Is synthetic really worth it?
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Junior User
Joined: Feb 2004
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Is synthetic really worth it?
Ive got a 66 f-100 with 352 V8 and 53,000 miles on it. its never been rebuilt. If i start using synthtic now will I get a lot more life out of the engine, or will it not make much of a diffrence?
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2004
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A friend of a friend has a Dodge Caravan with 280,000 on it using synthetic oil. He started using the synthetic when it was pretty new though. I started using synthetic in my truck and I think it has a smoother running motor. I'd go for it, better late then never.
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 169
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From: Hesperia CA
I went 403K in a little jap truck and never used synthetic. At 5K intervals I did change the oil 80 times! Started on Pennzoil and finished it off with Valvoline.
One of my painter's got it too hot one day and blew the head gasket and I never did fix it because the rest of the truck was pretty well shot by then. Poor thing.
Moral is: Doesn't matter what you use. Just keep it clean!
One of my painter's got it too hot one day and blew the head gasket and I never did fix it because the rest of the truck was pretty well shot by then. Poor thing.
Moral is: Doesn't matter what you use. Just keep it clean!
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 3,924
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You don't want to break a new engine in on synthetic but I believe that after break in, there's no better oil to use than Mobil1. When I raced motorcycles professionally my mechanic used Mobil1. We never lost an engine because of an oiling problem.
I recently put a set of heads on a 390 of mine that had well over 100,000 miles on it. At the same time I replaced the rear main seal and oil pan gasket, that were leaking. When I removed the rear main bearing cap, there was virtually no wear on the main bearing. I pulled a couple of rod caps for inspection and found the same thing. Also, I believe that, when changed regularly, synthetic oil keeps the inside of the engine cleaner than conventional oils.
I recently put a set of heads on a 390 of mine that had well over 100,000 miles on it. At the same time I replaced the rear main seal and oil pan gasket, that were leaking. When I removed the rear main bearing cap, there was virtually no wear on the main bearing. I pulled a couple of rod caps for inspection and found the same thing. Also, I believe that, when changed regularly, synthetic oil keeps the inside of the engine cleaner than conventional oils.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,836
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From: Elizabethtown, PA
Synthetic can be a wonderful thing, however...
I would not use it in your truck. At that age, I doubt it will see any benefits from the increased cost. The biggest reason, though, is synth will leak out of any weak gasket or seal you have, while regular oil won't. No sense spending twice the $ on oil only to find half of it on your driveway. BTDT!
I would not use it in your truck. At that age, I doubt it will see any benefits from the increased cost. The biggest reason, though, is synth will leak out of any weak gasket or seal you have, while regular oil won't. No sense spending twice the $ on oil only to find half of it on your driveway. BTDT!
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 19,311
Likes: 97
From: Waterloo, Iowa
Synthetic is superior oil for both high and low temps, but it's not a permanent install, it still gets dirty and filters need to be changed out. Changing the oil itself is probably more important than whether it is synthetic or not. The filter is at least as important as the oil too. Several tests have been run with synthetic though, where the engine lasts years with only periodic filter changes and top off. (Fleet owners)
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