Will switching from Synthetic to Dyno oil harm my engine?

Another Tom wrote:


>>
>
> Results of "practical" vs "potential"
>
> http://www.justracing.com/bmw/viewtopic.php?t=12


So what do you think that proves? That every car run on an extended oil
change schedule will wind up a sludge pit?

My wife's car has run Mobil-1 10W30 for the past 205,000 miles (that's
right, 215,000 miles total, was switched from Castrol GTX to Mobil-1
after the initial 10,000 mile break-in period.) The change interval is
between 7000 and 10000 miles, most of the time closer to 9000 miles. Its
gone as long as 15,000 miles on one fill a couple of times (my bad!)
The engine is a 1993 Chrysler 3.5L SOHC v6, 215 horsepower, in a 1993
Eagle Vision TSi. I recently had occasion to remove the valve covers to
install new gaskets. The cams, rockers, and valve stems looked like new.
Not "clean," I mean LIKE NEW. As in "if you put these back in a parts
bin, no one would notice that they were used unless they looked REALLY
closely." I have observed the same with my 1969 Dodge 440 and my 1973
Plymouth 318 as well, although neither of them began their lives on
Mobil-1 with ~10,000 mile oil change intervals.

Now, I could argue that Chrysler just builds a far superior engine to
BMW (and in truth, I believe that is true when you take into account a
lot of practical considerations for an everyday routine-driver type car-
otherwise I'd own BMWs instead of Chrysler products). But I honestly
think the Beemer got screwed by something else. Poor oil, a filter stuck
in bypass mode, coolant intrusion into the lubricant, fuel contamination
of the lubricant.... SOMETHING else. Not the oil change interval.

Philip wrote:

> Huw wrote:
>
>>"Philip" > wrote >
>>
>>>Ever wonder why synthetics have not caught on in the diesel arena?
>>>Particularly in passenger car diesels which routinely foul their oil
>>>very quickly?
>>
>>
>>Oh but it has.
>
> snip
>
>>Huw
>
>
> Huw... our context is the AMERICAN market. Not the UK ... where you are.
> But go ahead and make your case for the benefit of others. But do review
> this thread retroactively before you do.

So? That sludged BMW isn't a diesel engine. UK and US DIESEL fuels are
quite different and have a significant impact on DIESEL engine oil
change schedules, but not so when comparing US and UK gasolines or
lubricating oils.

Huw wrote:

> Having said that, the Maxlife and similar added value [read as added profit]
> oils do have an increased level of a chemical that mildly softens and swells
> seals. This is not needed of course but some people will insist on treating
> their cars as if they were sentient organic organisms which will somehow
> 'thank' them at some point for unnecessary [and unasked for LOL] pampering
> at added expense. In truth, it is the pamperer himself that derives pleasure
> from such practice but he would do better and achieve more good if he spent
> his time and money on doing good to his fellow man.
>
> Huw
>
>

I would say that the "pamperer" in this case is heartily deceiving
himself. Valvoline Max-Life (in particular) was observed to have an
excellent additive package WHEN FIRST INTRODUCED, but within a year or
so, a number of key wear-preventing additives were sharply cut back. Its
a 3rd-rate lubricant at best,\ now, unless they've put it back to the
way it was. This was chronicled extensively on bobistheoilguy.com a few
years back.

Ted Mittelstaedt wrote:


>
> Sorry but I've also bought Valvoline at the .49 cent price - with rebate of
> course. Not recently, but at least once this year.
>
> I see Castrol also discounted quite regularly.
>
> My point is obvious to anyone - if you are a halfway smart shopper
> you can buy oil at the buck a quart level. Sure, you have to buy it
> when they sell it at that level, and you have to stockpile it as well,
> but it can be bought.
>
> What you CAN'T do is be a lazy-ass and just walk into whatever
> retailer you want whenever you want and buy whatever brand of oil
> you want at a buck a quart.


OK, now THAT I can agree with. Although I doubt that you'll find manyu
of the group II/III hydrocracked base oils that are truly comparable to
synthetics discounted quite that deeply.

And given what a tiny fraction of the cost-of-ownership buying oil is,
spending $5 a quart is still way down in the noise.

Steve wrote:
> Another Tom wrote:
>
>
>>>
>>
>> Results of "practical" vs "potential"
>>
>> http://www.justracing.com/bmw/viewtopic.php?t=12
>
>
> So what do you think that proves? That every car run on an extended
> oil change schedule will wind up a sludge pit?
snip

Every gasoline engine that overloads its oil with combustion byproducts and
continues to operate in this condition will experience sludge accumulations.
It's just a matter of time. There is nothing you can argue to the contrary.

--

- Philip

Steve wrote:
> Philip wrote:
>
>> Huw wrote:
>>
>>> "Philip" > wrote >
>>>
>>>> Ever wonder why synthetics have not caught on in the diesel arena?
>>>> Particularly in passenger car diesels which routinely foul their
>>>> oil very quickly?
>>>
>>>
>>> Oh but it has.
>>
>> snip
>>
>>> Huw
>>
>>
>> Huw... our context is the AMERICAN market. Not the UK ... where you
>> are. But go ahead and make your case for the benefit of others. But
>> do review this thread retroactively before you do.
>
> So? That sludged BMW isn't a diesel engine.

What does that have to do with the main thrust of this thread?

>UK and US DIESEL fuels are
> quite different and have a significant impact on DIESEL engine oil
> change schedules,

The actual difference between UK and US diesel fuels depends on the State
being compared.

>...but not so when comparing US and UK gasolines or
> lubricating oils.

Huw would disagree with you. The mineral oils that exceed the minimum API
SL specifications abound in the UK. Go read some labels. See how often an
API SL oil does NOT carry any diesel specs, let alone any MB specs or ACEA
specs.
--

- Philip

On Wed, 22 Dec 2004 16:26:44 GMT, Rob Munach >
wrote:

>Coyoteboy wrote:
>>>I use Castrol or Valvoline dino in my cars, change oil and filter (
>>>Motorcraft Fl400-S) every 90 days or 3,000 miles, and have never had
>>>an engine problem related to oil. n e v e r.
>>>
>>>Go figure. If you want to spend the extra $ on synthetic, it's your
>>>money, be my guest.
>>
>>
>> I only use fully synth oil and swap it every 2.5-3K miles. But thats the
>> manufacturers recommendation lol. Ouch. Bloody 3SGTE engine .
>>
>> J
>>
>>
>You are simply wasting your money changing it that often.


If the car manufacture states you need to change it that often, 3k,
and you don't, and something fails under warranty, they can refuse
coverage. Now you really wasted money.

just a thought.....

tom @ www.URLBee.com

> wrote in message
...
> On Wed, 22 Dec 2004 16:26:44 GMT, Rob Munach >
> wrote:
>
>>Coyoteboy wrote:
>>>>I use Castrol or Valvoline dino in my cars, change oil and filter (
>>>>Motorcraft Fl400-S) every 90 days or 3,000 miles, and have never had
>>>>an engine problem related to oil. n e v e r.
>>>>
>>>>Go figure. If you want to spend the extra $ on synthetic, it's your
>>>>money, be my guest.
>>>
>>>
>>> I only use fully synth oil and swap it every 2.5-3K miles. But thats the
>>> manufacturers recommendation lol. Ouch. Bloody 3SGTE engine .
>>>
>>> J
>>>
>>>
>>You are simply wasting your money changing it that often.
>
>
> If the car manufacture states you need to change it that often, 3k,
> and you don't, and something fails under warranty, they can refuse
> coverage. Now you really wasted money.
>
> just a thought.....
>
> tom @ www.URLBee.com
>
>
>

Name a few motor cars that need 3000 mile oil changes and are still within
the warranty period.

Huw

Philip wrote:

> Huw wrote:

>>
>>They may do but only in their combined diesel rating, which marks
>>them out as being superior. For instance, I use a mutifleet oil that
>>combines API SL with API CH4 heavy duty diesel long drain
>>specification. This is a much better oil than plain SL but SL is the
>>only quoted petrol engine standard on the [rather large] can.
>
>
> That is my point (from a couple of lines up). Anyone shopping the
> automotive retail shelves in America will find mostly API SL with no diesel
> approvals at all.

Oh fercryinoutloud! Its quite easy to find diesel-approved oil anywhrere
in the US. Both synthetic and conventional.

My entry into this discussion came about because a picture of a
sludged-up GASOLINE engine was used to imply that the "reality" as
opposed to the "theory" of extended drain intervals would inevitably
lead to that kind of thing. It does not.

>
> Agreed. I wish alternative "above the API minimum" approvals were the norm
> here. As is, the only clues you have are the infrequent diesel designation
>

Or you can read the oil analysis web pages. The fact that US-marketed
oils are not MARKED above the API standard does not in any way imply
that many oils sold in the US do not indeed exceed those standards by a
wide margin.

In article et>,
Philip > wrote:
>Rotella T, Delo-400, Mobil Delvac ... those are your MAINSTREAM diesel oils.
>Just visit any truck stop to see for yourself. Rotella Synthetic 5w-40 is
>very rare in truck stops as is Delvac 1300.

Wal Mart has carried Shell Rotella T Synthetic for a few years now
(alongside the non-synthetic Rotella, Delo 400, and Delvac 1300).
It may also carry Mobil 1 "Truck and SUV" that is widely believed to
be rebottled Mobil Delvac 1 (spec sheets look very similar, and the
Mobil 1 "Truck and SUV" does have the API CI-4 rating).

--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Timothy J. Lee
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