Oil change question ???
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Joined: Sep 2003
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From: Houstoon, Texas
Oil change question ???
I went to my local Wal Mart this A.M. for my scheduled oil change. I normally use Castrol Synthetic Blend 5W30. The store was out of the "Synthetic Blend". Therefore, I purchased the "Castrol Synthetic". My question is now that I have the full synthetic oil in my 2001 F150 SuperCrew, can I go back to the Synthetic Blend on my next oil change or I am stuck using Synthetic only? Thank you for your input.
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,968
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From: So Cal
Yes you can go back and forth between syn, dino and semi syn. You can change brands and viscosities etc, all as long as you meet API and SAE spec for your engine. Some people just choose whatever oil is cheapest as long as it meets spec and dump it in the engine.
Many of us have a superstition that once we choose an oil we should stick with it, since there are differences between additive packages and such between the brands and types etc. There are supposedly some tiny incompatibilities between the various types of additives in the different oils. So from superstition, we prefer to keep the same additive package in the engine for as many oil changes as we can. Once in a great while we will add a quart of some foreign oil or even go with an odd brand oil change, but we usually try to get back with our normal oil, and always twist the filter on just so for good luck.
If you are swapping back and forth, remember that there is always some of the old oil left in the engine at every oil change so essentially, if you are changing types, you are "polluting" the additive package that is in the new oil, with the small amount in the old oil. This is especially true if you regularly run syn and then pollute it with dino. At the next syn change there will be some dino in the case. Technically not a problem, but some of us cross our fingers when this happens.
It is probably far more important to do regular oil changes than it is to use the same brand and type oil. Some us are just finicky.
Technically you are OK, superstition wise, better carry a rabbit's foot.
Jim Henderson
Many of us have a superstition that once we choose an oil we should stick with it, since there are differences between additive packages and such between the brands and types etc. There are supposedly some tiny incompatibilities between the various types of additives in the different oils. So from superstition, we prefer to keep the same additive package in the engine for as many oil changes as we can. Once in a great while we will add a quart of some foreign oil or even go with an odd brand oil change, but we usually try to get back with our normal oil, and always twist the filter on just so for good luck.
If you are swapping back and forth, remember that there is always some of the old oil left in the engine at every oil change so essentially, if you are changing types, you are "polluting" the additive package that is in the new oil, with the small amount in the old oil. This is especially true if you regularly run syn and then pollute it with dino. At the next syn change there will be some dino in the case. Technically not a problem, but some of us cross our fingers when this happens.
It is probably far more important to do regular oil changes than it is to use the same brand and type oil. Some us are just finicky.
Technically you are OK, superstition wise, better carry a rabbit's foot.
Jim Henderson
