The Endless Oil Debate
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 149
Likes: 2
The Endless Oil Debate
A Chevron rep conducted a class on modern oils for the members of my AMCA chapter last month
At the meeting, he gave me the email address of the Chevron Tech department, saying that they would be happy to address any and all questions about oil in detail.
According to the rep, a lot of the folk knowledge that surrounds oil use and applications simply isn't true. In addition, a lot has changed in the past few years. Now is your chance to put those cherished beliefs to the test or at least to get a response from an informed source.
So, if you have a question about oil, please post it here. Be as specific and detailed as possible. Next week I will gather the questions, consolidate and clarify when necessary, and send them to the Chevron tech guys. I am making the same offer on the antique, bobber, and Sportster forums, so consolidation will, no doubt, be necessary.
After they reply, if there are follow-up questions, I will glad to send them on.
I'd like this discussion to be as constructive and objective as possible. Please don't rail on your point of view. If you disagree with the rep's response, articulate your issue in the form of a follow-up question.
Now's your chance guys. Chime in.
At the meeting, he gave me the email address of the Chevron Tech department, saying that they would be happy to address any and all questions about oil in detail.
According to the rep, a lot of the folk knowledge that surrounds oil use and applications simply isn't true. In addition, a lot has changed in the past few years. Now is your chance to put those cherished beliefs to the test or at least to get a response from an informed source.
So, if you have a question about oil, please post it here. Be as specific and detailed as possible. Next week I will gather the questions, consolidate and clarify when necessary, and send them to the Chevron tech guys. I am making the same offer on the antique, bobber, and Sportster forums, so consolidation will, no doubt, be necessary.
After they reply, if there are follow-up questions, I will glad to send them on.
I'd like this discussion to be as constructive and objective as possible. Please don't rail on your point of view. If you disagree with the rep's response, articulate your issue in the form of a follow-up question.
Now's your chance guys. Chime in.
Thread Starter
|
Cruiser
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 149
Likes: 2
We already talked to the rep, and he certainly wasn't trying to sell us anything. This is going straight to the chemists. The point is that oils have improved so much in the last ten years that a lot of the old, and fiercely held, believes don't hold true. I am going to ask him about multi-grades, synthetics, and which oils are best in our bikes, and also about the endless debate about the shared oil in the primary and transmission.
Road Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 810
Likes: 0
Your gonna drive yourself crazy and be more confused then when you started. I've got a buddy that only uses Castrol 20-50 dino oil and changes every 2.5 k miles. He's been doing it for 40 years on Pans, Knuckles, Evos and his TC...never had a motor problem after almost 1/2 million miles. Go figure. And,he only uses cheap Flagg filters from J.C. Whitney...ever hear of them.
1. Should we use straight 50 /60 weight or 20W50 oils in our Ironheads?
2. Is synthetic better than dino in our IronHeads?
3. What is the optimal time between oil change for IronHead engines, in number of miles, for synth and for dino, run in "normal" circumstances [not racing, not off-road, not desert, etc]?
2. Is synthetic better than dino in our IronHeads?
3. What is the optimal time between oil change for IronHead engines, in number of miles, for synth and for dino, run in "normal" circumstances [not racing, not off-road, not desert, etc]?
Cruiser
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 171
Likes: 0
From: Clayton, NC
OK. Use whatever I oil have in my Truck.
I recycle the Oil from Truck to the Lawn tractor to '72 XLCH. I would like to know if it's safe to then put it in my chainsaw? I really like my chainsaw and don't want to mess it up.
Pat
I recycle the Oil from Truck to the Lawn tractor to '72 XLCH. I would like to know if it's safe to then put it in my chainsaw? I really like my chainsaw and don't want to mess it up.
Pat
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Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2006
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1. Should we use straight 50 /60 weight or 20W50 oils in our Ironheads?
2. Is synthetic better than dino in our IronHeads?
3. What is the optimal time between oil change for IronHead engines, in number of miles, for synth and for dino, run in "normal" circumstances [not racing, not off-road, not desert, etc]?
2. Is synthetic better than dino in our IronHeads?
3. What is the optimal time between oil change for IronHead engines, in number of miles, for synth and for dino, run in "normal" circumstances [not racing, not off-road, not desert, etc]?
2.) Depends on who you ask.
3.) I change my oil every 1500 miles....Yes, it sounds like overkill. However, the tiny in tank filter that I use is not the best. They are only 2 bucks, so an oil change only cost me about 8 dollars.
All I know is my oil changes work as far as top end wear goes. I bought my bike off the original owner with 11k miles on it. 3 days later, I burned a hole in a piston due to an intake leak. I had a top end done. 34k miles later, I burned a hole in another piston. When we tore it down, the cylinders still had cross hatch marks from where it was bored. We put new pistons and rings in it and just honed the jugs. It was good to go.
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Road Master
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 751
Likes: 6
From: 500 miles south from Artic Circle
Seems that you really like your ironhead, twice used motoroil into your bikes engine "DUDE, SWEET"