Synthetic oils

[LQ1]

I understand running synthetic on a motor that has not been run on synthetic can cause leaks and stuff. So, I am replacing every gasket on my motor, I planned on doing a rebuild but the winter beater crapped out so thats where the money went. The bearings and rings will not be replaced, but the rest of the gaskets will. Can I run synthetic now or could there still be a chance it would cause problems some where other than the gaskets?

[pepsi_coke]

Whats the mileage on it?

[grandprixgtp_91]

i think it is bullshit that synthetic causes leaks, most oil you put in has detergents in it, synthetic is just better because it gets to vital engine parts faster so when you fire it up you dont damage anything important. i dunno i guess it doenst thicken up when its cold or somthing. i say use it i doubt it will cause a leak.

Jake

[LQ1]

There are 103K miles on it.

[bmlawson]

i use it in my car and it does fine! my z has 74000 miles.

[93Oldsdroptop]

Synthetic oil doesn't 'cause' any new leaks. It's just really good at finding pre-existing leaks that weren't evident for whatever reason. Synthetic flows better and more easily than regular oil and that is why. Especially at cooler temperatures where conventional oil is very viscous before it warms up.

[LQ1]

The way i understood it was switching to synthetic as it was a better oil, it cleaned out the gunk from old oil and made leaks that were blocked from the old crusty oil, so it doesnt exactly cause leaks, it just makes them kind of appear am i right?

So with all new gaskets then, and 103K on stock rings/bearings I should be ok?

[grandprixgtp_91]

yes, you should be ok, people think that it will start a leak because it has alot of detergent in it, but almost all engine oils do have detergent in them. if you are going to change the gaskets you will definatly be fine.

Jake

[vsop4me3.1]

65k, synthetic oil, and no problems at all

[Rhedalert]

I switched to Mobil 1 at about 105k (I'd have to check my records) no adverse effects.

[Juglenaut]

All oils will leak sooner or later, even vegetable oil.

Detergents are just as high in premium natural oils as it is in synthetics.

Don't be fooled by misleading testing of oils in a car, alot of the brands out there share some componets to what would seem like an internal issue of the engine when it is just another additive, also some elements are evident in alot of cars that would appear to be an additive when the element is made into a wearing part.

On a new engine synthetics shouldn't be used for the reason it is to good and will not allow proper break in, which is atleast 500 miles or so.

Also synthetics tend to displace regular oils in dried up oil soaks seals, by doing this the synthetic oils have a tendancy to soften and rehydrate dried seals and often these seals were so bad that they start to disinigrate, on the head gasket synthetics do the same but are lessened by the torque pressures and the reason that they are compressed seals so they are already flatened.

[Lyle's GTP]

I read that synthetic will clean out the crap in the holes that your "dino juice" left behind. So, therefore if you changed your gaskets you won't have a problem. Bearings don't count in this case, but the rings won't leak any more or less. Because they are a mechanical seal, not a gasket that is suseptable to chemical/thermal breakdown.

For oil, I recommend Castrol Syntec 5W-50, works great for me, I also run Castrol Syntec 0W-30 in the winter. But any synthetic is going to be a thousand times better than your old "Dino-Juice".

Lyle