"synthetic oil" versus normal oil....

[drewdude92]

well i heard some talk about synthetic oil....i always thought that it was some fluid that wasnt even oil? like i thought it was some kind of...well idk how to explain it well it just wasnt oil to me...But anyways i heard that it is the same exact thing as regular oil but it was just the best of the best refined oil. It has the same additives for lubrication as regular oil does. Well im still kinda confused about all of it but if there is anyone out there that knows what im trying to say then tell me what you know! haha thanks



Im also putting a poll of which oil you use then tell me why maybe someone will learn something out about oil well see...

[Chevymann1968]

Originally Posted by drewdude92

well i heard some talk about synthetic oil....i always thought that it was some fluid that wasnt even oil? like i thought it was some kind of...well idk how to explain it well it just wasnt oil to me...But anyways i heard that it is the same exact thing as regular oil but it was just the best of the best refined oil. It has the same additives for lubrication as regular oil does. Well im still kinda confused about all of it but if there is anyone out there that knows what im trying to say then tell me what you know! haha thanks



Im also putting a poll of which oil you use then tell me why maybe someone will learn something out about oil well see...

This should clear up some questions you have!!!
http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles...oil/index.html

[chevy29267truck]

Regular oil if you used synthetic oil in your engine thats the only oil you can used in that engine

[leddzepp]

Originally Posted by chevy29267truck

Regular oil if you used synthetic oil in your engine thats the only oil you can used in that engine

whaaat?

[vasquezmrysvll]

Originally Posted by chevy29267truck

Regular oil if you used synthetic oil in your engine thats the only oil you can used in that engine

that's a mith

[nicolas72gmc]

Originally Posted by chevy29267truck

Regular oil if you used synthetic oil in your engine thats the only oil you can used in that engine

UHMMM HUH?

[Longhorn Man]

Originally Posted by chevy29267truck

Regular oil if you used synthetic oil in your engine thats the only oil you can used in that engine

That's not only a myth, but a real stupid one at that.


The more you know about oils, the more synthetic makes sence. It it better than conventional oil in every single way.

[big_al_71]

synthetic is the only way to go......

[Aarons72s]

I use synthetic in the vans. I can tell they run alittle smoother and seem to have just a bit moe power. I mainly use it as it can run longer before breaking down like conventional and also heard that it will make the engines last longer by causing less wear.

As for my truck I have been running oil from dollar general, yah it sounds funky but supposably it is for the older flat cam engines. It meets ase sf specs. It says for use in engines older than 88. It is only avaliable in 10w-40. I have been running it since this summer.

[drewdude92]

yeah i read that whole article on that website but it sounds kinda...idk its saying synthetic operates way better at lower temperatures and flows a whole lot better than conventional oil who knows...

[OARNGESI]

Synthetic is all i used in my car since it was new hopefully itll last a little way longer

['68OrangeSunshine]

I use Valvoline Synpower 20W-50 in the V8 350 in my '71 Jimmy. In the 292 L6 in my '68 C/10 I use organic 30 weight in the summer and 20W-50 in winter.

[70cst]

Originally Posted by chevy29267truck

Regular oil if you used synthetic oil in your engine thats the only oil you can used in that engine

Ok...would someon interpret this for me? I think he left out a word or two out and for the life of me I can't figure what he is saying? :confused:

[Ace in the hole]

Synthetic is better, but I still use regular old oil in mine.

[rambler]

Originally Posted by Ace in the hole

Synthetic is better, but I still use regular old oil in mine.

from my understanding, if you havent used synthetic reguarly in your engine and it has more than 100K (which is ALL of my vehicles) it will leak through the seals... which is why I havnt switched.. I run Lucas oil treatment in place of a quart during all oil changes in mine.


If I can ever afford a new car or ever rebuilding a engine.. I'll definetly go synthetic.. probalbly mobile 1, but thats a different thread topic...

[Elephanthead]

dino oil does not last as long, and breaks down more easily, synthetic oil leaks out more readily because is flows better yet still lubricates better then dino oil. If synthetic is leaking out of your seals, they are worn and you need new seals, you can switch to dino and it will leak less because it will become thicker faster as it breaks down much faster. You could also dump in gear oil and the seals probably wouldn't leak at all, but your bearings wouldn't last very long. High performance engine, synthetic, regular use engine, synthetic if you don't want to change the oil as often, if you change it every 3000 miles, any oil is fine, it is all about breakdown and loss of viscosity. Synthetic keeps its viscosity longer and under higher temps. which is why it leaks out around worn seals more then sludge dino.

[manimal]

I have a very good friend that use to own a synthetic oil company in the 80's(divorce killed it) called HPS..High Performance Synthetic. He had customers like Roland Leong,Penske,Roger Mearsand many others. He got Chrysler to start using synthetics. Chrysler ran their own dyno runs using his oil against Mobil 1 and his oils made more HP and ran 20* cooler. I have a video of him and his business.
So YES synthetic oils are the way to go.
and BTW that is a crap myth. Once you run synthetics,you can switch back anytime,or vice versa. What do you think "synthetic blends" are?
There is a company that makes Quantum Blue lubricants, I would really like to try their products.
-Lance

[ChevLoRay]

Didn't the government have a hand in the usage of synthetics becoming more common? We used synthetics in aircraft engines, like turbo-props, helicopters, and so forth. In fact, we didn't change the oil, but submitted samples for oil analysis on a periodic (hours-based) basis to look for contamination by whatever the contaminant may be...water, metal, etc.

I don't know that my statement is true, but I do know we used synthetics long before Mobil 1 came out on the market in the mid-70's.

[68gmsee]

Word of caution re: synthetic oil... It won't fix badly worn engine rings, gaskets, valve guides etc...

Okay in a new or reconditioned engine, but on an old engine, you will still have to change it fairly frequently just like regular oil.

I've used regular oil on my vehicles for the last 20+ years and change it every 3,000 to 4,000 miles. I tried Mobile synthetic for 1 year on my new 87 Olds then it got too expensive so went back to regular oil.

List of cars in last 25 yrs, miles driven, major engine problems.

83 Honda- regular oil: 180K (head gasket)
85 Toyota-regular oil: 180K (none)
87 Olds- synthetic/regular: 230K (broken cam gear at 210K)
96 Tahoe-regular oil: 226K (leaking injectors at app: 180K)
98 Ranger-regular oil: 220K (none)
06 Trailblazer-regular oil: 46K (none)

[nightmare]

in the chevy, i've only run the conventional oil. in my high performance dodge, i run the synthetic stuff.

IIRC, synthetics have a better consistency than conventional because of less imperfections. I know that synthetics take longer to break down. I think that Mini uses the synthetics, as they say not to change the oil until you reach 15,000 miles. wicked.

[Stock72c10]

I use dino in mine because I change my oil twice a year and probably don't put 3,000 per year on it. I have used the blend in my car before and really couldn't tell much difference, but it is a Buick and not exactly a high performance engine.

Another good related question is what do you all think about the "motor honey" or whatever it is called in your area. It is supposed to stop leaks and sometimes says it stops smoking also. That stuff is super thick. Would that clog things up? Is it synthetic or dino based? They say to just add a bottle of it at oil changes.

[Ace in the hole]

Like I said earlier, synthetic is better but I use conventional oil. Either way I would check the zinc content. These older motors need more zinc than todays oils have. I have been using this 1oz. additive- http://www.motorheadoil.com/ with each oil change.

[BP68]

I use synthetic for peace of mind. And if you read up on it, it has many benefits over regular oil.
However, my dad has a good point, in all the years he owned vehicles using regular oil, he never had a excess wear/oil related problem.

I beleive if you use a quality regular oil and change it ever 3,000, you will prob never have a prob.

But like I said, I do use Mobil 1 myself.

Does it have benefits? Yes
Is it absolutely necessary in a typical daily driver? No

My .02

[Sport/Truck]

I used mobil 1 in a turbo import I used to own. The original motor & turbo had 0 problems. (I drove it hard). When I pulled the running motor out for an upgrade, everything in the engine was clean, I mean spotless! It has 195K on it too. I’m convinced it’s the way to go. After you see an engine that used Pennzoil all its life you’d change you mind!
s/t

[leddzepp]

I like synthetics because they do not come out of the ground from somewhere in the Middle East.