Synthetic Oil

[Mark Page]

Last fall I decided to start using synthetic oil in my 45 horse diesel Massey. Conventional oils have always come out black as coal. I was late in changing the oil this spring and when it came out clear as could be, not a tinge of dirt or discoloration. I was surprised to say the least. Where is all that dirt that I used to see? Still in the engine?
I've talked to 2 mechanics and they say this is perfectly normal and I can probably run the synthetic oil for 150 hours or more with out changing it.
I've been told that the synthetic stuff can actually provide a better seal between the rings and cylinder walls.
What to do?

 

[ray66v]

I run synthetic, (Amsoil), and it gets black.

If your oil is not removing the soot, there is only one other place for it to go.

Did you use a diesel specific synthetic oil?

 

[WilliamBos]

Last fall I decided to start using synthetic oil in my 45 horse diesel Massey. Conventional oils have always come out black as coal. I was late in changing the oil this spring and when it came out clear as could be, not a tinge of dirt or discoloration. I was surprised to say the least. Where is all that dirt that I used to see? Still in the engine?
I've talked to 2 mechanics and they say this is perfectly normal and I can probably run the synthetic oil for 150 hours or more with out changing it.
I've been told that the synthetic stuff can actually provide a better seal between the rings and cylinder walls.
What to do?

Was it dark, but still clear??

 

[ham]

Apparently you are not doing any real work with it

Here are some basics which I think get missed with synthetic oil. It never breaks down and never loses its viscosity like Dino oil. But it does get dirty. So you must change your filter just as often...but theoretically you would never need to change your synthetic...given you have to add some back in with filter change it would gradually be changed. You also do not need to plug in your tractor, another savings, unless your plug in heater actually heats the engine block and not just the oil.

If everyone in the cold states used synthetic to its full advantage it would save a ton of energy cost...but many don't do their homework. I even read about guys on the truck forums still changing their synthetic every 3,000 miles....what a waste.

Of course this threatens the guys who make their living off of your maintenance so they like to put just enough disinformation out there to keep the no nothings paranoid. This is one of the things I use to tell if a mechanic is really honest.

 

[boomer1025]

Apparently you are not doing any real work with it

Here are some basics which I think get missed with synthetic oil. It never breaks down and never loses its viscosity like Dino oil. But it does get dirty. So you must change your filter just as often...but theoretically you would never need to change your synthetic...given you have to add some back in with filter change it would gradually be changed. You also do not need to plug in your tractor, another savings, unless your plug in heater actually heats the engine block and not just the oil.

If everyone in the cold states used synthetic to its full advantage it would save a ton of energy cost...but many don't do their homework. I even read about guys on the truck forums still changing their synthetic every 3,000 miles....what a waste.

Of course this threatens the guys who make their living off of your maintenance so they like to put just enough disinformation out there to keep the no nothings paranoid. This is one of the things I use to tell if a mechanic is really honest.

Oil weather synthetic or dino won't wear out, BUT the additives in the oil which are needed to protect the wear components DOES wear out and does get contaminated from use. When the additives are gone, the big problems start. So unless your doing oil samples, I wouldn't advise just changing the filters and not the oil, granted you possibly can depending on what the oil manufacture recommends, extend the drain time. Go by what the oil manufacture/oil sample tells you and use common sense. Oil weather dino or synthetic is cheap insurance.

 

[cschulz]

I just purchased a BX a couple months ago so I cant say anything to running synthetic in a tractor but Ive been using synthetic in cars for years and my current car runs like a champ at 201,000 miles. Ive always changed the filter every 5,000 miles and the oil every 10,000.
I will be running synthetic in my tractor as soon as I pic one. Does anyone have suggestions for brands. Need the detergent oil for sure. Just not sure of brands Amsoil or Rotella. Or any others???

Chris

 

[ham]

All good points.

I have driven my rigs well over 250,000 miles without problems by changing the oil every 20,000 and the filter every 5,000. But this is somewhat dependent on what I am doing.

Is there some reason diesel engines would need anything different than Mobil 1 or how about Royal Purple?

 

[whistlepig]

I ran Valvoline Premium Blue for over twelve years. It got black. Diesels are dirty motors.

 

[ray66v]

Is there some reason diesel engines would need anything different than Mobil 1 or how about Royal Purple?

Two reasons I know of:

First, some of the black stuff that comes out of the exhaust pipe ends up in the crankcase. Diesel oil is designed to better deal with that.

Second, the sulfur in diesel fuel, causes sulfuric acid to form in the crank case. Diesel oil is designed to better deal with that too.

 

[cschulz]

Two reasons I know of:

First, some of the black stuff that comes out of the exhaust pipe ends up in the crankcase. Diesel oil is designed to better deal with that.

Second, the sulfur in diesel fuel, causes sulfuric acid to form in the crank case. Diesel oil is designed to better deal with that too.

I would have to second these points. You need a higher detergent oil for diesels. Keeps the suet and acids for building in the engines.

Chris