Soaring

Just before I left the farm to go back to the island last week, I forgot I needed to change the oil in my old rattle trap. I have been using synthetic oil for awhile, and so I looked in the barn to find my case of Redline synthetic oil empty. I still had a new Amsoil filter, but no oil, and not enough time to order a new case from a dealer. So, I thought I would check with Autozone to see what they had. Mobil 1 was available at a cost of almost 6 bucks a quart, but then I noticed Castrol had a full syntheic at about 50 cents per quart less. So, that's what I put in her....Anybody ever used Castrol synthetic? Any reports on how good that stuff is? Royal Purple was about 7 bucks a quart.

Riven02

I'm a Mobil one guys myself

jrrhd73must

There was a court case a few years back between Mobil 1 and Casterol. Casterol was marketing a further refined dino oil (hydrogen infused to remove the paraffin wax) as synthetic. Our Courts decided that since it was not really regular oil they could call it what they want. To my knowledge it is NOT synthetic, i.e. it did not start with a lab created base. There are quite a few of these synthetic posers out there. Shell Rotella is another one - the diesel guys love this stuff and swear it is a synthetic. I contacted shell and have e-mails from their engineers stating that they start with dino oil and infuse it with hydrogen.

I would recommend that you do not run it longer than about 5k, since I doubt it is a true synthetic.

BTW I use Amsoil because it is cheaper than redline. As far as big names, Mobil 1, Redline and Amsoil are all TRUE synthetics.

Soaring

Thanks for that info John. I'll yank that crap out ASAP. I use Redline and Amsoil, but got in a bind for time, and put that crap in. Out she comes......And, BTW, I never run more than 3K miles on an oil change, no matter what brand or kind it is. I'm from the old school, and can't unteach myself. Dirty oil is dirty oil to me. No matter if it is synthetic or not.

jrrhd73must

Due to your knowledge thus far demonstrated I have the utmost respect for your opinion. However, I will beg to differ with you on the oil change.

I am a mechanical engineer by trade. I work electrical, software and aerospace also. With aircraft all we run is synthetic and we NEVER chage at a specific hour interval. We sample the oil. If the oil sample comes back bad, we will drain, flush and reinstall. I have a 2000 F250 with 20k miles on the Amsoil right now. I have been doing 5k oil samples and changing the filter and adding 2qts (it is a big filter). All of the samples have been very good, much better than when I used to run dino oil in it. I am goign to change the trucks oil at 25k. All of my other cars are on the 20k plan. I change the filter at 10k, and the oil once a year or at 20k whichever comes first. I figure if it is good enough for aircraft - whoose operation is much more critical - it is good enough for an auto.

Soaring

I hear you John, and I respect your opinion. I have no knowledge about aircraft engines, so I can't respond to that, but again, I am old school. Without your ability to have your oil tested at a lab, I will not run the chance of having engine failure due to dirty oil. Yes, I do fully understand that the synthetic oils advertise a longer time between changes, such as 5K miles instead of the old 3K miles with dino, and I sometimes push the 3K limit a bit further than I feel comfortable with, but certainly not anywhere near 20K as you have suggested. IMO, there is no filter available for our old cars that will filter out the crap that enters into these old engines that will be safe for the engines for that amount of miles. We can certainly agree to disagree, but on this topic, I totally disagree with you regarding running oil and filters for that many miles without fear of mechanical breakdown. Now, with the 03 Mach I, I push the limits of oil and filter changes a bit further. Normally, with the Mach, the oil and the filter gets changed at right at 5K.
Here is a good site which addresses this issue. Synthetic oils break down and accepts all the acids as do dino oils. http://www.nordicgroup.us/oil.htm#Oi...ge%20Intervals

Scott H.

Hi John,

Who does your testing (on your personal truck) and what are they testing for?
Do they test the compositon of the oil, or are they testing for metals?
I'm interested in your input, as working for a mfg we look at more than just wear, especially when it comes to things like acidic build up, anti-foaming, viscosity breakdown, temperature characteristics, etc. Most comercial testing facilities look at specific metals (type and content level), but not the actual properties of the oil.
Did they ask you for a sample of new oil, or did you just provide the name and mfg?

For the cost of sampling, I agree that it is a great way to go. Especially in fleets or industrial applications. Not only does it save labor and materials, it also helps save our environment (although with the ease of recycling that is becoming more and more a mute point).

Thanks,

Scott

v6stangracer

well i may not be a engineer or aerogenious but i do have to work in the quick lube at work sometimes, and everything ive read or heard says mobil one is just as good as ams and royal purple and red line and all that, and while draining u can see a noticable differance in the cars that have went to long w/o an oil change and the ones that are looking good, the synthetic cars that change every 6k never seem to have a problem but to much after that u start to see darker nastier oil, just a "lube jock" opinion

jrrhd73must

There are three labs I know of Blackstone, Oil Analyzers, one in Atlanta (I can't remember the name), but they are the cheapest, and then the military labs.

I have used Oil Analyzers and Blackstone. They check for trace metals, and for some of the oil properties such as calcium, phosophorous, zinc, the also check for fuel, water, soot and give a viscosity reading. They also give you the TBN - Total Base Number - detergents left in the oil, NITR and oxidation.

Soaring: I don't suggest you use oil 20k - My truck has 20k on the oil. I am going 25k and then I will change it. I added a dual bypass kit, so I am filtering the oil to 1 micron (conventional filters only filter to 30 microns). My truck holds 19 quarts - so it is a real adventure and significant cost to change oil. I know some people with 100K and 145k on their oil with my set up. I have read reports that using dino for 3k and synthetic with the bypass, the internal engine components look exactly the same when compared. I am trying to reduce wear on the truck and at the same time save a little money and a whole lot of time. I would tell you that at 5k Mobil 1, Redline and Amsoil all look about like they have been driven only a thousand miles as compared to dino oil. I have spent some money doing oil analysis to not screw up my truck.

Additionally, although I think that Mobil 1 is great oil, I had Mobil 1 Syn in my Harley, it rean 10 degree hotter than with Amsoil, at the Mobil 1 would turn a much darker color in the same amount of miles. Hence I am sold on Amsoil.

Soaring

Now I see why you are running that far on an oil change. 19 quarts, huh? Wow, that's some mega bucks to change. And, like you, I am also sold on Amsoil and on Redline, both of which I think are the premium synthetics on the market. I haven't had much experience with Royal Purple though, so can't make judgement there.
Here's something else I don't quite understand. Ford says to change the oil in my 03 Mach1 every 5000 miles or every 6 months, whichever comes first. Well, I park my Mach for much of the winter, and can't see draining perfectly good oil that hasn't been used, just because it has been in the oil pan for 6 months. Well, they are telling me that condensation gathers in the pan, and oil and water don't mix. I understand that theory, but is it really true?