Aug. 31 Weekly Open Thread
by Editor
on August 31, 2009
As usual, this thread is the place for all random conversation that doesn't fit anywhere else.
The open Our Cars posts will start going up this week, so this is the right place to discuss any current events or breaking new. If you have a story about your own car to contribute, please submit it at carlustinfo@amazon.com.
--Chris H.
Bill T. on August 31, 2009 at 11:49 AM
This is about oil, and allied items:
1. Way back in the '50's, when I first started driving, there were numerous ads (in various mags) for a replacement oil pan drain plug that went under the name of the Magna-Power plug. According to the ad, this drain plug had a magnetic tip that would attract metallic particles and keep them from from circulating within the lubriction system. The plug also had a chemical component that would neutralize the acids which were a by-product of combustion, keeping corrosive elements away from sensitive engine components, specifically bearings. I had forgotten about this plug, when I went into a parts store to buy a new plug for my Buick. The one I bought has a magnetic tip. Several years after first seeing the product, a similar one is on the market. If they are sold as replacements, and are effective, why not include them as original equipment?
2. Oil additives, of which there are several available. This is about Wynn's Friction Proofing, and it was written up in a magazine also back in the '50's. According to the ad, a person bought a new car (make not mentioned), and immediately added Wynn's to the crankcase. Within a short time, the engine froze up. Upon teardown and examination, it was revealed that at the factory, the oil passages had not been drilled out completely, and the Wynn's was the only lubricant that kept the engine going as long as it did. The whole story may be a myth. Overall, what is the consensus on additives?
3. About synthetics. An acquaintance of mine has two ZR-1's. He will only use synthetic oil in them. In talking about this, he said that if one buys a new Corvette, only synthetics are recommended, and if a regular oil is used, there is a chance that the warranty will be voided. This seems rather extreme.
Any similar experiences?
David Colborne on August 31, 2009 at 12:02 PM
Bill T - I know that most automatic transmissions I've run across lately come equipped with factory installed magnetic drain plugs. Then again, the parts that need lubrication and the lubricant itself are much closer than the engine is to the bottom of the oil pan - perhaps most manufacturers don't believe magnetic oil drain plugs are necessary since there's more than enough room for contaminants to settle?
As for oil additives... *shrug* The trouble that I personally have with them is there doesn't seem to be any reputable source that really analyzes what they do or what sort of long-term effect they have on engines. I might not be looking hard enough, of course, but most of the claims additives make practically scream "snake oil" to me. That said, even non-synthetic oils add all sorts of detergents and whatnot, so clearly adding something to old-fashioned dinosaur juice is definitely the way to go; of course, how your additives would react to or with, say, Castrol's additives would be a rather interesting mystery.
Finally, when it comes to synthetics, as I alluded to earlier, there are so many additives in modern oil that I'm not sure you could really tell the difference between conventional oil and synthetic anymore. Chemically, they're probably nearly identical by this point.
...m... on August 31, 2009 at 03:59 PM
...the specified maintenance procedure for the 2ZZ-GE in my lotus (and i expect many other contemporary high-revving, mechanically-complex modern engines subject to high stresses under very close tolerances) is to run non-synthetic oil exclusively during the break-in period, to properly bed and seat all the sundry components in a thin build-up layer which mitigates surface imperfections, and then switch over to exclusively synthetic oil for the motor's full operational life when it will be used under much higher-stress conditions than the break-in period and intolerant of the impurities in old-fashioned motor oil...
...i'm sure those specifications were developed with good reason on these motors which wind up to nine thousand RPM, but they probably don't apply to more-pedestrian low-stress powerplants...certainly synthetic oil won't hurt in the latter case, but whether or not it help extend the life of vehicles already lasting two hundred fifty thousand miles, i have no idea...
Shawn on August 31, 2009 at 05:27 PM
I figure if a car came stock with dino oil, it must be good enough to keep putting in. If it was built to run synthetic, then you better pony up the bucks and use it exclusively.
While we're on the topic of oil, I have to bring up what a delight having the "Fumoto Valve" is in my Subaru. We've gotten along happily for over a year now. Makes oil changing a breeze and no worries about cross threading the drain bolt. Hasn't leaked a drop and closes very securely. I wish manufacturers would consider licensing the technology as original equipment. Not trying to spam but I do love this product, check it out at: http://www.quickoildrainvalve.com/
Chuck on September 01, 2009 at 07:48 PM
The Miata is the only car I've had that I can't change the oil. It sits so close to the groung that drain plug access is impossible, and it will scrape its schnoz if I try to put it on ramps.
So off it goes to "Wally's Service Station" and, for about $10 more than what the supplies cost me at an auto parts store, they lift the car, change the oil and filter, and check all fluids. If I didn't like doing service work on the other vehicles myself, that's not a bad deal at all.
...m... on September 01, 2009 at 08:42 PM
...my elise can navigate a pair of rhino ramps just fine for undercarriage access; unless your MX5's dropped and track-prepped with full ground effects all the way around, i can't imagine that its ground clearance is any less...
Shawn on September 01, 2009 at 11:02 PM
No, I see exactly where he's coming from. My BMW 635CSi will not clear my Rhino Ramps either without scraping the airdam. I have some custom built wooden ramps that do the trick.
David Colborne on September 02, 2009 at 12:03 AM
Speaking of Rhino Ramps, I tried to get my old Dakota on to a set of those back in the day. Unfortunately, it was rear wheel drive and, even by 1993, Dodge apparently had a "positraction optional" policy or something - I say that because, one fateful day, I attempted to get on to the ramps, only to have one of them shoot out from under the rear wheel and fly off into the neighbor's yard across the street!
After that, I just shifted it into 4L and took it from there.
Chuck on September 02, 2009 at 07:42 AM
In aerospace terms, it's the angle of attack that keeps the Miata off of the ramps. The car is 100% stock, custom ramps might be an answer, but it's also fun to say 'Hey to you and yours' to Goober every once in a while.
...m... on September 02, 2009 at 10:38 AM
...ah, probably a difference in overhang then, i'll wager...
...speaking of alternative oil drain systems - has anyone tried those pump systems which operate through the dipstick tube?..i'd be concerned about leaving particles down in the bottom of the oil pan, although i suppose that's what an oil filter's for...
That Car Guy on September 02, 2009 at 11:42 AM
I haven't tried the oil vacuum yet, but I'd like to see a similar antifreeze removal system. Wouldn't that make flushing and changing coolant much easier? On the Tribute, you have to remove a plastic engine shield under the engine to drain the stuff. Then you go to work.