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Synthetic oil ?

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kodanja

kodanja

Obi Wan
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I'm thinking of changing over my engine to Synthetic oil, after 70k+ miles.

I have been using 20/50 oil.


Can ya chime in and let me know the pro's and con's?

If I do the change how should I go about flushing the engine?
Are there any other changes I should address, filters etc...

69' TR6
 
I am no expert on oil but do know that my mechanic changed my oil in my 99 Tahoe, with a quarter of a million miles on it, after running regular oil for 10 years. He put Mobil 1 in it. The engine leaked oil from every conceivable seam. I went back to regular oil and the leaks stopped. And try to get synthetic oil off your concrete. It ain't easy.
 
I had an Alfa Romeo with an all-alluminum V6 that used synthetic Oil - Italian Agip of cour$e. On cold mornings it always leaked until the engine warmed up. I shudder to think how much Expensive synthetic a Triumph lump would leak!
 
I use synthetic oil in ALL of my "modern" cars. Without fail. Yes that is 12 quarts plus a filter for the XJS. Great stuff, no problems what so ever. Now, that being said, I would NOT RECCOMMEND synthetic oil in an old pushrod valvetrain engine. Modern oils (Synthetic and Dino) have had zinc and phospherous removed due to damage to catylitic converters. The zinc etc was there to protect the cam and lifters on "Flat tappet" engines.I spent the weekend installing an IPD cam in an old Volvo 122. Turns out IPD cams are made by Iskendarian. The cam and lifter package came with strict instructions about which oil to use to protect the cam. I have been using "Shell Rotella" in older cars because the diesel oil has higher levels of the ZDDP. I ordered some of one of the oils reccommended by Isky. I got Valvolene racing oil, (20W50)It says on the bottle "Not Street Legal" Will damage catylitic converters. The "Usuals" sell bottles of ZDDP additive to add to oil, but at the price of synthetic, it can't be cost effective to add things to it. I have no experience with the "new" Valvolene, but I use their dino and synthetic oil all the time in customer cars. Research ZDDP and draw your own conclusions though, this is just my 2 cents worth.
 
I use Valvoline full synthetic in all my Triumphs and my "modern" car (which is 14 years old). Doesn't leak any worse than "dinosaur juice" that I can tell.

Curiously enough though, I did once fill the "modern" car (which has a Chevy LT1 in it) with Mobil 1 and it did start using significantly more oil. Switched back to Valvoline, consumption went back down. (Some 225,000 on the clock, uses about 1qt/5000 miles on Valvoline.)

In the TRs I do stick with 20W50 oil. Don't know that they would suffer from the thinner stuff; but I'll let someone else find out.
 
OK IM CONFUSED, SOME PPL SAY ITS GREAT OTHERS SAY IT CAN DO MORE BAD TAHN GOOD......NOT TO MENTION THE COST
 
Bill,

My machine shop recommended switching over to synthetic oil after the break in.

BUT......I have a brand new engine with all new seals.

AND...he said that if it starts to leak to switch back to the Rotella Triple T
 
Ive decided to change over after a B&G treatment.

Now should I use the Valvoline or the Mobile 1?
 
The cleaning properties of the snyth is what makes you think the oil is causing the leaks. Dino oil doesn't have those qualities and the gunk tends to gather where the seals are, plugging up the holes as it were. Using synth will clean the gunk out thus "causing" the leaks. More info about oil than you can shake a stick at can be found at bobistheoilguy.com.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]Just my Humble Opinion[/QUOTE]

And if I remember correctly Bill, "your learned experience" in this case as well?
 
Oil seems to be one of the areas where there is never a consensus. Personally, I feel the Valvoline full synthetic is worth the price (which I compensate for by only changing oil every 10k or so). But I certainly cannot prove that it is better; except to note that I have never had a bad experience that I attributed to it (which is more than I can say for every other brand of oil I have tried), and my engines seem to last a long time using it.

So, at some point, you pays yer money and you takes yer choice.
 
kodanja
Ive been using mobile 1 for the last 80,000 miles and have no complaints.I broke the engine in with dinasaur p*** and been with mobile 1 ever since. I get an average of 1500 miles to the litre. I change it around 6000- 8000 miles driven.I added a picture of where the car has been parked since Oct. 2008. Pic was taken in Feb 2009 and I don't see too many puddles.
 

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I've been using Castrol Syntec 20W-50. It is supposed to be designed for classic and vintage engines. I have not noticed any additional leakage nor does the car seem to be using more oil.

Syntec
 
Mark
I used to run 15-40 but that weight has been getting hard to get up here. so for the last couple of years I been running 5/50.I don't use anymore than before and it doesn't seem to leak.My pressure readings on the gauge havent changed any that I've noticed.I still run 75lbs hot at 2500 rpm and 20-25 at hot idle @ 1100rpm.
 
TRMark said:
I've been using Castrol Syntec 20W-50. It is supposed to be designed for classic and vintage engines. I have not noticed any additional leakage nor does the car seem to be using more oil.

Syntec
Click to expand...


Same here.
 
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