Synthetic Oil vs Conventional

98BLKHRSE · May 14, 2005

I need to get an oil change and i was thinking of using synthetic for the first time. Is their ever a time when its too late to start using synthetic oil? I only have 44,000 miles on my 98Gt and i was told that the rings have adapted or worn in to only conventional oil. If i started using that they (people at auto zone) said that synthetic oil would mess my motor up by allowing oil to slip passed the rings and burn oil. In my latest issue of MM&FF there was an article on oil. It seemed like you could interchange the two at anytime. Is this true? Is there a benefit of synthetic over conventional and which grade/weight(ex. 5w-30) is the best for my car? Thanks in advance!!

Pearl02 · May 14, 2005

I switched over to Royal Purple in my Mazda B4000 with 78000 miles on it. I haven't had any problems. Some will tell you not to do it. Do some more research and you'll be fine. Pearl02.

Kilgore Trout · May 14, 2005

Just use Motorcraft oil in the weight that Ford tells you to use. It is a synthetic blend. Use Motorcraft oil filters as well.

rjstaaf · May 14, 2005

If you want to learn more about oil you might want to go over to the forums at www.bobistheoilguy.com.

http://theoildrop.server101.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=forum;f=1

Gearbanger 101 · May 14, 2005

I use whatever conventional oil that is on sale. I only make sure to change it regularly and run it with a quality filter.

Kilgore Trout · May 14, 2005

I try to always do what GearBanger101 says to do 99% of the time... He knows ALL. I am pretty sure he is a Ford mechanic as well

I am gonna stick with the Motorcraft oil in this case though.

Gearbanger 101 · May 14, 2005

Kilgore Trout said:
I try to always do what GearBanger101 says to do 99% of the time... He knows ALL. I am pretty sure he is a Ford mechanic as well

I am gonna stick with the Motorcraft oil in this case though.

Hahahaha…thanks for the compliment. No, I’m not a certified Ford mechanic, but I’ve owned and worked on my share of Fords and other vehicles over the years and am the son of a retired Ford Tech and Transmission specialist. Not to mention I absorb information like a sponge. You’d be surprised what you pick up over a lifetime of passing tools and turning wrenches with the old man. It would be great if I did have all the answers, but to tell you the truth, I’ve had to accomplish a lot of things through trial and error over the years as well.

There are going to be dozens opinions on this topic (there always are). For me it just comes down to need. Is it worth the cost? If you’re in an area that the climate experiences extreme temperatures or are constantly exposing your engine to extreme conditions, then yeah some small benefit may be realized. But for your everyday driver, I personally feel conventional oil protect every bit as well as any synthetic regardless of what the distributors of these magic elixirs say. I’ve seen too many 200-300k engines over the years that have run nothing more than plain old dino oil to be convinced otherwise. Engines wear out….it’s a fact of life. Valve seats distort, seals harden and rings and bearings wear. Synthetics are exposed to the same pollutants, hydrocarbons and condensation that conventional oils are.

I see it as an unnecessary expense over the lifetime of your vehicle. Others may feel differently and that’s fine. They can believe whatever they’d like. If they think they’re gonna get another 100k out of their motor, groovy . If they think it’s going to free up another 15hp…more power to them . But I’m quite content with stick with what works and spending the money I save elsewhere.

GetImpact · May 14, 2005

There is a lot of flying around about motor oil. SSDD. The saga continues.

I'd put full synthetic in any time you want to after the first few thousand miles. Or you can use the natural stuff. Not a big difference in the way it all works in a typical car.

I mean, for crying out loud, the stuff is formulated to behave pretty much just like the juice of rotten fossils... but since it is syntheticly created, it can more easily be made consistant, hold up longer and service a wider range of viscosities at a wider range of temps. [There really is a reason why they came up with the synthetics in the first place... not like we were running so short of the old kind.]

Do you NEED to use it. No. You will probably just need to change oil more often if you don't use it. Changing the filter often enough and keeping proper levels matters more.

The "can't use it in car with more miles" argument doesn't hold any water. It's a myth that just won't die.

Oh, and working at an autoparts store requires ZERO real car knowledge. DEFINITELY take their words with a saltshaker full of salt. Years ago a friend of mine managed a Trak Auto. He didn't know cars and couldn't fix jack sh|t on them. If they can look up stuff on a computer and work for cheap, that's about all it takes to get a job there.

98BLKHRSE · May 14, 2005

Thanks for all your input guys. I just wanted to make sure I wasnt gonna hurt anything. Whats the best brand and grade for my 98GT. ex mobil 1 5w-20???

wanta5.0 · May 14, 2005

I use mobil 1 5w-30 in my 03 GT .

4.6_02_Black_GT · May 14, 2005

If you change you oil every 3000 miles... synthetic is a waste of money.

Justin03GT · May 14, 2005

i'm sitting at about 6k on my synthetic oil, pulled the stick on mine, then compared to my stepdad's acura who runs dino oil and changes every 3k and drives like miss daisy- NEVER over 2500rpms....and my 6k oil is cleaner than his 2.5k dino oil....my dad used mobil 1 synthetic in his BMW 530i going 22,000, yes 22 THOUSAND miles between changes and the car ran with ZERO issues to the day my little brother hydrolocked it with 279,000 miles on it...so yes i use synthetic i beleive in what it can do.

Gearbanger 101 · May 14, 2005

Justin03GT said:
....my dad used mobil 1 synthetic in his BMW 530i going 22,000, yes 22 THOUSAND miles between changes and the car ran with ZERO issues to the day my little brother hydrolocked it with 279,000 miles on it...

Neat. I used to work for a rental car agency and the previous maintenance manager got caught faking oil change records to save money. After all was said and done, we at the time counted 9 vehicles with between 30,000-35,000km on them that had never had an oil change since day one. Nothing but the original dino oil in the crankcase. Every one of the vehicles ran like a charm. Bottom line.....it just goes to show you that just because an oil gets visually dirty, doesn't mean it's no longer working. The plain old conventional oil in those vehicles stood up just fine and dandy under the same circumstances. J

What also hasn’t been taken into consideration, is the motor its being put it. You could run deer piss in an engine like a 4.0L OHV Ford and have it knock off 200k without breaking a sweat. Or you could run the best of the best with frequent changes in a POS motor like a 2.8L Chevy V6 and have it last for 3 ½ minutes. Too many variables for an accurate comparison.

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