Synthetic Oil

Oil of Choice

  • Castrol Syntec/Edge

    Votes: 233 8.4%
  • Royal Purple

    Votes: 325 11.7%
  • AMSOil

    Votes: 396 14.3%
  • Valvoline Synpower

    Votes: 160 5.8%
  • Mobil 1

    Votes: 992 35.9%
  • Other

    Votes: 660 23.9%

  • Total voters
    2,766

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Rampant

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Have you ever noticed the irony in that the most used oil (M1, according to this poll) is the least tested on this forum? It has more votes than 2nd and 3rd place combined, but I hardly ever see any UOAs with it. Things that make you go Hmmm...
 

chrisbh17

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Its interesting, though, that a lot of the cam/lifter failures are on vehicles that spend a lot of time idling (per the owners stories). Not ALL of them, but quite a few are used in situations that require a lot of idle time. I notice that the oil pressure goes up really quickly just barely off idle....would be interesting to see if the idle was raised just a tad, does it help get rid of some of the cam/lifter issues.

Not sure if it was this forum or not but someone had an excellent post on where the oil flows through the Hemi. It seemed pretty complicated and with a lot of small passages and twists and turns.....I wonder if a small amount of contamination, varnish, break in metal, etc could block it enough to cause an issue....whereas higher oil pressures would be able to overcome small obstacles, lower idle RPM pressures might not.
 

69GWC

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Its interesting, though, that a lot of the cam/lifter failures are on vehicles that spend a lot of time idling (per the owners stories). Not ALL of them, but quite a few are used in situations that require a lot of idle time. I notice that the oil pressure goes up really quickly just barely off idle....would be interesting to see if the idle was raised just a tad, does it help get rid of some of the cam/lifter issues.

Not sure if it was this forum or not but someone had an excellent post on where the oil flows through the Hemi. It seemed pretty complicated and with a lot of small passages and twists and turns.....I wonder if a small amount of contamination, varnish, break in metal, etc could block it enough to cause an issue....whereas higher oil pressures would be able to overcome small obstacles, lower idle RPM pressures might not.


You may very well be right on the Hemi, shoot maybe the cam gets oil last or maybe the passages to it are small and it gets to small amout of oil, Or the cams and lifters they use are cheap and some just go bad..
 

[email protected]

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Well guys I changed my front and rear diff after my gear swap break in after work today with the redline full synthetic I got from Nick. During the swap I had MagHytec diff covers put on as well. I have to say those covers are awsome. The magnets in the plug and dip stick picked up so much stuff from the break in its incredible. And so easy to change the fluid .
 

Rampant

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Myself I dont feel 34/36psi is low at all.
If it were down to 15/20psi then I would feel that it was low.

I remember my stock SB Chevy carrying 15psi at idle with never a thought or problem. lol
Well don't take it to the dealer unless you're out side of these specs, because this is what they say "normal" is lol:
226634455
 

chrisbh17

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Well don't take it to the dealer unless you're out side of these specs, because this is what they say "normal" is lol:
226634455

4 psi lol its like there is a hamster spinning the oil pump.

Seems like a joke, really.

And I do think they used cheap/inferior materials on the cams and lifters, but making sure there is plenty of oil there is what might help prolong them.

I had another instance of "piston slap" today, as expected....started truck, moved to other side of driveway, stopped truck. had to leave sooner than expected, 30 minutes later startup truck and sure enough 4 or 5 dry "knocks" in the upper end. I have proven if I start truck, move to other side of driveway, stop truck...then come back HOURS later, it wont make the noise.
 

Ramnewbie

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Have you ever noticed the irony in that the most used oil (M1, according to this poll) is the least tested on this forum? It has more votes than 2nd and 3rd place combined, but I hardly ever see any UOAs with it. Things that make you go Hmmm...
My theory on that is that most M1 users have probably used it for years and never had a problem, just not interested in testing it or changing brands. One of those if it ain't broke don't try to fix it.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk
 

Rampant

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Not sure if it was this forum or not but someone had an excellent post on where the oil flows through the Hemi. It seemed pretty complicated and with a lot of small passages and twists and turns.....I wonder if a small amount of contamination, varnish, break in metal, etc could block it enough to cause an issue....whereas higher oil pressures would be able to overcome small obstacles, lower idle RPM pressures might not.
I know this isn't the diagram you were referring to, but this does show the journals and pathways to crucial lubrication points on the Hemi.

223732319
 

Rampant

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My theory on that is that most M1 users have probably used it for years and never had a problem, just not interested in testing it or changing brands. One of those if it ain't broke don't try to fix it.

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Could be that or they just believe that it is the best because Mobil says it is and leave it at that.
 

Hemi395

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Its interesting, though, that a lot of the cam/lifter failures are on vehicles that spend a lot of time idling (per the owners stories). Not ALL of them, but quite a few are used in situations that require a lot of idle time. I notice that the oil pressure goes up really quickly just barely off idle....would be interesting to see if the idle was raised just a tad, does it help get rid of some of the cam/lifter issues.

I agree with this 100%. I had Sean at Hemifever tuning up my idle while in drive to 650rpm for this very reason. My oil pressure at hot idle in drive is now 44psi+
 

Hemi395

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Well guys I changed my front and rear diff after my gear swap break in after work today with the redline full synthetic I got from Nick. During the swap I had MagHytec diff covers put on as well. I have to say those covers are awsome. The magnets in the plug and dip stick picked up so much stuff from the break in its incredible. And so easy to change the fluid .
I love my MH diff cover and trans pan. High quality covers for sure.
 
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Hemi395

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My theory on that is that most M1 users have probably used it for years and never had a problem, just not interested in testing it or changing brands. One of those if it ain't broke don't try to fix it.

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I'll be honest, this was me before I got this truck...
 

Hemi395

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I know this isn't the diagram you were referring to, but this does show the journals and pathways to crucial lubrication points on the Hemi.

223732319
If I'm looking at that right, it looks like the cam and lifters are the last things to get lubricated? Or does the oil go up through the lifters through the pushrods to the rocker arms?
 

Hemi395

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Was you running regular M1 or M1 EP?

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Plain M1. I had been running that since the late 90s. Had really good luck with it and I considered myself a Mobil guy. I reluctantly switched to Pennzoil products when I got my Ram because it has the 6395 spec and M1 didn't. I didn't want any warranty issues for not using the oil with the "proper spec".
 

Rampant

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If I'm looking at that right, it looks like the cam and lifters are the last things to get lubricated? Or does the oil go up through the lifters through the pushrods to the rocker arms?

Yep, they are last in line. You could always run an interruptor circuit between the fuel pump relay and have it just turn over a couple seconds without starting to build oil pressure before she lights up.
 
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