When I went the auto parts place today,I noticed a sale on synthetic oil.I asked about the difference between regular and synthetic oil didn't really get a good answer.But he did make a point to say once I use synthetic oil that I can't go back to regular oil.
So, can any one explain the positives and negatives of using synthetic oil?
Also every body feel free to share there experience with synthetic oil.
I'm considering switching if it's worth it?
Later-HC4G

 

you cant go back if you start with FULL synthetic (ie motul, redline) but syntheics like mobil 1 and others are still mineral based and you can switch back and forth as much as u'd like. the only true benefit to syntheic oils is that you can go longer btween oil chnages b/c they hold their viscosity better. in other words, switching to syntheic oil wont give you madd tiiiiite horsepowerz yo...

 

Synthetic oil is mostly man-made, while regular or dino oil is pretty much straight outa the ground. The main difference between synthetic and dyno oil, is synthetic does not break down as easily. This has two advantages:

1] you can go longer between oil changes.
This is really not that big of a deal, because your oil will be dirty and ready for a change long before it starts really breaking down. Thats why people say if you change your oil enough, its not needed. which is mostly true.

2] it stands up to heat a hell of a lot better.
This is where synthetic really shines. If your motor is abused or raced, it will stand up a little better. Or say your radiator springs a leak, and you dont realise it until your motor is blazing hot. Synthetic will stand up a little bit longer and protect your motor from melting.

Since synthetics are mostly man-made, the actual oil molecules are inherintly smaller. This is good for lubrication, but there is a downside. If you motor is oil and worn, synthetic oils will start seeping through your seals, and rings. Some people blame synthetic for making their car start smoking, when in reality their engines were already well worn. Just not enough for the dino oil to leak by just yet.

The story about not being able to switch back is pure myth, so dont worry about it. In fact, some of the early and lesser quality synthetics did not mix well with regular oil, so if you do want to switch back just be sure to let the engine drain well to be on the safe side. I personally have never had any problems with oil not mixing, and dont pay it much mind.
So in answer to your question, should you use snythetic? If your motor is stock and rarely raced, or high milage, then no. Just be sure to change your oil on time and your fine. If you race your motor, or just want that little extra bit of protection then go for it.
Its like of like drinking tap water. Sure you'll live a long healthy life,
but if you drink bottled water instead you might get a few more years.

 

Good points about he motul and redline, although they are most likely not gonna be found at an autoparts store.

Most of the current standard synthetics like Mobil1, castrol, etc pretty much are desinged to be compatible with regular oil. In fact most of them state that on the packaging.

 

Thanks for the replies, this helps alot.
I'm not going to switch till I do my motor swap.
I'm not looking for mad horespower from changing my oil type.
Just higher out put and longer durability.I Didn't know if it would benifit my current motor since it has 115,000 miles on it.But I was looking more towards my swap and the benifits I can gain by using it in it. Thanks again
Later-HC4G

 

Its also not good to break in a new engine with synthetic correct? Don't you want to use "dino" oil for the break in period of the new engine?

 

Sorry, I don't believe in Synthetic Oil. I change my oil every 3,000 miles reguardless of what happens. At that point OIL is OIL. However, if I couldn't change it until 5,000 miles...then Synthetic does help...but standard oil works fine for me.

And NO I do NOT change my own oil. Honda does it for me...$24.95. If anything goes wrong, it's on Honda. You figure oil and a filter will cost about $15-$20...and if I pay $5-$10 I don't have to get dirty or burned by the ******* intake manifold while trying to reach the ******* oil filter.

-ryan

 

Yeah, synthetic is just a little too 'slippery' for breaking in a motor. You want the rings and bearings establish wear patterns during the first few hundred miles.

Think of it like taking a piece of wet sand paper to a block of wood: it will eventually make the wood very smooth. No say you used grease instead of water, it would hardly smooth the wood at all.

Its kind of a crappy explination, but basically you want the motor to wear a little at first.