Synthetic vs dino

[JCyrbok]

At my next oil change I will have over 20K and feel its more than safe to change to Synthetic oil. My question is, is it worth the money to change to synthetic or stay with a good quality dino. I'm looking more for longevity,reliability and mileage in my truck that a longer change interval. I also have some minor concerns over that fact that I only live about 5 miles from work and know that short trips can have adverse effects, and wondered if synthetic may help in that area. Today it was about 40degrees on the way home and with my winter fronts on got just about to normal op temp.



Also there are so many choices out there that my head spins reading about it all. What is everyone else using. I respect the opinion of the Membership alot more then that of the oil and advertising companys. Let me know what u use, synthetic or dino, brand and weight.



I live in SE Michigan so it does get pretty cold her in the winters and hot in the summers



Thanks again

J-

 

[Diesel Freak]

woo hoo, now I have a chance to try out my new Nomex Coveralls!



Put some beer is the cooler this is going to be a good one!

 

[BFC]

I run synthetics in the transmission and rear diff but I keep the engine on a Delo diet every 5000 miles, makes me feel better.



Just my 2c,



Glenn

 

[Diesel Freak]

Originally posted by JCyrbok

I also have some minor concerns over that fact that I only live about 5 miles from work and know that short trips can have adverse effectsJ-

Regardless of what oil you use, if the engine does not warm up fully, moisture and other crap will build up. I live about 5 miles away from work also, however I take the long way to work and make sure the thermostat cycles at least once before I shut the engine down. It does not idle during this time either.



The only way you can get the cost differential out of a synthetic is to run an extended drain interval.



I run Delo 400 15w40 for 4K miles and dump it.



My dad has over 290K miles on his '90 CTD... . he has only used Delo. When it had 270K on it it dyno'd stock at 152 RWHP at BD Dyno Days. The engine came stock with 160 HP at the flywheel. It still runs strong, and burns no oil. That is why I do not feel it is necessary to run a Synthetic oil in the CTD.



On a side note, I run a Synthetic in my four wheeler (BOMBed Polaris Scrambler). I dump the oil once a month (2 quarts). Extended drain intervals would be bad juju on a 500cc thumper with over 40 flywheel HP. It can do more damage to oil than a CTD could ever dream of.

 

[dieseldawg]

AMSOIL ALL THE WAY

 

[Diesel Freak]

Originally posted by dieseldawg

AMSOIL ALL THE WAY

Stir it... ... ..... stir it good!

 

[Whitmore]

J,



Here in Wyo it gets as cold as Montana, first thing I did was to quiet down the power steering pump by changing to a syn, then I did the front and rearends too, the owners manual even recommends that if you tow that you change them to syn. I also went to syn for the Cummins to help out on the cold starts.

I think that all syn fluids are good so your choice should be based on availability. JMO



cheers, Kevin

 

[Lsfarm]

Synthetic engine oil

JC, starting an engine cold is the highest wear period that an engine experiences. So you would want the best lubrication at this time to reduce wear.

The synthetic engine oils have much better splash and spray characteristics when cold than dino oils of the same viscosity/ratings.

For this reason I have used synthetics in all my vehicles and farm/yard tractors.

I do go a bit longer on oil change intervals than I would with dino oil, but I always change at least twice a year, and filters between changes.

With your short drive to work, you should make a point to at least once a week to drive somewhere on a freeway for 15 minutes or so to boil off the contaminants that your oil accumulates on the short drives.

Also, plug your truck in at least when at home, at work is pretty difficult usually. This really helps with cold start-up wear.

I use either 5w-30 Amsoil or 5w-40 Mobil Delvac 1

Where in SE Michigan are you?



Greg L The Noise Nazi

 

[cold Diesel]

I run the Delvac 1 15W40 synthetic oil in my truck. I do a lot of short trips in cold weather (0 to -60 *F). There is a big difference in how it sounds when it starts at these temps with this oil over a dino 15W40. Of course JMHO. I don't care what brand etc you want to run. I just like the 5W40 for cold weather starts.

 

[Whitmore]

As far as motor oil I used to use Delo 400 which I consider to be one of the finest and best performing dino out there. Once at -25 I cracked a new 1 gallon jug open to pour into a locamotive and guess what , it would not pour out no matter how long you held it up , that was when I knew that synthetic was for me . Think of your crank and connecting rods trying to turn down thru that and the load on the starter and batteries, to me for cold service synthetic is a no brainer, If I were in a warm climate I would prolly still be with Delo 400.



Cheers, Kevin

 

[HC]

Originally posted by JCyrbok

At my next oil change I will have over 20K

... is it worth the money to change to synthetic...

... [not really looking for] a longer change interval

... 5 miles from work...

What is everyone else using. I respect the opinion of the Membership alot more then that of the oil and advertising companys. Let me know what u use, synthetic or dino, brand and weight.

(lots of questions: Long reply)



Thanks for the compliment, only problem is, the membership is highly divided on this issue, so you're likely to get strong opinions both ways. The good news is, in the dino vs. syn debate, neither answer is really "wrong", it's just a matter of choosing what's right for your situation and which one makes you feel the best.



I'm a "high mileage" driver (~110k on my 2001), over 50 miles to work one way, Southern climate, and extended changes with good wear protection are important to me. I've used Delvac 1 5W-40, then Amsoil 5W-30, and now settled on Amsoil 15W-40 with a bypass filter set up. If it were colder here, I'd probably be using the Delvac 5W-40. If I drove fewer miles, I would still choose synthetic but I would change more often and not worry about having a bypass filter.



Your situation is different in every way - colder climate, short trip to work, low total miles/year, and extended drains not important to you because of those differences. I'd rule out Amsoil 5W-30, it's good stuff but high $$$ with few benefits for you. Two good options for you would be:



1) Delo 15W-40, with 5k oil changes

2) Delvac 1 5W-40, with 5k oil changes



In your shoes, I'd go with the Delvac because the 5W-40 would give me more peace of mind that I was going to start in any weather, get good lubrication quickly on those cold starts, and the "-40" designation makes me feel better in the summer months. At 20k miles per year, you'll spend about $250 more per year on oil changes than with Delo; is that really that much to you? My answer would be that it's a tiny fraction of the total ownership & maintenance costs, plus the cold start confidence alone is worth $250/year, but if your answer is different, then go with option 1 instead and don't worry, there is no doubt that Delo is great stuff too. But plug in as often as you can, especially if you choose Dino!

 

[amsoilman]

JC,



In plain English, synthetic lubricants are designed to handle temperature extremes, especially heat. They reduce frictional heat and transfer heat away from critical components faster. They also resist heat breakdown much better than petroleum-based lubes.



In scientific terms, synthetic lubes have higher lubricity and higher thermal conductivity.

Conventional lubricants rely mainly on additives for their performance. Their petroleum base fluids are physically separated from crude oil during refining. Petroleum base fluids contain impurities of varying types and amounts (wax crystals and sulfur compounds, etc. ). These impurities make the lubricant less stable, providing molecular "targets" where heat and chemical contaminants can "attack".



True Synthetics have proven to reduce wear, resist oxidation, significantly more "shear" stable, (don't break down as fast) and has better film strength than petroleum products.



Just pick a high quality synthetic and you will be better off in the long run.



The synthetic oil I use has a "pour" point of -60 F. and a "flash" point of 446 F. So this oil will protect my engine very well. Oh... ... ... . and the added benefit is extended drain intervals.







Wayne

amsoilman

 

[BarryG]

I use synthetic every where I can. Nothing against dino. I just want the best. I know this may cause a bit of a stir but I think most will agree that synthetic is a better lubricant. The real question is in the cost benefit analysis (not to say that dino cant do a good job because it does). Is it worth it for what you gain? In my opinion it is but that is my opinion. I always used dino until a couple years ago when I bought this vehicle and never had one oil related problem. However I have very long term intentions for this vehicle 500k+. If the syn of choice was the same cost as dino would you still use dino?



And to answer your other questions I use Amsoil 5w-30 and 15w-40. In Michigan I would use the 5w-30 exclusively.

 

[Pit Bull]

Based on where you live and the short trip to work I would suggest you use synthetic and keep your truck plugged in every chance you get. In the winter I would do 5K oil and filter changes even with the synthetic. JMHO

 

[WestTN]

syn vs dino

Don't forget the documented 1ST Gen truck with 1,000,000+ miles on Shell Rotella T 15W40!

I don't think the synthetics are worth the money. That Cummins is going to outlast the rest of the truck by a pretty wide margin. Use dino of your choice and change it regularly in cold weather. Spend the considerable money you save buying conventional oil versus synthetics to keep the rest of the truck together.

It doesn't make much sense to coddle the toughest part and neglect the weaker ones!

 

[Lsfarm]

Do the Math

West Tn Do the math on that Million Mile truck! I did it and that truck never sat long enough to cool down! Something like 5-600 miles per day 7 days per week!

You could use almost any oil with 5K oil changes with that type of use!

For JC's situation, he is concerned about the toughest miles that can be put on his truck: cold start, short miles, not the easy all day long miles



Greg L

 

[Jetpilot]

What I say is different strokes for different folks. Both sides have their points... ... I think that if price was not factored in then synthetic would be the first choice. That being said I am of the opinion that you should run what makes you happy.



Personally I run synthetic and do not do extended drain intervals. Some will say this is a waste of money (and maybe it is) but I feel it helps out with some specific issues that I worry about on my truck. My concerns are different with my setup..... With lots of extra fuel, a single turbo, and high egt's synthetic makes me feel better. So I say run what ya want.



Doug

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

The guy I was acquainted with ran his '91 Ram 1,240,000 on dino oil with 10,000 mile oil changes (but he was on the road a LOT and short trips & warmups were not an issue).



If you run synthetic, I would go at least 10k on a change, if not 15-20k, even if you are not running bypass. Doesn't cost much to do an analysis and see how your oil and engine are doing.



I've been doing 20,000 mile oil changes for 60,000 miles and each time I sample at the 20K mark they have always come back excellent. Worst iron count was only 88ppm, the other two were 42 and 56ppm @ 20K.



I use Stratapores and change every 7k.



Vaughn

 

[Chief USA]

John Deere 15W-40 PLUS 50

I bought a 55 gallon drum of John Deere 15W-40 Plus 50 (about $285). Comes about $1. 29 a quart. If you want a good cold weather oil then I would recommend the John Deere 0W-40 Plus 50, it is semi-synthetic. Don't forget to buy a Super Plug for the oil pan, ultra strong magnet on those plugs! Use the Fleet Gard 3894 Stratapore oil filter.

 

[JCyrbok]

Super plug

Super plug's been in since second oil change and have a box of the Statopores in the basement. (I like to buy in bulk)



I think that when I said that longer change intervals was not my concern with possibly going to Synthetics I think maybe I was mis-understood. That is a great "side effect" but my main concern is longevity and reliablitity for the type of driving that I do.



ALso i dont just drive to and from work. I Ususally have a very long "honey do" list when I get up and also several other things going on too. I usuall put on 20-30 miles a day, but usually all on the shorter side for the actual trips.



Thanks for all the replies.



J-