Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Synthetic Motor Oil

My Dad and I have had an ongoing debate on the use of synthetic oil. Since neither of us are mechanics it's pretty comical.

I bought my truck with 85,000 mi. on it 7 yrs. ago, and at 100,000 I decided I wanted to switch to synthetic. A couple of self proclaimed mechanical experts told me that it would be bad for the motor, seals, etc. since it was broke in with conventional motor oil. I stayed with conventional and now have over 200,000 mi. with no issues.

Dad bought one of his trucks (same motor) 12 years ago with 40,000 mi. on it and immediately switched to synthetic. He has 290,000 mi. on it now. He had to replace the transmission and rear-end, but the motor is still strong. His self proclaimed expert says switch to synthetic as soon as possible for maximum performance and engine life.

What gives? I'm a believer in synthetics, but am on the fence when it comes to switching over.

Just my .02., but I don't think it matters either way.. FWIW, I switch to synthetic at the very first oil change on all my vehicles, including the motorcycles - the exception is the wife's VW TDI that has synthetic oil right from the factory..

I believe that oil is oil and if you use the correct grade that your vehicle's owner's manual calls for and change it when you are supposed to it does not matter. Seems your experience validates that notion.

What is synthetic oil made from?????

BTW, there are just Two (that I know of) REAL synthetics (Group IV) on the marget. Mobil One and Royal Purple. The rest are a mix.

Synthetic dinosaurs



Mike

Another friend of mine, a 3rd generation "shade tree" mechanic says, "go ahead and use that expensive stuff, I'm sticking with grandpa and the dollar store oil".

Both of our cars call for synthetic mobile 1 from the factory, so that's what they get.

All synthetic oil does is lighten your wallet.
Regular oil is fine.
Synthetic used to be far superior years ago, now not so much.
Conventional oil has come along way.
The secret (trick) is to change it !

This we both do religiously (almost)!

While that might be ok with US made vehicles, some of the German autos - especially those having the excellent TDI diesels - have very specific requirements re: oil manufacturers, weights etc., and if you do not use an oil that's on their list you may have some seriously expensive engine repairs in your future - along with an invalidated warranty (don't even think about Mag./Moss law).

FWIW...

IS there any truth to staying with synthetic once you switch? I run what ever is on sale, synthetic or conventional.

331,000 on a 94 Camry & no oil consumption....

532,000 of an 88 4Runner * no oil consumption...

20 to 25 thousand mile oil changes... and 3,300 mile filter changes...* 3 times every 10K....\\

Mobil One user....both of them.. along with the other family vehicles...43 to 175K on those cars...

THIS

Hey, if the dollar store oil has the same viscosity and API ratings as the name brand, I don't really see a problem with it. I've never used oil from a dollar store but have used O'Reilly's store brand without issue. Obviously, these retail places don't have their own refinery so they are getting the oil from one of the major oil companies who put it in a bottle with the retailer's name on it.

Some motorheads get worked up over this stuff like we get worked up over guns, calibers, bullets, etc. I'm not talking sythetic vs conventional but Castrol vs Quaker State, etc. Its laughable to me. Just use whatever the owner's manual in your car says to use. If it calls for synthetic use it.

IMO, it doesnt matter what type of oil you use(except for warranty issues) as long as its quality oil. As far as switching at some point in time, it doesnt matter. Both dino and synthetic both have similar additives so no worries on seals and gaskets. Unless youre doing specific sample analysis before and after you switch, youll not know theres a difference. Unless there is a negative impact, which youll find out too late. As mileage adds up(over100k) and tolerances change, you can go with the next higher viscosity, but again, unless youre doing special sample analysis, you have zero clue whats happening in youre engine anyhow.

Personally, I stick with one oil for the life of the engine. Dino, Shell Rotella, or synthetic, Quaker State Ultimate Durability. Again, IMO, there is no need for a Group IV(amsoil, royal purple, etc.) unless youre vehicles specifically calls out for Group IV for warranty purposes.

If you dont follow Bobistheoilguy, or youre not mechanically inclined, chances are you have no clue what tolerances, add packs, or oil groups are, and its not going to matter what you pour in your engine.

We have been using Synthetic oils in our gas and diesel pickup fleet for 25+ years.
Besides increased change intervals, synthetics are the best to have in your crankcase in extreme conditions.

Youre the type of person that would benefit from learning more. Two bottles same viscosity and API, can yield TOTALLY different outcomes. Not just in engine life but gas mileage as well. And for the record, just because(for example) Brad Penn and Kendall come from the same refinery doesnt mean theyre the same product. Not even close.

The Porsche was delivered with Mobil 1 and that is what it gets. The trucks and Suburban get conventional and the old Mach 1 gets Valvoline VR-1. I am pretty certain that Redline oil is fully synthetic.

As far as I'm aware, only synthetics have zero grade oil whi ch is a major plus for getting your vehicle started at minus 40.This can be a huge benefit to your health and welfare if for a wilderness generator with limited cranking power.