Towing what to look for?

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Pennzoil Platinum seems to hold up well to high heat, high stress situations. I'd just stick with 5w-30, both 10w-30 and 5w-30 are the same exact thing at operating temperature. I'd prefer the 5w for better cold start flow, since 90% of all engine wear occurs during startup, oil flow would be my top priority. Summertime wouldn't matter which you use though, but I'd still stick with the 5w, just my preference. I run 5w-30 year round and have never had any problems with it in my Tacoma.
 
Originally Posted By: Donald
Originally Posted By: BrocLuno
Towing 5K will have the sump temps up pretty high. And he'll be spinning the motor down a gear, or two, on any grade at all. Plus the 'Finder has a small'ish sump to start with. Not the best combo for robustness.

1st I'd find an oversized WIX/Napa Gold filter if it uses a common spin-on (?), to add a bit of total capacity to the lube system.

Then I'd look for Chevron Delo 15W-30 Severe Duty (SD) oil. At least you have a 15 grade as a minimum as all Hades breaks loose (heat) on a long up hill pull. Very stable and durable multy.

I'd also add a tranny cooler and make sure you have fresh tranny fluid as the summer starts.

Change to all-metal, all -season coolant and make sure the hoses are in good shape.

Have fun, but be sensible about long uphills. Don't try to keep up with everybody ...


An oversize oil filter will add almost nothing to the total oil capacity in %. Maybe it adds 4 oz to a 5 QT system? Not worth mentioning.


Quite a bit of heat gets shed at the filter though, an oversize will help there.
 
In my reading on the Pathfinder forums, no one really mentioned overheating issues of any fluid, as the trans has an external cooler in addition to the one in the rad.
Lots of guys got air bags for the rear spring sag though. The odd one seems to eat the timing chain guide and if I got one I'd run a higher HTHS syn oil all the time just to hopefully avoid a timing chain issue.
 
Originally Posted By: Donald

An oversize oil filter will add almost nothing to the total oil capacity in %. Maybe it adds 4 oz to a 5 QT system? Not worth mentioning.


You and I differ on opinion. Any meaningful increase in media surface area reduces the pressure drop across the media, allows more entrapment area; and with larger container increases total oil capacity.

Some oversized filter are only a slight increase, say another cup full. That's not much. But I regularly run 2 qt spin-ons and that is a significant increase in a 4 qt system that originally called for shorty filter. So it depends on how big an "Oversize" you can fit...

But since they are usually the same price (or close), there is no harm, no foul; and you do get increases for the same $$. So what's the not worth mentioning angle...
 
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I picked up some Chevron Delo 400 XLE simi synthetic 10w30 for my Pathfinder for the summer towing season. From what I read Chevron makes a good product and this seems like a solid oil.
 
It is. Have fun
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