Synthetic vs regular oil?

[fwi]

Just trying to figure out why I should use one over the other....The guy I bought the car from always used 5w30 synthetic.
Would it do any damage to the motor if the next oil change I switch to regular oil?

 

[mrkinger]

I have switched back my self to regular.no damage.but if the car runs really hot ,that may be why he is running synthetic.

 

[fwi]

Probably should have mentioned it is currently a 13.5:1 compression race motor.
I am planning on making it somewhat more street friendly, although I do not plan on just driving it around town, maybe just 5 miles or so to local car shows and cruises, I have a trailer for the "long hauls".

 

[mrkinger]

For me i have a stock engine,if i had alot of money in my engine ,i would stick to the syn,oil.But remember if you have a flat tappett cam you need the oil with the zink in it .

 

[YY1]

I've been running Valvoline "high mileage" syn blend in everything. I'm very happy with it. 13 bucks a gallon at wally's and my changes can now go over 5K miles.

 

[FatJack]

Synthetic is the best for ANY engine. IMHO

 

[fwi]

Bottom line is: how is synthetic better than regular oil?

 

[SUPERSTOCKRACER]

i do know that synthetic oil with a flat tappet is a nono.
you need alot of zinc with the flat tappet so a real good race oil like a valvoline vr1 for flat tappet is a must. when your running a solid roller cam,a real good synthetic race oil will benefit your motor. just make sure your engine is sealed up. it will find any small place to leak out of. a vacuum pump will help stop leaking.

 

[Meep-Meep]

Bottom line is: how is synthetic better than regular oil?

I used to work with a guy that ran the oil test lab at Chevron (Richmond, CA). He had a bunch of Ford straight 6 engines and all he would do is test oil. In a nut shell he said the oil produced by the major oil companies are the best. He called the other stuff like Pennzoil, Castrol, Quakerstate, et-al "marketing oils" and none were very good. I have also heard from many different sources that Chevron oil was some of the best stuff you can buy but this info goes way back before our current oil issue. When I asked about synthetic he said it has better cold flow characteristics and holds up better at higher temps, but in a mild climate he said save your money. These days you want the additive package consistent with the SL rating or earlier.

 

[1962savoy]

Probably should have mentioned it is currently a 13.5:1 compression race motor.
I am planning on making it somewhat more street friendly, although I do not plan on just driving it around town, maybe just 5 miles or so to local car shows and cruises, I have a trailer for the "long hauls".

I would think if your running a 13.1 race motor with high rpms and tight tolerances why would you want to run dino oil in it???? to save money??? what you'll save now will only cost you in a rebiuld later! If you have a flat tappet motor you need to run a good priemium dino oil like Brad Penn and thats going to run you 8-10 a quart?? no savings there! I run Amsoil 20-50 syn in my 572 wedge and I can sleep at night that I'm not feeding it cheap crap to save money. Syn oil out wieghts dino oil hands down with all of the polimure( cant spell it) stuff and tec ****! dino oil is still 10 million years old no matter how you look at it.
Pay me now or pay me later ... your choice!:snorting:

 

[fwi]

How about the Royal Purple synthetic, any good?

 

[brandon64]

I tried running royal purple once, and a week later my camshaft broke in half. Was it the oil? I don't know, but I wont be running it again. I have had good luck with Valvoline.

 

[Satellite65]

I used to work with a guy that ran the oil test lab at Chevron (Richmond, CA). He had a bunch of Ford straight 6 engines and all he would do is test oil. In a nut shell he said the oil produced by the major oil companies are the best. He called the other stuff like Pennzoil, Castrol, Quakerstate, et-al "marketing oils" and none were very good. I have also heard from many different sources that Chevron oil was some of the best stuff you can buy but this info goes way back before our current oil issue. When I asked about synthetic he said it has better cold flow characteristics and holds up better at higher temps, but in a mild climate he said save your money. These days you want the additive package consistent with the SL rating or earlier.

I was told the very same thing by someone else in the lubricant industry many years ago.

I use a LOT of oil in my business for vacuum pumps and air compressors and I can tell you from first hand experience that unless you have a valid reason to use synthetics (such as extreme temp conditions, particularly on the cold end) there's no significant advantage. The big myth is that it provides extented service intervals. While it's true that it will maintain its viscocity over a longer time it will still get just as dirty as any other type of oil. The dirt will do just as much, if not more damage than anything else and the only fix for that is to get it out.

One more thing, I've seen certain synthetics go bad and when they do, it's not a pretty sight. It has a snowball effect. The oil gets a little fouled, the pump runs a little hotter, the oil fouls more, the pump runs a little hotter.......
This can and will happen with any oil but I can tell you that with synthetics once the proces starts it happens FAST!!! The oil gels up and basically destroys the machine it's supposed to be protecting in the first place.

Not trying to scare anyone and I'm by no means an oil expert, just sharing my first-hand observations.

 

[hemistix66]

Back in '70-79 we ran Valvoline racing 20-50 in our sprint cars.When I started riding Harleys,Pans&Shovels we ran Aero Shell in strokers and Kendall nitro70w in summer months in stock motors.This now is Brad Penn I think.I ran Kendall 20-50 in my Fury,440 mild street motor till they changed,no more green oil.Went to Brad Penn 20-50.Presently I run Amsoil 20-50 in HD T/C for the cooling.Anyway I just do what Granpa,Dad,&Brother did, if aint broke don't fix it!Use what its been running&change it regularly.Syn oil will find any leaks you don't have now!Oh yeah I love your car,still thinking about Foster's!!

 

[fwi]

Back in '70-79 we ran Valvoline racing 20-50 in our sprint cars.When I started riding Harleys,Pans&Shovels we ran Aero Shell in strokers and Kendall nitro70w in summer months in stock motors.This now is Brad Penn I think.I ran Kendall 20-50 in my Fury,440 mild street motor till they changed,no more green oil.Went to Brad Penn 20-50.Presently I run Amsoil 20-50 in HD T/C for the cooling.Anyway I just do what Granpa,Dad,&Brother did, if aint broke don't fix it!Use what its been running&change it regularly.Syn oil will find any leaks you don't have now!Oh yeah I love your car,still thinking about Foster's!!

Thanks. It was nice meeting you too. I was driving through downtown Chicago the other day on my way up to northern Wisconsin to look at the the green one.

 

[YY1]

After running castrol for years on the advice of two people I thought knew what they were yalking about, I tried Kendall, and never went back. Only advantage of castrol was you could tell when it was time to change by the valvetrain clatter.

After my last "old car" (the Duster) I started using Mobil 1 in my 93 Dak, but couldn't afford it, and switched to Valvoline, which I was very happy with.

Are you guys saying Kendall is now called Brad Penn?

 

[Meep-Meep]

I was told the very same thing by someone else in the lubricant industry many years ago.

I use a LOT of oil in my business for vacuum pumps and air compressors and I can tell you from first hand experience that unless you have a valid reason to use synthetics (such as extreme temp conditions, particularly on the cold end) there's no significant advantage. The big myth is that it provides extented service intervals. While it's true that it will maintain its viscocity over a longer time it will still get just as dirty as any other type of oil. The dirt will do just as much, if not more damage than anything else and the only fix for that is to get it out.

One more thing, I've seen certain synthetics go bad and when they do, it's not a pretty sight. It has a snowball effect. The oil gets a little fouled, the pump runs a little hotter, the oil fouls more, the pump runs a little hotter.......
This can and will happen with any oil but I can tell you that with synthetics once the proces starts it happens FAST!!! The oil gels up and basically destroys the machine it's supposed to be protecting in the first place.

Not trying to scare anyone and I'm by no means an oil expert, just sharing my first-hand observations.

Vacuum pumps?? I rebuild turbomolecular pumps that are used in the high vacuum industry and those are typically backed with rotary vane pumps. I have seen the results of overheated vac pump oil and as you say it's not pretty. Also diffusion pump oil can get pretty nasty. Anyway, a little off topic but I'm usually surprised (and excited) when people start talking vacuum and/or molecules :hello2: