(american petroleum Instite) it will normally
conclude that Amsoil Synthetic is the best. In a 2.0 Honda motor with
less than 100,000 miles it is probably recommended that you use a 5w30
maybe as heavy as a 10w30. Any name brand oil that is certified by
the API will work, but synthetics are superior, and AMsoil beats all
others(including Mobil 1) in most test. With a synthetic, oil
additives are not necessary. However many have been proven to help
reduce friction(I sell TX7 at my shop). One of my vehcles is a 95'
accord(my daily driver) with the H22A vtec. Its had an Intake,
header, and exhaust. I dog it and have 200,000 on it and it runs
perfectly. As far as your reving goes. I don't know off hand what
the redline is for that specific block, but it is no problem to barely
hit the redline somewhat often in a honda motor. Check on a honda
message board(such as hondaclub.com) to find out your specific
redline. The s2000 doesn't even redline till 8500. They make tight
small motors with a short stroke so it can be reved. You don't wwant
to go far past your peak horsepower, but the farther you go the father
you are into your torque band when you shift to the next gear.
Thankyou for your time.

 

I've been using using synthetic oil for almost twenty years now. I used to
use Mobil1 until the cost shot out of the stratosphere.

I've been using WalMart's SynTech 10W-30 in my '98 CRV for around three years.
I' not saying it's the best synthetic out there but it's a bargain at $2.
99/qt.