re: Question about oil for high mileage cars

[Joe Elliott <jee@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 1:17 AM +0000 4/16/03, alfa-digest wrote:
> Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2003 00:31:51 +0000 (GMT)
> From: greg@domain.elided
> Subject: Question about oil for high mileage cars
>
> I've noticed Valvoline and I think Castrol both have special oils for
> "higher mileage" vehicles. Anyone know if there is anything chemically
> unique that justifies their claims of being better than regular oil?
>
> I'm using Castrol 20w50 on my 74 Spider w/about 110k miles. This is their
> regular oil,not the "special" oil.
>
> Anyone have any experience or other information about the credibility of
> these special oils or is it just as well sticking with regular oil.
>
> Thanks,
> Greg

Here's my oil tale... I was using Castrol GTX 20w50 in my GTV-6, the 
same oil that the PO used, and it was gradually smoking more and 
more, despite the fact that I wasn't doing anything abusive.  I 
decided that since the car sat for 3 years with dirty oil in it 
before I bought it, that the rubber bits (namely the valvestem seals) 
had gotten hard and brittle and become less and less effective when 
the car was returned to regular use.  I noticed Valvoline MaxLife on 
the shelves, but it wasn't available in 20w50.  Then Castrol came out 
with their High Mileage formulation, so I tried that--little or no 
change in smoking and consumption--I thought I noticed slightly less 
smoke, but it was probably more of a placebo effect than anything 
else.  Then Jim Kirzinger told me about Kendall oil, so I tried their 
20w50 on the next oil change--consumption and smoking were down 
noticably.  I went ahead and replaced the valvestem seals anyway. 
Much to my pleasant surprise, consumption was down even more and it 
didn't smoke *at all.*  That's when I foolishly decided to try and 
save thirty cents a quart on my next oil change and go back to the 
Castrol (High Mileage forumulation) on my next oil change.  Would you 
believe that it smoked almost as much as it did before I went to 
Kendall oil OR replaced the seals???  So then I reverted to the 
Kendall oil on the next oil change, expected to return to the 
pleasant smoke-free operation I experienced with that oil after 
replacing the seals--nope, no change at all.  What gives??  They only 
conclusion I can draw is that the Castrol GTX High Mileage oil 
somehow ruined new valvestem seals over the course of 3000 miles (if 
not instantly).  What's the deal here?  Valvoline MaxLife is now 
available in 20w50, so I'm tempted to try it.  I've also seen an 
additive branded as being "Valvoline MaxLife" which I might try as 
well.  I couldn't have been happier than I was with the Kendall oil 
and new valvestem seals before I switched back to Castrol, and I wish 
there was a logical explanation for what happened.

Joe Elliott
'82 GTV-6
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