What brand of oil do you guys use & routine car maintenance
 

When I got my new engine installed (well, not new engine, new housings and everything else cleaned and replaced) the guy who installed it put Castrol GTX motor oil in it. He told me to stick with that brand of oil and 20W50 weight (if I remember correctly). I know that switching brands/weight of motor oil is bad (at least that's what my dad told me a long time ago). So I just did my first oil change (2000 miles into it... should have done it sooner with the new engine, but didn't think of doing it till it was talked about on here...).

Also, what do you guys use to keep track of maintenance and oil changes, and stuff? Do they sell car books, where you can write that stuff in and have it organized? Receipts etc?

I don't know about everyone else but I've never worried about oil (as long as there is the right amount in there). I usually use 10w30 in whatever brand I happen to grab (usually Pennzoil). As for records I took a bunch of those little stickers that go on the top corner of the windsheild from the gas station where I work and just write it on there. It's not rocket science. As long as the oil is clean don't worry about it. Some people are too obsessive about crap like that. Relax, worry about more important things. Just mt $.02 Peace

I don't mean the tags for your car, I am talking about a book or something to keep receipts and notes about different things... so you can keep track of when things were last replaced, and stuff like that...

castol gtx is the stuff most use in the rx7...put in some marvel mystery oil as well. there is a lot of info. in the forum on Marvel Mystery Oil ...do a search in the forum and you will find inof about that. Keep receipts for sure, on the maintenence of your car. I have a manilla folder and anytime I do oil change, I mark it (date ) and paste the receipt to a 81/2 x11 piece of paper and put it in the folder. I am sure you can keep yourself organized and do it your way. Go to a book store like Borders, look in the auto section and you might get lucky and find a book on Rx7's. I did, I found one and when I have free time, I crusie over to the book store and hang....and read......have some coffee etc....and learn more about the rx7. I could buy it but I like reading at Borders. Also, do change the oil every 2500-3000 or 3 months...stay plugged into the forum, lots of good info . and discussion here, and learn....Have a good one!!!

Yep, that's what I have been doing... just reading on this forum now for about a month and a half, and keeping up to date with everything.

and yes, oil does make a difference (ie: don't use synthetic cause it does not burn well and the rx7 needs to burn the oil). weight of oil is important too....does schluff it off. read your owners manual, it will tell you what weight for your climate. Also, you can , and I do recommend you go with synthetic oils in your rear end and tranmission. Also, do keep receipts!! Don;t let anyone else tell you otherwise. It is good for many reasons (ie: when you sell the car, the buyer would be interested in knowing how well you take care of the car, and you have a record of when you did it so you "don't forget". there are other reasons but I don;t want to write a book here. If you think about it, you have two identical rx7's, one has no receipts , the other has it documented to "prove" how well it was taken care of, which car would you buy?? Be smart. be informed and seek out the best advise....see ya....cjf

Count me in on being obsessive about oil! All my cars get an oil change at 3k to 4k. My Rex get's it sooner than that cause the oil gets sooooo dirty. I use Castrol GTX 20w50 in the Rex 'cause it burns cleanly leaving less carbon on the rotors. Or so they say. If the oil looks particulary black, I dump a sacrificial can of 10w30 in when it's almost done draining to flush the crud out. Oh.. and I also put about 4oz of MMO in at each oil change too. I keep track with the little stickers in the window. And the worse part about it is that I lose sleep over it every night. ;)

Here's an informative link for you enjoyment. :)

http://mrmazda.members.atlantic.net/...xt.html#OBRAND

Marvel Mystery Oil? Is this code for an additive of some sort?

Here is the MMO definitive thread, enjoy :)

https://www.rx7club.com/forum/showth...el+Mystery+Oil

http://www.turtlewax.com/products/im...marvel1gal.jpg

nothing but valvoline ,,i use 20/50

Personally, I use Castrol GTX 20w50.

The 20w50 is because I usually add a quart of MMO which tends to thin out the oil, so I figure the combonation of 20w50 and MMO ends up being somewhere around 15w40 or 10w30.

I know a thicker weight will protect the metal parts that rub together. The MMO cleans the engine internals, I've seen this first hand.

Everyone knows not to use Synthetics or blends in rotaries as synthetics don't burn well and may produce carbon or other deposits in the combustion chamber.

What I don't know is why Castrol GTX? Why not Valvoline, or Mobil, or Pennzoil, or store brand oil? I use the Castrol because most of you use it and with the number of people that use it, they can't ALL be wrong.

Until I see a chemical make-up or at least some in depth research to the leftovers of different oils burning and such, I will always be a bit skeptical.

Pele, excellent... thanks for the info...

So this MMO stuff isn't junk or "octane in a bottle" type stuff?

I will pick some up next time :)

Marvel's Mystery Oil is very good stuff. It not only cleans engine internals well, but also makes the oil more stable so it doesnt goo up and turn into varnish and such. It works as a gas additive to.

It was originally designed as a supercharger lube, so it's gotta burn cleanly. Many old timers swear by it, and Denny has a listing of testomonials.

It's got a great minty aftertaste and high in essential nutrients to boot. :allcho:

I use nothing but new oil in all my engines. :D

Nah man. That new oil hasn't been tested yet.

I use half and half ATF and old black oil thats been in the engine for 5000 miles.

The use of old oil helps conserve our natural resources and my money, the ATF cleans it.

:nono:

:ret:

I always used 20w/50 castrol (summer) 10w-40 castrol gtx winter. But with this cosmo motor, since Im not running an OMP and using premix.. Im gonna run synthetic Royal Purple or Amsoil in it. Maybe Mobil 1, whatever I can find :)

ahh, MMO: the snake oil of the forum.

Who came up with that every 3000 miles thing anyway? My Mom's 97 caravan has 92k miles on it and the oil has been changed 3 times. That's it, still runs good, passes emmsions all that crap. My dad's 94 accord has 70k on it and the oil has been changed 4 times (maybe) and it too still runs great. I think everyone gets worked up over nothing. I know I'm asking for trouble posting this but whatever.

true 82. it depends on how bad the oil looks. that is why a lot of newer cars have sensers to detect when the car needs an oil change now. although your two cases seem extreme and the big deal is that it may have scarred the sleeves causing the car to lose compression. in all losing horsepower and shortening the life of the engine. 3k was a safe mark as most people won't go check what their oil looks like or know any difference, so it was easier to say 3k.

I swear honda's don't need oil,,and live,run, a friend of
mine stopped by, yesterday, and she drives a civic 4 door,97 or so,,i checked her fluids,,(that way too)and
the car was 0 on oil,none,zilsch,nada,,i put 3 quarts in
the car,i asked her how long has she been going since
the last oil change,,she didn,'t know,,,i tell you,,honda's
don't need oil,,,oh,,the car still runs ,! if you ask me.
honda's ARE good cars,,,but i wonder if it was a luck thing,or is it a honda thing,,

crack, booze, or comma happy?

where's my decoder ring.................

10w40 castrol GTX, and I change it every 3k and only use mazda oil filters. the oil always looks as good as the day I put it in when I change it.

Jeremy... hehe

SuperPhly : 20W50 is the most commonly used oil for summer temps. Castrol seems to be the most common brand. I used to use Kendall, the same as I used in my bike, but it became hard to find here. Since then, I've used Castrol. 20W50 come summer, but use 10W30 in the fall, before I put it away for the winter. The switch to the lighter oil would not be necessary in your case, of course. Lots of opinions in this thread:
https://www.rx7club.com/forum/showth...ight=oil+grade

As far as synthetics go: from all I've read, the "dirty burning" theory goes back a long way. They burn much cleaner these days. But I still use regular oil.

lots of experience, maybe??

You haven't read-up on rotaries, it appears.

1) A rotary runs hotter than other 4-strokes. Obviously, that's harder on the oil. Yes, a rotary will last 100k and much more with shitty maintenance, but the object for most rotary owners is to keep the engine in good shape for much longer, and we do.

2) A piston engine gets a fresh splash of cool oil as each piston returns to the bottom of it's stroke. A rotary injects oil into the combustion chamber to cool/lubricate the rotors/seals.
Obviously, you do not want dirty, gritty, oil injected into the chamber to scratch the hell out of the apex seals and rotor housings. An oil change every 3k is well worth it in the long run.

3) Even a piston engine needs more than three oil changes in 92k. If your Mom and Dad have such little interest in taking care of their cars, I'm glad I'm not the person buying it from them when it's time to sell. Nevermind a rotary.

4) Edit :)

-John.

what about 5w30????
i get my oil changed at the Mazda dealership down the street from my house (i would do it myself, but i got no ramps yet)....and hell, it's only 25 bucks (canadian)
Anyways.... they always put in 5w30. Is that ok???
Next time i get an oil change, should i tell them to put in 20w50??? Or should i stick with the 5w30??