SJN , I'm sure yours does run great . Many of the 84's are out there running great with no mods made to them. Don't overload them , don't overheat them and don't over rev them and they will be fine . The biggest issue I have seen with the 84 and why I say the plenum mod makes them run better is tuning . If you're good at tuning you can tune around most of the 84's running issues. Most are are not patient enough or adept enough at the Saito FG's particular tuning needs , and the Ray English plenum makes that seemingly difficult tuning much easier . But of course there are always exceptions to the rule , there will always be engines that grenade themselves purely because they can , any engine can at any time . And yes , High quality oil does improve the life of the engine by better lube to crucial areas ( crank pin especially) , and better heat dissipation.