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timichango Samba Member
Joined: April 07, 2012 Posts: 858 Location: Squamish, BC, Canada
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Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 3:57 am Post subject: What oil are you running in you Subaru conversion? |
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We've got a 2010 2.5l Forester engine in our van. Smallcar spec'd Chevron Delo 15w40 motor oil on their conversion spec sheet.
However, I subsequently read somewhere that engines with overhead cams don't love oils that heavy. So I'm wondering what other conversion owners—particularly ones around the coastal Pacific North West—are running for oil, and why? _________________ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Vroomhilde-San: Our 1991 Silver Vanagon Westy automatic + Subie EJ25 |
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Glenn Mr. 010
Joined: December 25, 2001 Posts: 76902 Location: Sneaking up behind you
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Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 4:07 am Post subject: |
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Why not call the local Subaru dealership? _________________ Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"
Member #1009
#BlueSquare |
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JPrato Samba Member
Joined: December 15, 2006 Posts: 791 Location: Livonia, NY
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Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 4:13 am Post subject: |
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Full Synthetic 5-30W in my 99 2.5L. You can't beat synthetic for it's superior lube qualities. Higher cost can be offset by longer change intervals. There have been a couple articles on how newer engines run so clean that frequent oil changes are no longer necessary. Subaru recommends 7500 mile intervals on our 2012 Outback.
I have run full synthetic oil in my 03 Jetta with 1.8T. Oil analysis said under my driving habits/conditions 10,000 change intervals were OK. So far I'm at 160K with that engine (all original) . It purrs like a kitten and uses no oil between changes. _________________ Joe
87 Syncro Tin Top project
84 Westy, 2.5L Subaru power
06 Subaru 2.5 turbo in waiting
46 Cessna 140 |
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andk5591 Samba Member
Joined: August 29, 2005 Posts: 16757 Location: State College, PA
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Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 4:43 am Post subject: |
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Per Suby - turbo engines MUST use synthetic. Non turbo can use dyno oil, but why not go the extra protection. I run 5W-30 synthetic in my 07 WRX. _________________ D-Dubya Manx clone - 63 Short pan,1914.
Rosie 65 bug - My mostly stock daily driver.
Woodie 69 VW woodie (Hot VWs 7/12).
"John's car" 64 VW woodie - The first ever
Maxine 61 Cal-look bug - Cindy's daily driver.
Max - 73 standard Beetle hearse project - For sale
66 bug project - Real patina & Suby conversion
There's more, but not keeping them... |
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insyncro Banned
Joined: March 07, 2002 Posts: 15086 Location: New York
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Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 5:43 am Post subject: |
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5w30
0w40 |
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WestyBob Samba Member
Joined: June 11, 2004 Posts: 2346 Location: Portland, Oregon
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Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 6:51 am Post subject: |
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Have several 2.5L convers ranging in years 2001 to 2003 (SOHC) and I run full synth 10W-30.
Usually will change after 6k but on occasional super longer road trips will comfortably go longer like into the 7-8 k's.
Always change the filter with the oil.
So far so good and the local flaps seems to always have it on sale along with a free filter (although I tend to use mostly Subie filters).
If I lived in a Siberian or Saharan climate I'd have to rethink it. |
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cvbill Samba Member
Joined: May 24, 2007 Posts: 208 Location: Carmel Valley, CA
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Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 8:06 am Post subject: |
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Mobil 1 10/30 with Wix filter @3,000 mi _________________ Ideology trumps Reality - no exceptions |
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Jake de Villiers Samba Member
Joined: October 24, 2007 Posts: 5911 Location: Tsawwassen, BC
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Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 8:20 am Post subject: |
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I used 10W30 in my 2000 2.5 litre engine swap for the first 30,000 miles but after reading the manual have switched to 15W40 Rotella T.
The Subaru manual calls for for regular use but 15W40 if you're towing a trailer with your Legacy Wagon. I figure that pushing the van is more work than towing a little trailer, so... The engine sounds much happier.
I'm also using a Wix/NAPA filter for an Isuzu - #15344. It fits very well and gives me a little more capacity - a little more than half a pint. Its not a remote cooler but its nice to have a little more oil capacity. _________________ '84 Vanagon GL 1.9 WBX
'86 Westy Weekender Poptop/2.5 Subaru/5 Speed Posi/Audi Front Brakes/16 x 7 Mercedes Wheels - answers to 'Dixie'
@jakedevilliersmusic1
http://sites.google.com/site/subyjake/mydixiedarlin%27
www.crescentbeachguitar.com
www.thebassspa.com |
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dobryan Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006 Posts: 16501 Location: Brookeville, MD
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Franklinstower Samba Member
Joined: September 21, 2006 Posts: 1895 Location: PNW
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Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 11:08 am Post subject: |
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10-30 synthetic per the owners manual for my ej22. 5-30 is also listed but not for hard driving which i think a vanagon is considered to be do to the weight. _________________ '89 Westy - EJ25/22 Frank 4.44 5mt
'75 Miami Blue Sunroof FI Standard Bug |
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Zeitgeist 13 Samba Member
Joined: March 05, 2009 Posts: 12115 Location: Port Manteau
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Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 11:09 am Post subject: |
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Glenn wrote: |
Why not call the local Subaru dealership? |
Seriously. _________________ Casey--
'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik? |
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climberjohn Samba Member
Joined: January 11, 2005 Posts: 1840 Location: Portland Orygun
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Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 12:04 pm Post subject: |
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Mobil 1 synthetic 10W-30 with a Wix filter.
That's what was recommended by the expert who did my conversion, which is good enough for me.
(Tip: a large jug is often available at Costco for way less than the FLAPS.) _________________ '86 Westy, 2.5 Subaru power
Know your limits. Exceed them often. |
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Franklinstower Samba Member
Joined: September 21, 2006 Posts: 1895 Location: PNW
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Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 1:04 pm Post subject: |
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Jake de Villiers wrote: |
I'm also using a Wix/NAPA filter for an Isuzu - #15344. |
you sure that is not 51334? _________________ '89 Westy - EJ25/22 Frank 4.44 5mt
'75 Miami Blue Sunroof FI Standard Bug |
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Jake de Villiers Samba Member
Joined: October 24, 2007 Posts: 5911 Location: Tsawwassen, BC
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Franklinstower Samba Member
Joined: September 21, 2006 Posts: 1895 Location: PNW
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Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 1:51 pm Post subject: |
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Okay, got it - you had 15344 not 51344 _________________ '89 Westy - EJ25/22 Frank 4.44 5mt
'75 Miami Blue Sunroof FI Standard Bug |
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Petervw Samba Member
Joined: July 04, 2005 Posts: 1020 Location: Sarnia Ont. Canada
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Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 2:20 pm Post subject: Re: What oil are you running in you Subaru conversion? |
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timichango wrote: |
We've got a 2010 2.5l Forester engine in our van. Smallcar spec'd Chevron Delo 15w40 motor oil on their conversion spec sheet.
However, I subsequently read somewhere that engines with overhead cams don't love oils that heavy. So I'm wondering what other conversion owners—particularly ones around the coastal Pacific North West—are running for oil, and why? |
..I hope you did get in touch with a subaru dealer..somewhere in that time subaru specs a 5w/20 or 30 for that motor..all the more important for the proper subi spec'ed grade of oil if your motor is VVT and even more important again if it has a timing chain...I would give SC a call and ask them to explain why a thick diesel designed oil was recommended, especially an oil with a very low viscosity index of 130+ which is ok for the very large capacity oil fill of a tracker trailer,..but not fit to be used in a gas engine..maybe they made a mistake since they also install diesel conversions..but then again this is not an oil subaru specs for their diesel...anyway subaru would never recommend a "non-starburst" oil for any gas engine..I think in your case the 5w/30 is the spec'ed oil so therefore the subi oil would suffice or you could do better going to synthetic..for example..5/30 penzoil platinum with a viscosity index of 177 or as recommended earlier a 0w/40 ...mobil1 has a VI of 185..both are easily purchased off the shelf and with VI numbers like that you would have no problem of the oil shearing from any high heat situations, which I doubt you will encounter..personally myself, I have been using a 20w oil with a still higher VI for a long time now with no problems..sort of an experiment..but thats me.. |
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Vango Conversions Samba Member
Joined: October 04, 2010 Posts: 1054 Location: Seattle, WA
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Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 5:21 pm Post subject: |
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On all the conversions I've done, I fill them with Mobil 5w30 dino oil and a 6 cylinder Mann filter, nobody has had any problems. I use 2006+ EJ25 engines and that's the oil that Subaru recommends. I use the 6 cylinder filter just because it has more capacity and it fits the 4 cylinder motors just fine. Other engine carriers may have interference though.
I tell my customers that if they're driving it hard, to run 5w30 or 10w30 synthetic. If you're really pushing it in high temps I suppose a 15w40 would be okay, but 5w40 synthetic would probably be better. I wouldn't run a 40 weight in the winter.
Also, the oils intended for high mileage engines seem to work well to prevent the external oil leaks.
In my own van (2001 EJ25) I run Mobil 1 high mileage 5w30 and I change it in the spring and fall regardless of mileage.
If you're running a turbo motor of any make, synthetics are pretty much mandatory. |
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WLD*WSTY Samba Member
Joined: November 04, 2009 Posts: 438 Location: Arizona
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Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 7:16 pm Post subject: |
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Mobil One 0W-30.
After years of using all the wrong oils, I finally learned the correct way to determine the proper motor oil grade for my engine:
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/motor-oil-101/ _________________ '82 SyncroWesty, the first ever conversion.'06 Subaru 2.5L |
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ftp2leta Samba Member
Joined: October 11, 2004 Posts: 3271 Location: Montreal
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timichango Samba Member
Joined: April 07, 2012 Posts: 858 Location: Squamish, BC, Canada
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Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2012 1:52 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for all the info.
Yup—my curiosity stems from the discord between what Smallcar is specifying, and what's stamped on the oil cap. The car we sold in order to buy a Vanagon, and ironically, put the same engine into it, was an '07 forester (the van's engine is a 2010). So I'm used to what the forester used to take.
Trying to understand the different spec, I reckoned that:
• the van's heavier, ergo more strain on the engine, and maybe that was behind the differing recommendation from SC?
• A bit of googling about oil (gah.. what a rabbit hole that is) turns up suggestions that Subaru (and other manuf.) spec lighter engine oils in order to be able to print better fuel economy numbers, at the expense of longevity. Ergo, my layman's interpretation is that maybe SC specs heavier oil to bias towards better wear & tear, rather than better fuel economy? Is this a valid conclusion?
• Sounds like the general consensus here is to go with a 5w30 or 0w30 synthetic instead of the delo. the temperature around here is starting to drop somewhat, and I'm wondering how time-critical moving over to a lighter oil than the 15w40 is? We're about 1000-2000kms away from our next sched. oil change interval... _________________ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Vroomhilde-San: Our 1991 Silver Vanagon Westy automatic + Subie EJ25 |
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