So which is the best Non-Synthetic oil for the FC?

 

this again (sigh)

 

I said non-sythetic.

 

Castrol

 

Yes, and he said "sigh"

If you look around a little bit, you will find MOST people use/suggest castrol GTX 10w-40 or 20w-50.

 

All the top selling brands are good.
You can argue about specs (search for "oil faq"), but when it comes down to it...they are all the same.
Pennzoil, Quaker State, Castrol, Valvoline...are all fine.
Castrol is very popular due to their very good advertisement campaign.


-Ted

 

Castrol is the most common one I've heard

 

Damn I never knew that, FAQ says 10W30.

 

I usually used either castrol or pennzoil

 

Castrol GTX!

Purchase the normal one, not the high mileage version.

 

Any API, SAE, ILSAC oil that meets 'SL' or 'SM', and the 'GF3' or 'GF4' specs is plenty good nowadays. Stick with what is on sale, what has rebates, and whatever is cheapest. Cheapest usually means the store branded oil.

Its more important to keep the oil fresh, like changing it ever 3k/3mo. And, top it off at every fuel fillup.

 

I've been using castrol gtx since before I ever saw one of their ads. I always used it in my other cars, and thats what was used in my 7 when I bought it, so I kept using it. From waht I have read, it does burn particularly cleanly, so the "sludge" stuff in the ads isn't totally advertising rhetoric. Its even more important for rotaries since they always burn oil. The way I see it, I would rather spend an extra 5 bucks every 3k miles to have an oil that burns cleaner.
But as stated, if you're strapped for cash, or just cheap, then anything with the above mentioned certs will work fine.

 

+1. Definately. I lean towards Castrol GTX myself, but for all I know the others could be just as good. And people do have long lasting engines on them. I think the FAQ is a better source for choosing viscosity (10w30 or 20w50), but it won't really hurt to use other viscosities.

Don't fill your oil when your car is warm or you run the risk of overfilling it. I just found out about about this, then I checked my oil and it was ~1/3 qt. too high. Having way too much oil might blow a seal in a piston engine - the one seperating your engine oil from your tranny oil, yikes. I don't know what it will do to a rotary. Wait 15 minutes for the oil to drain into the crankcase before checking your oil. I used to wait 5 minutes, but apparently that wasn't enough. Better yet, check your oil once a week in the morning before you drive.

 

castrol GTX

 

I always check my oil hot after a fillup(usually 5 minutes to pump and pay) on all my vehicles, unless otherwise suggested differently in an owners manual.
I want to check my oil in the condition that it is in most of the time, warm-hot, in all my vehicles.
I also want my level to be checked with my filter full of oil, not after it has drained empty overnight into the pan creating an artificial higher level. Most filter ADBVs don't work as well as advertised.

Overfilling isn't much of an issue if level is 1/2 quart or less overfilled. Some engine benefit from being slightly overfilled, especially if the vehicle is tracked.
I've never seen boingers pop seals even when overfilled. They, like any engine with crankcase ventilation, might just suck up surplus oil. Aeration and windage is an issue caused by being grossly overfilled.
If you're grossly overfilled, by more then a pint, you shouldn't have a drivers license or a car.

Per my Rx7 owners manual:
Check the oil on a level surface(concrete slab at the gas station pump), with an engine at normal operating temp(the drive to the gas station), with engine off for 5 minutes(my typical fillup/pay time for the fuel). So simple.

So, IMO, checking the oil cold after sitting overnight is wrong!

 

well I have been using 100 percent canola oil for a while but I found it was fouling my plugs too quickly, been running on sunflower oil ever since with no problems.

 

Hmm. So much for the Haynes manual. It says 15 minutes or cold. My other source said 30 minutes or cold. Haynes must copy-paste the same thing into every manual. I've been doing it exactly the way you do it right up to now. Guess I'll continue. I'll bet it doesn't matter either way, though.

RU serious??