Oil=power Options

[Milds3vn]

I was wondering if the fact that i put full synthetic Synpower in my car increased performance a bit? The engine seemed to smooth out alot after i changed this in. How low can the oil get on the stick and still be safe? The oil is a bit more expensive but doing that and always using 93+ gas it feels alot better in general. I have an exhaust too but I got a K&N not to long ago which seemed to help feel a gain from it, does that seem right or is it just cause i think its helping. If you don't have much money for mods i would suggest better oil, gas, and a filter. All cheap enough and unless im wrong, i think it has made a big difference. I have like 95k so maybe the synthetic helps "restore performance"? What about those engine oil aditives from Valvoline and STP, do they help? I have been wondering about this stuff for a while and feel like knowing for sure. Thanks for whatever anyone knows.

[97GTinKC]

I dont know about the ST, but the GT owners manual says something to the effect of: For best performance, use premium fuel,,,
As for synthetic oil, I have used nothing but Amsoil since 1979, and wont use anything else in an engine or transmission, everything from the weedeater to the Celica. (and I change it once/year or 25,000 miles, whichever comes first. Proved to myself on the last car extended drain intervals work ok, 14 years/162,000 miles changing oil yearly and filter every 6 months, lost the coolant and cracked the head, when I took it apart, there was NO wear inside other than the ring end gap was .003" over max. it was at .017, book said .008-014, . Bought new rings at the parts store, they were at .018, worse fit than the old rings. tried 3 different brands, all were over the max, ended up getting genuine Mazda parts, which had a gap of .011, exact center range of factory spec. ) Cylinder walls looked great, still had cross-hatch from factory honing all the way around, and all the way to the top on each cylinder, no measurable wear on crank or rods, even the piston skirts were barely scuffed, no sludge or build-up anywhere inside. no complaints from me regarding Amsoil...and yes it can definitely help performance, sometimes noticeably...dont know much about these newer companies making synthetic oil, but Amsoil has been around for 30 years now, and synthetics are their main business...damm, this is sounding like an Amsoil commercial. I'll quit preaching now