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Dino or synth



Synthetic is processed longer and for me the cost is not worth it.

Here is a good read

Conventional Oil
Also known as "dino-juice", this is the stuff that is in the majority of
engines today.  There are many brands out there and they tend to vary quite
a bit in terms of what is in them, but don't vary much in terms of
performance.  Like most things, there are many fewer engine oil
manufacturers than there are engine oil brands.  Many brands, especially
generics, buy their oil from common manufacturers.  Differences between
conventional oils usually lies within the purification process of the base
oil and the additives that are included to control it.  While some
manufacturers process their own base oil (Mobil, Shell, etc), others buy
base oil from these companies and add their own additives.  Who buys what
from whom appears to be a well-kept secret, because I have had little luck
in researching this.
Some tests have been done using several different brands and types of oils
in vehicles.  Measurements were made of engine parts to begin with, then the
vehicles were used in a similar way for several months, then taken apart and
measured again.  In my opinion, these results are inconclusive because the
length of time was too short.  The amount of wear was found to be the same,
but since the tests were only conducted for a few months, the wear found was
primarily break-in wear.  A similar test lasting several years and tens of
thousands of miles is needed to make any real conclusions.

So basically, the only advice I can give about conventional oil is to buy a
well-known name brand oil.  Whatever brand you choose, I highly recommend
that you do not mix brands of engine oil.  Chances are that nothing will
happen, but there is the possibility that the additives of one brand can
react with the additives of another.  Changing brands between oil changes is
probably fine, but don't use a different brand if you have to add oil later.
Some brand suggestions (in alphabetical order) that I have used in the past
are:  Castrol, Havoline, Mobil, Pennzoil, Quaker State, Shell, and
Valvoline.

One thing to remember is to always use conventional engine oil with no
additives (Slick 50, Prolong, etc.) after an engine rebuild.  The new engine
parts depend on the characteristics of conventional oil to properly break
in.  A certain amount of friction during break-in is mandatory or the new
components will fail and you may be greeted with scored bores and/or spun
bearings.


Synthetic Oil
Synthetic oil is also put together the same way as conventional oil.  It has
a base and additives.  The difference is that the base oil is synthesized so
that the size of the molecules are ideal for a particular weight and are of
consistant size.  Conventional oil has many molecule sizes all mixed
together with many impurities, but there is an ideal size for the best
lubracative properties and viscosity.  With a pure base, there are no waxes
or impurities that contribute to buildup of "varnish" and "coke" in your
engine.  A more sophisticated set of additives is added to this ideal base
oil.  These additives make for an extremely stable engine oil which can
maintain its viscosity over a larger temperature range and keeps the base
oil molecules from breaking down.  The result is an oil that can flow at
much lower temperatures, maintain proper viscosity at higher temperatures
(thermal breakdown), and remain stable for a much longer period.  It will
also protect your engine longer at and right after startup because the
friction inhibitor additives are activated a lower temperatures than that of
conventional oils.  Probably the two most popluar brands for synthetic
engine oil are Mobil 1 and Castrol Formula SLX (formerly "Syntech"), though
other brands are available.  Mobil and Castrol synthetic oils are compatible
with conventional oils and can be mixed with them.  If you are going to
blend synthetic with conventional, I highly recommend using the same brand
of both oils to ensure compatibility.
The only real downside to synthetic oils is the cost.  It is typically two
or three times the cost of conventional oil for a good synthetic.  Another
little-known downside is that switching to a synthetic oil on an old engine
can result in oil leaks.  Why?  Because the detergents in the synthetic oils
will "clean-up" the varnish and sludge left by conventional oils.  If your
engine seals are worn, the synthetic will break down the oil varnish that
may be maintaining the seal.  So it's not that the synthetic oil caused a
leak, it just that it revealed worn seals by cleaning the varnish off of
them.  Many people have switched to synthetic on 100,000+ mile engines with
no leaks, so it just depends on how often you changed your oil and the
overall conditon of your engine.

Conventional oils are sufficient for most engines, but I personally
recommend synthetics for turbocharged and other high-performance engines.
Oil running through a turbocharger has the undesirable job of removing the
extreme heat from the turbo's bearings and shaft.  It is not uncommon to see
oil coking in the oil supply line to the turbo when conventional oils are
used, even when they are changed frequently (though that does help).
Synthetic oils will not do this.  Also, I have seen many engines that have
run only Mobil 1 and are in amazing conditon.  The evidense is in our
driveway (see top pf page).


Synthetic Oil Blends
Blended oil is an alternative to buying pure synthetic.  It combines some
synthetic base oil with conventional base oil.  Typically it does not
include the synthetic oil's advanced additives.  The small percentage of
synthetic base oil in a blend versus its price does not make it worthwhile,
however.  If you want to run a blend of oil to save money, I recommend
blending the oil yourself.  Put one quart of the synthetic oil of your
choice and fill the rest with the same brand of conventional oil.  Be sure
that the synthetic your are using is compatible with conventionals.  Check
the label on the container.  As of this date, Mobil's and Castrol's
synthetics are compatible with conventional oils.  I recommand staying with
one brand to ensure that there are no compatibility problems.  Blending oil
in this way gives you a higher percentage of synthetic base, plus the
advanced additives, for less cost than buying a blended oil.
If money is not an issue, then just go with full synthetics.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Julie Macfarlane" <juliemac57@hotmail.com>
To: <scirocco-l@scirocco.org>
Sent: Sunday, August 24, 2003 9:43 PM
Subject: Dino or synth


> What is the difference between regular oil and synthetic. Is the extra
cost
> worth the money?
>
>
>
> Julie Macfarlane
> Menlo Park Research & Development
> Internet Application Developer
> www.menloparkrandd.com
> www.montgomeryweb.org
> Amsterdam NY
>
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