Recent content by marvinlee

There is a broad awareness that grit in the oil from airborne particles is increases engine wear, but recent factual published studies remain uncommon. "A Study in Sand: Investigating the Damage Done by Desert Dust," by Mark Townsend, and published in"Lubes'N'Greases," February 2012, studies the...

Your comments remind me that engine manufacturers are not always deeply informed on lubricants. Typically, they know what works well and what is commercially available. But testing engines on a wide variety of lubricants is costly and probably unnecessary for most engine uses. In actual usage...

Thicker oil can also help avoid consuming additional scarce space under the hood for heat exchangers to keep the oil cool. My Subaru manual specifies 5-30 but also advises thicker oil in extreme conditions.

Besides looking at ultimate engine life, owners should consider the economics of vehicle maintenance. Each oil and filter change consumes valuable, scarce, time: yours and a paid worker if you have a commercial business do the work. Engine life may be of secondary importance if you expect to...

Lots of controversy on two stroke oils. The marine industry several years ago pushed for a new marine two stroke oil to cope with perceived engine corrosion problems. Sounds plausible, though I've not read technical reports on the claim. Other commentators say that marine engines run cooler...

The test comparison prompts this question: How much dirt and other debri do car engines generate after the initial break-in wear? I believe that Consumer Reports once did a filter comparison on a taxi fleet and found that that oil and filters then (several years ago) would go 6000 miles without...

All true except the last, somewhat misleading, statement, which is "Using premium fuel improves fuel economy. You might as well write a check to BP if you believe this. Only use premium if your car specifies it." Many modern cars have sophisticated knock sensors and computers that adjust...

Great question: "Exactly how much [air filter] restriction is "too" much?" There is no easy, or even correct, answer. Some factors include: 1) The engine's duty cycle. An engine running at constant RPM and near-full throttle cannot tolerate as much filter restriction as a consumer engine that...

My 2010 Subaru Legacy Limited with the 3.6R engine came with a black Tokyo Roki filter. I ordered a spare oil filter of the same part number (also the manual's part number) and it, too, was a black Tokyo Roki oil filter of identical style and appearance. It weighs just a bit more, dry, than the...

The only plausible non-cost reason I've heard for not using synthetic from the start is a claim that some car firms use a special break in oil that provides additional anti-wear properties. I've never seen the slightest proof of that claim and wonder if it is valid. Others have argued that...

I agree that a larger filter has better Beta Ratio for the same flow volume. Is there a site that shows alternative filter sizes, including outside dimensions, for oil filters of the same thread pitch and diameter? Even better would be one that would show alternative filters for the same engine...

A higher media area oil filter of the same media quality--neither necessarily correlated with can size--may offer significantly greater filtering protection. How much greater is an unknown. Most engine oil filters come with bypass valves which open and pass unfiltered oil under high flow oil...

Consider the 2010 Subaru Legacy in your shopping around. You will have a choice of several engines, including two fours and one six cylinder. The car comes in three trim level options. You can get dual zone air conditioning if your favorite other likes it warmer or colder than you do...

Consider the 2010 Subaru Legacy in your shopping around. You will have a choice of several engines, including two fours and one six cylinder. The car comes in three trim level options. You can get dual zone air conditioning if your favorite other likes it warmer or colder than you do...

I had a 1990 Chevrolet Caprice, 5.0 V8 engine and automatic, that turned 1350 RPM at 60 MPH based on calculation of tire sizes, rear axle ratio, and transmission ratio in top gear. It was a marvelous long distance cruiser and economical in that use. Currently, I believe that the slowest highway...