Originally Posted by AK370Z (Post 371674)

It was a beautiful day today. In this winter season, having a 45 degree temp is a pretty good reward for us North easterners. So, I decided to do my 3rd synthetic oil change today (4th on the car).

I used K&N (HP-1008) for the last two oil changes. This time, after looking at MODSHACK's oil cooler thread and Shrute's Journal, I have decided to give Purolator PureOne filter a try. I have heard nothing but good things about them and some of my friends approved PureOne more than the K&N. Also, as you know, the stock filter is really small. If you go to the Purolator website , they actually lists the smaller PL-14612 filter for Nissan 370Z, which is comparable to the stock size. But, many members here went with PL-14610 which is slightly bigger (Please see picture below for reference). This oil filter is a little cheaper than K&N ($6) and available at all automotive stores like Autozone/Pepboys etc.

Just like the last time, I did see some metal shavings/fragments on the magnetic drain plug. I'm sure there are metal shavings trapped by the filter magnet as well but I don't have an oil filter cutter :(. I really wish I could open up one of these filters.

Here are some pictures to share:

Here's the filter I went with. Notice, it's the PL14610 which is slightly bigger than the stock filter
http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/s...e/DSC02909.jpg

Here's a comparison picture. I took this picture because, when I went to some of the other journals, this filter looked way bigger than OEM (at least twice the size) but in reality, it's not. That's why I put an iphone next to it so that you can get an actual size idea. This filter def looks like the right size for the car, not the dinky OEM filter :rolleyes:.
http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/s...e/DSC02920.jpg

Metal shavings on the magnetic drain bolt.
http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/s...e/DSC02905.jpg

Installed
http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/s...e/DSC02924.jpg

I think I should seriously ask Aquafina to sponsor me! :rofl2:
http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/s...e/DSC02930.jpg

Also, I picked up this oil filter wrench from Pepboys few years back for $5. Definitely something you want to keep in your garage.
http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/s...e/DSC02912.jpg

Crossed 14,000 miles this week! :driving:
http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/s...e/DSC02934.jpg




Thank you sir! :tiphat:

Originally Posted by alefcole (Post 75916)

http://www.motorwatch.com/images/oilclassifications.jpg
Quoted from Duluth Diesel in TundraSolutions Forum.

Tundra Solutions Forum - View Single Post - First oil change in 3 hours

"Not all synthetic oils are the same. Mobile is a Group III synthetic, not a Group IV. Even though the label might say Full Synthetic, it doesn't mean the same thing for all oils. As for extended drain intervals, it is fine to run extended drain intervals with a Group IV synthetic oil if you couple it with better filtration. Not all oil filters are created equal either. Fram and other cheap oil filters don't filter much below 35 micron and are just cellulose (paper based) filters. Higher quality oil filters have synthetic media, not paper, and filter much better. AMSOIL Eao oil filters filter down to 15 micron, and their bypass filtration systems filter down to 2 micron at 98% efficiency.

There are many oils out there that call themselves synthetic, but not all are created equal, and that's important to know. You do get what you pay for. Group III synthetic oils only use about 12% synthetic base stocks. The rest is hyrdocracked petroleum base stocks. For major oil companies who have their money in crude oil refining, the word "synthetic" is merely a marketing term. It does not mean 100%, but just that a percentage of synthetic base stock goes into their product.

The oils that are commonly mentioned are Group II and Group III synthetics with the exception of Royal Purple, which is a Group V. AMSOIL is a Group IV synthetic (PAO) but also uses Group V Ester technology. It gives you the best of Group IV and Group V synthetics. Mobil 1 is a Group III synthetic. AMSOIL is a Group IV synthetic.

In the late 1990s, Castrol started selling an oil made from Group III base oil and called it SynTec Full Synthetic. Mobil sued Castrol, asserting that this oil was not synthetic, but simply a highly refined petroleum oil, and therefore it was false advertising to call it synthetic. In 1999, Mobil lost their lawsuit. It was decided that the word "synthetic" was a marketing term and referred to properties, not to production methods or ingredients. Castrol continues to make SynTec out of Group III base oils, that is highly purified mineral oil with most all of the cockroach bits removed.

Shortly after Mobil lost their lawsuit, most oil companies started reformulating their synthetic oils to use Group III base stocks instead of PAOs or diester stocks as their primary component. Most of the "synthetic oil" you can buy today is actually mostly made of this highly-distilled and purified dino-juice called Group III oil. Group III base oils cost about half as much as the synthetics. By using a blend of mostly Group III oils and a smaller amount of "true" synthetics, the oil companies can produce a product that has some of the same properties as the "true" synthetics, and nearly the same cost as the Group III oil. AMSOIL differs from Group III oils. As a Group IV oil, it uses 100% pure synthetic base stocks. This is why you can run it for longer intervals.

Synthetic oils were originally designed for the purpose of having a very pure base oil with excellent properties. By starting from scratch and building up your oil molecules from little pieces, you can pretty much guarantee that every molecule in the oil is just like every other molecule, and therefore the properties are exactly what you designed in, not compromised by impurities. Synthetics were thus originally a reaction to the relatively poor refining processes available from about 1930 to about 1990. The original synthetics were designed for the Army Air Force in WW II. They simply could not make their high- performance turbo-charged radial engines stay alive on the available motor oils of the time.

One process for making synthetic base oils is to start with a chemical called an olefin, and make new molecules by attaching them to each other in long chains, hence "poly." The primary advantage of Poly-Alpha-Olefin "PAO" base oil is that all the molecules in the base oil are pretty much identical, so it's easy to get the base oil to behave exactly as you like. PAOs are called Group IV base oils.

These PAO base oils have an enormous advantage over mineral base oils in low temperature performance and in resistance to oxidation, which is critical in keeping the oil from forming acids.

Another type of base oil is made from refined and processed esters and is called Group V. Esters start life as fatty acids in plants and animals, which are then chemically combined into esters, diesters, and polyesters. Group V base stocks are the most expensive of all to produce. However, the esters are polar molecules and have very significant solvent properties - an ester base oil all by itself will do a very decent job of keeping your engine clean. So, people who are serious about making a superior oil will usually mix some Group V oils into their base stock.

Oils that are strictly Group V ester oils tend to be better suited for high RPM, hot running, air cooled engines. 100% ester based oils are usually more expensive than Group IV oils, and don't have the longevity of PAO (Group IV) or PAO/Ester mixes oils. Group V oils perform very well in the shorter term. Oils like Royal Purple and Redline are Group V oils. They perform very well in race engines and in applications where drain intervals are factory spec or shorter, whereas Group IV oils are better suited for the long haul of extended intervals.

Whatever oil you choose, know what you are buying. Just because the jug says "synthetic" doesn't mean it is made from 100% pure synthetic base stocks."

Originally Posted by SoCal 370Z (Post 75274)

:icon14: Dammit! AK has an Aquafina oil pouring spout and I don't!

Originally Posted by SoCal 370Z (Post 75274)

:icon14: Dammit! AK has an Aquafina oil pouring spout and I don't!

Originally Posted by ssqpolo (Post 75279)

im doing a group buy on whoever's interested.
DOH! im not a vendor...shhhhh:rofl2:

Originally Posted by AK370Z (Post 75262)

http://www.motorwatch.com/images/oilclassifications.jpg

Originally Posted by JonnieN (Post 78717)

Im going to do my first oil change tomorrow. Im not using a ramp so do I jack the driver side or the passeger side? My honda was on the driver side. Thank you guys.

Originally Posted by molamann (Post 79874)

Hmm I noticed your blitz ramp(same as rhino ramp I suppose?) "catches" the car at a certain point. Is it impossible to run over the ramps unless I gun it? I've used my rhino ramps about 3 times so far without a spotter and I've been successful, but still very nervous. D: