Synthetic oil good or not?
- Thread starter cjmitch
- Start date
bluejaybee
Veteran Expediter
I have always been told, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". But there will be those who have first hand knowledge of the pros and cons. If you can think it, someone here is doing it or has done it.
Synthetic oil doesn't cause oil leaks. Oil leaks are caused by bad or deteriorated seals and gaskets. Synthetic oil will not deteriorate seals and gaskets. Often, people with high mileage vehicles switch to synthetic oil and then develop an oil leak and they make the connection to the synthetic oil, but in reality the oil leak would have started regardless. The synthetic oil merely cleans out the clots of old oil that is temporarily preventing leaks that are ready and waiting to begin.
One of the main reasons to use synthetic oil is for increased time between oil change intervals. Increased protection and better fuel mileage are also factors, but increased intervals are the big one, since every time you change oil you increase oil imports and the chanced of some of that oil finding its way into a landfill.
The thing about changing oil, be it from dino to synthetic, or brand to brand, or from one viscosity to another, is every oil wears differently on the engine. The best thing to do is pick an oil from Day One, and then use the same brand and viscosity forever. That way, the engine will always wear the same. When you change oil types, brands, viscosities, the engine will then begin to wear slightly differently from before the change, increasing the overall total engine wear.
If you've been using one kind of oil from the beginning, I'd stick with that. If you want to change to synthetic, which is a good thing, then at least switch to one with the same brand that you've been using all along. If you regularly change oil brands and viscosities, then it won't matter much what you do, other than switching to synthetic will give you longer change intervals and reduce oil imports.
Buy my recommendation would be to stick to what you've been using all along, and change to synthetic oil with the next vehicl.
One of the main reasons to use synthetic oil is for increased time between oil change intervals. Increased protection and better fuel mileage are also factors, but increased intervals are the big one, since every time you change oil you increase oil imports and the chanced of some of that oil finding its way into a landfill.
The thing about changing oil, be it from dino to synthetic, or brand to brand, or from one viscosity to another, is every oil wears differently on the engine. The best thing to do is pick an oil from Day One, and then use the same brand and viscosity forever. That way, the engine will always wear the same. When you change oil types, brands, viscosities, the engine will then begin to wear slightly differently from before the change, increasing the overall total engine wear.
If you've been using one kind of oil from the beginning, I'd stick with that. If you want to change to synthetic, which is a good thing, then at least switch to one with the same brand that you've been using all along. If you regularly change oil brands and viscosities, then it won't matter much what you do, other than switching to synthetic will give you longer change intervals and reduce oil imports.
Buy my recommendation would be to stick to what you've been using all along, and change to synthetic oil with the next vehicl.
TheRebel
Seasoned Expediter
I switched to synthetic oil when my van had already over 300000 miles, and I did it just to save time with the oil changing at every 3-4000 miles. Since I switched to synthetic oil, I change it somewhere between 7 to 10000 miles. And I always use Pennzoil 10-30... with the old van I almost reached 800000 miles ('97 Savana), now I drive an E-350 and I use the same oil.
B 4 u get filled full of bad info, goto www.bobistheoilguy.com. This site will have all the oil data u will ever need. There are years of archives and up to date data on all kinds of oil plus many many forums from brakes to diesel fuels and oils, gas engines and so on. try that web site, u will be surprised at what u will learn.
I bought my Ford F-150 new in 2000 and have been using Valvoline synthetic oil ever since I reached the so called "break in period".. I have not ever had any oil leaks or Internal problems and I change it every 8000 miles. I had the old oil sent out for analysis the last 3 times and it came back as no significant were and tear.
It now has 138,000 miles and runs great!
It now has 138,000 miles and runs great!purgoose10
Veteran Expediter
purgoose10
Veteran Expediter
Ive pulled manny wrenches in my time, Ive asked a few mechanics I've worked with the same question, done some homework of my own and came to this conclusion. If you are starting out with a new truck or at least new motor, transmission, or drive axle then synthetic is the best bet.
If you have high milage or more than 50,000 and been using conventional motor oil stay with it as synthetic is high detergent and can break loose old deposits if the engine has been neglected or improperly stored for a long period.
Assuming you run a mininum 50 plus mostly highway miles before shutting the engine off you can easily run five to six K miles betwene changes just besure you use high quality lube and change that filter every three thousand I recomend Wix. Napa and Carcraft filters are wix with their lable printed on them. Make sure to keep an eye on the condition of the oil if it gets grungy change it, oil anaylis may serve as a good high tech data collector but being able to judge when oil is worn is your best bet this dose take a litle skill but, its not tough to figure out.
NOW, if you are in a metro/city area day in and day out stop and go, lots of idling change your oil every three thousand regardless of type synthetic or conventional or a better idea is to change it every one thousand hours or monthly as this condition is what realy kills oil.
Botom line and doing the math you can at best double your drain interval, however syntheticis almost twice as much as conventional so I would just recomend changin the oil
If you have high milage or more than 50,000 and been using conventional motor oil stay with it as synthetic is high detergent and can break loose old deposits if the engine has been neglected or improperly stored for a long period.
Assuming you run a mininum 50 plus mostly highway miles before shutting the engine off you can easily run five to six K miles betwene changes just besure you use high quality lube and change that filter every three thousand I recomend Wix. Napa and Carcraft filters are wix with their lable printed on them. Make sure to keep an eye on the condition of the oil if it gets grungy change it, oil anaylis may serve as a good high tech data collector but being able to judge when oil is worn is your best bet this dose take a litle skill but, its not tough to figure out.
NOW, if you are in a metro/city area day in and day out stop and go, lots of idling change your oil every three thousand regardless of type synthetic or conventional or a better idea is to change it every one thousand hours or monthly as this condition is what realy kills oil.
Botom line and doing the math you can at best double your drain interval, however syntheticis almost twice as much as conventional so I would just recomend changin the oil
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I have a 1999 F 250 Super Duty, when it reached 100,000 miles and was off warranty, I switched to synthetic. Change it at 10,000 miles along with the filter. It now has 300,000 miles with no significant difference in oil consumption.
chefdennis
Veteran Expediter
I am picking up my new van tomorrow (3/18/11) , a new 6.0 V8 in a 3500 Chevy 10,000 lb gvw cut away chassis with a CargoMax body. I'll drive it from columbus Ohio to Toledo Ohio and do some running around as I upfit it to go in service. Before it goes in service, the motor oil and filter with be changed with AmsOil and their filter...the trans will be flushed and filled woth AmsOil trans fluid and the rear axle will be drained and refilled with AmsOil gear lube...the front end will be lubed with syntetic grease and it will be ready to go..
I'll change the oil filter at 3000 and add the needed oil and then the oil wll be changed at 6000 with a new filter, then the filter will be changed very 5000 mile and the oil every 15,000....
Trans will be flushed at 100,000 the 1st time, then at 150,000 intervals. The gear oil will be drained and changed at the same intervals as the trans....
I'll change the oil filter at 3000 and add the needed oil and then the oil wll be changed at 6000 with a new filter, then the filter will be changed very 5000 mile and the oil every 15,000....
Trans will be flushed at 100,000 the 1st time, then at 150,000 intervals. The gear oil will be drained and changed at the same intervals as the trans....
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