I'm also wondering the same thing as Bobo. GC is a thick 30 wt, and the VQ really seems to run well on it (confirmed by both my multiple UOA, as well as my subjective perception of smoothness when it's given GC vs. the dino I used earlier). GC is an ideal oil for this engine, year round.

 

In winter, I get lazy to extend OCI. I also want some low temp pumping rate. I summer, I don't need cold pupming and enjoy the fun to DIY oil change. The cost is also a consideration.

 

I'm gonna pour in some gold GC after a Auto-RX clean and rinse phase. Anyone know how GC is in colder weather?

 

Just changed to GC and really liking this oil. Engine is smooth, quiet and still responsive. It is a keeper.

 

Could be a little off-topic but just wondering what's your opinion on regular Castrol Syntec?

 

i THINK i read somewhere that the regular syntec sux...the one made in america that is...something about it being not a full synthetic or something? i dunno..can anybody chime in?

 

not bad but for the $$$ theres better choices

 

I heard cuz its more of a blend than a ful synthetic.

 

They claim that the engine will produce more hp than with any other oil though...

 

No. It's a Group-III base oil, vs German Castrol, which is a Group-IV/V mixture. Group-III oils are "synthesized" from crude oil. Group IVs usually from ethylene gas (or other comparable substance). Group Vs are things other than synthetic hydrocarbons (usually esters of some sort or another). A "blend" is a mix of one or more of the synthetics (Gr III, IV, V) and the old fashioned Group I or II dino oils. The key distinction: Gr I and II products involve nothing more than distilling or other "physical" means of separating out lube molecules that already exist within the crude oil stock. Group IIIs come from crude stocks too, but result from actual molecular changes (hence "synthesis" to the base stock molecules). Again, IV and V are synthesized from other things.

EDIT: Oh yeah, Gr II (and II+) actually involve some very rudimentary synthesis, but they remain for the most part, petro (dino) oils.

 

Woot! I hit the jackpot...8qts of GC...and they were on sale too...$3.99/qt...lets hope I didn't buy the wrong ones


heres all 8qts...


the serial code @ the bottom....all of them started off like this, M04188----

 

Anyway I got bored earlier today...so I decided to see if other autozones carried this GC stuff...and they do! It seems like So cal still has a large supply of these....and they are all on SALE too!


So far, 14qts of green GC....not bad for only $3.99 a pop! Planning to go out for some more later tonight


one of the bottles read this...its a March 05 serial code (75th date from 05)....anybody know if this still qualifies for Green? I'm too nervous to open it up

 

It's gold. Read post #9. The 04 is indeed green.

 

Ouch...oh well...only one of them is Gold...rest of them start off with M04

 

I have about a case left of the green GC, but I'm fighting the urge to go on road trips so I keep repeating to myself that the gold would be just as good (still waiting for the UOAs at BITOG).

In the end, after seeing the Nissan euro viscocity chart that A33black posted, I'll be moving up to 5w40 (BC, T&SUV?) or even thicker oil in the summer.

 

Let us know how the Gold GC turns out at BITOG forums....I'm interested...as for now, I'm stocking up on Green GC...so far I got 16qts...I needa hit 18qts then I'm done

 

torkaholic...do u know if Gold GC is just as thick as Green GC? In other words, does it still retain the 12.1 CST @ 100 degrees?

 

Gold is reported to be 12.2 cSt at 100 C.

 

wow...so gold must be good stuff? damn I total green stash is now up to 22qts

 

The difference is in the add packages. As I understand, the base oils are the same.

 

From a vis perspective, they look about the same. The add packs are a tad different, according to the few VOA I've seen. It's the base oils that remain a mystery. It takes a cooperative lab, an analyst, and several hundred dollars at least to start to get a bead on whether the bases are the same, similar (and if so, how similar), or just plain different. My money would be on an evolutionary tweaking of the formula, so probably a similar additive strategy in a similar combo of PAO and ester oils. For now, we'll have to wait until someone decides to fork over some cash to tell for sure.

 

Just the other day...I came up on some more Green GC...man that thing was way in the back shelf too...haha....



Damn this is some old school oil...2003...

 

Your one of those Green Hunters huh

 

well I just recently started...it happened accidently too...went into a local autozone to pick up some rotors and pads...while the guy was searching for the part in the back room...I walked over to the oil section to kill time...noticed that Castrol Syntec was on sale @ $3.99 a pop...then I saw they had some GC m04...I was hooked ever since then...!

 

I found 10 bottles of M04 this weekend... lady there looked at me like I was crazy as I dug all the way to the back to get them.

 

nice! I encountered something similiar when I was on the hunt for GC

 

I also, went last week to hent for some GC

I found four QT of GC, three were MO2 and one M04. I got take a pic of the MO2 now that old school oil.

 

gold GC might actually be better than green stuff, since it's been evolved?

 

No. Castrol has a bad habit of downgrading there products while keeping the price the same. In this instance, they substituted magnesium for calcium. Calcium is a better, more stable cleaner, but it also cost more. I think the gold is still an excellent product, but I don't believe it to be superior to the green.

 

mtrai:

I agree with your conclusion, and your evaluation of Castrol as a "corporate citizen," but they did not exactly "replace" the calcium with magnesium. As you can see from this link (http://theoildrop.server101.com/ubb/...;f=11;t=000334), the calcium in the gold is down from the green, and the mag is up, but they are still both there in the gold. I'm wondering if what Castrol used is one of the "newer", supposedly improved magnesium additives. Who knows. . .