5w30 GTX conventional is now a blend

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For years I did't have to think about oil choices. I stuck with Castrol GTX conventional motor oil. I got my 5.8L, 1994 Ford van up to 260K and I figured I was good. I didn't have to think about oil at the BITOG level. Just buy it and change every 3k, using a Napa Gold filter. Now, according to Castrol, the 5W30 GTX is called GTX Ultraclean, and it's a blend. I don't know if want to "clean away the old sludge" from my engine. It could be holding stuff together. So, stick with dino, like Chevron Supreme, or make the switch to some high mileage juice. Conventional has got me this far, so do I stick with it? I might be living in the distant past. Oil tech might have come a long way and I should just try some sort of blend or full synthetic. The couple of bucks price difference is no big deal.
 
Sludge has little strength. It ain't holding nothing together
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Oils evolve. We must move with them
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With ever tightening performance parameters, may dino oils are mixing in high quality base oils to meet specs. As such, many dino oils are really blends whether the manufacturer wants to reveal this or not.
Stay with the GTX, it's served you well , why change?
 
Chevron Supreme conventional 5W30 is a synthetic blend as well.
Keep using the Castrol GTX if you like, it's gotten you this far and probably has been a syn blend since it changed to the SN API designation.
I say its marketing fluff now,with its new name.
 
Well, if the GTX has gotten ya this far then why not continue on with it? Plus like oldhp said if you are changing the oil every 3 thousand miles then you probably don't have any real sludge problem. If you are doing a lot of highway driving you really could go 6k miles and likely more on a run.
 
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I don't know this for a fact however, after speaking to the Tech Dept of oil companies, I understand that most conventional oils in the 5W20 & 5W30 are syn blend(NOT 10W30 & 10W40 however) although at a lower rate of syn oil than oils actually labeled "SYN Blend". It has been this way/moving in this direction for over a decade and since joining BITOG in '05
 
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There have been many oil formulation changes since you started using Castrol.
The '94 is probably spec'ed for SG or SH oil, so you have gone through SJ, SL, SM, and now SN, all have had improved formulas, and as mentioned, since SN (2011) has probably been a blend of some sort.
It is a marketing change that they decided to jump on the bandwagon and start calling it a blend.
 
Originally Posted By: Char Baby
I don't know this for a fact however, after speaking to the Tech Dept of oil companies, I understand that most conventional oils in the 5W20 & 5W30 are syn blend(NOT 10W30 & 10W40 however) although at a lower rate of syn oil than oils actually labeled "SYN Blend". It has been this way/moving in this direction for over a decade and since joining BITOG in '05


That's a logical explanation of the differences between "conventional" and "synthetic blend" oils now a days
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Whimsey
 
GTX UltraClean is a different oil than regular GTX. I didn't think either were a blend with synthetic. I have an older vehicle like you. 1993 S10 with 2.8L. I switched over recently from regular dino to green bottle GTX High Mileage 10w30 High Mileage blend. It has just started to help on consumption and engine runs smooth. I would run regular GTX or GTX Ultraclean with confidence. I bet the Ultraclean just has more cleaning detergents than regular GTX.
 
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Originally Posted By: Char Baby
I don't know this for a fact however, after speaking to the Tech Dept of oil companies, I understand that most conventional oils in the 5W20 & 5W30 are syn blend(NOT 10W30 & 10W40 however) although at a lower rate of syn oil than oils actually labeled "SYN Blend". It has been this way/moving in this direction for over a decade and since joining BITOG in '05


I seen this on the Napa site the last time they had it on sale. I bought some 5w30 for the wife's car and when I got it home I seen on the bottle it said it was syn blend but on my 10w30 bottles it didn't say that so I went to the site to verify and it's the same there.
 
Originally Posted By: Whimsey
That's a logical explanation of the differences between "conventional" and "synthetic blend" oils now a days
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The difference is a few bucks a jug, I guess.
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Oddly, synthetics have been coming down a little up here (even at regular price). Synthetic blends (such as HM oils) have barely budged, and see few sales lately. The conventionals have steadily been creeping higher, with few exceptions.

It's to the point now that to buy a conventional at any decent price, you have to run to the distributor or hit NAPA, which is often matching Walmart, and beating Canadian Tire by a significant margin.
 
If you really have been changing the oil every 3000 miles, there probably isn't much sludge in your motor. Keep using the same viscosity and do not worry about switching to a blend. I have switched two high-mileage engines from conventional to synthetic, one was at 120,000 (not really HM) and the other was close to 200,000. No issues at all.
 
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