The last American Lemans series race i was at i couldn't help but notice the pits. Audi, Corvette and the Viper guys had Mobil 1 bottles around the pits. I believe Porsche did too but can't 100% recall. That was a big enough push in my book. Also, you should take a look inside of a motor ran with synthetic. My Vette looks new inside, but then again the motor basically is. My Honda is another synthetic oil car. 144k miles, 8200rpm redline, burns zero oil and looks brand new inside.

 

Amen

 

Double ditto what Iroc57 said. Later! Frank

 

can you start putting mobil 1 synthetic when in fact the car has been running on regular oil all it's life?

 

BINGO!

find the cheapest dino oil that's on sale. change it every 5,000 miles.

and then save the difference in $$ spent on something that matters -- like a case of good beer.

 

Your an idiot. Back to the second grade.....no wait first grade!

 

It's a forum...hard to be wrong on a forum!
And welcome!

 

 

I now use 0W-30 Mobil 1 Synthetic for at least 10,000 miles and every few months, I would check the oil level on dip stick and top off as necessary. Synthetic oil should last much longer than regular oil, but is prone to being "burned and/or consumed", causing people to believe they would have oil leaks. Yes, it is true synthetic oil "flows much more easily and coats surfaces better". So even if the outside of the oil pan is accidentally coated with even the thinnest layer of synthetic oil, it will flow downwards due to gravity, eventually collecting towards the bottom of the outside into a little droplet of oil and you'd suddenly believe you sprung an oil leak. I believe synthetic is much more sludge resistant than regular oil and can withstand much higher engine temps than the regular stuff. I would also guess regular oil starts breaking down past 240 degrees, when synthetic oil can still do its job to coat, protect and withstand temps much higher than that. With how much less I drive the Vette, I would change the oil every year as necessary and use full synthetic.

FYI: I recently changed over to synthetic in my Toyota because certain models using regular oil are prone to sludge. Toyota Corollas and Siennas are a few of the most prone to sludging because most newer Toyotas run hot from the factory, eventually clogging the oil ports in the motor. Also there are some negligent people in this world that think cars only need gasoline and ignore maintenance so that is part of the problem right there. So pretty much, that is how I bought into the idea of why the benefits of synthetic oil outweigh regular oil by far. Sure regular oil is good for seating in the rings of new motors, but that's a different story all together...

 

New oils don't have any zinc or manganse which is so important in cam life of a flat tappet cam. Even Mobil 1 changed their formula. This all happened in 2007. Shell's Rotella T still has these additives. So, changing over to synthetic oil now in a flat tappet cam engine will increase wear on that cam. You could always buy Comp Cam's additive for $12 plus every oil change. Rollers just don't need zinc and manganse and all the newer cars have rollers, hence, the deletion of these additives to keep the tree huggers happy. Now can I go to the third grade?

 

What you are saying about additives is mostly true. I actually exchanged several e-mails with a Shell (Rotella) engineer on this subject. I agree with you that running Mobil 1 or any other synthetic oil is not a good idea, even after break in, on a flat tappet engine. I would never do it.
However, you say to run synthetic oil in ALL roller cam engines and that is just wrong. You can run any oil that meets the specs for that year. If someone wants to pay 2 or 3 times as much for synthetic...fine. It's just that they don't need to.
My 1989 ran dino 10w-30 dino for 18 years and has had ZERO engine issues. No way would I switch it to Mobil 1 or any other synthetic.
IIRC GM didn't start using Mobil 1 until the LT1, and I think that decision had to do with higher operating temperatures in the LT1.
L98 cars with roller cams will do great on Dino and so will LT1/LT4 cars. That is why you must stay in the first grade......sorry.

 

Yes. Switched my 02 Silverado over at 80k and no it didnt all of a suden start leaking.

GM also brought back some of the "EOS" for the flat tappet guys, stock up on it while you can.

 

You can, but why take a chance or throw money away.

 

Mostly because this has been an entertaining thread and appears to be quite the emotional issue on oh so many levels, I'd like to throw in some anectdotal water muddying.

The following aren't opinions; I'm just laying out the facts here, infer from them what you will:

1. I sold my '94 9C1 cop Caprice (LT1) in 2006. It had the original engine and 177,000 miles on it. The engine ran strong, used no oil, and was in all ways fine. I drove it hard, with full Darwinian intent (survival of the fittest or it doesn't belong in my garage). Non-synthetic oil.

2. I run synthetic in my '95 LT1 Vette (166K miles).

 

I removed my LT-1 oil pan and valve covers recently. This car has 120k miles on it and has run syn oil its entire life. Guess what. The engine was like new inside. NO DEPOSITS WHATSOEVER. I couldnt believe. Syn oil just doesnt gum up and leave varnish in your engine. Its awesome. That has got to be an advantage for your piston rings and bearing wear..

 

In that case I would use dino and change it before storage. You may only need that one change per year and the synthetic would be a waste of money.

 

ha, i agree. if someone wants to **** their money away -- like i **** on my corvette -- by all means burn that hole in the pocket and **** away & all over yourselves!

 

I can't believe what I'm reading here. Why did GM go with Mobil 1 in the LT1 and 4? Come on guys, we all know this answer, it's because of the operating temps required to meet certain emission standards. Dino oil just doesn't do well in that high of an operating temp. Besides, synthetics lubricate better and produce less drag in the motor. L98s don't run at the temps the LTX motors are designed to run at. So, dino is just fine. Will your LTX motor run with dino, sure, but it's not recommended. Have you guys been to pre-school yet? You'll love kindergarten.

 

my upcoming C5/Z ain't gettin' synthetic either. not gonna waste my money. i don't give a damn what was run in it before (probably highway robbery amsoil, no doubt the previous owner was one of those ***** owners that kept it in the garage all day, fussed over it and said "nothing is too much for my baby", LOL, just so it could be turned over to me)

sure syn is recommended -- and so big whup, it sure ain't required.

i'll keep my change in my pocket, thank you very much.

how's that for kindergarten 101? there is a point to it though.

 

Jim,
No harm, no foul. I love these oil threads.

My opinion, synthetic provide enough benefits that they are worth a few extra dollars a quart (and contrary to the poster above, AMSOIL isn't that expensive, their XL line is less than $5 per quart for Preferred Customer program members - see info in my sig).

Here are some of the benefits of synthetic:
These favorable properties include:

A wide operational temperature range.
Good viscometrics (high viscosity index).
Thermal Stability.
Oxidative Stability.
Hydrolytic stability.
Shear stability.
Low corrosivity.
Compatibility with mineral oils.
Compatibility with various materials of construction.
Low toxicity.
Manufacturing flexibility that allows tailoring products to specific end-use application requirements.

If you are really interested, take a look at the data in this AMSOIL commissioned test. Feel free to through out the AMSOIL results if you feel that they are biased, but draw your own conclusions on the results of the other synthetic and non-synthetic oils in the test.
Comparative Motor Oil Test Nov 05