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engine oil advice

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new engine for my VE V6 has around 200k on the clock, just wondering about oil recommendations. i’m tossing up between the recommended 5w30 and a higher quality 20w50. have been getting different advice from every mechanic and shop owner in town, so only replies from people with a fair bit of experience with higher km engines.

ALSO - someone mentioned dropping the old oil, adding the 20w50, idling for ten minutes, then dropping that oil and adding the 5w30 and replacing filter. thoughts on this method?
 

greenacc

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What part of Aus are you in? I would not even think about using 20W50 unless it was summer time in Darwin.
In Sydney I use 5W40 in my Alloytec and have done for the last 8 years since it had about 150,000 ks on it. Now done about 270 and still running smoothly.
If I were you I would pull the rocker covers off before the new engine goes in the car to check it out for sludge build up. Possibly pull the sump off to just to be sure.
If it looks good inside I wouldn't bother with an extra oil change. Just change it once and drive it for a few months to see how it runs.
 
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What part of Aus are you in? I would not even think about using 20W50 unless it was summer time in Darwin.
In Sydney I use 5W40 in my Alloytec and have done for the last 8 years since it had about 150,000 ks on it. Now done about 270 and still running smoothly.
If I were you I would pull the rocker covers off before the new engine goes in the car to check it out for sludge build up. Possibly pull the sump off to just to be sure.
If it looks good inside I wouldn't bother with an extra oil change. Just change it once and drive it for a few months to see how it runs.

in Rockhampton QLD where summers are scorching. thanks for the advice mate!
 
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What oil to use probably comes down to personal choice in the end
My oil is always full synthetic 5w 30
Pushing 240k runs awesome with highway ks even down to 9ltrs/100ks.
The secret is to change change change oil BEFORE it's due.
I do mine around 5,000ks even earlier if I see a special on.

fair enough - definitely planning to do frequent services on it. the 15k recommended service is a joke for these engines
 

1985VK

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The secret is to change change change oil BEFORE it's due.
I do mine around 5,000ks even earlier if I see a special on.

THIS.

There are 2 groups on oil changes. One is change it regularly if not early. The other group believes in extended oil intervals.
I think the early group has a point. I have seen too much sludge and crap to believe physics and chemistry takes the day off for some oil companies.
 

vr304

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Definitely don’t go putting 20w50 oil in it mate it’s FAR too thick for a modern quad cam v6 engine especially one that’s already notorious for sludging up as it is with the recommended oil
 

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i use mobil 1 10w30 high mileage
i use this in all our cars once they hit 100,000 km
wifes car has 340,000km
engine balance test shows as good as new
uses less than 1 litre top ups between 10,000km services
 

Bonus

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Definitely don’t go putting 20w50 oil in it mate it’s FAR too thick for a modern quad cam v6 engine especially one that’s already notorious for sludging up as it is with the recommended oil

2nd this - 50 is way too thick, owners manual states SAE 5W/30 or 10W/30
 

Fu Manchu

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Every couple of years, I’ll drop the oil, dump in something pretty cheap and as thin as possible, run it for a bit and then drop that. Then replace the filter and let it all drain for an hour or so.
Put in the good oil.

When I was a grommet, Dad used to do a Kero 50% and oil 50% mix as a flush. That was in the olden days though when engines weren’t so sophisticated.

I don’t seem to remain loyal to any brand of oil. Use a full synthetic if possible.

Mighty Car Mods lads use Castrol because they are sponsors, seems good enough.

I might move to a 10w now the motors are collecting some k’s.

Grab a sticky label, jot down the k’s and stick it up in the corner of the windscreen.
 
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