Westlotorn

What you say is correct. Synthetic Hot is thinner than Petroleum Hot and can pass through smaller leak paths. Many racers in the 90's found they had to tighten oil clearances on Rods and Mains to get the same reliability when switching to Synthetic oils.

In the 1990's the OEM's were demanding piston ring sets that controlled oil at one quart consumed in 20,000 miles. That is 25 years ago and that was because of pressure from the EPA. I am sure it is tighter today with higher standards. That is what the Manufacturers demand of the piston ring suppliers of OEM Parts.

After the car is sold they will tell you 1,000 miles per quart is normal to hide from warranty issues.
My Dad has a 2014 Camry 4 cylinder using a quart of oil every 1,500 miles and they were telling him that was normal till I pointed out the EPA demands more than 20,000 miles per quart of oil consumed.
Now they are talking to management to see how they can help.

GTOguy

My 2005 Tundra has 61,000 miles on it....guess I got a ways to go!

SDVette

I had a 94 Camry (4 cylinder) that went 200K miles. Never burned or leaked a drop of oil.
(it did need a new trans @ 120K however). Sold it for $2500 3 years ago.. I'm sure it's still on the road.

MikeM

While we're testifying.................

I had a '48 Studebaker Champion that used a quart of re-refined oil just to get across town. Population 35,000.

Another one. '60 Buick that looked like a crop duster going down the road. Gave $50 for it. The owner said the engine was shot. Turned out to be a bad fuel pump. Seems the engine vacuum windshield wipers had an assist from the fuel pump. Mash on the gas and it'd quit smoking. Let up on the gas and the smoke would roll. I figured it out when I saw engine oil dripping from the wiper motor.

Had a '58 Biscayne. Cracked piston. Used a quart every 50 miles. Filled it up with 4 1/2 quarts of STP and it didn't use a quart for another 8-900 miles.

I know all about oil burners.

Frankie the Fink

Anybody remember recycled oil ? IIRC it was $0.19/quart in the '60s. I had cars that used so much that I kept 3-4 quarts of this black gritty stuff in the trunk on long runs...

MikeM

That is what I used in the '48 Studebaker mentioned in the post before this one. It was $.10/qt in 1961-'63 at the corner Payless station. When I went out in the Studebaker on a Friday night, I headed straight for the Payless station to get three quarts of oil for the night. It took a half quart just to get there.

SDVette

Then there was my Chevy Vega........

StingU2

Been awhile since the last oil change in the old '57 Studebaker... yep us old farmers never change the oil.





-Bruce

65tripleblack

You must have been a big hit with the chicks.

65tripleblack

Had a 63 Rambler American, three on the tree. Fourbanger used so much oil that the engine compartment became pressurized and blowby came up the steering column and out the steering wheel horn button. Had to open the windows with the heater blasting in the dead of winter.

GTOguy

Guys, I'm younger than some of you being a mere 55, but my lack of common sense has provided me with many 'old fashioned' automotive experiences in many old fashioned cars: anti-foulers on every spark plug of my 1937 straight eight powered Chrysler Imperial....until an old guy (this was the late '80's so I was 'young') told me to rebuild the fuel pump. Fuel pump? Well, it was a dual diaphragm unit, and the windshield wiper diaphragm was blown, causing it to suck oil. $75 later, and I went from a quart every 35 miles to normal. Another Chrysler I had about the same time was a '47 Windsor Highlander, with so much blow-by out the road draft tube, it looked like a train going down the road. Don't get me started about stalling my '15 T at a busy intersection, and having to get the passengers out so I can get out (no driver's side door) and attempt to hand crank the engine.....while people honk and swear.....

MikeM

Just for the record, I never needed a shiny car to get a good lookin' heifer on a date, or otherwise................

The guys I ran with, it was a status symbol to leave your good car home and drive an old beater.

I had a year old car when I met my wife to be. She got to ride in it once before we got married. In the meantime, the two cars pictured are the ones we went everywhere in. The '57 was a 150 stripper, the '56 was a 9 passenger, factory air, PS, PB. I gave $140 for the '57 and I think $150 for the '56.

Also for the record, we used to snicker and laugh at the guys that could afford a new Corvette back then. We'd tell them they had to have a fancy car to get a girl. They didn't like that much.



PS. Neither of those two beaters above used any oil (to amount to anything) either.

Frankie the Fink

What I find amusing is that most of the supposedly 'poor', supposedly underpaid people running about today wouldn't be caught dead in some of the old clunkers that we were glad to have 'back in the day'...

cv67

Lttle oil burning is normal here there they will all do it at some point. My 02 5.3 has done a qt every 1000 now less since brand new so what

Mike you jogged my memory of a guy I worked with yrs ago
bought a brand new 84 toyota pu and NEVER changed the oil, not even once
It gave up the ghost at 65k. Pulled the 22r out stuck a used 20r in, bought that thing cheap drove it til it had 320k on it.

As a kid remember the neighbors Valiant (60 something) always blew oil around the compartment and tossed headgaskets constantly Bottom end went a long time

His VWs never used or LOST a drop they had to come out and get rebuilt before they hit 3k most times. lol

65tripleblack

That Rambler American that I just told you about had just about the most worn out back seat from "heifers" that you could imagine.

Westlotorn

In my High School in 1975 you were cool if your car RAN!!!

oldgold49er

just leave the farm equipment in the field where it stopped.

Frankie the Fink

In the dim reaches of memory I recall one of those Rambler engines (6cyl ?) had a hollow head stud which the oil was supposed to pass through to oil the valve train. We traded in one of those jewels 'back in the day' where the stud had been replaced with a solid version.

The valve train had been running 'dry' for God only knows how long...clattering like hell...

StingU2

I would have, but it has sentimental value...

-Bruce

wmf62

yes, but gas was 25 cents a gallon then...
Bill