Any suggestions on what type of oil to use on a 97 Wrangler with 205k miles?

JeepWheelman71

JeepWheelman71

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Massachusetts
Hey Jeepers

I am going to try and do my oil and filter change this weekend. I have watched YT videos and it looks easy enough, Any suggestions on what type of oil to use given the high mileage? I have heard SAE30. Any suggestions?

Thanks, Friends

Wheelman
 
JeepWheelman71 said:
Hey Jeepers

I am going to try and do my oil and filter change this weekend. I have watched YT videos and it looks easy enough, Any suggestions on what type of oil to use given the high mileage? I have heard SAE30. Any suggestions?

Thanks, Friends

Wheelman
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not SAE30 you want 10w30 conventional high mileage if you can find it. Some have found Pennzoil high mileage at Home Depot recently. but look close at the label because 1 says synthetic blend !
 
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JeepWheelman71 said:
Thanks or clarifying. Have you ever heard of using diesel oil or some product with diesel?
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Diesel motor oil doesn't contain diesel... it's just formulated to work better with diesel engines.

A high mileage conventional oil like Pennzoil...which might only be doing synthetic blends...contains additives to swell aging seals and gaskets in the engine...this is especially important for keeping the RMS...rear main seal...from leaking... something our Jeeps are notorious for doing.

-Mac
 
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X2 on the recommendations for a High Mileage 10W-30 conventional engine oil, it'll help keep your seals leak-free... especially the rear main seal which is well known to leak. As above a conventional High Mileage 10W-30 may not be in all auto parts stores but it's sold on Amazon and in most Walmarts where I bought my last Pennzoil conventional High Mileage 10W-30.
 
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I've had great success with Valvoline MaxLife synthetic blend 5w30/10w30 high mileage oil and Valvoline Maxlife synthetic high mileage 5w30 in my Jeep 4.0 powered vehicles. Pennzoil is great too, I did a few used oil analysis with Pennzoil on my old Cherokee XJ and the results came back great.
 
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JeepWheelman71 said:
Hey Jeepers

I am going to try and do my oil and filter change this weekend. I have watched YT videos and it looks easy enough, Any suggestions on what type of oil to use given the high mileage? I have heard SAE30. Any suggestions?

Thanks, Friends

Wheelman
Click to expand...

Many small seeping seals will slow down or stop leaking when conventional oil is ran. Most 4.0 TJ's around me are leaking or seeping from the rear main. Many people have reported valve cover, oil pan, and RM seals stop leaking or slow to a seep on conventional. I run Valvoline/Castrol 10W-30 conventional high mileage. I wouldn't run straight 30 weight in MA, I'm in Ohio and we're still getting some cold fronts.

The 10W means it has a thickness rating of 10 in the cold, and 30 when hot. There's random polymers and shit that do that, but SAE 30 will be 30 all the time.
 
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oil made from dead Dinosaurs is best in these tractor motors. I use a high mileage 30 wt. what ever is on sale. But I never use Pennzoil, it's paraffin based and I don't like it! Just sayin! I like Mobile if I can find it in a conventional oil.
 
Cooper Smith said:
Many small seeping seals will slow down or stop leaking when conventional oil is ran. Most 4.0 TJ's around me are leaking or seeping from the rear main. Many people have reported valve cover, oil pan, and RM seals stop leaking or slow to a seep on conventional. I run Valvoline/Castrol 10W-30 conventional high mileage. I wouldn't run straight 30 weight in MA, I'm in Ohio and we're still getting some cold fronts.

The 10W means it has a thickness rating of 10 in the cold, and 30 when hot. There's random polymers and shit that do that, but SAE 30 will be 30 all the time.
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X2, 30 weight engine oil would be a bad choice anywhere where it gets cold. Go with a multi-weight like a 10W-30 which is 10 in cold temperatures, 30 in warmer temperatures. And as old as our TJs have become, a High Mileage is always a good choice that is even ok in low mileage engines.
 
jeepguy03 said:
I've had great success with Valvoline MaxLife synthetic blend 5w30/10w30 high mileage oil and Valvoline Maxlife synthetic high mileage 5w30 in my Jeep 4.0 powered vehicles. Pennzoil is great too, I did a few used oil analysis with Pennzoil on my old Cherokee XJ and the results came back great.
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Valvoline is my #2 go to. I no longer have any local auto parts stores that stock non synthetic motor oil.
I typically order through Home Depot and pick up in store.
 
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I just replace my RMS (offset version from VICTOR REINZ 191006301) for the third time, the oil pan (MOPAR fit worse than the previous doorman), and the gasket (Felpro), and Penzoil red lable 10W-30 and my leak(s) have subsided. It was a drip day one, but after a few days no drips and just a glisten of moisture on the trans.

This is about as good as it gets for a high mileage TJ in my opinion.
 
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Jerry Bransford said:
X2, 30 weight engine oil would be a bad choice anywhere where it gets cold. Go with a multi-weight like a 10W-30 which is 10 in cold temperatures, 30 in warmer temperatures. And as old as our TJs have become, a High Mileage is always a good choice that is even ok in low mileage engines.
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I put high mileage synthetic oil in my mom's 2021 Traverse. If it's good for a 25 year old tractor engine, it's good for a soccer mom car.
 
Weasellee said:
It’s the Penzoil High Mileage with the red label.
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you have to look close at the red label. 1 has nothing and 1 had synthetic blend on it in the lower left corner above "motor oil".
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see the difference ? you need to look close !
 
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If it says "Synthetic Blend", it probably is synthetic blend.
If it doesn't say Synthetic Blend, it probably is, anyway.
The Pennzoil website doesn't show a single product which doesn't have synthetic in it, including the red label yellow jug shown above.
Even if you go to the Pennzoil webpage, and click on Products, and then "Synthetic Blends and Conventional Motor Oils", NONE of them are conventional.
About a year ago, @Gollywomper called Pennzoil, and they said their High Mileage oil is 10% synthetic.
At this point, if it doesn't actually say "Conventional" on the jug, it's probably not.

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Just my 2¢, and possibly not even worth that much. :(
 
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