1996 4runner 3.4 w/ 236,000 miles results

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I just received my oil analysis back from Black Stone.

I don't know the oil change history. When I bought it, I changed the oil and here are the results from the first 5,500 miles.

I am using Mobil 1 10w-30 High Mileage Synthetic in conjunction with a Fram Ultra filter. The oil has 5,500 miles on it. One 1600 mile trip towing a 5,000lbs trailer. The rest was highway and very short commutes (
I should mention I have a loud tick/knock that I have narrowed down to the valve train on the driver's side. No other issues like codes, power loss, smoke, etc. Actually, from my reading this has become a common issue with the 3.4.

 
Iron seems a tad bit high for a 5.5k mile run, though it could be from the towing. Lead and tin are good. I would really recommend running mobil 1 hm 5w30. My 99 4runner owners manual says that using 10w30 could cause the engine to not start at very low temps. 5w flows better when cold, but ultimately thins out to a 30 weight when heated up like 10w30. This will reduce bearing wear on cold starts. It's a win-win situation. 10w30 oils used to be more resistant to shearing down in viscosity, but since they've gone to higher quality base stocks, like group 3+, 5w30 are just as sturdy.
 
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I have 300 miles on the oil since the oil change. It's my winter vehicle, so if I should change it out, I will. I don't foresee changing it out until next fall otherwise.
 
Silicon is rather high for my liking, I would look for a air leak by the air box/hose leading to the motor. It could very well be why the iron is high as silicon and wear go hand in hand.

On a unrelated note I've always ran several short OCI after I get a new vehicle. Never know what the previous owner did or how often they changed it and the frequent changes can help clean anything up that may be inside. Granted I change my oil myself so it can be a lot cheaper.

--and this is why I should read the whole post before I comment lol--
 
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I wouldn't bother draining it to go for 5w30, just use 5w30 next time. If you notice it cranking slow when it's really cold, your engine could benefit from a 5w oil. (As long as it's not the battery.. .)
 
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Or the cables... 20 years old in the salt road region - I'd install some extra new crimped and soldered lug grounds.

One from the Bat (-) to the alternator bracket (any bolt), and one to the firewall. I like hood hinge bolts for that. Usually cures all the cold start issues.

5W should be OK as long as it's above -10 ...
 
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I looked at the Iron before I looked at the oil brand.
As soon as I saw the Iron, I knew which oil brand it was.
grin2.gif
 
The 5VZ-FE is known to have head failures at around 250K. The castings between the valves are thin and will crack due to age and repeated heat cycles. I looked to purchase a '00 tacoma w/ 240K and it had low compression on CYl #3, most likely due to said cracking. There were no codes and issue wasn't discovered until a compression test was performed. I walked away from the deal because I knew that it needed a new head and the seller wasn't willing to negotiate on the price. Somebody else bought it.
 
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Originally Posted By: BrocLuno
Or the cables... 20 years old in the salt road region - I'd install some extra new crimped and soldered lug grounds.

One from the Bat (-) to the alternator bracket (any bolt), and one to the firewall. I like hood hinge bolts for that. Usually cures all the cold start issues.

5W should be OK as long as it's above -10 ...


Upon purchasing the vehicle, I replaced all of the battery cables with 2gauge welding cable with soldered lugs. I still need to replace a few body grounds near the intake, but they're still not corroded.
 
You could try rislone zddp additive for the top end noise. It's not an oil thickener like Lucas, but the zinc/phosphorus is very good for coating moving parts. At the very least it will reduce wear wherever the clearances have grown enough to make noise, and lessen valve train wear overall.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Rislone-3X-Co...13=&veh=sem
 
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