Hey gang, Where is everyone buying their engine oil? My '97 Spider has 15w40 Mobil 1 in it. It could use some topping up but I can't find 15w40 at any of local auto parts stores. What else can I use to top up my 15w40 until I can do a proper oil change? Also, was hoping to change oil this wknd but cant find recommended oil. Manual says 5w40 synthetic. Mobil 1 would be the best option but I can't find 5w40 Mobil 1 anywhere either. A few stores have Pentosin at 2x the price. Thoughts/suggestions? Should I order online? If so, where? Thx, Ketel
My local AutoZone carries Mobile 1 15W40. I'm in Sacramento so I would assume there's an AutoZone in the SF area.
15w40 should be fairly easy to find, as thats what most of the diesel pickups run. Not positive on the rating of the oil. Mobil 1 and Amsoil should be easy to find.
I would (and do) run the 0w40 mobil 1 European blend as it has higher zinc content to protect the lifters.
So, I managed to track down 5w40 Mobil across a couple OReilly Auto parts stores in my area. I got the ESP blend which purports to have low emissions properties. $13 a quart is a bit pricey but not as pricey as rebuilding a 355 engine Now i need to find a proper hex wrench to remove the oil drain plug. Naturally it did not come in the on-board tool kit. Gotta love those italians... ketel
Get yourself a filter & end-cap wrench/socket/thingy here It makes life so much easier. I get my filters from either Ricambi or ebay store CarNutsBoutique. they include the washers. And for the Hex wrench: Sears. BTW: I get my redline 10w40 from Jegs by the gallon. 10qts needed.
Jesus, been collecting bottle of 0W-40 for my Porsche here and there, seems like they don't stay long enough on the shelves.
You shouldn't have any trouble finding Redline 10W40 or 5W40. As for the 12mm hex socket, that should be easy to find as well at any or most auto parts store.
Believe it or not, I couldn't find a 12mm hex bit anywhere. Checked 3 O'Reilly stores, a HomeDepot and the area's most popular hardware store. No dice. Just ordered one on amazon. As to the oil, I am now considering taking back the Mobil 1 5w40 ESP and just ordering Redline 10w40 online. Costs about the same. Seems like Redline is the better oil. Also, I re-checked the OM and it appears it does call for 10w40, not 5w40 as I thought previously. My car came (from SC) with 15w40 in it, which I found odd but chalked up to the heat in South Carolina. Now that my fair Francesca lives with me in temperate San Francisco, I am thinking 10w40 is the better choice. Thoughts? Observations? ketel
I had the same trouble you have...nobody local had the 12mm. Ended up buying it @ Sears online....and it was NOT a craftsman part....I didn't read the fine print. Works just fine however. I bought the Redline oil from Amazon, and Oil change kit and wrench socket from Ricambi.
You're over obsessing on the viscosity. At temperature, they should all act like 40w oil, so the only major difference is how thick/thin it is when cold. If you were racing the car it would probably make sense to really get the viscosity right, but for a street car it won't know the difference. More critical is making sure the additive package is correct.
10W40 is half synthetic (mineral mix) 5W40 is fully synthetic and superior quality oil Low temp viscosity is a lot better
5w40 Redline from Amazon, $10.XX per quart. As suggested by Mitch I run 1 quart of the 4-stroke motorcycle oil to bring the ZDDP up.
