Synthetic versus Regular Oil
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 1,803
Likes: 1
From: PA
Re: Synthetic versus Regular Oil (UDLUV12)
Many racers run 10W-30 for extreme duty.
Thicker oil results in less RWHP, less fuel economy and accelerated engine wear when oil temps are below 160 degrees F. The only reason to run goo like 20W-50 is if you have a motor with sloppy, worn clearances or you're running something like a turbocharged 4 cylinder putting out 350 HP with glowing-hot parts. I run 5W-30 Mobil 1 in my previous track car that now has 260K miles and shows the same fuel economy and 1/4 mile times as new. It didn't miss a beat when I converted it from dino oil 185K miles ago. In addition, wear virtually stopped as witnessed by factory hone marks to the top of the cylinders. My recent head gasket replacement uncovered a very healthy motor. A quality API synthetic will greatly reduce cold start wear compared to dino. When it comes to cold start wear protection, fresh dino out of the bottle does not favorably compare to synthetic with 25K miles on it. Cold start friction is what causes engines to wear out. This is a well known fact in the oil industry. Owners need to decide what's most important to them...1)a couple leaky seals over 300K miles or 2)egg shaped cylinders and no oil pressure from worn bearings & journals.
I'd rather replace a seal or two.
[Modified by Rick93Z07, 8:16 PM 2/14/2003]
Thicker oil results in less RWHP, less fuel economy and accelerated engine wear when oil temps are below 160 degrees F. The only reason to run goo like 20W-50 is if you have a motor with sloppy, worn clearances or you're running something like a turbocharged 4 cylinder putting out 350 HP with glowing-hot parts. I run 5W-30 Mobil 1 in my previous track car that now has 260K miles and shows the same fuel economy and 1/4 mile times as new. It didn't miss a beat when I converted it from dino oil 185K miles ago. In addition, wear virtually stopped as witnessed by factory hone marks to the top of the cylinders. My recent head gasket replacement uncovered a very healthy motor. A quality API synthetic will greatly reduce cold start wear compared to dino. When it comes to cold start wear protection, fresh dino out of the bottle does not favorably compare to synthetic with 25K miles on it. Cold start friction is what causes engines to wear out. This is a well known fact in the oil industry. Owners need to decide what's most important to them...1)a couple leaky seals over 300K miles or 2)egg shaped cylinders and no oil pressure from worn bearings & journals.
I'd rather replace a seal or two.
[Modified by Rick93Z07, 8:16 PM 2/14/2003]
