• Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

looking for suggestions on oil fliter and oil.

gthom79

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Oak Harbor WA
I have a 1988 XJ 4.0L with somewhere over 250000 miles(the odometer stopped working around 245000 miles). I have been using a fram oil filter and pennzoil 10w30. I was just wondering what other people are using as far as oil filter and oil brand. Also wondering with it being 20+ years old and so many miles if I should use a synthetic oil or just keep using some brand of 10w30 oil? I only dirve my jeep on road about 25% of the time the rest is off road time(in the mountians around Yosemite).
 
A lot of folks are saying synthetic oil is breaking apart the seals (or the gunk holding the seals) on the engine so be careful. I dont have a renix engine so not sure about the oil filter. I think I remember someone saying you can buy a larger filter than the one NAPA and those places will try to sell you
 
You need Zinc/Phosphorus to keep the cam lobes from wearing further. Newer oils are low in Zn/P.

I use and recommend;

Shell Rotella T 10w-30(winter)
Shell Rotella T 15w-40(summer on high mileage engines)
Wix filters

Change out O/F at 3.5-5k intervals. The Rotella oil is designed for diesel engines and does not break down as quickly as some dino oils do.

All can be purchased at Orielly's, Walmart carries Rotella as well, $13 a gallon, 3gal=2 oil changes.

You can add Zn to any oil of your choice though.

This subject is like arguing politics or religion, there is no right/wrong answer, just a personal choice.
 
OCD = Orange Can of Death.

Avoid the Orange Can of Death.

Wix or NAPA Gold--they are the same thing. Maybe Hastings.

Our engines should have ZDDP. It is now gone from all "common" oils, including the diesel oils. There are ZDDP additives, but there have been reports of "gelling" with some oils. Joe Gibbs racing oils have ZDDP, and there are some others out there.

Now--around here Joe Gibbs runs $7.75 per quart at one of the local performance machine shops.
 
You have over 250k miles and you are worried about what oil to run? Whatever has been done up until now seems to be working. This is hardly the time to be concerned.
 
There are a lot of threads discussing this subject. I would do a search and read through some of those for everything you want to know about oil and filters.

That being said, I use Mobile 1 oil and filter. I believe Mobile 1 is one of the only oils out there, which is fully synthetic, as apposed to "highly refined". I love this oil and have never had any problems. My engine has 206,000 on it.

I've been told that any engine made after the 70's probably doesn’t need any ZDDP, just what I've heard. I've never used it and haven’t had any problems.

My 2 cents
 
It's funny that I ran the OCD for 20 years in my rig but have since changed to Bosch or Purolator after reading Naxja threads.

I still run Castrol 20w-50 though I do add STP w/zinc additive.

I'm afraid to try the Rotella since my rig just rolled over to 435,000 on last oil change and drained out all 6 qts that was put in her 3000mi. ago.

So I guess just changing the oil is the most important thing rather than what brand.
 
The rig has 250K on it, with Fram filters and Pennzoil 10W30?

I wouldn't bother changing my ways now, it's too late to make any kind of difference anyway ;)

Regular oil changes are more important than expensive oil changes anyway.

As for the filter? Meh. I used to race with Fram filters installed, never had an oil related problem. I generally don't buy them anymore because there is a NAPA store on the way home from work (I also use 10W30 but only Valvoline or NAPA)

Whatever works for you. I just wouldn't start spending $5/qt on a fluid that won't make a heap of difference at this point.
 
Here's a good video on oil filters.

Rotella 15-40 and wix or Napa here.

Jeep Engine Oil Viscosity
This was taken from pages 82 and 83 of the 1989 Chrysler/Jeep owners manual.
Selecting Engine Oil Viscosity
When changing or adding engine oil select the proper grade by using the chart on the following page. Select the grade that corresponds to the ambient temperature range you expect to encounter before your next oil change.
30*F to 100*F+ 20W-40 or 20W-50
0*F to 100*F+ 10W-30 or 10W-40
-20*F to 60*F 5W-30



http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=hsQ2LbHGSy0
 
OCD = Orange Can of Death.

Avoid the Orange Can of Death.

Wix or NAPA Gold--they are the same thing. Maybe Hastings.

Our engines should have ZDDP. It is now gone from all "common" oils, including the diesel oils. There are ZDDP additives, but there have been reports of "gelling" with some oils. Joe Gibbs racing oils have ZDDP, and there are some others out there.

Now--around here Joe Gibbs runs $7.75 per quart at one of the local performance machine shops.

Actually the API spec SN oil has added Zn back in, not the ZDDP, but using ZDP. I don't know yet, how much difference there is between the two, or how much ZDP is in the new SN spec. I am still researching it.

Lucas and Risoline have great cost effective concentrated ZDDP additives now, that I am using with the API SN spec oils.

On the 1988, with that mileage and history of dyno oil use, DO NOT SWITCH to synthetic or semi synthetic oil!!!! It will make all the oil seals like crazy, permanently!!!!

Havoline is good, but I have been using Autozone brand oil for 5 years now, the dyno oil, because until recently it was the only API spec SL I could still get with high ZDDP zinc levels. Now I use the additive.

I won't use any filter other than K&N.
 
Last edited:
I think you are a bit off on you oil requirements.

Generally speaking, unless you in severe duty conditions, manufactures have been recommending running no heavier than 10W30 to cut down on windage losses, and even thinner in the winter (5W20).
 
There are a lot of threads discussing this subject. I would do a search and read through some of those for everything you want to know about oil and filters.

That being said, I use Mobile 1 oil and filter. I believe Mobile 1 is one of the only oils out there, which is fully synthetic, as apposed to "highly refined". I love this oil and have never had any problems. My engine has 206,000 on it.

I've been told that any engine made after the 70's probably doesn’t need any ZDDP, just what I've heard. I've never used it and haven’t had any problems.

My 2 cents

Mobil has always had ZDDP zinc in it, and I am pretty sure it still does, though they may have switched to ZDP recently under the new API SN specs. Our old flat tapet engines need ZDDP!!!!! All the way through the 2001 model. Do some Googling on wiped out Cams when they dropped the Zinc, ZDDP content.
 
Mobil has always had ZDDP zinc in it, and I am pretty sure it still does, though they may have switched to ZDP recently under the new API SN specs. Our old flat tapet engines need ZDDP!!!!! All the way through the 2001 model. Do some Googling on wiped out Cams when they dropped the Zinc, ZDDP content.

Thanks for the info, I guess it's just dumb luck that I've never had a problem, becuase I've always used Mobile 1.
 
Thanks for all the info, I'll keep everything in mind. I wasn't aware of the zinc/ZDDP issue, so that is something new to me and good info.
 
Thanks for the info, I guess it's just dumb luck that I've never had a problem, becuase I've always used Mobile 1.

Mobil 1 is a great oil, great choice for a new engine after break in oil.

The problem is switching to a synthetic on an older engine that has always used dyno oil. The synthetic cleans everything up, like adding diesel fuel or solvent to the oil, and the old seals start leaking like crazy.
 
Re: Re: looking for suggestions on oil fliter and oil.

Mobil 1 is a great oil, great choice for a new engine after break in oil.

The problem is switching to a synthetic on an older engine that has always used dyno oil. The synthetic cleans everything up, like adding diesel fuel or solvent to the oil, and the old seals start leaking like crazy.

I van attest to this; mine is bleeding out from every orifice after three months of Mobile One. Replacing RMS, valve cover gasket, and filter adapter orings this weekend.
 
I van attest to this; mine is bleeding out from every orifice after three months of Mobile One. Replacing RMS, valve cover gasket, and filter adapter orings this weekend.

I had the same problem with a different synthetic brand.
 
I recommend Wix filter. Wix makes Napa Gold. Some same thing, but cheaper under Wix brand name.

I recommend Mobil Clean 5000 conventional oil, or Shell conventional is good too. I prefer Mobil.

Use 10-30W if it gives at least 25 psi oil pressure when idling hot engine.

If less than 25 psi oil pressure when idling hot engine, then use 10-40W.

Do NOT use synthetic oil. To late to switch to it. To use synthetic, should start between 7K and 30K miles, ideally. At least by 50K. You have way to many miles to start using synthetic.
 
I switched my 99 XJ to Mobil One 5-40W synthetic at 33K miles and it is great.

However, I switched to synthetic at 33K miles. I changed oil filter at 500 miles and again at 1000 miles to clean up any loosened gunk. After that, every 3000 miles. I will start changing filter every 5000K miles. Oil changes at 15,000K miles.

I have no oil leaks, but I changed at 33K mikes, and I'm using 5-40W. Oil pressure is 35 psi at idle of hot engine. i.e. - perfect oil pressure.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top