I own a 1985 Pontiac Fiero that started out life as a pathetic 2.5L I4 4-speed and has had it's engine and transmission completely replaced with a 1985 GM 5-speed tranny and a 1988 Chevy Beretta 2.8L V6 that has been fitted with new and better headers, camshaft, performance computer chip, and thermostat set to turn the radiator on at a lower temperature (175 degrees F versus standard 190).
I am getting ready to change my oil and have been reading about oil weights. I live in a cold mountain town and I do like to drive sporty in the summers. Up until this point I have been using 5W-30 conventional oil because I was an idiot and thought the "S" on "SAE" stood for "Synthetic" and it does not. As or the weight, it's what it says on the oil filler cap.
I was reading on how many people use thinner oils to not only produce more horsepower but reduce friction resulting in much better gas mileage. The only problem is in the warmer weather it can prove to not be thick enough for the heat. On the alternative, synthetic is supposed to be able to take heat much better.
So because I live in such a cold area (maximum mid-summer temperature is 80 degrees F) I wanted to try a 0W-20 Fully Synthetic oil by Mobil 1. I know I want the 0 Weight Winter because it can snow up to three feet at a time and get extremely cold from early October to early April. But should I loose the 10 weight in operating temperature? I know my after market thermostat will help and the fact that it doesn't get that warm, but is it enough considering once in a while I do like to floor it up to 130-150 MPH and rev to 6000 RPM?
Also, will there be any problems running fully synthetic in my older engine? I have seen a few reports by people with older cars that once in a while synthetic oil can cause leaks on older seal designs.
I got an Idea - Here's a pole with oil's on it. You guys vote for witch one my specific car should use for maximum horsepower, torque, fuel mileage, and engine protection.
- Thank you guys so much!