Re: [DML] Transmission and Oil question

[Soma576@xxxx]

In a message dated 7/21/02 10:55:27 AM Central Daylight Time, 
iqmpike@xxxx writes:
> Quick question for the group... I have heard MANY storied on what 
> kind of oil to put in the Delorean.. I have heard 10W50, 5W30, etc...
> 
> I went and bought 7 quarts of Penzoil 5W30 SYNTHETIC oil....
> 
...> And last, what kind of transmission fluid should I use? (I have an 
> automatic)... and, is the slick50 transmission protection additive 
> safe to use?
> thanks!
> Mike
> 


Mike - 

I am a store manager for Jiffy Lube and i think i can answer all of your 
questions - 

1. the correct weight of oil for the vehicle varies with the climate at 
which you live in. this is important to follow because if you live in a cold 
part of the country (below 14 deg F for much of the year) you will want to 
have an oil with a smaller first number, as in 5W-30, the 5 is the smallest 
common weight for the W (winter viscosity), so that will flow to the upper 
cams and jets quicker than a heavy oil (such as 20W-50) from a cold start. 
this all leads to engine wear protection. the faster the oil gets there, the 
better. the second number is the 'summer' viscosity, or the viscosity the 
oil runs at when the engine is at operating temperature. if the engine is 
started in a 'summer climate' temperature, the first number really means 
nothing because the oil isn't that cold. all of the above is in general if 
the vehicle does not specifically state a preferred viscosity. you should 
always go with what the manufacturer recommends. sometimes the preferred 
weight is also required to achieve low-emissions certification or for better 
fuel economy. for instance, the newest fords and hondas (2002 and newer) are 
preferring 5W-20 oil YEAR ROUND!! most other makes like chrysler and GM 
recommend 5W-30 or 10W-30, depending on the climate. for the DeLorean, the 
shop manual and the owner's manual provide a chart for determining a correct 
weight of oil to use. i only drive my car in the spring, summer, fall so i 
chose a weight in the middle of the climate chart which described my region's 
temperature levels. i choose to run 10W-40 oil. your choice my vary 
depeding on your climate and which weights of oil are actually available in 
today's market (it is not easy to find 20W-50 or some of those super-heavy 
oils anymore). personally i wouldn't go with anything heavier than 15W-40. 
that's already some pretty thick stuff!! i just personally feel safer with 
something a little thinner in there, knowing it's getting lubricated well at 
start-up. for you in new mexico (or was it arizona...) i would probably go 
with 10W-40 or 15W-40.

as far as what brand of oil, it's not that big a deal. as long as it is API 
certified it should be ok. it's all a matter of personal preference. the 
whole debate over 'oil with parafin in it' is a big joke. i won't get into 
it but don't listen to any of it, it's something blown way out of proportion. 
also with synthetic, i don't see any reason why not to run it if you want 
to. some people say if you have an oil engine and you start running 
synthetic in it, it will leak. well it might but that's because every 
molecule of synthetic oil is the same size as opposed to the cluster-fk of 
stuff in conventional oil - the synthetic oil isn't thinner, it's just that 
it's easier to flow thru seals. get it?

the most important thing with oil, by far, is not what brand, type, weight 
(to a point), etc etc. the most important thing is the change your oil AND 
filter every 3000 miles OR three months, whichever comes first. also when 
you drain the oil, pour a quart of fresh oil thru the engine and let it run 
out the drain hole. this will flush the last bit of sludge in your pan out. 
also when you tighten the drain plug, don't over tighten it or you may strip 
the pan! 

as for slick 50 or other oil/crankcase additives - i would avoid it. 
especially anything with teflon in it. it will probably boast that it has 
teflon in it if it does. dupont themselves even state that teflon is not for 
use in internal combustion engines, but everyene uses it that way anyway. 
while it may be safe and ok, i'd rather not wonder about it the rest of my 
life and i just leave it all alone. 

as for the tranny, there are TWO types of oil in it!! the torque converter 
and gears are bathed in Dexron II ATF. Dexron II was superceded by Dexron 
III ATF and became the factory OEM tranny fluid in domestic vehicles around 
1993 i believe. Dexron III has the qualities of II only it is even better 
and has better temperature withstanding qualities. your tranny will be just 
fine with Dexron III, available at any auto parts store.

then there is the final drive. the final drive is very similar to a 
differential only it is built into the tranny as more or less one piece. 
when a transmission contains a seperate final drive, as in the DeLorean, the 
transmission is now called a transaxle. the shop manual recommends using 
80W-90 gear oil. this is also in the same fluid in the steering rack and 
pinion. if i were you i would probably put synthetic gear oil in, it's a 
little tougher than regular petroleum-based oil. synthetic is a 75W-90 
weight oil.

this was long but i hope i explained everything thoroughly for you!!

Later, 
Andy

Soma576@xxxx
1982 DeLorean DMC-12 VIN#11596
Fargo, ND 58102