Synthetic oil

[gilbert r. bethel]

I would like information as to what brand and weight of synthetic oil to use
in the 455 engine. The engine has 30K total miles on it.

I also would like to know what brand of synthetic transmission fluid to use
as I am going to change the fluid and filter. Also is it advisable to use
synthetic lubricant in the final drive and if it is what should I use?

Russ Bethel

 

[homebase1]

> Date: Mon, 06 Apr 1998 15:54:17 -0711
> From: Scott Woodworth
> To: gmcmotorhome
> Subject: Re: GMC: Synthetic oil
> Reply-to: gmcmotorhome

> Russ,
>
> Engine- Mobil 1 30 wt
> Trans- Mobil 1 ATF (big bucks - Ouch)
> Final- Mobil 1 75W-90 wt
>
> I've had great luck with that combination. My oil consumption went
> down by 50%.
>
> -Scott Woodworth

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Please have patience with an old dinosaur.
I'm a little (a lot actually) stuck in my ways. I'm still annoyed
that multi blend oils got on the market, which simplified life and
increased profits for the oil companies, I have a problem with
Detroit telling me that FWD cars are superior, when it was a package
sold to us so they could meet gov't regs on fuel mileage.....now I
see the words Synthetic and the hair on my neck (why now that you
mention it, I believe there is a touch of red ) stands up.
What exactly do they do and how are they better than conventional
lubs ??

 

[scott woodworth]

Russ,

Engine- Mobil 1 30 wt
Trans- Mobil 1 ATF (big bucks - Ouch)
Final- Mobil 1 75W-90 wt

I've had great luck with that combination. My oil consumption went
down by 50%.

- -Scott Woodworth

 

[scott woodworth]

Russ,

I'm glad you asked... Regular oils are of course refined from a
base crude oil straight from the ground. There are different kinds of
base crude. They differ slightly in chemical composition. This is
refined to make a base stock oil, to which different additive packages
are added.

One's the Pennsylvania crud . This has a high asphalt
content. Pennzoil and Quaker State oils among others are made from this
base. Use these if you don't mind sludge in your engine.

The second kind is the western crude oil. This has a high paraffin
content and stays cleaner inside your engine. Castrol, Valvoline and
some others use this to make there base stock oils. I've torn down
engines using both oils and there is a difference in cleanliness. I
bought an Olds Delta 88 once from the original owner's son. The car had
every maintenance receipt since it was new showing that all the oil
changes had been done. He had always used either Pennzoil or Quaker
State. When I pulled the intake off, I could not see the lifters or
camshaft. The push rods just disappeared into the goo. That made me a
believer.

Synthetic oil has been chemically altered in a major way and has
some benefits over conventional oils. One is that it's more chemically
stable that regular oil. It flows much better at cold temperatures and
doesn't thin out at really high temperatures. It doesn't break down
anywhere nearly as fast as conventional oils and has better clinging
ability. That's why your oil consumption can go down when you switch.
My friends and I are mechanics. We run Mobil 1 in our cars and trucks
for 25,000 miles between changes. We still change our oil filters at
the regular intervals and add a quart. Our engines stay clean inside
even with the extended change interval.

My wife's Saturn gets more than 12,000 miles to the quart of oil
with Mobil 1. It runs quieter and seems to have more power too. I
would never go back to regular oil.

- -Scott Woodworth

 

[scott woodworth]

> Scott
>
> IMHO syns are very different from standard lubes. When oil is refined there
> is a lot of stuff left in it because it is to expensive to distill it out.
> Ever notice
> that you seem to use more oil on the first trip after an oil change? Well
> thats because some of the light end material still in your lube evaporates.
> Yes your oil gets thicker after some use because some of the light end
> stuff evaporates. That is not why you use less oil. Depending on which study
> you like 30-35% of your standard lube does not do what you paid for.
> Syn on the other hand is 92-96% what you paid for. Also in the case of
> wheel bearing gease go check the drop temp on the grease. For most
> grease it will be about 250-270 degrees. Syn grease is 450. More of what you
> paid for.
>
> I will now put this in I have never worked for Mobile Oil nor have I ever
> had a grant from Mobile Oil nor do I own any of there stock.
>
> Take Care
> Arch

Arch,

That's very interesting about the evaporation of the lighter
components of motor oil. I was under the impression that they go away
after a few thousand miles.

I've had the present fill of Mobil 1 in my wife's Saturn for about
14,000 miles now. It's only 1/2 quart low and still looks clean. I
wouldn't do that with ordinary oil unless I wanted engine failure, but I
notice a difference with the Mobil 1. I think that an engine should
burn oil faster than that, even a new one. I was putting a quart in
about every 6,000 miles before I switched it over to Mobil 1.

I enjoy the benefits of being able to get on the throttle about 1
minute after start up without worrying what's happening to my bearings.
The car seems to run a lot better with the synth in there.

- -Scott Woodworth

 

[william d. minor]

I have used Amsoil, Mobil 1, and Castrol Syntec in my vehicles. The
Amsoil got me convinced that synthetis was the way to go back in the
late'70's. I switched to Mobil 1 due to availabilty, tried Castrol
Syntec when it came out and prefer it. All my vehicles (Ramcharger,
Honda Silverwing, Gran Prix, LeBaron Turbo, and GMC '73 230 including
the Onan) now have Syntec. I am still using Amsoil Synthetic Gear Lube
in the GMC differential (I have several quarts left). I use the 5W-50
in the Ramcharger, Honda, and GMC; while using the 10W-30 in the Gran
Prix and LeBaron. Oil consumption is virtually nonexistant between oil
changes on all vehicles except for the GMC, where I got 1600+ miles per
quart during a trip (Dec.'97-Jan '98) to Florida and back.

Bill Minor
'73 GMC 230 Sequoia

 

[scott woodworth]

>
> Oil consumption is virtually nonexistant between oil
> changes on all vehicles except for the GMC, where I got 1600+ miles per
> quart during a trip (Dec.'97-Jan '98) to Florida and back.
>
> Bill Minor
> '73 GMC 230 Sequoia

Wow! Bill, that's really good for an engine operating under a heavy
load. I would consider 800-1000 miles per quart good for a GMC.

- -Scott Woodworth

 

[gilbert r. bethel]

Thanks to all for their responses. I will study them and make a decision on
what to use. I feel that the synthetics will stand up better to the heat
and loads that the GMC lives with. I do think think that the recommended
oil change that Mobil quotes is a little too long. I think that maybe half
of that would be better as the acids need to be removed from the engines. I
do agree with the changing the filter at the normal oil change mileage.
- -----Original Message-----
From: Scott Woodworth
To: gmcmotorhome
Date: Monday, April 06, 1998 6:04 PM
Subject: Re: GMC: Synthetic oil

>Russ,
>
>Engine- Mobil 1 30 wt
>Trans- Mobil 1 ATF (big bucks - Ouch)
>Final- Mobil 1 75W-90 wt
>
> I've had great luck with that combination. My oil consumption went
>down by 50%.
>
>-Scott Woodworth
>

 

[thomas g. warner]

Scott when mobil 1 first came on the market some years ago I had an
engineering test report( accomplished by the federal govenment) that was
accomplished on a chev 409 high performance engine that used mobil 1 from
the start. The original oil was used for 100,000 miles only changing the
filter I believe at 10,000 miles and than adding enough mobil 1 to come to
the fill mark. When the engine was torn down and checked their was no
peceptable wear, and many of the original honing marks could still be seen
on the cylinder walls. That test made a believer out of me. The GMC needs
it and I plan to change the front wheel bearings, transmission, and final
drive to synthetic also!



>Thanks to all for their responses. I will study them and make a decision on
>what to use. I feel that the synthetics will stand up better to the heat
>and loads that the GMC lives with. I do think think that the recommended
>oil change that Mobil quotes is a little too long. I think that maybe half
>of that would be better as the acids need to be removed from the engines. I
>do agree with the changing the filter at the normal oil change mileage.
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Scott Woodworth
>To: gmcmotorhome
>Date: Monday, April 06, 1998 6:04 PM
>Subject: Re: GMC: Synthetic oil
>
>
>>Russ,
>>
>>Engine- Mobil 1 30 wt
>>Trans- Mobil 1 ATF (big bucks - Ouch)
>>Final- Mobil 1 75W-90 wt
>>
>> I've had great luck with that combination. My oil consumption went
>>down by 50%.
>>
>>-Scott Woodworth
>>
>
>
>

 

[heinz wittenbecher]

I've been reading all the info re synthetic with very great interest as I've
been wondering a long time and no mechanic or shop has been able to give me
a difinitive answer.

The closest I got was when the technician that overhauled my Tranny said to
put synthetic in next time the tranny oil is changed. I asked why they don't
put it in or make it an option if it's so good? his answer: competition and
expense to keep it in stock.

Now my question... will synthetic and regular co-exist (as he suggested) or
do I have to make sure all regular oil is evacuated first?

Same goes for engine, though it'd be a little easier to evacuate.

Thanks for all the informative comments... going synthetic at first
opportunity

Heinz
'76 Transmode

 

[thomas g. warner]

A normal oil change is fine. Drain and add a new filter and synthetic oil

>In a message dated 98-04-07 12:33:56 EDT, you write:
>
> Now my question... will synthetic and regular co-exist (as he suggested) or
> do I have to make sure all regular oil is evacuated first?
>
> Same goes for engine, though it'd be a little easier to evacuate.
>
> Thanks for all the informative comments... going synthetic at first
> opportunity
>
> Heinz
> '76 Transmode >>
>I ant
>
>