Continuation of "Which Oil"

[MChalkley]

Wes, as Bill pointed out, I think you should wait until the 150-hour change to put synthetic in, to make sure the engine is broken in first. The only verifiable report I've ever heard of a manufacturer trying not to honor a warranty because of the use of synthetics was because it was put in before the car (engine) was broken in (about 500 miles, as far as I can remember). It didn't fly. A letter to the manufacturer reminding them of the fact that the oil is SAE rated, and there was no stipulation that it shouldn't be used before break-in was complete was all it took. I don't know for sure that it matters in the long run, but I'm sure it would prolong the break-in process if you switched too soon. One of my patented "ad infinitum ad nauseum" discussions of why I picked 150 hours is at http://www.tractorbynet.com/tractort...ry1320001209pm in case you just want to punish yourself.

PaulB, I'm really sorry those guys are picking on you. Really I am. [img]/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif[/img]

[Anonymous Poster]

Mark if I'm not mistaken when the corvette engineers couldn't find room for an oil cooler on the corvette they specified Mobil-1, due to it being a synthetic it could pass the stiffer heat requirements for the corvette. But what amazed me was that the corvette came from the factory with Mobil-1. It was the break in oil. A Mobil-1 engineer that I talked to said that an engine with Mobil-1 will break in just fine.

[MChalkley]

Alan W, I don't doubt than an engine will break in fine on synthetic, but I strongly doubt it will break in as soon. I have noticed substantially increased idle speed when replacing the oil with synthetic in a very new engine. There can be only one explanation for that...

As for the 'Vette, yes it comes pre-filled with synthetic, but a transmission is not an engine. I switch transmissions, even hydrostatics, over at the first change - it's the engine, because of its compression rings, that needs "breaking in".

[Anonymous Poster]

Does anyone know what percentage of sythetic oil in the sythetic/dinosaur blends? Maybe I'm blind, but I don't recall seeing any labeling on these products that lists this info.

[JimBinMI]

KCB,
Just went out and looked at a quart bottle of Quaker 4x4 Synthetic Blend and I must be blind too because nowhere did it say how much of either was in there. Now you have me wondering if I paid too much for it because what if it's just 5-10% or something like that. I'd like to know too if anyone out there can tell us. JimBinMI