2544 - use 30W or 10W-30??

[JPPWNY]

I started using Mobil 1 10W-30 in my SLT1554 when it hit the 46 hour mark. Engine ran great before, but it seems to run quieter now and my gas efficiency is better as I now mow more grass on a full tank of gas. Don't know if that is because the engine is breaking in now or if the synthetic oil helps reduce fuel consumption.

 

[Fordlords]

I have to go with the manuals I use for the big diesels in the trucks I drive, which are Detroit Diesel products. In those applications, where the engine holds 44 quarts of oil, they openly say synthetic oil is fine to use, but do not recommend it to extend change intervals.

That is DDC- I agree myself. I had a trucking colleague who had a truck with a Caterpillar 3126B who thought he was going to take his engine to the 100,000 mile mark without an oil change using synthetic oil with careful oil analysis and just changing the filters at 10k mile intervals. The analysis always came out clean, the filters were changed, but the experiment failed, and the parent bore engine cost $15k to replace after its camshaft bearings pitted and scored. Lesson learned, IMHO synthetic oil advertising is BS, and many of us humble truckers agree on our own studies.

On a small engine like our Kohlers and Hondas why even try to extend intervals with synthetic oil when they only hold under 2 qts of oil? That would be a plain stupid thing to try, and I'll guarantee Kohler or any other engine manufacturer just like Detroit Diesel will not recommend it.

Not trying to be Mr. Know-it-all here, just one of those agree to disagree cases JTKub


-Fordlords-

 

[JTKub]

..On a small engine like our Kohlers and Hondas why even try to extend intervals with synthetic oil when they only hold under 2 qts of oil?..

Very true. It's all about the application. A commercial diesel application with several stages of oil filtration, huge sumps, expensive oil changes and no room for down time is an ideal candidate for synthetic. Automotive and outdoor power equip is different. The compressor skids I operate for a living have 1000gal+ oil sumps that require synthetic oils. Not unusal for that oil to remain in service for 10yrs. I just hate to see people think synthetic oil is going to do something *special* for your engine. If you dont need to 1) start it at -20degF, 2) run it for extended periods @ 100degF+, or 3) extend your OCI's, synthetic oil will do nothing for you over a conventional motor oil.

Joel

 

[EuropaChris]

Fordlords, I have to disagree with you on that point. There is tons and tons of used oil analysis data available that supports extended oil change intervals with the use of synthetic motor oils. Like you say, the stuff holds it's viscosity range for a loooong time. Yes, byproducts of combustion do build up over time, but that takes a long time to be an issue in a modern engine using a modern oil. Extended OCI's and $30 used oil analysis are not for me. Nor do I spring for synthetics (much) anymore since my applications see no benefit, but facts to back it up are out there.

G/luck
Joel

I've run 10K mile oil changes in 4 different vehicles now with Mobil-1. Two gassers ('93 Saturn that went to 156K miles and a '01 Olds Alero that we dumped at about 90K due to it was a piece of junk - engine was good tho) and now two diesels ('02 Jetta TDI wagon and '05 Jeep Liberty CRD). The Diesels get Delvac-1.

VW and Jeep recommend 10K oil change intervals, and DEMAND synthetic. This is due to the turbo bearings and also the top piston rings, which are very close to the top of the piston to minimize dead area and improve emissions. Non-synthetic oil will coke up the turbo and rings as it can't handle the heat.

My Saturn, which I sold to a friend, was running perfectly with almost zero oil consumption at 156K. The inside of the valve cover looked as if I bought it yesterday. I've never seen an engine run so clean before.

Our current vehicles don't have enough miles to really have data (90K on the TDI and 23K on the CRD), but so far, so good.

Modern engines don't dump as much crap into the oil as older engines due to tighter tolerances and improved combustion. So, heat and shear breakdown become more important. Synthetics handle this far better than mineral oils. Shoot, 30 hours on my 2544 oil so far and it's not even dark yet! Our airplane (1946 Cessna 140) will turn oil dark in 5 hours. Both are air cooled, but the Continental in the Cessna has tolerances you could throw a cat through. It also burns 5 gal. an hour compared to 1 for the Cub, and only holds twice the oil.

Anyway, what I'm saying is that synthetics are superior where the oil is stressed with high shear loads or high temperatures. In lower stress applications, regular oil will work very well also.

But, with my experience, I'll stick with synthetics.

Chris

 

[JTKub]

Good points Chris. I should have added #4 to my above post: 4) When synthetic is required per the manufacturer. Yes, some vehicles with hi under-hood heat loads like corvettes require it to prevent coking. A co-worker of mine recently bought a VW Jetta with the new 5cyl. That requires synthetic and the oil change schedule is 10Kmi.

Joel

 

[MrWiggles2]

Does anyone know if they make synthetic grease? Instead of loading up all my Cub zerk fittings with gooey dino grease, maybe I should see if they make a synthetic grease especially for my spindles. What do you think?

I switched this year to full synthetic in my Cub at 100 hours. While I believe there is a lot of folklore regarding synthetics, I do believe they are better than regular oil. I think the real value is the ability to run at high temps and wear resistance. Some of the bearing and cylinder wall comparisons after lengthy use have been impressive.

 

[JSharp]

I've been using this Valvoline synthetic EP grease with moly for quite a while anyplace #2 grease from a grease gun is required. It works well and it's readily available at Advance Auto or anyplace that sells Valvoline products.

http://www.valvoline.com/pages/products/product_detail.asp?product=59

Fordlords - I wonder what your friend was trying to accomplish and who the "expert" was that looked at his oil analysis results and told him they were ok, to keep going. Synthetics are better in most cases but they don't give you an automatic 2X or 3X change interval over mineral oils. And some things you do get automatically by the nature of them but their advantages over mineral lubes aren't always huge.

 

[magicalj]

A very good friend of mine owns a Napa store and was speaking to a guy about different oils. His friend said he did extensive research for a air compressor manufacturer into which oil would work best in there compressors. He found out that Royal Purple brand far out performed anything else he tested. His findings were based on the fact that the condesation mixed with the Royal Purple oil instead of staying seperated as it did with the other oils he tested. He claimed this made the oil far superior to all the others.

 

[micman32]

Use what that manuel says to use.