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Author Topic: Regular Motor Oil vs. Synthetic Dave Macaulay Film God Posts: 2321 From: Toronto, Canada Registered: Apr 2001 posted 09-04-2003 09:52 PM                     I switched to synthetic in a 4 cylinder air-cooled motorcycle 10+ years ago. The changes I saw convinced me to switch over every vehicle I've owned since. The bike ran much smoother at idle, seemed to gain horsepower (I have no dyno to prove anything) and became a lot quieter mechanically. The oil pressure drop at high temperature was much less severe (synthetic holds about 60psi when stinking hot, "normal" oil drops to about 30) I do the maintenance and when I disassembled the engine for some performance upgrades the inside was spotless - with the same mileage on motors using "normal" oil there's always a coating of gunk. Currently I use Mobil 1 or Esso (Exxon to you USA folk?) synthetic oils (Canadian Tire house oil is Esso). I don't think the extra cost for Amsoil, Motul, ELF, or the others is worthwhile. If you have a bike with a wet clutch in engine oil, beware of any oil with the "energy saving" rating. This stuff has friction modifiers that may affect the clutch causing slipping. For now, Mobil 1 15W50 does not have this rating but all the other car viscosities do. They have a bike oil that doesn't have the modifiers but naturally it costs 50% more that the car oil type. Castrol also has a bike synthetic but the cost is insane. In the cars, I see much easier cold starting (engine cranks much faster) and get better mileage. Changing to synth gear oil made cold weather shifting a LOT smoother, the regular 90wt stuff makes the stick feel like it's in a tub of tar until the tranny warms up at subzero (fahrenheit) temps.  |  IP: Logged Jack Ondracek Film God Posts: 2348 From: Port Orchard, WA, USA Registered: Oct 2002 posted 09-04-2003 09:53 PM                        quote: I don't trust motorcycle dealers any further than I can throw a gorilla with a sprung hemorrhoid. Ummmmmmmm...... Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm..... You come up with some pretty good ones, Paul... but that's just a bit difficult to imagine..... ???????  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 09-05-2003 09:13 PM                     I stuck my nose in a few motorcycle shops today and enquired about oil recommendations. Some of their so-called "Genuine <bla bla> oil" costs up to almost 7 bucks a quart. Genuine Hog Oil doesn't even post the API Service Classification on their bottles. Must be a company secret so you don't use something equally as good for 1/3 the cost. Anyway, here is a brand for just under 4 bucks a quart at a Suicycle Shop: Check the application and specifications on the bottom picture. At least the buyer would not have to pay through the butt to get a 1.05 quart (1 liter) bottle. Opinions, please? I just checked the Castrol website, and it appears the API Service Rating "SG" is obsolete. I sent them an email enquiring about what is the difference between the the API Service SG motorcycle oil and the API Service Rating SL automobile engine oil and are they interchangable.  |  IP: Logged Dave Williams Wet nipple scene Posts: 1836 From: Salt Lake City, UT, USA Registered: Jan 2000 posted 09-06-2003 12:39 AM                        I wish I still had the link to a site that I had found that had lab tested all of the synthetics out there. The opinion of the site is that when it comes to synthetics, Mobil One 5W-50 synthetic was the best hands down, however most of the same weight actually performed very close. They tested the temperature that they broke down. Somewhere around nearly 500 degrees F before it broke, with most others never performed less than 400 degrees. I have used it in my car before, and still do. The performance is amazing. I agree that using it in projectors would be a great idea. Now I just need some projectors! Dave  |  IP: Logged Greg Mueller Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1687 From: Port Gamble, WA Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-06-2003 11:27 AM                        I was chatting with a guy that owns a speed shop for MR2s and he said he started using Amsoil "...ever since Mobil got bought, and the formula for Mobil 1 was changed. (not for the better) Supposedly the new "Supersynth" is as good as the original formula (Hmm, Coke classic anyone?)...." So I wonder if that review was before or after the change (whenever the change was) I went down to Quickie Lube (or one of those type places) and had them change the oil and put in some synthetic yesterday. It feels like there's less vibration and sort of a smoother feel to the engine. I could hear the engine go "aaaahhh" as I drove off  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 09-06-2003 01:49 PM                     Synthetic oil is the way to go. Oil has made some remarkable improvements over the years. In the 1940's and 1950's, the oil companies were playing with that stuff. It was on the market, but since it had the word "synthetic", hardly anyone would use it. Whether it was any good or not, I don't know.  |  IP: Logged Jeff Stricker Master Film Handler Posts: 481 From: Calumet, Mi USA Registered: Nov 1999 posted 09-06-2003 02:04 PM                     Robert Sprague (Brenkert Historian) tells me he is running Mobil 1 5W - 30 in his Brenkert BX-80. He says it's working great and the viscosity seems to be right on.  |  IP: Logged Dave Williams Wet nipple scene Posts: 1836 From: Salt Lake City, UT, USA Registered: Jan 2000 posted 09-06-2003 04:02 PM                        The review was from about a year and a half ago, so probably before any reformulation ocurred. Dave  |  IP: Logged Jason Black Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1723 From: Myrtle Beach, SC, USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 09-08-2003 08:09 PM                        regular Dino vs. Synth.... This debate will go on for years to come. For the average driver there is no warrant in changing over to a synthetic oil. Matter of fact, synthetic oil isn't recommended for vehicles with les than 50k I believe. Due to it's viscosity(sp?) synthetic tends to find any slight leak in the delivery/return system and weep out far greater than a regular dino oil would/does. As for the touted High milage oils.. Snake oil. I've used Mobil 1, Castrol synthetic, Havoline synt, Golden Spectro, Yamalube, Honda HP, Castro, Motul, Valvoline, Quaker State (sludge city)and Pennzoil oils in the vehicles I've owned. My pick? Havoline 10w40 changed every 5k miles. Buying into the idea that oil must be chnaged every 3k miles in another way the oil industry accumulates billion annually. I will agree, however, that there are circumstances which require more frequent oil changes. Routine driving for the every day Joe is not one of them. Just my .02 from the son of a GM/FORD/Volvo (and others) SAE CMAT. I did't have a clue as ot what CMAT was until I asked him. Duh.  |  IP: Logged

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