Thanks, Michael. I had the feeling that this point -- today's oils be mo
bettah that those of days of yore -- pretty much covers the matter. I do
use Mobil 15W-50, like many here.

I suppose that now that I are the proud new owner of an oil pressure
gauge, I can use it to determine whether the oil is doing its work.
That's kinda-sorta the bottom line, isn't it? That the oil pressure be
not too high when things are cold, and not too low when it's bakey outside?

--
RJS

On 07/29/2011 01:56 PM, Michael Snow wrote:
> On 7/29/11 4:44 PM, Rocket J Squirrel wrote:
>> recommended oils
>> chart in his 1984's owner's manual ("Lubricants," p. 54) and wondering
>> what the right viscosity is for conditions where the nighttime lows are
>> in the mid-40's (F) and the daytime highs are in the mid-90's.
>
> I think it is important to understand that the engine oils available
> when the 1984 owner's manual was printed are very different from those
> available today. On the premise that 5 Vanagons constitute a "fleet," I
> have standardized on Shell Rotella T6 5W-40, available at my local Wally
> World, for fleet use in my diesel, TiiCo, and waterboxers. If I had only
> a single waterboxer, which seems to be the most common predicament, I
> would use Mobil1 15W-50.