so i am reading my manual to help me choose a proper engine oil to change it on my own. but the manual is calling for ILSAC certification conforming to the API SJ so far i haven't able to find one. I read on www.api.com that an API SM should provide sufficient protection for the engine but what do you think? please help i want to change oil this weekend

 

I went with Valvoline MaxLife (the High mileage because my 01 beast reached the 75k mileage mark). Check their product info at http://www.valvoline.com/products/br...ge-motor-oil/2 and has the certification you're looking for.

 

I'm running Chevron semi-synthetic 5w-30 from the local Lube-O-Rama with a quart of Marvel Mystery Oil substituted and so far no squawks.

 

AMSOil ftw! i run it in my wife's solara for 10k mile oil changes and 15k filter chages, great lubrication, better fuel economy, use it in my 01 mustang bullitt, picked up cooler temps, smoother drivetrain, cleaner diff, more power, and next oil change im going to run the AMSOIL signature series on the ol monty for 25k miles or 1 year and a 25k mile filter. Its expensive stuff but 1 oil change per year for 70 bucks is worth it to me since i drive mine everywhere.....do your research man. AMSOIL was first to meet and exceed API standards. started back in the 60s but nobody could afford 5$ per quart when conventional crude oil was .50$ a quart. I changed my trans fluid and diff fluid over to their synthetic fluid, truck glides down the road now.... shifts better, seems to run cooler due to better lube, less friction between gears, havent seen a fuel economy increase yet however but i have only put 65 miles on it since the fluid change. my diff fluid and trans fluid looked like milk chocolate and maple syrup and pepsi boiled together.....ewwww. but im going to change to their power steering fluid, engine oil, coolant, and fuel system cleaner here soon. Look into their lifetime filters too. they work and flow much better than a K&N because they do not use oil on the pleats and prevents destroying your MAF sensor from oil getting sucked in, i made a cold air kit for mine and im going to switch over to their filters. The filter elements have double protection with a coarse element on the outside to block larger particles then double filtered through a finer element while not harming air flow. Also AMSOIL has the patented NANOFiber filter which i believe filters down to 8 microns stopping 98% of contaminants. The detergents and sealing capabilities of AMSOIL will also extend the life of your engine by cleaning any deposits and swellignyour seals to retain oil from leaking as well as a polymer sealer to seal under your piston rings to prevent blow by and they known for not eliminating oil consumption....do your research like I did and i think you will be impressed. Its all synthetic but there are 3 levels. OE good for 5k-7500k miles. XL-extended life= good for 10k miles. And their signature series is good for 25k miles or 1 year. and depending on the filter can be a 5k, 10k, 15k, or 25k filter. even if you youtube AMSOIL there is a slide show of side by side test comarisons to penzoil, castrol, mobil 1, valvoline, etc

 

Hey, 98Ses, you forgot to mention their snappy logo.

 

logo is a logo, functionality and performance is key

 

Of course you are correct, and your knowledge and enthusiasm for Amsoil can only be admired.

Your reference to old gear oil reminded me of changing out the diff fluid on my old 82 Honda, which only had 22,xxx miles on it but that over a period of 26 years. It indeed looked like chocolate milk and it's a good feeling to replace that muck with brand new oil that can actually do some lubricating. I renewed the trans fluid on my Montero 5spd after I got it and noticed a marked improvement in shifting ease; my differentials fore and aft checked out OK.

Your comments are a good reminder to be mindful of the condition of these important yet often overlooked items.

 

These trucks like synthetic, this is our 3rd Montero (05) and the other 2 Montersos (95, 2001) developed a ticking lifter noise around 80k miles. I used Syn at the first oil change with our 05 and it is currently at 145k without any "ticks"

 

This may sound crazy but I'll tell you why I quit using Mobil 1 and swore off synthetics in all of my Mitsubishi vehicles. Understand though that I have used Mobil 1 in many vehicles for many years, including race cars, and I still consider it to be an extremely superior lubricant to most other motor oils. For me though, the jury is still out on whether that is really important given my driving style and the driving environment my Montero Sport lives in.

When synthetic motor oil burns, the fumes are extremely toxic. With the frequent failure of the notorious cam seal o-rings on the Mitsu V6, you will often get a little drip here and there that lands right on the exhaust, burns, and smokes. You often won't notice the o-ring has started leaking until it gets pretty bad but in the mean time, this toxic smoke enters the passenger compartment, and your lungs, and for some (sensitive) people (like me), it can make you sick.

I used Mobil 1 in my 1997 Sport, and for the first few years I had my 1999 MS Limited. I started to have weird health issues a year or two into the ownership of the 99. At one point I noticed I was getting really bad headaches after driving it in the city (stop and go) but I never made a connection to the vehicle. I just chalked it up to the aggravation of L.A. traffic. It wasn't until I was talking to a petroleum engineer one day, and he happened to mention the toxic properties of synthetic oil smoke, that I put 2 and 2 together and found the leaking o-rings.

After I replaced the o-rings, my headaches stopped but knowing this, and knowing there are other common sources of leaks (like the valve cover gaskets, etc.) in these engines, I decided that I didn't need to get sick just to figure out every time my car sprung a little oil leak. So I switched to regular oil and I've never had a problem since, even when there is a small leak.

If you have a well sealed engine this would be a non-issue. If you aren't sensitive to the properties of synthetic oil smoke, it may not be much of an issue either (although it's still toxic). But most of the time we don't know when a leak starts, and they usually start slow, and it isn't worth it to me to risk the health of myself or my family for the slim possibility of increased engine life over the long term. I say "slim possibility" because my 1999 went over 210,000 miles when I sold it and the engine was still tight and ran well. The bulk of those miles were racked up running conventional motor oil. I don't know that I would have seen any actual engine longevity benefit from running synthetic had I used it so between the extra cost of synthetic, and the potential for health issues if a leak starts, I've decided to avoid it.

 

2k1 montero sport, as long as the engine oil be higher than API SJ, you are good to go. SM is higher because M is after J.