Which oil is recommended, 211,000mi.?

[Cheezit]

Hi, I have a 1991 Nissan SR20DE engine with 211,000mi. API SG, 5W-30 is the recommended weight according to the service manual, but with high miles I was advised to run 10W-40. I have been running 10W-30 and 10W-40 Castrol GTX and changing it every 3000 to 3500 miles.
I believe it has a bad crank end bearing, and I know that the timing tensioner is loose.

Now, with the bad crank end bearing, I need to know if a lighter, faster moving oil would be better or a thicker oil would be better.
I have also used L***s Oil Stabilizer with the understanding that it would reduce the wear. I have heard differing opinions regarding using an oil stabilizer. Please advise.

Upon start-up, my oil light stays on for about 20 seconds and then it goes off and stays off as long as the engine is warm and running. The engine rattles more loudly during this 15-20 seconds time, and then it smooths out a bit.

I live in North Carolina, not in the mountains or at the beach, just in between. There are gradual hills and flat spaces as far as the geography. I usually make short trips, and I keep the rpm's below 3000 in city and up to 3800 on highway.

Thank You

 

[EricF]

Your oil choice is good.

using lucas is a huge mistake.
it's marketing is very misleading.
it's a viscocity enhancer. so it simply and nothing more, thickens the oil. You're pouring the equivalent of 140wt gear oil with no soap and no detergents into your engine.
So the remaining 3quarts of oil have to do the cleaning and protecting and even lubricating.

I would change the oil and NOT put the lucas in, filter too.
Also IMHO, I'd never use anything that says lucas on it.

with the oil so thick, the oil pump has to push that sludge up thru the thin oil galleys in the motor and get it moving. you're hurting gas mileage the lubrication and stressing your oil pump.

 

[LeakySeals]

The ticks and oil light will go away once you rid your engine of thick oil and even thicker stabilizers. I'm using Mobil 1 High Mileage 5w30 synthetic on the Toyota in my signature. It had those problems 70k ago. Disappeared never to return. Highly recommend using it, skip all additives.

 

[LeakySeals]

PS. Get the Mobil 1 high Mileage 5w30 at Walmart. Comes in a 5qt jug for $26.50. If its an oil burner, your better off with the M1 HM 10w40 than you are with additives that over thicken the oil and make it sticky attracting deposits. Start with the M1 5w30, if need be go with the M1 10w40 in summer, etc.

 

[SuperDave456]

Due to your shorter OCI I would go with a name brand High Mileage, not necessarily a full synthetic like Mobil 1. You will be paying a little more for Mobil, but not necessarily using it to the maximum potential.

You could run any High Mileage oil out there for a 5000 mile OCI and be fine.
Mobil 1, if you topped up and use a premium filter, could go 7500 to 10,000 miles easy.

 

[Jocephus]

IMO, I think you're the perfect candidate for those FAR/Rebate deals on Nextgen Maxlife and would run it for your 5k OCI.

 

[mechtech2]

Bad crank bearing? One or all - how did you determine this? Thrust bearing?
Who knows what noise you hear on start up?
Generally, a thinner oil will flow better cold and attenuate the start up noise problem. But if bearings are shot, a thicker oil is what you need to help them live [warm/hot].
Maybe the sensor is faulty or the passage is partially plugged.
Maybe the oil filter is incorrect, with the wrong anti drain back valving - this can cause a start up tick.
so I have too many questions before I can give the right answer for your situation.

 

[bullwinkle]

Originally Posted By: Jocephus
IMO, I think you're the perfect candidate for those FAR/Rebate deals on Nextgen Maxlife and would run it for your 5k OCI.

Big +1 on that-been running it in the 225K+ Sub in 10W30 flavor with good results.

 

[Cheezit]

You can hear what I understand to be the bad crank end bearing here -----> http://youtu.be/g77dRpUWfNk

I posted it on another CarGuy website, and a bad crank end bearing was the general consensus. In the video I think you can see a bit of a wobble on the drive pulley. The noise in the video is not the start-up noise, and the start-up noise currently isn't happening, so I couldn't make a video of it.

In the past, the timing tensioner became loose and had to be re-tightened. The noise I hear upon start up is the same noise I heard before getting the tensioner re-set. It's a consistant metalic noise that increases as the rpm's increase. It sounds bout like what it would sound like if you shook an empty spray paint can at a constant, AB AB AB rythym. I call it a "chirtle".

 

[LeakySeals]

Originally Posted By: Cheezit
You can hear what I understand to be the bad crank end bearing here -----> http://youtu.be/g77dRpUWfNk

I posted it on another CarGuy website, and a bad crank end bearing was the general consensus. In the video I think you can see a bit of a wobble on the drive pulley. The noise in the video is not the start-up noise, and the start-up noise currently isn't happening, so I couldn't make a video of it.

In the past, the timing tensioner became loose and had to be re-tightened. The noise I hear upon start up is the same noise I heard before getting the tensioner re-set. It's a consistant metalic noise that increases as the rpm's increase. It sounds bout like what it would sound like if you shook an empty spray paint can at a constant, AB AB AB rythym. I call it a "chirtle".


I can't tell because its so close, but in that video appears to be the serp belt tensioner. Pulley bearings is an external problem, unrelated to internal engine crank bearings. Also sounds like power steering, alternator, something along the serp. That engine sounds fine but use what I recommended to clean all that lucas out of it.

 

[LeakySeals]

Also you mentioned tightening the belt. Too tight can be in some ways worse than too loose. Too tight can cause excess wear to everything connected to the belt. I usually just replace the belt, only as tight as needed.

 

[Cheezit]

Thanks for the tips. I will switch the oil before I get the belts back on. I took them off to try to diagnose the noise on the video. There were two belts, each with its own tensioner.
In hindsight, I think I screwed up the crank end bearing by setting the tension on the Alternator, A/C belt too tight. I should have just changed the belt as you have said here.
I agree that the noise sounds as if there were some failing device on one of the drive belts, but I took them both off.

 

[Cheezit]

I appreciate the advice that I received from everyone here. Thanks a lot.

 

[Cheezit]

Thanks EricF, Leaky Seals, SuperDave456, and mechtech 2.
Leaky Seals and Mechtech2: So, with the bad crank bearing what weight oil would you recommend? Thinner to move the oil quicker at start-up but thicker to help prolong the life of the bearing. Which way would you go?
Thanks

 

[SuperDave456]

If it really is your bearings then I'd go with 10w40 Maxlife.
Forget the startup noise. Noise is free, an engine is expensive.

That video almost sounds like a power steering pump that is low on fluid. BTW, go purchase a mechanic's stethoscope, you can better locate that whine exactly. If you pull out your stethoscope and listened to the engine and that is the source...that's bad.

Use a quality filter with a silicone anti drainback valve and also when you start your car let it sit a few seconds before taking off so that the engine, and failing bearings, can get some lube moving through them before you take off and put a load on it.

Oh yeah, and start saving your money.

 

[LeakySeals]

Ok. So if I'm reading you right the video was the crank spinning with no belts. Slight wobble. Whining noise, no ticks, no knocks. You think something happened by over tightening the serp belt.

Most crank pulleys have some form of crank vibration damper known as a harmonic balancer. Not knowing exactly how yours is put together I would guess the balancer is rubber. So over-tightening the belt could damage the balancer or the pulley. That could account for the whining sound.

Could it also cause a problem with the actual crank bearings? Maybe over time if you dont resolve the pulley/balancer issue. But I dont hear a classic knock, I just hear an external whine from the pulley. I think the pulley and balancer needs replacing and thats what the problem is.

So your asking a hypothetical "if" it was the internal crank bearings (which I dont think it is based on that video) what oil? The answer is "not too thin, not too thick". I'm not being a wise guy, thats the truth. Without an oil pressure gauge its hard to say whats too thick or thin. When I had bad mains, Shell Rotella T6 5w40 bought me some time. Its thick, but not too thick. I would use that.

 

[LeakySeals]

With the belt off get your hands in there and tug on that crank pulley. Wiggle it. You should be able to tell if the pulley is the problem, of if something is going on inside the engine.

 

[Phishin]

Originally Posted By: SuperDave456

You could run any High Mileage oil out there for a 5000 mile OCI and be fine.
Mobil 1, if you topped up and use a premium filter, could go 7500 to 10,000 miles easy.


Not 100% sure on this. These Nissan mills have tiny sump capacities and rev high. Thinking this way has caused me varnish build up....now treatingng with Kreen.

I say 3k confidential. 5k synthetic....for these 4 cylinder Nissans.

 

[Cheezit]

Thanks SuperDave. Good call on starting saving my money. Hah
Can you recommend a quality filter witha silicone drain back valve? I have been using Puralator One for years.

Your advice on extending the life of the bearings via 10W-40 makes sense. I just need to have the noise diagnosed accurately.
I agree completely that the noise sounds almost exactly the way the power steering pump sounded when it had no fluid due to a ruptured p/s pressure hose, which I recently replaced. What is odd is that the growling noise is heard even with the two drive belts removed. If the pump is bad, I would not expect it to make any noise if the drive belt had been removed.
I will purchase a stethoscope today and see what I hear.

Thanks for the start-up tip.

 

[Cheezit]

Here is an update:
I was able to turn the crank pulley manually while the engine was in neutral and in gear. I am going to change the crank pulley.
If that does not eliminate the noise, I will put in 10W-40 High Mileage in summer and 5W-40 in cooler months.

If the new crank pulley does eliminate the noise, I will start with 5W-30 High Mileage and switch to 10W-40 High Mileage if I start to lose too much oil.

Does this sound right?
If I begin to lose too much oil with the 5W-30 High mileage, why would 10W-40 be more ideal than 5W-40?