Off Topic, Mobil synthetic oil?

SkagSig40

SkagSig40

Joined
Feb 1, 2001
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I have heard many people say that you should never break in a new car with synthetic oil. Mobil's web site says it is fine and that the Chevy Corvett, Dodge Viper and all Porche are factory filled with Mobil 1 synthectic oil. My wife and I just traded in our 3 "old" cars for 2 new ones, she got her 2nd choice "dream car" 35 anniversay 2002 Camaro Z28 (1st chioce was a Corvett but a little out of our price range!) and I bought a Chevy pick up. They are both new so I want to use synthetic (Mobil 1) at there 1st oil change for unsurpassed protection but I'm still wondering why some people say to stay away from synthetic oil??? These cars need to last for a LONG time so I want the best protection I can get and it sounds like Mobil 1 is the best! They say if you use Mobil 1 that youe engine will last longer than your car seat!:D

So do any of you have any input on sythetic or use it at all! Thanks a bunch!:)
 
My vehicle leaks oil. Adding an extra bottle of synthetic every 4000kms would be get sorta expensive.
 
Chris, I'm not a mechanic, but ...I believe it has to do with allowing the valves to 'seat'. Synthetic motor oils and some of the better additives (stp, slick 50, etc...) are so slippery that it'll take forever for the valves to seat. When the valves seat (after 15-25,000 mi.) the valves seal better, yielding better efficiency and performance. This translates to VRRRROOOOOOOOOM VRRROOOOOOOOM for the wifey :D
 
Bill, so is that good to have the valves seat with sythetic oil?? Is that 15,000-25,000 miles break in with the Sythetic or regular oil? I mean if the Corvett, Viper and other high dollar cars are being broken in with it, it must be safe?:confused:
 
Chris, the engines today are built to much closer tolerances (i.e. space between moving parts) than they were 'yesteryear. This is why good lubrication is so important to reduce friction, heat, wear. But I'll defer saying anything more to the real mechanics on the forum :)
 
the problem is that synthetic oil does not form that "initial seal" in the engine chambers like regular motor oil does. (after 500 miles running)

like pouring graphite in there - keeps the parts from making full contact, but wears them down instead of smoothing them out.

Same thing goes for putting synthetic in a very old engine. It has had so much buildup from reg oil that the synthetic breaks it up and clogs the engine, rather than cleaning it.

note: this is knowledge gained "in the field" and not through a scientific method, so bring salt along...:rolleyes:

If it was my new hot-rod, I'd stay away from synthetic until I had an oil change first. Then I'd use it from there on out. It really does help make an engine last longer. It doesn't break down as much as reg oil at high temp, etc.

my 0.02
 
Hi Pen, I'm running the regular oil (what ever GM puts in at the factory) and they said I get the first oil change free so I'll run what ever they (the Dealer) uses and then will start running the Mobil I think. The owners manuel says to keep your speed at 55mph or less for the 1st 500 miles and then drive it at all speeds as you would normally. I'll change the oil out at 800 miles to get all the "break in" crap out of the engine. I heard this was a good thing to do!
 
Friends with new high-performance motorcycles break in their bikes with conventional high-grade oil for 3-7 thousand miles, then go to the synthetic.

In addtion to the efficiency of the oil...for bikes $5.00 a quart...it prolongs the interval between oil changes...from a recommended 3K for the BMWs to 4K or more.

The enduro riders seem to use it, but they change much more frequently, need very little oil, and they seek out dirty ground and run at very high rpms.

Yet, the "Master Wrench of all bikes japanese" talked about it and said that he uses a decent grade conventional oil, and with the sort of frequency of oil changes...it makes little or no difference in engine wear.

The choice is simple for me. 3-4 dollars to change oil, or 15-20 dollars to change oil.


Kis
:rolleyes:
 
new motors may be different today..or the factory has already seated the valves prior to usage.

But: a friend had his Ford big block rebuilt. No synthetic oil first 5000 miles he was told. He scoffed and put it in. The engine never developed the power it should. It used oil. He helped me move to Idaho from Calif and brought the truck. In the desert it overhearted, bad. So bad he was pouring in water every five miles or so.

know what? That massive overheat experience with regular oil seated his valves. (he'd gone back belatedly to reg oil in a vain attempt to rectify what he'd done.) AFterwards the engine ran cooler, didn't drink oil, and had power.

my 2

munk
 
I second the notion of waiting a few thousand to put in synthetic.

Also, what's a few extra bucks if it means your car/truck lasts longer and runs smoother?

It's already been proven that synthetics do help your engine run smoother over time, keeping gas mileage from decreasing and extending the life of your engine before major tune-up.
 
as a third to pendentive, I'd like to add that older vehicles with some leaks or just almost leaks should not be given synthetics. They will leak then.



munk
 
Mobil 1 is great stuff. I drive a Diesel powered car (82 Chevy Chevette with almost 160,000 miles)and normally run Mobil 1 or Valvoline SynthPower in it. The engine leeked oil so I changed the Valve cover Gasket then changed the oil to Modil Delvac1300 Super. I have not noticed much of a leek yet. Maybe the leek slowed because I changed to different oil or it was the new Gaskets. I don't know. :confused:
 
Congrats on the new Cars!:) Which Pickup did you get your self?

Since you are planning on keeping your new cars for a looong time you might want to look into a different engine coolant. Evans Cooling Systems makes a waterless coolant that is increadable.

"NPG waterless coolant Ready for a million miles" CCJ has reported on the development of waterless engine cooling the Evans Non -aqueous Propylene Glycol (NPG) system. Here's how it works, and what it's done for one owner operator who has 500,000 miles experience with this innovation... Read
Click to expand...


BTW My mom used to have a 67 (First Year) Camero Convertable. She loved that car.:)
 
For what it's worth, I started using Mobil1 synthetic in my 1993 Toyota Paseo when I bought it in 1996. It had 72k miles on it then. It has 191k miles on the odometer now. It's still running strong (well, as strong as a Paseo will run). This entire time, I've used Mobil1 and changed the oil every 5k miles.

Chris
 
Chris -
Got into quite an involved conversation with my dealers' top tune-up mech this weekend. He was just back from an update class which included my new Toyota Matrix, which has a variable intake valve system. The specific question of Mobil 1 was included in several courses he has taken, and they say absolutely NO Mobil 1 or other syns for the first two oil changes (1000 mi. "clean-out" and first regular). Toyotas' valve seat material is their own spec, and they say the valves will not wear in properly (and may warp) if not broken in to their specs. The engines you mentioned as recommending Mobil 1 have their own valve-seat peculiarities, in addition to being hand-lapped and seated during assembly. I would stick with the recommendations from the factory, and then switch to the M1 when they say it is OK. It is a very good lube when used "in it's time". I've used it for over 100,000 in two small, high intensity four cylinder engines, and the Matrix will get a taste of it when it has run in.
 
After about 2,000 miles since the major motor work I did to my Harley I switched to Mobil 1 V Twin oil. The oil will go to 300 degrees before breakdown whereas regular HD oil breaks down at 250 degrees. Heat is a big concern on air cooled engines and especially when the compression has been raised.

Like many have already said, you have to have a period of inital miles with regular petroleum oil to "break in" a new engine. After that, synthetics can be used. Whether it is worth the extra cost in a liquid cooled gasoline engine is a subject of debate. Especially when regular petroleum oil is changed (with filter) frequently.

That's my $.02

Semp --
 
I quit riding before Mobil 1 was popular, but in the two engines I've used it in, I got an immediate increase of 4-5 MPG in gas mileage. My driving was pretty steady (repetitious, really) so the mileage comparisons were valid. I extended the oil change mileage by 2,000 mi., and changed filters with every change. Both engines were clean, tight and smoke free afer 10,000. I keep gas mileage records along with oil changes, etc., etc. as a good thermometer for engine conditions, and the mileage stayed up. This more than covered the extra cost of the M1 (in these small four-bangers - maybe not, in a larger engine) so I've stayed happy with it.
 
Have to agree with Walosi, but how do you explain a situation where a 15 year old car still gets the same great mileage and performance with your conventional motor oil? Not trying to spread oil on the fire!;) :D
 
No more than I drive these days it doesn't matter so I don't pay any attention to new stuff. I've been using Pennzoil for 40 years and may as well check out using it.
 
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