Synthetic oil question

[Steve Arndt]

Thanks guys , this is a lot of great information.

So, do we have a consensus that:

1-I can just replace the regular oil with synthetic and be done with it? (replace filter too)

2-A good oil to use is mobil 1 v-twin 10w30?

Thanks!

LCV

Answer to 1: Yes.

Regards to 2, when did they start selling 10W30 in V-twin spec? I didn't know they had that. The chart only shows 20W50 at the bottom. (I personally use 0W40 Mobil 1 in my daily driven 2275 T1)
http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/Mot ... _Guide.pdf

[lcvaldetaro]

Steve,

Someone on the previous page mentioned Mobil 1 V-twin 10w30...

Which oil are you using? I think there is a typo.. I'm really trying to see what you guys use, if you are
using it on your daily 2275 I'm good with it....

Thanks!

LCV

[Steve Arndt]

Amsoil makes a v twin 10w30 and so does Redline, but not Mobil as far as I know.

I run 0W40 Mobil 1 now. I have used Redline, brad penn, amsoil all with good results. They are mail order only oils around here though and 10 dollars per quart. Mobil is only 5 dollars per quart on sale. I am having good results with it.

[Piledriver]

Thanks guys , this is a lot of great information.

So, do we have a consensus that:

1-I can just replace the regular oil with synthetic and be done with it? (replace filter too)

2-A good oil to use is mobil 1 v-twin 10w30?

Thanks!

LCV

You got it, the only thing that throws a wrench in the works is "flat tappet lifter compatible" but keep in mind the list of oils you can run is much shorter than those you should not.

Example:Most Mobil 1 types are NOT flat tappet lifter compatible.
Only some of the motorcycle oils and Turbo Diesel Truck "flavors" are.
Use a good quality filter.

VR1 is available in a reasonably priced dino oil and a $10/quart full synthetic, in just about any viscosity you like.
I had my local OReillys get me a case of 10W30 VR-1, they happily stocked it for me.

[helowrench]

I am running the Rotella Synthetic

[Piledriver]

I am running the Rotella Synthetic

Mee-too, but it only comes as a 5W-40, up where freezing is a warm day in winter a xW-30 might be a better plan.

Of course I drove a Ghia with no heat in upstate NY year `round one year...
(And there is a HUGE difference between heat that sucks and no heat at all)
The # of lunatics who would do that fortunately probably can be counted on one hand.
...perhaps two depending on frostbite.

[FJCamper]

Gentlemen,

The next higher level of questions about synthetic oil is application.

Accepting that synthetic is better in all ways, a good synthetic only benefits two classes of users ... the daily driver who gains from extended oil changes mitigating the higher costs, and the all-out racer who needs the extra couple of HP the thinner, slicker, synthetic offers.

We race, and go through oil (and brake fluid) in volume. That doesn't mean we run cheap oil, it just means for us to run synthetic would be wasteful. Our engines are not so highly stressed that for survival, synthetic is necessary.

FJC

[helowrench]

FJ for me it is more about giving an old tired engine a better chance of surviving the 30+ mile 70mph highway run twice a day.
I view it as "it can't hurt"

[sideshow]

Rejecting the notion that synthetic is better because it is synthetic is that one of the higher regarded oils (the old Kendell GT green of the past) http://www.penngrade1.com/ is not synthetic

Choosing basestock by keywords is narrow minded thinking.

[E_bug]

I started reading forums , bob the oil guy site etc,,.

I am a synthetic lubricant believer but i really dont want to read 20000 pages to find oil for my motor.

What do you guys run in your motors and what would you recommend for my 1641 turbo stock rpm motor.? Keep in mind the vehicle will be driven in Throughout Greece and mainly Athens where winter average low is 5-8 C and summer high average of 35 C.

[FJCamper]

Hi Helowrench,

I can't imagine synthetic hurting your engine in any way. You come from the aircraft community. The entire reason for development of synthetics were military applications, which actually meant climate extremes.

Marketing has really obscured the good and bad about synthetics especially for us car guys. That's a nice way of saying there is so much bull**** out there about synthetics that even among people like us who care we can't find out much concrete about them.

If you live in a region with a very cold or very hot climate (North Pole or the Sahara) synthetics are godsends. If you are forced from time to time to extend oil changes, synthetics are great. Synthetics remain more stable in extremes.

FJC

[helowrench]

Yep FJ.
You said aloud what I hate to admit.

From time to time, my work schedule gets stupid, and I have periods of eat/work/occasionall sleep/rarely see family.
when this happens, it can mean that an oil change gets put off, sometimes by as much as doubling of standard intervals.
It sucks, and I hate it, but engine damage can be more readily repaired than family problems, so in those times, any spare moments I spend with family.
My Ghia has, once or twice in the last ten years, has run for 5-7k miles between an oil change.

Using synthetic gives me a hope that when that happens, I may have a hope of not causing damage.

[Piledriver]

I started reading forums , bob the oil guy site etc,,.

I am a synthetic lubricant believer but i really dont want to read 20000 pages to find oil for my motor.

What do you guys run in your motors and what would you recommend for my 1641 turbo stock rpm motor.? Keep in mind the vehicle will be driven in Throughout Greece and mainly Athens where winter average low is 5-8 C and summer high average of 35 C.

I live a few miles nort of Dallas, my temperature range is likely as wide or wider.

I buy the few oils I know to be good if I see them on sale and stock up.

Right now I have 2 gallons of Rotella T6, a gallon of Mobil1 Turbo Diesel Truck, and a few individual quarts of VRI 10W-30 stashed.

Shell Rotella T6 5w-40 is reasonably priced g3 synthetic with all the zddp you need, and some of its own tricks.

I can buy it ~anywhere in the US for appx $22-24/gallon.
I run it for 12-15K beween changes in my T4s, with a Mobil1 filter, I use a quart every ~2K so it stays reasonably topped up with zddp etc.

Any of the dino oils I have found that have sufficient zddp cost about the same/quart or more.

I do not know what is available in Greece.

[E_bug]

Thanks for the advice pile.

I will,look up the ones you mentioned.
You can pretty much find any kind of oil. Amsoil, torco, Motul, Red line etc
What differs is the places you can find them, I miss Pep boys and the ability to buy Mobil 1 at the super market like i did back in Jersey

[Piledriver]

It just hit me to post a clarification:

If you have an oil-filter free T1 and have no sand seal setup on the crank pulley, extended drain intervals will be a bad idea.

The Shell Rotella 15W-40 has 1100 ppm zinc which should be plenty of a stocker or very mild engine.
The Shell HD-30 and HD-40 are known to have sufficient zddp and are cheap as it gets for decent oil.

I'm sure there are other choices for proper zddp levels without costing a kidney, but I don't know what they are.

Perhaps FJCamper will have a suggestion.