Synthetic motor oil
06-04-2010, 03:06 PM
#1
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Thread Starter
Synthetic motor oil
My local wholesale store (BJs) sells 6 quarts of Mobil 1 synthetic for $35 and 6 quarts of Shell synthetic for $25. Does Mobil 1 warrant the extra $10 for the case or is all synthetic oil pretty much the same? Thanks!!
06-04-2010, 03:41 PM
#2
Discussing motor oil is like discussing religion and politics. lol Careful what you ask for!
In my opinion (no science behind this), as long as whatever you choose to run is reasonable quality and gets changed at the appropriate intervals, it doesn't matter. I use Mobil 1 on a regular basis and have never had an oil related issue with an engine. I have never used Shell, but would be surprised if it has any issues. I will leave it to others to comment on Shells quality.
You'd think someone could come up with a truly objective, quanitifiable oil study. Unfortunately, they are usually sponsored by one of the manufacturers trying to "prove" how much better their product is.
In my opinion (no science behind this), as long as whatever you choose to run is reasonable quality and gets changed at the appropriate intervals, it doesn't matter. I use Mobil 1 on a regular basis and have never had an oil related issue with an engine. I have never used Shell, but would be surprised if it has any issues. I will leave it to others to comment on Shells quality.
You'd think someone could come up with a truly objective, quanitifiable oil study. Unfortunately, they are usually sponsored by one of the manufacturers trying to "prove" how much better their product is.
06-04-2010, 03:46 PM
#3
Rennlist Member
Dave Greimann was a great resource for discussions like these.
I would think, most synthetics would be safe. Just make sure you don't switch from a non synthetic to a synthetic oil. I have personally seen oil leaks start right after the switch. I never believed in it until i saw it for myself.
I am currently running Total Synthetic 10W40 on the cab and use Swepco 15W40 on the turbo. I know the oil in the turbo has high ZDDP levels and came recommended by Jon Milledge.
Raj
I would think, most synthetics would be safe. Just make sure you don't switch from a non synthetic to a synthetic oil. I have personally seen oil leaks start right after the switch. I never believed in it until i saw it for myself.
I am currently running Total Synthetic 10W40 on the cab and use Swepco 15W40 on the turbo. I know the oil in the turbo has high ZDDP levels and came recommended by Jon Milledge.
Raj
(Approved by Dave)
06-04-2010, 05:56 PM
#5
Bannana Shine
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- Due to a court ruling, it is now legal to label an oil "synthetic" that is not 100% PAO base. Mobil 1, as long as it's labelled "SuperSyn" (not "TriSyn") is 100% PAO base. Amsoil is also 100% PAO base. Check the Shell label very carefully, and call their tech support or customer service line if necessary to find out.
- Regardless of whether it's all synthetic or just partially synthetic, regular oil and filter changes are still even more important.
- The old line about never replacing dino oil with synthetic oil is a misconception. Synthetic oil never causes leaks. Old, worn engines sometimes have leaks that have been plugged up by varnish and carbon deposits left by old, low-quality dino oil. Synthetic motor oil dissolves these deposits and varnishes, revealing the leaks that have been there all along. If you switch to synthetic and suddenly find oil leaks, it means that your engine was FULL of baked-on crap and it's being washed away...but it also means that you need some engine work, and have for a long time.
- If you really just want personal preferences, I use Mobil 1 on everything.
- Regardless of whether it's all synthetic or just partially synthetic, regular oil and filter changes are still even more important.
- The old line about never replacing dino oil with synthetic oil is a misconception. Synthetic oil never causes leaks. Old, worn engines sometimes have leaks that have been plugged up by varnish and carbon deposits left by old, low-quality dino oil. Synthetic motor oil dissolves these deposits and varnishes, revealing the leaks that have been there all along. If you switch to synthetic and suddenly find oil leaks, it means that your engine was FULL of baked-on crap and it's being washed away...but it also means that you need some engine work, and have for a long time.
- If you really just want personal preferences, I use Mobil 1 on everything.
06-04-2010, 06:31 PM
#6
Rennlist Member
- The old line about never replacing dino oil with synthetic oil is a misconception. Synthetic oil never causes leaks. Old, worn engines sometimes have leaks that have been plugged up by varnish and carbon deposits left by old, low-quality dino oil. Synthetic motor oil dissolves these deposits and varnishes, revealing the leaks that have been there all along. If you switch to synthetic and suddenly find oil leaks, it means that your engine was FULL of baked-on crap and it's being washed away...but it also means that you need some engine work, and have for a long time.
This is exactly what happened to me so one should be wary if they decide to switch to synthetic oil. I did this on my cab and all of a sudden, I had bigger leaks on the lower BS housing. I evenually removed and resealed the entire engine and have been using synthetic ever since.
Raj
06-04-2010, 09:51 PM
#7
Rennlist Member
I used to use M1 and switched to Amsoil and felt the race car used less oil on a weekend of racing. Lat year I used a moly based German 10w-60 that was very expensive and very very good. ran the whole season on it and it was relatively clean when I changed it. It's called Lubro-Moly. I am getting ready to try a 20w-50 fully synthetic from Schaeffer. We have switched our whole fleet of truck over to there blended oil. Watch your change intrevals with M1 as I have heard of some issues with top end wear on S2's.
