using synthetic oil?

[glenn]

Hi everyone,
Curious if anyone is using synthetic oil in a Fe motor and what is your opinion? read some articles recently comparing mineral based oil and synthetic oil. Most information points to advantages of using synthetic except for the cost. Have about 3000 miles on the car and i'm considering switching to it. Also what synthetic oil weight would you recomend?
Thanks, take care, Glenn

[Brent]

Synthetic has huge advantages and I always ran it in the Cobra.

It is expensive but it is a lot cheaper than a 6K motor.

Mobil 1 20-50 is what I run.

One thing about synthetic......If you have an oil leak it will find it.

[eliminator]

I change my oil twice a year, thats about 1500 imiles total. Once out of winter storage and once before winter storage.

I used synthetic, Red Line 20w-50w. Don't use it any more. The cost of it and the fact that it tends to leak in more places moved me back to the Valvoline 20w-50w Racing oil.

For no more miles than I put on the car I can't see the benifit of synthetic.

My 2 cents worth.

[davebetts]

My engine was built by Southern Automotive (427 SO stroker). Bill and Lewis both told me to use Valvoline Racing Oil, 50w or 20w-50w. They were very clear as to using just this, no other. It's my understanding that the "racing" oils have a anti-foaming agent formulated into them. This prevents foaming in the pan, even though a windage tray is standard in Bill's engine build.
For me - DO WHAT YOUR ENGINE BUILDER SUGGEST. How can that be wrong?

[pseim]

I asked the rebuilder of my van engine yesterday about synthetic oils on new engines. He said to wait until 15K miles at least to give the engine a chance to wear in.

[rdorman]

No problem using synthetic Glenn. Using the weight that the builder recommended or if no recommendation, the weight where you can get the desired pressure.

IMPORTANT, if you have a flat tappet cam, be sure to get an oil with enough Zinc (actually ZDDP). I run Rotella T 5W-40 full synthetic. It is available at every truck stop on the planet and places like Walmart. By the gallon it is a very good value (something like $15 a gallon). Look for a CI-4 or CH-4 rating. There is a topic on zinc over on CC. There are others as well. Mainly formulated for Diesels and high performance motorcycles.

I change it once a year, filter twice a year.

[rdorman]

Just as an FYI.... All motor oils have anti foaming agents. Some of course work better then others. The ASTM D-892 tests for this. I do not have the specs but I would imagine, being a racing oil, that it would do well. Valvoline racing oil is also high in zinc.

[glenn]

Thanks everyone for your opinions. Plan to talk to Bill Parham next week and see what he recomends. Also Rick, you mentioned about oil leaks. I know thats the nature of the beast, how can i be sure i have a leak coming from the rear main seal?
Thanks again, Glenn

[gasman]

Thanks everyone for your opinions. Plan to talk to Bill Parham next week and see what he recomends. Also Rick, you mentioned about oil leaks. I know thats the nature of the beast, how can i be sure i have a leak coming from the rear main seal?
Thanks again, Glenn

Hey Glenn, Bill would have a stroke if you use anything but Valvoline 20/50

[spd4me]

I spent days researching oils. Couple good web sites are bobistheoilguy.com and the theoilbible.com (may need to do a search for The Oil Bible. Rotella is made for diseal engines and don't know how it reacts with gasoline. I ended up using Amsoil Syn 20w-50. Zinc and magnesium are two ingredences that help coat metal parts to fill in small holes and cracks.
Bob

[Jerry Cowing]

Glenn,

Rick is correct about the oil companies remixing the racing oil ingredients so they don't have adequate protection anymore for solid lifters. Read my thread on the "Racing" Forum entitled "Racing Oils" here on the Unique web site.

I also have a Southern Auto FE and switched from Valvoline to Synthetic to Rotella like rdorman because of the Zinc and my solid lifters. I ran Valvoline 20-50 Racing Oil during the break-in and then switched to synthetic for a while. Switched from Valvoline to synthetic after my engine stopped burning oil during the break-in at about 6000 miles. However, after switching to synthetic, it started burning oil again, so I switched to Rotella 15-40 after reading the articles I referenced above.

[spd4me]

stupid me, I put reply on page 1. I swithced to Amsoil Syn 20-50

[eliminator]

On Juan's 302 crate engine I have specified Delo by Chevron 15-40W for it.
Which is also a oil made for the diesel engines like Shell's Rotella.

Works great, there are a lot of folks running made for Diesel Oils in Cars and motorcycles. Best priced Racing Oil you can buy.

[bittentoo]

I run Shell Rotella T 15w-40 in my diesels. Ya'll are posting 5w-40. Is this a typo or is there more than one Rotella?

[eliminator]

Kelly I agree, It's 15-40W on the Rotella, as I have switched back to it on my Diesel.

Never have seen the 5-40 stuff.

[clayfoushee]

I recently switched to Rotella T (15w/40) from VR (20w/50) in my 427. With the latter, my oil pressures were always very high, minimum 40 psi at hot idle and about 80 psi with even low revs. The lower viscosity Rotella dropped the pressures about 10 psi on each end, still not low and in a healthy range.

Naumoff and I have been discussing the virtues of a little lower viscosity for cold start-ups. I suppose if I were racing or running the car hard all the time, VR might be preferable.

In addition, there have been a number of write-ups and discussions on the desirability of zinc in oils for solid, flat tappet cams, which I have. Std. oils have been losing zinc, and Rotella still has a good zinc content.

[bittentoo]

Clay, I have about the same oil pressures as you and I too worry about cold startups.

I decided that I'm going to talk with my engine builder that set my bearing/rod end gaps and see what his opinion is. He originally recommended GTX 20w-50.

[souzape]

Been following this discussion with interest and went back a read the articles that Jerry posted under racing oils. In the Oil Bible there was a pretty good discussion about oil additives including Zinc and Phosphorus (ZDDP) Here's the quote:

Oil Anti Wear Agents

Even with the best of oils there is always the possibility of metal to metal contact within an engine. Some oils (especially premium synthetics) will cling to metal surfaces better than others, but engines that are left to sit for any period of time may have very little lubricant protection at the start-up. This is especially true in cold conditions when petroleum oils do not pump well. To minimize the engine component wear caused by this situation, anti wear additives are used.

Additives such as zinc and phosphorus will actually coat metal surfaces forming a protective barrier against wear during these instances. They do not eliminate metal to metal contact. They simply minimize the wear that occurs during these instances. Typically zinc and phosphorus come as a package called ZDDP. They work together.

I also chose one of the manufacturers (Chevron) and wrote their tech line and inquired about the benefits of using Delo in a high compression, high rpm gasoline engine based on the discussion about current anti friction additive problems with SG and higher rated motor oils. His response was that Delo would work but that there are no problems with the SG rated conventional and sythetic oils either.

I am not an engineer but I am a professional ops research analyst so I have developed a pretty good sense of reading things with a critical eye. Here's what I get out of reading all the backgound material:
- ZDDP is added for cold start protection after the engine has been sitting long enough to let the oil film drain off
- Premium synthetic oils are made from a much better base stock and have much better lubricating qualities than petroleum based oils.
- Its possible that the cam guy who started this whole discussion was trying to take the heat off himself for some of his own problems
- no motor oil is perfect in all regards....everything is a compromise somewhere.
- If your running solid lifters with 600# valve springs you're going to have accelerated cam/lifter wear no matter what kind of oil you use
- I like Fords better than Chevys
- I'm running Mobil 1 and I'll live with the little oil leaks

Thats my story and I'm sticking to it.

Phil Souza

[rdorman]

I run Shell Rotella T 15w-40 in my diesels. Ya'll are posting 5w-40. Is this a typo or is there more than one Rotella?

Kelly, they have a full synthetic now in 5W-40. I used to run mobil 1 5w-30... wiped a lobe with that.

Like Rick said (eliminator) the high performance bike stuff and diesel stuff share a lot in common and are a excellent choice for flat tappet motors. Delo is good stuff to. There is one major engine builder (don't recall who) that will test the oil on a warranty claim and if it is not Rotella, no warranty!

Here is the 5W-40

http://www.rotella.com/products/rotella_t_synthetic.html

[rdorman]

Oh, according to the MSDS the synthetic contains the same amount of ZDDP as the non-synthetic, 1-4.99%. It is also low ash with a higher flash point (222 C if I recall correctly, 431F).

[Naumoff]

I put an electric blanket around my engine at night so it's nice and toasty on fire up.:D ;)

[JerryBP]

Sounds to me that you guys that don't run your engines verry often are good canidates for a pre-oiler like the one Canton makes. http://www.accusump.com/

[Master]

Jerry, I thought about one of those sumps prior to running the car at mid ohio but my canton RR oil pan did fine. However that was the first time I witnessed my oil temp exceed my engine temp by 10 degrees C. I started using AMSoil 20W 50 this season after studying all the links. Good Stuff.

[JerryBP]

Scott
I have never had a accusump but know some guys that have V8 power boats that swear by them.
They claim they can wear out the rings and valves and the berrings are still look like new.