Help with what oil for my 95 Montero SR 3.5 L ...

[flipzip89]

I have a 95 Montero SR with the 3.5 L motor .. the following conditions..

driving style little of everything but towing.
194 thousand miles on it
has always had dino oil in it.
not garaged
has 14/50 in it now .
and a wix oil filter.

next oil change have a napa gold oil fiter to go on.

does do alot sitting or short trips but then a few long trips and some offroad drives a month. has some ticking under the hood. thanks sorry for the mess of a post..

 

[mechtech2]

15-50 sounds like too thick oil.

Something with a '0' or '5' first number will help cold/cool starting and flow a lot [first number is cold viscosity/thickness].

It is highly unlikely that you really need a 50 [second number is hot viscosity].

Dino is great, and getting better. Full synth is good for very long oil changes and very extreme temperatures.

So what to use? A 5-30 seems like a big jump, but it is where I'd start. Better power, economy, and starting are yours to be had.

 

[suspiciousmind]

Oh, the Montero....
That's the only motor that I've ever killed. I was running M1 EP 10/30 and I belive it was too thick...spun a rod bearing in it.

If that's the same motor I had (tryin' to forget), don't go for extended drains. It has a small sump...less than 4 quarts and it's hard on oil.

I'd say PU 5w30 and a wix filter every 5K miles.....0w/30 might be better but, don't listen to me, I killed one....that's a big reason I hang out here.

 

[hpichris]

Any good FS 5w30 will suffice.

 

[flipzip89]

so would a lets say a 5w30 high mileage oil be ok ? I though i read somewhere something wit ha 40 atthe end was good for mistus ? but for sure will to try 5w30 or 0/30 . Any additives worth trying with next oil change ? it has a ticking and does blow smoke sometimes..

 

[Falcon_LS]

I would recommend Pennzoil Platinum 5w30, Mobil 1 0W-40 or Liqui-Moly Synthoil Energy 0W-40 if you want to go synthetic. If you want a mineral based oil, look no further than Pennzoil LongLife Gold 15w40 (although 10w30 would be alright too). Semi-synthetic wise, Liqui-Moly MoS2 Anti-Friction 10W-40 is a very good option.

The ticking may be coming from the hydraulic lash adjusters. With the engine warmed up, slowly build up the revs to exactly 3,000 rpm (preferably over 15 seconds) and let it idle for another 15 seconds. Could take up to 10 times for the ticking to go away. If it doesn't, this is not your problem.

 

[flipzip89]

i was always told not to put synthetic oils if your car has always used dino oil. for sure if its got high mileage is this just a old wise tale ?

 

[suspiciousmind]

Originally Posted By: flipzip89
so would a lets say a 5w30 high mileage oil be ok ? I though i read somewhere something wit ha 40 atthe end was good for mistus ? but for sure will to try 5w30 or 0/30 . Any additives worth trying with next oil change ? it has a ticking and does blow smoke sometimes..


Something with a 40 at the end might be good for a turbo'd mitsu but I think definitely not yours. A high mileage oil would be ok but, after seeing inside the oil pan in the one I had, I'd be looking for cleaning properties if I were you....thus the Pennzoil Ultra 5w30, wix filter rec from me. The ultra has good cleaning skills and the wix filter doesn't filter so microscopiclly that it'll clog up....mobilclean 5000 might be a good conventional choice too.

 

[flipzip89]

Oh it has 14/50 rotella in it now.

 

[Falcon_LS]

Originally Posted By: suspiciousmind
It has a small sump...less than 4 quarts and it's hard on oil.


Forgot to mention, the 6G74 engine used in the Montero/Pajero has an oil pan capacity of 4.5 litres. The oil filter takes 300 ml, as does the oil cooler. So the total capacity is 5.1 litres, although 5 litres is enough oil for one oil change.

Originally Posted By: flipzip89
i was always told not to put synthetic oils if your car has always used dino oil. for sure if its got high mileage is this just a old wise tale ?


I switched my Montero to synthetic at over 155,000 miles. Not a problem. You may have weeping rocker cover gaskets as the synthetic cleans up, but that's about it. Having said that, a Hyundai 26300-35503 would be my recommendation for the oil filter.

Originally Posted By: suspiciousmind
Something with a 40 at the end might be good for a turbo'd mitsu but I think definitely not yours.


Different weight viscosities are recommended for the same engine in different parts of the world. Over here, 15w40 is and was the recommended viscosity for this engine. 20W-50 is even recommended for heavy usage, and they often have a viscosity vs. temperature chart in the owner's manual. In Europe, 10W-40 is what is recommended for this engine. But in the US, a 5w30 or 10w30 viscosity was recommended, meeting ILSAC specifications. I suspect CAFE. Australian Pajero owners, please chime in.

Although I'm running Pennzoil Platinum 5w30 in mine now, from personal experience, I have found the Mitsubishi 6G72, 6G74, 6G75 and 4G18 engines to run smoother and quieter on 40 weight oils than they do with a non-ACEA approved 30 weight. If you're hard on your engine, there's also less oil consumption versus a 30 weight.

 

[flipzip89]

with all this talk i am a little confused . i have 14/50 in it now seems ok but if 5-30 will give me better power and gas that sounds good also. winter is coming here and abit worried running 14-50 in it all winter. synthetic i am a little worried using it doe use and leak some oil don't need a bigger mess.

 

[suspiciousmind]

He's in idaho....on the verge of winter

Dang....beat me to it

 

[Winston]

I had a 95 Montero with the 3 liter engine. At the end i used Motorcraft 5W20. It ran great and I even posted UOA of that oil here. Some of those engines have loud lifters, and some dont. It does not really matter either way. Just make sure you keep that crank pulley bolt tightened.

 

[flipzip89]

So is 14-50 going to be ok for winter here in the high mountain desert ? by Boise ..

 

[Klutch9]

Originally Posted By: flipzip89
So is 14-50 going to be ok for winter here in the high mountain desert ? by Boise ..


Not to split hairs here, but aren't you meaning to say 15w-50 instead of 14w?

One thing I would do is try and find the PDS for whatever 15w-50 dino you are currently using, and look at the pour point temperature. If your engine will not experience cold starts in a climate colder than the cold pour point, you should be good to go. Of course, thats not saying that you can put a 10w-60 in any car in a warm climate, even though it may have a CPP of oh, lets say, -30 degrees C. It may be way to thick for that engine. But, since your engine IS spec'd for an Xw-50 weight oil under certain circumstances, running it in the winter shouldn't be any problem as long as the temperature stays above your oil's CPP.

 

[Brons2]

He said Rotella, so I think he's really running 15w40, not 14w50. I would think that would be pretty thick for wintertime around Boise, it does get cold there sometimes.

If you want to keep running a heavy duty oil like the Rotella, then I'd look for their 10w30 or 5w40 grades. If you want to just use regular passenger car oil then I'd try out Valvoline MaxLife 5w30 for the winter, and 10w30 or 10w40 for summer.

 

[Klutch9]

Yes Brons2, i believe you are correct in saying that he is probably running the 15w40. The only 15w-50's i've ever seen were synthetics, and he is using dyno...

 

[flipzip89]

Ya sorry got mixed up...

 

[sprintman]

I've got one and 5W40 is the go.

 

[flipzip89]

so is 5w-40 going to be ok for winter months in southern Idaho ?