Conventional vs Synthetic Oil Debate

[fstrelok]

I've run Amsoil in just about everything I've owned and cared about. In each instance, something other than the motor has forced me to parts ways with vehicles, thanks rust!

With any new (used) vehicle purchase, I change the oil, run a 3000 mile interval and send a sample off to Blackstone Labs to get a better picture of the beater I just bought.

I'm partial to Amsoil for no particular reason other than I am friends with a distributor, and can generally get quarts for a tad cheaper.

 

[ShawnN]

I use Havoline full synthetic in both my GM 6.0's & change every 5k to 6k (5k is the goal sometimes I just can't get to it). 2013 van is Dexos specified. Approximately 280k miles and climbing quickly (oil change every 3-4 weeks). I work it like a free mule. No loss of power, smoking, oil consumption. $17 to $20 at Walmart for 6 qt box. It's all marketing/sales BS, just buy inexpensive oil and change it regularly.

 

[Aidan Kesler]

When you ask this question you'll always get a lot of technical bullshit that really doesn't matter. just like diesel guys who say "YOU HAVE TO RUN ADDITIVES IN YOUR FUEL OR YOUR INJECTION PUMP WILL BURN UP!!" I use nothing but Castrol GTX conventional oil, always have and always will because that's what I grew up watching my dad use. His 90 model GMC has 278k on it, his 02 Suburban has 370k on it, my uncle uses conventional and sold his truck at 600k.

If you want to waste your money on expensive **** go ahead, but it doesn't matter what oil you use if you maintain your truck properly and do all your maintenance at the scheduled intervals.

That being said, if I went and bought a new truck today I would probably keep synthetic in it. That's what I put in my wife's 19 Tacoma.



It won't be settled and it's really a pointless debate. You made it to 280k didn't you? Your truck has obviously been happy with whatever oil you've been using. I'm betting that if all other factors were constant, your truck would've made it to 280k whether you used Mobil-1 synthetic from day 1 or the Walmart store brand oil from day 1. Just change it per the maintenance schedule and it doesn't matter.

Yeah I am in agreement with you for the most part, I do believe synthetics have formulas and additives that will provide better wear protection and make it last longer between intervals, but i will probably just stick with my Valvoline High Mileage Synthetic Blend 5w30 with ZDDP additive in my 89 and 95 chevy. Always works great.

 

[LVJJJ]

Been using Mobil 1 for a long time in all my various vehicles. Usually 5-30. In the '60's & 70's always used Havoline 30 at 49 cents quart. In 1965 Chevy Van with remanufactured 292 that was built in 1988, used used higher zinc oil, probably Havoline 30 at first. After it sat about 20 years in storage put in Mobil 1 5-30 and it started to make a lot of lifter noise. I had no idea that the oil companies had removed most of the zinc and phosphorus. So replaced the lifters and started using Valvoline Racing oil with Zinc, 10-30. When towing with it (yes it still can tow a 5,000 travel trailer) I would use 20-50 Valvoline to protect it cause it was working real hard in the desert. With the new 383 in the Burb, started out with non-detergent dinosaur oil for 500 miles, then regular old oil for 3,000 and now on Mobil 1, 5-30

 

[Insert Quarter]

Came across this today, thought it was interesting:

https://www.enginelabs.com/news/synthetic-motor-oil-and-older-engines-old-wives-tales-debunked/

 

[kenh]

Oh, I also add 2oz/qt oil of MotorKote after seeing what that stuff does in a PF video.

For a short time I was involved in the fuel/oil industry. I worked for Chevron.

At one of the district meetings I went to, I was at the same table as one of the chemists that formulated oil. Somebody asked him about all the over the counter additives that supposedly make oil better. His response was the over the counter stuff does more harm than good. He told us when mixing and proportioning the additive package for oil, changing one of the additives a little as 1/4% can mess up the whole additive package. It is a very fine balancing act to get all the additives to play nicely together. Throwing in whatever bottle of snake oil (as he called it) 99.99999% of the time will undo what you spent good money for in the first place.

Ken

 

[L31MaxExpress]

Mobil One or Penzoil Platinum 5w30 from the first prime on with both my 350 and my 383. I do not believe in breaking in an engine on conventional oil. Engine builders spend alot of time setting up clearances so why would you want the engine to wear from crappy oil then switch to synthetic? I sure as hell don't! My rings seated just fine. Switched my G35 at 120K to the same. No idea how it was maintained by the first 4 owners. Has 220K on it now. Engine is spotless internally. Will get some pictures of the inside of the 350 when I tear it down.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Insert Quarter]

https://www.enginebuildermag.com/2018/05/how-to-break-in-your-piston-rings-the-right-way/

https://www.enginelabs.com/features...tal-seals-keith-jones-offers-break-in-advice/

 

[96-2D-Hoe]

just buy inexpensive oil and change it regularly.

This!

Since I switched to Wally World synthetic for some cheap quick oil changes a few years back I rarely hear my noisy lifter that sounded like it was trying to hammer it's way out of the engine at one point.
I changed the oil every couple months four or five times and it slowly got quieter and has almost gone. The molecules in synthetic are supposed to scavenge crap and the oil was coming out black after a couple hundred miles. Comes out much cleaner now with many more miles.

I'd not been doing proper maintenance on the truck and had had some cooling issues. I was also leaving the conventional oil in for too long as I don't drive many miles in the truck and it could take me two years to hit 3k. Now I change oil about twice a year no matter how many miles.

I have one of those aftermarket gold drain plug magnets and it picks up a fine coat of sludge at best.


If you switch from conventional to synthetic you might consider a few quick oil changes as the synthetic will pick up a lot of crap that the conventional left behind and deteriorate faster because of it.

 

[kenh]

https://www.enginebuildermag.com/2018/05/how-to-break-in-your-piston-rings-the-right-way/

https://www.enginelabs.com/features...tal-seals-keith-jones-offers-break-in-advice/

While this article is slightly embellished I was taught this method back in 1975 by a former GM service rep. He taught us that taking it easy does not provide enough cylinder pressure to force the rings out and bed them quickly. You have a 20 to 30 minute window to start this process. The quicker the better he said. I done this ever since and never had an oil burner.

http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

Ken