Ranger Posted August 26, 2009 Report Share Posted August 26, 2009 If you are in the Ill. and near a Farm & Fleet, check this out. Their 10W30 is on sale for $15.48/case (1.29/qt). Best of all it is API SL. Not the current SM, thus higher ZDDP. I'm not sure what the 5W30 API rating is. I suspect SM. The sale is on cases only, NOT the 2 gal. jugs. It is made by Citgo. I bought 10 cases of 10W30. If you are a 15W40 Diesel user and are willing to buy it in 5 gal. buckets for $30, that comes out to $1.50 qt. Rotella is also on sale, but I have no idea how it compares. http://www.farmandfleet.com/promotions/fly...?id=440&p=2 P.S. In Minnesota & Wisconsin it is Fleet & Farm. Not sure if they have the same sale or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadeInAmerica Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 The higher zinc and phosphorous found in the old API SL rated oils can cause catalytic convertors to fail and for a Cadillac, they are big, big money. This is why API SM rated oils mandated a lower content of zinc and phosphorous, (along with other improvements). Engines that can benefit from the older, out of date API SL rated oils with higher levels of the extreme pressure additives of zinc and phosphorous are pushrod engines, where extreme pressures in the valve train occur. The Northstar engine is a dual overhead cam engine with no pushrods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyG Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 Shell Rotella is excellent oil, and for pre-2000 (roller cam) Northstar engines, might be the best of them all. To me, for a summer grade oil, Rotella straight SAE 30 (no Vii's) is probably better than 15W-40, including a motor oil solution for the dreaded flickering low oil pressure light issue. It's kinda hard to find in straight 30, but I did find it at WM last month. Never forget that the wider the grade spread on a conventional oil, the more Viscosity Index Improvers the oil contains. Newer oils not so much, but pre SL version VII's are primarily responsible for stuck rings and excessive oil usage in Northstar engines. This logic goes out the window with synthetics, since most of them are formulated to cover the spread without many VII's. I have been assured that (German/green) Castrol 0W-30 for example has NO VII's in the formula. (a 30 point spread) Never underestimate the amount of a persons greed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyG Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 My post should say "(pre roller cam)" engines. For clarity. Never underestimate the amount of a persons greed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted August 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 The ZDDP difference between SL & SM is not all THAT much. About 100 PPM or .01% I think SL is 900 ppm or .09% while SM is 800 ppm or .08%. Not that much, but I'd still prefer the SL. That CAT failure is a "potential" pushed by the tree huggers. I have never replaced a CAT yet and that was using SG, SH, & SJ oils. I'm not too worried about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike33 Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 Please don't buy CITGO oil and support the dictatorship of Hugo Chavez... The company is owned by PDV America, Inc., an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A., the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. I wouldn't buy that oil if it cost me .10 a quart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHE Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 The higher zinc and phosphorous found in the old API SL rated oils can cause catalytic convertors to fail and for a Cadillac, they are big, big money. This is why API SM rated oils mandated a lower content of zinc and phosphorous, (along with other improvements). Engines that can benefit from the older, out of date API SL rated oils with higher levels of the extreme pressure additives of zinc and phosphorous are pushrod engines, where extreme pressures in the valve train occur. The Northstar engine is a dual overhead cam engine with no pushrods. Th '93-'99 Northstars may not have pushrods but they DO have flat direct contacting lifters. New engines have roller cam followers - those engines do not need as much ZDP as either a pushrod engine with a distributor or the '93-'99 Northstars with direct contacting (non roller following) lifters. Kevin '93 Fleetwood Brougham '05 Deville '04 Deville 2013 Silverado Z71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadeInAmerica Posted August 28, 2009 Report Share Posted August 28, 2009 Please don't buy CITGO oil and support the dictatorship of Hugo Chavez... The company is owned by PDV America, Inc., an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A., the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. I wouldn't buy that oil if it cost me .10 a quart. Excellent point! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike33 Posted August 28, 2009 Report Share Posted August 28, 2009 I would to add.. No disrespect meant toward Ranger or anybody using this oil. It's just something I personally feel very strongly about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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