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Mixing oil's

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by EAJ-400, May 30, 2012.

  1. EAJ-400
    Joined: May 30, 2012
    Posts: 13

    EAJ-400
    Member
    from Buffalo

    Iv been using the Brad Penn high zinc oil in my Buick Nail head but it leaks/ burns a little and I don't want to keep buying such expensive oil to leak on the garage floor. Will it hurt the car if I start topping it off with standard motor oil?
     
  2. czuch
    Joined: Sep 23, 2008
    Posts: 2,688

    czuch
    Member
    from vail az

    I had a real bad leaker and I went to my buddie's shop and got his used oil.
    That poor car lasted a looong time.
     
  3. Dan10
    Joined: Aug 14, 2007
    Posts: 386

    Dan10
    Member
    from Joplin

    If it is the same weight and both synthetic or dino oil, you should be fine. Generally the rule is to not mix weights and keep it all synthetic or non-synthetic.
     
  4. Dan Timberlake
    Joined: Apr 28, 2010
    Posts: 1,530

    Dan Timberlake
    Member

    Supposedly the API (American Petroleum Institute) label implies a certain amount of miscibility. I'd probably mix a few ounces together, shake and bake, and see what happens.
     

  5. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,943

    squirrel
    Member

    Sounds like the engine needs to be rebuilt, I wouldn't be spending $$$ on oil for it....use whatever you can get cheap.
     
  6. George
    Joined: Jan 1, 2005
    Posts: 7,724

    George
    Member

    You can get "Accel" brand 10W-40 SF rated oil(has zinc) @ Wal-Mart for decent price.
     
  7. Chester
    Joined: Sep 24, 2005
    Posts: 67

    Chester
    Member
    from At work

    Had teacher that said it is ok to mix brands but not weights.
     
  8. my old beater gets whatever is on sale at Walmart....it now has 285,000miles on it....it doesn't give a shit what it runs on.....as long as it's wet, slippery, and plenty of it....might be time to redo the nailhead.
     
  9. Dane
    Joined: May 6, 2010
    Posts: 1,351

    Dane
    Member
    from Soquel, CA

    I'd try a bottle of stop leak 1st. Just a bandaid, but better than expensive oil on the floor. Start saving $ for a rebuild.
     
  10. zman
    Joined: Apr 2, 2001
    Posts: 16,731

    zman
    Member
    from Garner, NC

    More often than not if a Nailhead is leaking bad, it's the rear main seal, which stock was a rope seal. Stop leak will do absolutely nothing for that...
     
  11. Ebbsspeed
    Joined: Nov 11, 2005
    Posts: 6,251

    Ebbsspeed
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    In my daily beater, with 186,000 miles on an SBC 305, I've put whatever oil into it that I had handy, partial quarts of synthetic or dinosaur blood, weight anywhere from 5W-30 to 20-50, and it purrs with nary a tick or clunk. Your results may vary, but my experience has been that there are no issues with mixing oils.
     
  12. Mike51Merc
    Joined: Dec 5, 2008
    Posts: 3,856

    Mike51Merc
    Member

    If this were true, you wouldn't be able to buy synthetic blends at the store.
     
  13. mustang6147
    Joined: Feb 26, 2010
    Posts: 1,847

    mustang6147
    Member
    from Kent, Ohio

    You can mix any oil and any weight....

    I have had alot od maiden voyage beaters, that got everything from old lawn mower oil to oil taken out of my good car and added to it. I think I may have had tranny fluid in there to.... It ran forever and I donated it...

    Oil is never completely drained during an oil change....
     
  14. Kramer
    Joined: Mar 19, 2007
    Posts: 911

    Kramer
    Member

    I was always told that you could not mix oil weights. However after reading this thread I Googled "mixing oil viscosity" and came up with the same consensus, you can mix different weights, however the viscosity will be somewhere in between the weights that you mixed. (makes sense) That means it may not meet the recommended requirements for your engine. Also some of the info I found stated if you,re mixing different viscosity oils, use the same brand.

    On mixing synthetic and regular oil, I didn't check that one. However using the theory that you can buy blended oil, so it must be okay, may not be true. It is possible that the oil mixed with the synthetic to form their blend is formulated so that it blends.
     
  15. George
    Joined: Jan 1, 2005
    Posts: 7,724

    George
    Member

    Basic math, just add up the numbers & divide by # of quarts!:)
     
  16. Rudebaker
    Joined: Sep 14, 2007
    Posts: 1,598

    Rudebaker
    Member
    from Illinois

    I've mixed weights and brands in my daily drivers for years. I've found the critical thing is to have ENOUGH oil.
     
  17. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,943

    squirrel
    Member

    yep! It doesn't matter too much which oil you use, the important thing is to change it every now and then and don't let it run low
     
  18. CutawayAl
    Joined: Aug 3, 2009
    Posts: 2,144

    CutawayAl
    Member
    from MI

    Brad Penn is good oil, but it's "standard" oil. Changing to another "standard" oil isn't really a change, at least not one that poses any compatibility issues.
     
  19. tommyd
    Joined: Dec 10, 2010
    Posts: 11,948

    tommyd
    Member
    from South Indy

    Another rule of thumb is to look at the auto parts stores oil shelf. What ever brand has the most shelf space is the one making that chains private label oil. So if Valvoline has the most shelf space at NAPA then you can rest assured that the NAPA bottles have Valvoline in them.
     
  20. ClintsToys
    Joined: May 19, 2012
    Posts: 19

    ClintsToys
    Member

    Found this: Synthetic and natural oils are completely compatible with each other. There are no chemical incompatibility issues. It's no more harmful than mixing Evian water with tap water.

    There is little practical downside to mixing natural oil and synthetic, either. the only issue is loss of a small fraction of a synthetic oil's protective quality, in proportion to the amount it is diluted with natural oil.

    Natural oils have inferior viscosity index (flow less readily when cold, thin more -- hold their lubrication film less durably -- and lose their lighter fractions from evaporation more readily when hot), but as long as you use the recommended grade and viscosity, and change oil according to the manufacturer's recommendations, they are okay in an emergency.

    Synthetic oils are at there best in the worst conditions -- cold starts. When you shut your engine off, the oil is hot and thin, and most of it quickly drains into the crankcase.
     
  21. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,943

    squirrel
    Member

    Really? I wonder why it's still there in bearings and oil passages and on rings when I take apart an engine that's been sitting for years since it was last run....but I guess you said "most", not "all".
     
  22. auto shop
    Joined: Aug 20, 2005
    Posts: 284

    auto shop
    Member
    from kentucky

    Diesel oil has zinc also.
     
  23. CutawayAl
    Joined: Aug 3, 2009
    Posts: 2,144

    CutawayAl
    Member
    from MI

    The ability for an oil to leave a protective layer, and an oil's ability to "wick"(capillary action), are things that oil companies actually measure.
     
  24. mixing brands is ok.STP oil treatment has high zinc.
     
  25. George
    Joined: Jan 1, 2005
    Posts: 7,724

    George
    Member

    Diesel is reduced,some bottles are maked CJ/SM indicating it has no more zinc than the new car oil does..
     
  26. zman
    Joined: Apr 2, 2001
    Posts: 16,731

    zman
    Member
    from Garner, NC


    I wish you guys would quit saying that, it is absolutely not true. Some does, some doesn't. You really need to check the rating.
     

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