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View Full Version : Synthetic to dino oil



jimlam56
11-05-2006, 09:23 AM
I'm considering going back to conventional oil from synthetic.
Main reason is the cost.
Any comments?

fastblackmerc
11-05-2006, 09:36 AM
Conventional or semi-syn?

jdando
11-05-2006, 09:59 AM
I'm considering going back to conventional oil from synthetic.
Main reason is the cost.
Any comments?

Change it religously at 3000 miles and it should be okay in most applications.

jeremy

jimlam56
11-05-2006, 10:31 AM
Change it religously at 3000 miles and it should be okay in most applications.

jeremy

I will.
My question was more specifically if there is any negative impact to switching back to dino oil after having syn in it for a year or so.

fastblackmerc
11-05-2006, 11:46 AM
I did a "ggogle" on it and most say it's OK to switch.... a few say your grenade the motor????

If you went to semi-syn I don't see a problem.

ROB502
11-05-2006, 12:34 PM
I've done it before without a problem. The only reason for me using syn. in the first place is so I don't have to change it that often. It's just a machine your car does not care.:burnout:

RF Overlord
11-05-2006, 12:40 PM
You can switch between synthetic and dino anytime you like. There are no negative impacts. Those who say you can't are living in the far past.

I recommend Motorcraft 5W-20. It's a synthetic blend that's turned out to be a superb oil and puts up very good UOAs in the modular motors. You can run it up to 5,000 miles unless you make a lot of short trips in very cold weather. $10.37 for a 5-qt jug at Wally World.

jimlam56
11-05-2006, 01:27 PM
You can switch between synthetic and dino anytime you like. There are no negative impacts. Those who say you can't are living in the far past.

I recommend Motorcraft 5W-20. It's a synthetic blend that's turned out to be a superb oil and puts up very good UOAs in the modular motors. You can run it up to 5,000 miles unless you make a lot of short trips in very cold weather. $10.37 for a 5-qt jug at Wally World.


Just what I put in Sir.
Thanks for the replies!

OneBADLsE
11-05-2006, 02:40 PM
I've done it before without a problem. The only reason for me using syn. in the first place is so I don't have to change it that often. It's just a machine your car does not care.:burnout:


But your car does care when you change tranny oil and what type you use :D

SergntMac
11-05-2006, 04:20 PM
But your car does care when you change tranny oil and what type you use :DAgain, Mercon V over full synthetics, and again, due to cost of the product.

MMs that see a lot of hard use (and an altered shift schedule could qualify as hard use even when you don't think of it as so), an accelerated drain/flush schedule is good preventive maintence.

The low cost of standard Mercon V makes frequent change a more acceptable trade off. Fresh/clean lubricants are always a better choice over stretching life span, IMHO.

Carry on gents.

Bigdogjim
11-05-2006, 04:24 PM
You can go back to a blend after using a full synthetic, some will say you can do seal damage? I have went back and forth in other engines not the MM however, as RF said no damage should result. Old tails die hard.

robomac
11-05-2006, 09:03 PM
Normal petrochemical oils are refined from asphaltic ( the old old days of pennzoil) or parrafinic ( like parrafin in your candles) base stocks. Semi-syns are either blended from full syn and petro stocks or refined (cracked) higher quality base stocks(the early days not common now). All oils have additives like antiwear agents (often zinc dialkaloids my spelling sucks) and plasticizers for the seals. Most base stocks start out at 30 wt and they add viscosity improvers (VI's) to get the desired range. The VI's are usally the first thing to be depleted as they are a short chain aromatic hydrocarbon. This means that when they get hot they go away as the oil os oixidized (burns). This means that the WT range reerts back to 30 wt.

How do they make syns? They start out with a base stock. Some use alcohols, some use chickhen fat ( I kid you not I have used this in a specilized enviromentally friendly hydraliuc oil!) if you look most will tell you a little bit about what the base stock is. The stock defines the basic properties and then they start adding things. Note that half of the additives are present to keep the addities buffered (i.e. in solution and working). It reall is chemistry at work. Early syns ( I tried many of them) had bad habits (like reverting back to the base stock!) that gave syns a bad name. This has ben overcome by people trying differnt things and seeing what worked in the real world.

So bottom line is there is no chemical reason to switch back and forth. After all what is a semi syn anway?