Re: Oil

[Angus Holliday <trstag@domain.elided>]

At 03:31 PM 3/8/99 -0800, you wrote:
>In response to:
>
>>This is a convoluted response to your input.  I used to believe all the
>hype on Castrol (yes, I said Castrol) - I have had FOUR MAJOR engine
>failures with valves seizing up in the valve guides running it:
>
>72 Stag
>79 Spitfire
>83 Chev 350 V8
>71 Ford 302 V8 in a boat
>
>It has happened over a 10 year period, but Castrol is the ONLY common
>denominator.

I think I can explain the cause of your problem...but I definitely feel it
isn't Castrol.  We have used Castrol for over 18 years in
too many vehicles to mention without a problem.  But on to the cause...I
recently had the same problem in my Jag XJ6 , the 
car had a warped head when I purchased it.  The head work was done by our
regular machinist and re-assembled and ran well.
The car didn't get driven much for about 5 months, at which point it went to
a shop for stereo install.  The first day they started it 
to drive it in the shop 2 valves stuck and bent.  I removed the head and
took it back to the machinist.  The cause?  Ethanol spiked
gas which is required here from Sept to May.  The gas goes bad in a matter
of months.  When a car has new valve guides the 
valves get glued into place.  With 20K miles or so on the engine the valves
have enough clearance to not stick.  Our machinist
has seen about a dozen cases so far.  Usually the person removes the engine
for rebuild, it takes a while for them to get it back running ,
and the gas that remained in the tank gets used to start and run the car.
Usually it will take a few runs before the problem shows up.
Usually it will be on a start up the morning after the engine has been run.
With American cars the result is often a bent push rod..if you are lucky.
After the head is removed it is difficult to drive the valve from the guide
even with a heavy hammer; however if the valve is heated with a propane
torch if will fall out.  The "glue" will be very apparent.
        Moral of the story:
                Do not use old gas...even 4-6 months old.  especially if it
is "oxygenated".  Drain the tank and while your at it, blow out the line and
change the filter.  We are also seeing  cases where this gas is glueing the
mixture needles to the jets, or at least leaving a 
gluey deposit on them that prevents the carb from working as it should (bad
idle esp)  Before "new" gas this wasn't a problem. 
The whole idea of the oxy fuel is pretty stupid as  1) it costs more 2) the
gas mileage is worse and 3) in all modern cars the 
O2 sensor automatically re-adjusts the mixture anyway.  With a small number
of old cars there is a slight pollution advantage....
if they are not re-adjusted by the owner to compensate..All in all a pretty
non- cost effective way to fight pollution...but profitable for the 
makers of the additives!  (and they have been known to express their thanks
with campaign contributions!)  Oh well I digress..
Hopefully this is not an issue for Non-American Stag owners.


>PS - I run Mobil 1 in my Camaro - 51K miles with no problems, however I
>wouldn't expect problems yet.  Consumer Reports did a study which
>basically said all the oils are the same (including synthetics).
Their test oil was not run long enough for any differences to show up..5-7 K
miles as I recall..

  If so,
>why does GM REQUIRE synthetics in Corvette and V-8 Camaro?
It is better stuff,the same is true for the gear oil and diff oil.  There
are potential problems in running it in other than new engines
though..sometimes it detects leaks..hehe

W.A. Holliday
Stag Specialists N.A.
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