Just switched to Red Line oil
 

5w40, and the start up clatter is much better. It hasn't gone away completely, but I'd say its 80% better.

I tried many types of oil, from M1 0w40, M1 15-50, Castrol 5w40, valvoline 20-50 and there was no difference in start up clatter.

I think I'll stick with Redline. Its expensive, but when you look at it the difference in cost is about the cost of a tank of gas.

I switched from Mobil to Redline last fall, and clatter from timing chain seems to be reduced by about half on cold starts and gone completely on warm starts. Cost was about $130 buck shipped for 11qts.

Is there any negative effect to timing chain clatter?

Start up clatter can be a cuople of things, chain tensioners may be worn, the hydraulic lifters may be worn, the chain guides may be worn. Its pretty common in these motors. I just live with it.

Negative effect? Something is not quite perfect, but after you replace the tensioners, finding the problem can get pretty expensive.

Used Red Line 5W40 for about 3 years. Great oil.

I was away for a week on business travel (I was only allowed a compact rental and it was a Hyundai) and when I got home, I fired up the Box a couple of days later -- hardly any startup noise. Thx Redline, Thx ester basestock, Thx ester for being a polar molecule and adhering to all the metal parts!!

This is why I went to Redline.

Regards,
paul...

Red Line Oil
 

Funny, but I can't remember anyone here mentioning Amsoil .I know a lot of folks who swear by it!:)

I've never tried it because their marketing approach is a turn-off for me. Their oils are probably just as good as all the other [popular] synthetic oils available when properly used (i.e., getting used oil analyses prior to deciding to go to an extended change interval). BTW, I've never looked for any virgin oil analyses for their oils to compare them to other similar oils.

The 4-ball test, used for testing boundary regime lubrication (metal to metal contact because the oil film is gone) seems to point to the additive package and not the basestock oils, in my non-lube engineer/non-tribologist mind!

I'm not moving off of RedLine for the reasons I posted above.

Regards,
paul...

Just curious. What is Amsoil's marketing approach?

Their advertising with things like "First in Synthetics" (Amsoil was the first synthetic oil to obtain API approval followed by Mobil -- first synthetic fuels/lubricants were synthesized in a German lab back in the early 1920's, and then later in the US); extended mileage claims which are not applicable to all vehicles (TBN values can drop fast depending on what's going on in the crankcase); and the 4-ball test that I talked about earlier. Crankcase oils should be tested on engines which is how it's done to meet API SL/SM/SN, ILSAC GF-5, ACEA A3 oils.

It's most likely a good oil since many people use it, but there are also many other good oils out there. It depends on what "good" means to people.

Regards,
paul...