Fresh Engine, time for synthetic?
10-01-2010, 12:18 PM
#11
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Michigan
Posts: 3,986
Pretty much in order: tied for no.1 AMSoil, RP and redline, then Castrol Syntec, then mobil1 and the rest I don't even care about.
10-01-2010, 06:44 PM
#13
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Pensacola, Florida
Posts: 1,465
10-01-2010, 08:11 PM
#15
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: ......
Posts: 2,057
Did you go with stock clearances on bearings and pistons? If so use manufacturer recommended viscosity. Larger clearance will require more oil viscosity. There is no way an oil vendor can make a valid recommendation on viscosity for a custom built motor.
I wouldn't run extended drain intervals with a motor thats driven hard. I broke my motor in with conventional and once the rings were seated switched to synthetic. I felt my rings were seated after 1100 miles. I monitored blowby to reach my decision. They were probably seated after the first dyno session but you only have one chance to do it right so I erred on the side of caution.
I compiled this list last year. http://stangnation.com/technical-sup...il-datasheets/ Since then the castrol data sheets are no longer available and amsoil has changed their description from synthetic base oil to 100% synthetic. Maybe they got a different base oil supplier? Anyway the msds cuts all the marketing bs and shop talk rumors out of the picture. The most interesting was penzoil synthetic. It appears to be the "most" synthetic out of the bunch. The castrol sheets flat out said "highly refined petroleum oil" and that was for their "100% synthetic". Marketing is just another word for misrepresentation these days.
I wouldn't run extended drain intervals with a motor thats driven hard. I broke my motor in with conventional and once the rings were seated switched to synthetic. I felt my rings were seated after 1100 miles. I monitored blowby to reach my decision. They were probably seated after the first dyno session but you only have one chance to do it right so I erred on the side of caution.
I compiled this list last year. http://stangnation.com/technical-sup...il-datasheets/ Since then the castrol data sheets are no longer available and amsoil has changed their description from synthetic base oil to 100% synthetic. Maybe they got a different base oil supplier? Anyway the msds cuts all the marketing bs and shop talk rumors out of the picture. The most interesting was penzoil synthetic. It appears to be the "most" synthetic out of the bunch. The castrol sheets flat out said "highly refined petroleum oil" and that was for their "100% synthetic". Marketing is just another word for misrepresentation these days.
Last edited by BruceH; 10-01-2010 at 08:14 PM.
10-01-2010, 09:30 PM
#16
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Michigan
Posts: 3,986
Maybe you don't drive as hard as I do. 
I beg to differ. However, you don't have enough information about the vehicles. My '85 Mustang (RIP 
) ~400HP was my test vehicle for the various oils I tried. I worked at Napa and, literally, tested the oils during every oil change.
Quaker state, Valvoline, Pennzoil, were all horrible. Once they got hot, my oil pressure would drop, mind you I had a Melling hi-volume/hi-pressure oil pump in it. Mobil 1, just got dirty almost instantly, lots of detergents in it. No idea where all the "dirt" was coming from since the engine was almost spotless inside.
Then came along Redline, AMSoil and RP --all great oils, just really expensive.
And that's when I found the Syntec. Not only did my oil pressure stay where it was supposed to, it also lowered my operating temps -- and this might just be perception, I could've swore it revved faster too.
Mind you, when I was doing this "testing" I drove my stang like I stole it. And no I'm not kidding about that. I'd hit 145+ daily (weather/traffic permitting).
The 302 in my Ranger had some miles on it, so it's just fine with it. And my Probe, well that's got a TON of miles on it, 245k in fact. The only issue I have with it is the oil passages in the lifters. Makes it tick a little, but not too bad. Next time I pull the cams, I'll just drill the passages out slightly.
Exactly.
Agreed, although Synthetics can take a lot more abuse than dino oils.
And even those descriptions are somewhat vague. But yeah, never believe the hype.
) ~400HP was my test vehicle for the various oils I tried. I worked at Napa and, literally, tested the oils during every oil change. Quaker state, Valvoline, Pennzoil, were all horrible. Once they got hot, my oil pressure would drop, mind you I had a Melling hi-volume/hi-pressure oil pump in it. Mobil 1, just got dirty almost instantly, lots of detergents in it. No idea where all the "dirt" was coming from since the engine was almost spotless inside.
Then came along Redline, AMSoil and RP --all great oils, just really expensive.
And that's when I found the Syntec. Not only did my oil pressure stay where it was supposed to, it also lowered my operating temps -- and this might just be perception, I could've swore it revved faster too.
Mind you, when I was doing this "testing" I drove my stang like I stole it. And no I'm not kidding about that. I'd hit 145+ daily (weather/traffic permitting).
The 302 in my Ranger had some miles on it, so it's just fine with it. And my Probe, well that's got a TON of miles on it, 245k in fact. The only issue I have with it is the oil passages in the lifters. Makes it tick a little, but not too bad. Next time I pull the cams, I'll just drill the passages out slightly.
I wouldn't run extended drain intervals with a motor thats driven hard. I broke my motor in with conventional and once the rings were seated switched to synthetic. I felt my rings were seated after 1100 miles. I monitored blowby to reach my decision. They were probably seated after the first dyno session but you only have one chance to do it right so I erred on the side of caution.
I compiled this list last year. http://stangnation.com/technical-sup...il-datasheets/ Since then the castrol data sheets are no longer available and amsoil has changed their description from synthetic base oil to 100% synthetic. Maybe they got a different base oil supplier? Anyway the msds cuts all the marketing bs and shop talk rumors out of the picture. The most interesting was penzoil synthetic. It appears to be the "most" synthetic out of the bunch. The castrol sheets flat out said "highly refined petroleum oil" and that was for their "100% synthetic". Marketing is just another word for misrepresentation these days.
10-02-2010, 04:36 PM
#19
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Pensacola, Florida
Posts: 1,465
OK, now I'm puzzled! 
Castrol is the reason why the big 3 are formulating group III "highly refined petroleum" and calling it a synthetic, when clearly....it's not. Nowhere else in the world is this practiced, only in the US. Although, the one grade of syntec he is running (5W-50) is probably a group IV PAO base.
IMO, Pennzoil Platinum and Ultra are the best group III formulations going right now. I would run Ultra in my car, no problem. It would just require more frequent changes than my current fill of AMSOIL.
Castrol is the reason why the big 3 are formulating group III "highly refined petroleum" and calling it a synthetic, when clearly....it's not. Nowhere else in the world is this practiced, only in the US. Although, the one grade of syntec he is running (5W-50) is probably a group IV PAO base.
IMO, Pennzoil Platinum and Ultra are the best group III formulations going right now. I would run Ultra in my car, no problem. It would just require more frequent changes than my current fill of AMSOIL.