synthetic from reg. oil switch

[bigpoppa88]

is there any pitfalls to the engine if you switch from synthetic to reg oils or vise-versa.

[DeathRat]

Originally posted by bigpoppa88
is there any pitfalls to the engine if you switch from synthetic to reg oils or vise-versa.

One difference is that if you have any leaks, they will get worse if you switch to Synthetic. Synthetic oil is far superior to conventional oil. Synthetic oil reduces bearing wear & increases engine longevity. Synthetic oil also makes the car start easier in the winter due to it's slippier than conventional oil & still flows in below freezing temperatures while conventional oil thickens up. There are alot of Synthetic "blends" out there too which are half & half. For best pricing & availability, I would chose Mobil 1 synthetic. For BEST Synthetic though, I recommend AMSOIL. True synthetics like AMSOIL & Redline are your best bet if you want the best. PLUS, Synthetic Oils actually SAVE you $$$ too. See here for just one example >>>> Know The Facts! - AMSOIL Saves You $$$

[DBMaster]

There is one fallacy here (I used to be an Amsoil dealer myself). Manufacturers of conventional oil DO NOT recommend ANY drain intervals. They defer to the "manufacturer's recommended" drain intervals. Those are going to be more than 3,000 miles. In my research I found out that the term "better" as it referred to synthetic oils was pretty relative. Even the cheapest ones went well beyond the needs of a car engine. I had problems with the Amsoil filters having non-functional anti-drainback valves. My car dry started every time. The Amsoil technical people tol me, "Yeah, we had to redesign the anti-drainback valves because they were not working right."

Basically, you are going to have a hard time convincing me that Amsoil is worth nearly twice as much as Mobil 1. I buy my Mobil 1 in five quart jugs at Wal Mart for $18.

I do agree that in the long run you save money regardless. If nothing else, you get slightly better gas mileage.

[DeathRat]

Originally posted by DBMaster
There is one fallacy here (I used to be an Amsoil dealer myself). Manufacturers of conventional oil DO NOT recommend ANY drain intervals. They defer to the "manufacturer's recommended" drain intervals. Those are going to be more than 3,000 miles. In my research I found out that the term "better" as it referred to synthetic oils was pretty relative. Even the cheapest ones went well beyond the needs of a car engine. I had problems with the Amsoil filters having non-functional anti-drainback valves. My car dry started every time. The Amsoil technical people tol me, "Yeah, we had to redesign the anti-drainback valves because they were not working right."

Basically, you are going to have a hard time convincing me that Amsoil is worth nearly twice as much as Mobil 1. I buy my Mobil 1 in five quart jugs at Wal Mart for $18.

I do agree that in the long run you save money regardless. If nothing else, you get slightly better gas mileage.

I too have had one problem with AMSOIL's Filters, but their oil in my opinion is great. AMSOIL Support tried to blow me off, that was until I reminded them I was an actually DEALER of their product, not just some unhappy customer. I, myself have used both Mobil 1 & AMSOIL oils for quite some time now. Since I don't own a garage, my car stays outside year round. I found it started easier with the AMSOIL than the Mobil 1. BTW: I never plug my car in too.

[DBMaster]

AMSOIL Support tried to blow me off

Same thing happened to me when I reported the problem. Then, I told them I was a dealer (which I was back in 94) and then they admitted to having problems with the anti-drainback valves.

In my case, it would be hard to tell much difference in starting as my car has always been garage kept and a night below freezing happens about 10-20 times a year here!

I see the top end of my engine when doing the valve adjustments and the lower end was recently exposed during an oil pan gasket change. Everything is spotless after 209,000 miles.

Interestingly, I didn't become an Amsoil dealer to get the oil. It was actually the ATF. Back then synthetic ATF was not readily available like it is now. I think Amsoil makes good stuff, although my "lifetime" air filter started to fall apart after about three years of use. If you have ever tried to clean one of them (which, as a dealer I am sure you have) you can understand why I went back to the paper filters.

Generally, lubrication related failures are a rarity, especially for those who take care of their cars. My car's issues have all been with the idle control system and the usual wearable parts other than the engine. Too bad Amsoil doesn't make CV boots!