Full Synthetic Oil, worth it?

Full Synthetic Oil such as Red Line, Amsoil and Mobil 1 along with
longer intervals between changes. What is the generial feeling on this?

On 9 Dec 2004 06:03:00 -0800, "VA_Tech_Hokies" >
wrote:

>Full Synthetic Oil such as Red Line, Amsoil and Mobil 1 along with
>longer intervals between changes. What is the generial feeling on this?

IMHO:

Really depends on your driving and maintenance behavor. If you are
the normal driver with normal maintenance habits(following the
scheduled maintance plan), then regular oil should be find. This is
the group I am in.

If you race your car in some professional competition and invest a lot
of money in materials and maintenance, I'm sure you would benifit from
full sinthetic oil.

BTW:
Never change your oil change frequencies to compensate for the price
of the oil you use. Follow your engine/car manufactures recommended
oil change schedule. Just to prove a point, call them up and ask if
your warrenty is voided if you goto 6000 mile oil change schedules
since you're paying more for oil each time.

hth,

tom @ www.CarFleaMarket.com

"VA_Tech_Hokies" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Full Synthetic Oil such as Red Line, Amsoil and Mobil 1 along with
> longer intervals between changes. What is the generial feeling on this?
>

A mass of sentiment on both sides. No clear consensus.
They are bit expensive, do a good job most likely. Fossil oils are also
quite good nowadays and are cheaper.

I wouldnt run a car at long extended change schedules in any case.

wrote:
> On 9 Dec 2004 06:03:00 -0800, "VA_Tech_Hokies" >
> wrote:
>
>
>>Full Synthetic Oil such as Red Line, Amsoil and Mobil 1 along with
>>longer intervals between changes. What is the generial feeling on this?
>
>
> IMHO:
>
> Really depends on your driving and maintenance behavor. If you are
> the normal driver with normal maintenance habits(following the
> scheduled maintance plan), then regular oil should be find. This is
> the group I am in.
>
> If you race your car in some professional competition and invest a lot
> of money in materials and maintenance, I'm sure you would benifit from
> full sinthetic oil.
>

I agree.
On my "regular" cars - 90 Beretta and 86 Jimmy, they get "name brand"
5w30 and a regular oil change every 3-4 months. I'd consider even using
"house brand" oil - it's the same stuff.

On my performance cars - 01 Trans Am and dirt track Camaro, they get
full synthetic. Every 3 months for the TA and every other race for the
Camaro.

Cheap Car Used Engine: $500-$1000
Cheap Oil & Filter change: $10 every 3 months.

Performance Car Engine: $5000+
Synthetic Oil & Filter Change: $45 every 3 months.

Your call.

Ray

"VA_Tech_Hokies" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Full Synthetic Oil such as Red Line, Amsoil and Mobil 1 along with
> longer intervals between changes. What is the generial feeling on this?


I tend to feel that synthetics and synthetic blends are particularly good
for turbocharged and supercharged applications, and that they're overkill
otherwise. I would also consider avoiding full synthetics if the car sits
unused for long periods, as there are reports of these oils not retaining an
anti-oxidative film on engine parts for as long as conventional oils do. I
don't have data to support those stories, so take that FWIW.

I wouldn't increase the change interval by an appreciable amount in any
event.

On 9 Dec 2004 06:03:00 -0800, "VA_Tech_Hokies" > wrote:

||Full Synthetic Oil such as Red Line, Amsoil and Mobil 1 along with
||longer intervals between changes. What is the generial feeling on this?

On our new cars we use Synthetic Valvoline or Mobil 1 at 5000 miles, always Wix
filters..
On older, high-mileage cars its generic Parts Plus oil (Valvoline) at 3000
miles, with Parts Plus (Champion Labs) filters.
Texas Parts Guy

wrote:


> On our new cars we use Synthetic Valvoline or Mobil 1 at 5000 miles, always Wix
> filters..
> On older, high-mileage cars its generic Parts Plus oil (Valvoline) at 3000
> miles, with Parts Plus (Champion Labs) filters.
> Texas Parts Guy

I use Mobil 1 and Wix filters in the OLD cars... they're the ones I plan
to keep forever! :-)

(Actually, I use it in my wife's "new" <cough> 1993 car also).

Steve wrote:

> wrote:
>
>
>> On our new cars we use Synthetic Valvoline or Mobil 1 at 5000 miles,
>> always Wix
>> filters..
>> On older, high-mileage cars its generic Parts Plus oil (Valvoline) at
>> 3000
>> miles, with Parts Plus (Champion Labs) filters.
>> Texas Parts Guy
>
>
> I use Mobil 1 and Wix filters in the OLD cars... they're the ones I plan
> to keep forever! :-)
>
> (Actually, I use it in my wife's "new" <cough> 1993 car also).
>

Hell yeah! the Porsche gets nothing but Mobil 1.

Crazy thing is, since I put it on a Mobil 1/Wix regimen, oil consumption
has gone down and oil pressure has gone up. Go figure. It drank oil
for the first few thousand miles I had it and now it's settled down to
about a quart an oil change. I can only surmise that it's cleaned out a
lot of gunk and now the seal conditioners are doing their thing.

nate

--
replace "fly" with "com" to reply.
http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel

The Cat wrote:

>>As far as increasing the oil change intevals based on viscosity break
>>down, with all premium oils I was told the weakest link is not the
>>viscosity, but the additives. Like ph-buffers, anti-oxidents and anti
>>emosifiers.
>>
>>At 10,000 miles you might be protected against thermal breakdown with
>>synthetic, but the car's engine is rusting from the inside out from acid
>>formation and general corrosion.
>
>
> The most likely component affected would probably be the oil pan, it is
> sheet metal.

Actually, the soft (and important) bearing material will begin pitting
WAY before the block or pan.

The Cat wrote:

> My only question is does the added expense of synthetic or synthetic blend
> return any advantages (easier starting in the winter for the same grade
> oil, for example) over so called dino oil?

My answer is - It is unlikely that you will save any money
buy using synthetic oil if you fall into the least stressful
98% of US drivers. However, I still use synthetic oil iin
one of my cars (a 4 cyulinder Saturn Vue) and a synthetic
blend in two others (newer Fords), and regular old petroleum
based oil in all my farm equipement (three tractors, two
trucks, and several small engines). ThHis of course is
stupid, since the Saturn is the cheapest vehicle, and the
farm tractor are hideously expensive (think Ford GT
expensive). Oh well.

Ed