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MarineGrunt
Enthusiast
Nov 2, 2012, 5:55 AM
Post #1 of 8
(1668 views)
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I keep seeing the Amsoil oil logo at the top of the page and have always read good things about it via online forums. We were visiting my brother-in-law a few months back who's family happens to own a Kubota Dealership in Eastern Kentucky. Come to find out they stock some Amsoil products. I bought a case of the 75w-90 gear oil since I was able to get it at cost. About $6 a quart if I remember right. While talking to him I found out it's sold using the "pyramid" system. Once I heard that it made me wonder if it's really as good as what everyone says. When you think of that pyramid system and you can't help but think of a scam.
Anyone have any experience or knowledge with Amsoil? Is it worth using? What do you all recommend for a brand of oil and other fluids? I normally use Mobile 1 full synthetic for the engine and Valvoline for synthetic for the tranny. Just curious as to what you pros use in your own vehicles as I know regular maintenance goes along way in keeping a vehicle on the road.
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Nov 2, 2012, 6:10 AM
Post #2 of 8
(1661 views)
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Amsoil was one of the first synthetic oils ever offered and it has survived all these years although it has a lot of high tech competition these days. The reason you see the logo up there is because the site owner was a distributor, although I don't know if he still is.
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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MarineGrunt
Enthusiast
Nov 2, 2012, 6:54 AM
Post #3 of 8
(1634 views)
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Seeing the logo just made me think of it and how everyone seems to talk about it on other online forums. Seems like most treat it like some kind of 100 year old bottle of wine (yuck) and didn't know if it lived up to all of the hype. I'm using it in my rear diffs in both the Envoy and Sierra. Since you said it was one of the first synthetic oils that explains why it's talked about so much and is still used.
The first time I used synthetic engine oil was maybe 8 years ago or so. I think at the time I used Penzoil in a 98 Blazer. I still changed the oil at 3000 miles and noticed it still looked somewhat new. It still had some of that golden color to it. Regular oil would've been black after 3000 miles. After seeing that I was hooked and have used it ever since in all of my vehicles. I figured if the oil was still clean after 3000 miles then the engine probably was too. Too bad I've never owned a brand new vehicle so I could use it from day one.
One other question HT. There's an Envoy forum I've visited a few times. There are a bunch who swear by using seafoam in the engine. Some of said that their vehicle ends up running better and getting better mpg's. They say it smokes like crazy, which is supposedly the carbon burning off and is suppose to clean up the engine. I've never had the balls to attempt it cause I'm afraid it may screw something up. What are your thoughts on that stuff? I trust the advice given here so don't do anything without asking first. It just seems like it would be a good way to really mess an engine up.
If we head south for vacation again I'll be sure to swing by and buy you a beer (or two, or three, or twelve). Nick's sol on that one. My wife likes the beaches in the sunshine state, not cheese in the cheese head state. As long as I can fish I don't care what direction we go.
Thanks for all of your honest, solid, and straight forward advice. It's always appreciated.
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Nov 2, 2012, 7:00 AM
Post #4 of 8
(1629 views)
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Seafoam is a very popular gum cutter. I believe it was introduced first in marine applications and has a lot of uses there. Gummed up throttle bodies, IACs and injectors are an ongoing problem with today's cars so cleaning them will always be helpful but obviously it won't help if it isn't dirty in the first place. I don't really see a benefit of putting it in the the engine oil though.
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Nov 2, 2012, 8:27 AM
Post #5 of 8
(1615 views)
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Amsoil is/was primary site sponsor and TMK was the first synthetic oil product. Also TMK synthetic oils/greases are still some concoction made from fossil oil products.
Any of this boils down to opinions. Most magic stuff isn't so magic. Some things do help for specific purposes. I alone will just say synthetic oils do hold their stated ratings longer but not an excuse to not go by the book for regular maintenance intervals. Customers choose, I don't,
T
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MarineGrunt
Enthusiast
Nov 2, 2012, 9:33 AM
Post #6 of 8
(1605 views)
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Yeah, even using synthetic I still change every 3000k. If I didn't I'd probably be saving what, $60-$80 a year? For around $6 a month I'll go ahead and continue changing it every 3000K. Who knows, it may save me an expensive repair one day down the road.
I went back and read that forum on the seafoam in the engine. I guess they don't only put it in the engine but also any vacuum line that feeds all cylinders. They recommend using the one that feeds the brake booster. Supposedly it's suppose to clean the piston tops and the valves. There are a handful of steps that they list to follow. You're suppose to let it drip in slowly. I guess the engine starts to stumble on each little drip so you're suppose to keep the engine around 2000 rpm's. Once you pour half the bottle you shut it down for 30 minutes. You then go for a 5-10 mile drive. That's when it smokes like crazy.
It would just make me nervous pouring anything into the engine that will make it stumble.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Nov 2, 2012, 10:18 AM
Post #7 of 8
(1601 views)
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Been using synthetics since M-1 was only one seen in a silver metal can you punched. Changed on time no matter what the claims. Did smoking overheat (thanks idiot lights) now would be an ancient Buick V8 pulling a load that would kill a Freightliner (stupid on my part) and expected it killed it. Pulled valve cover off to assess the damage as it was ticking. Expected sludge, varnish or who knows and one valve was sticky? Clean as a bell otherwise. Just turned the head of that one valve a bit which unstuck it and it went on another 100k or more with no problems.
SeaFoam products seem to do as claimed. PB does work. Old and older tricks that de-carboned things were ATF right down carbs and smoke out a state or older plain water done slow but worked. Hey - everything was cast iron. What was a catalytic converter? Don't do those things.
Snappy makes a "MotorVac" injector cleaner (haven't used or had that done yet) that does seem to work for cleaning up things but doubt fix totally clogged up stuff.
The SeaFoam has definitely worked on some seasonal crap with fuel that didn't last even when treated to clear out things enough to run then toss out that fuel for weed killer.
I do use Techron preventatively and can't prove that it works but all fuel injectors on vehicles I've kept up with have never needed changing or other service.
Dare say that the now ancient Tetra Ethyl Lead used to make crap fuel higher octane absolutely could build up an orange junk, foul out plugs, cause high compression to outright knocks caked up on things. That was common on low speed use vehicles and just a good hard highway run would usually take care of that alone.
Plain care and not abusing things wins almost everytime,
T
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Nov 2, 2012, 10:34 AM
Post #8 of 8
(1593 views)
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I think the only way Seafoam actually does some good is when it is slowly misted into the throttle body using a pressurized can with a mist nozzle like BG products. That way it cleans the IAC and throttle plates which would give you the most benefit. Feeding it through a vacuum line bypasses all the important areas.
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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