Switching to full synthetic engine oil

[Redhorse 12]

https://www.mobil.com/en/lubricants/for-personal-vehicles/auto-care/all-about-oil/learn-about-motor-oil/synthetic-oil-vs-conventional-oil

 

 

 

Just to clarify, oil does not come from dead dinosaurs. https://earthsky.org/human-world/is-my-cars-fuel-made-of-dead-dinosaurs#:~:text=Is%20my%20car's%20fuel%20made%20of%20dead%20dinosaurs%3F&text=Fossil%20fuels%20consist%20mainly%20of,a%20kind%20of%20water%20plant.&text=The%20popular%20idea%20that%20oil,of%20dead%20dinosaurs%20is%20mistaken.

 

Also, synthetic oil is much better to use than conventional oil. Much cleaner and does not break down with heat. Do some research and you will be convinced. It also starts out with crude oil or natural gas. You should also use it in your vehicle. Use a premium oil filter like Mobil 1, and you can change it once a year or 20K miles. Two of my vehicles have 240K and 290K miles and the engines are like new. Always had synthetic oil and always changed once a year. Both my Lxi and my GT20 both use synthetic. Good luck. 

[PeacemakerJack 10,738]

This “war” over lubricants always fascinates me...😉

 

Eric...can you pass me that bowl of popcorn and make a spot for me on the couch?  I want to watch this show!😁

[lynnmor 7,302]

2 hours ago, PeacemakerJack said:

This “war” over lubricants always fascinates me...😉

 

Eric...can you pass me that bowl of popcorn and make a spot for me on the couch?  I want to watch this show!😁

I guess there are some that just want to do what is best for their tractors, and others want to accept whatever is sold.  Do you have any information to offer?

[pfrederi 17,664]

I am with Peacemaker Jack on this.  i stopped commenting on lubricants a long time ago.

[squonk 41,023]

Use what you like. It always cracks me up when lubricants are mentioned on this forum. Kohler recommends detergent oil. Use what ever you like. Gear oil Doesn't get changed every year. I prefer synthetic. Use what you like. Hydros, I like Mobil ! because of the heat. Use what you like.

 

THESE ARE GARDEN TRACTORS WE PUT AROUND ON!   IT AINT THE INDY 500 OR THE 24 HOURS OF LEMANS!!!!! 

[BZilly 15]

15 hours ago, Redhorse said:

https://www.mobil.com/en/lubricants/for-personal-vehicles/auto-care/all-about-oil/learn-about-motor-oil/synthetic-oil-vs-conventional-oil

 

 

 

Just to clarify, oil does not come from dead dinosaurs. https://earthsky.org/human-world/is-my-cars-fuel-made-of-dead-dinosaurs#:~:text=Is%20my%20car's%20fuel%20made%20of%20dead%20dinosaurs%3F&text=Fossil%20fuels%20consist%20mainly%20of,a%20kind%20of%20water%20plant.&text=The%20popular%20idea%20that%20oil,of%20dead%20dinosaurs%20is%20mistaken.

 

Also, synthetic oil is much better to use than conventional oil. Much cleaner and does not break down with heat. Do some research and you will be convinced. It also starts out with crude oil or natural gas. You should also use it in your vehicle. Use a premium oil filter like Mobil 1, and you can change it once a year or 20K miles. Two of my vehicles have 240K and 290K miles and the engines are like new. Always had synthetic oil and always changed once a year. Both my Lxi and my GT20 both use synthetic. Good luck. 

10w30 synthetic it is....not sure of zinc content 

[BZilly 15]

Sorry folks for starting this...I had a brain fart and thought it would be a black and white answer. I think there are several correct answers with some marginally better than others..I should have known better.

Have a great day!

 

10W30 synthetic it is,,,,I think🤔

[BZilly 15]

22 minutes ago, squonk said:

Use what you like. It always cracks me up when lubricants are mentioned on this forum. Kohler recommends detergent oil. Use what ever you like. Gear oil Doesn't get changed every year. I prefer synthetic. Use what you like. Hydros, I like Mobil ! because of the heat. Use what you like.

 

THESE ARE GARDEN TRACTORS WE PUT AROUND ON!   IT AINT THE INDY 500 OR THE 24 HOURS OF LEMANS!!!!! 

Very true, but for some strange obscure reason I'm intrigued by watching this horse get beaten...again.

 

 

[shallowwatersailor 3,213]

On 7/11/2020 at 5:28 PM, WVHillbilly520H said:

Exxon/Mobile and the Valdez... But you still use Mobile 1 ? ... Sorry Castrol has been my go to for 30 years and probably 30 more.

 

Mmmm. I guess that I didn't connect that. Busted!   

[WVHillbilly520H 10,373]

1 minute ago, shallowwatersailor said:

 

Mmmm. I guess that I didn't connect that. Busted!   

Its all good... If we all liked the same exact thing it would definitely be a very dull world.

[shallowwatersailor 3,213]

2 minutes ago, WVHillbilly520H said:

Its all good... If we all liked the same exact thing it would definitely be a very dull world.

 

I guess in my mind (what little there is!  ) the difference is that Mobil merged with Exxon after the Exxon Valdez disaster, whereas Castrol was owned by BP before the Deepwater Horizon thereby included.But I always used Castrol GTX, after my VW days, as I was buying AMCs then. Allegedly their blocks were "soft" and wore more. But Castrol GTX included an additive that lessened the wear. Used it through my Saab days as well!  

[oilwell1415 563]

Full disclosure up front:  I am an Amsoil dealer.

 

For 90% of the engines out there today there is no real difference between using synthetic and conventional oil.  If the oil has an API certification, it's good enough.  In fact, many of the best oils are not even API certified because they aren't sold in enough volume to justify the cost of certification.  The only reason Amsoil bothers certifying any of their oils is to meet the warranty requirements of auto manufacturers.  There also are very few true conventional oils still on the market.  Almost everything you buy these days is a synthetic blend, and the ones that aren't probably aren't on the shelf anywhere you are buying oil.  The truck I drive every day has 494k miles on the original engine and has never seen a drop of synthetic oil.  I've used several brands over the years and the only difference I've seen is that I occasionally get a brand it doesn't like and it spits it out on the ground.  Using a quality oil (and filter when applicable) and changing it regularly is all you need.  

 

However, we do use synthetic in our other vehicles.  The truck above is a 1990 F-150.  We also have a 2000 Camaro SS, 2001 Ford Lightning, 2016 Jeep Wrangler, and 2019 F-150.  I put synthetic in the Camaro and Lightning because they aren't driven very much and synthetic doesn't degrade while sitting as badly as conventional does.  It also protects the engine better during long periods of not running, especially when you start it up after it's set for a month or two.  When these get driven they are also driven hard.  The Lightning has 18,000 miles on it and a good chunk of that has been on the racetrack.  The Wrangler and 2019 F-150 we use synthetic just so we can go longer between oil changes and overrun the mileage a little bit without it being a problem.  For example, we took the Jeep to Las Vegas a few years ago and it was due for an oil change half way through the trip.  On regular oil I would have insisted on changing it before we left (1,500 miles early) or while we were there, but with synthetic I didn't feel bad about waiting until we got home.  That's actually a pretty trivial matter to be honest.  FWIW, in my old truck I change the oil every 3,000 miles.  On the others I do 5,000 miles or one year.  Yes, I know they say you can go a lot longer on synthetic.  I'm not going to go into all of the examples here about why I choose not to.  I'll simply say that oil is cheap and engines are not.

 

So what are your options?  Some have already been listed, but I'll add 2 more.  The first is Amsoil Z-Rod.  It is specifically for engines with flat tappet cams, which means it has a lot of zinc in it.  The second is one of the few remaining true conventional motor oils in mentioned above and that's an aviation oil.  That may seem crazy, but look at how your tractor gets used and how an airplane engine is used.  Both are air cooled engines with low compression ratios, low specific outputs, that operate under fairly constant load and rpm, and that are typically not used every day.  Aircraft engines also still use flat tappet cams, so they need zinc just like a tractor engine.  The only drawback to an aviation oil is that they are not offered in a wide range of viscosities.  I use AeroShell and it only comes in 40, 50 and 60 straight weights and 14W50.  

[BZilly 15]

Thanks for your comments. Do you know if 10w30 synthetic has much zinc in it?

 

 

[tom2p 2,394]

2 hours ago, BZilly said:

Thanks for your comments. Do you know if 10w30 synthetic has much zinc in it?

 

 

the newest / most recent 10w30 synthetic oils (API SN for example) will have reduced zinc (zddp / zdtp or whatever) - but most will have other additives to enhance wear protection (typically molybdenum based)

check the API certification - and manufacturer spec sheets are also available 

 

[peter lena 8,580]

shallowwatersailor, agree with you on the RISLONE ZINC ADDITIVE , used their lubricants for years , especially on an engine recovery issue.  their ENGINE TREATMENT LUBRICANT , IS especially good in any engine that has a start up smoke issue , you will notice with a fresh oil change , how quickly the oil color changes , indicating , cleaning and flushing long built up oil residue. inside of a couple of  HOT OIL CHANGES  , you will notice the smoother ,easier engine running. i have also topped off engines that i have bought with this , and have had very good results . just my own personal experience , pete   

[BZilly 15]

3 hours ago, peter lena said:

shallowwatersailor, agree with you on the RISLONE ZINC ADDITIVE , used their lubricants for years , especially on an engine recovery issue.  their ENGINE TREATMENT LUBRICANT , IS especially good in any engine that has a start up smoke issue , you will notice with a fresh oil change , how quickly the oil color changes , indicating , cleaning and flushing long built up oil residue. inside of a couple of  HOT OIL CHANGES  , you will notice the smoother ,easier engine running. i have also topped off engines that i have bought with this , and have had very good results . just my own personal experience , pete   

Thanks Pete, not sure I've  seen, or noticed that product

 I'll  watch for it, I have an old Craftsman that smokes on startup I'll try it on it.

[peter lena 8,580]

BZILLY, this is the rislone product line ,  https://rislone.com/our-products/?category=engine-2 , it has definitely worked for me , walmart super stores has the entire line , pete

[WheelhorseBob 1,549]

On July 13, 2020 at 10:01 AM, oilwell1415 said:

Full disclosure up front:  I am an Amsoil dealer.

 

For 90% of the engines out there today there is no real difference between using synthetic and conventional oil.  If the oil has an API certification, it's good enough.  In fact, many of the best oils are not even API certified because they aren't sold in enough volume to justify the cost of certification.  The only reason Amsoil bothers certifying any of their oils is to meet the warranty requirements of auto manufacturers.  There also are very few true conventional oils still on the market.  Almost everything you buy these days is a synthetic blend, and the ones that aren't probably aren't on the shelf anywhere you are buying oil.  The truck I drive every day has 494k miles on the original engine and has never seen a drop of synthetic oil.  I've used several brands over the years and the only difference I've seen is that I occasionally get a brand it doesn't like and it spits it out on the ground.  Using a quality oil (and filter when applicable) and changing it regularly is all you need.  

 

However, we do use synthetic in our other vehicles.  The truck above is a 1990 F-150.  We also have a 2000 Camaro SS, 2001 Ford Lightning, 2016 Jeep Wrangler, and 2019 F-150.  I put synthetic in the Camaro and Lightning because they aren't driven very much and synthetic doesn't degrade while sitting as badly as conventional does.  It also protects the engine better during long periods of not running, especially when you start it up after it's set for a month or two.  When these get driven they are also driven hard.  The Lightning has 18,000 miles on it and a good chunk of that has been on the racetrack.  The Wrangler and 2019 F-150 we use synthetic just so we can go longer between oil changes and overrun the mileage a little bit without it being a problem.  For example, we took the Jeep to Las Vegas a few years ago and it was due for an oil change half way through the trip.  On regular oil I would have insisted on changing it before we left (1,500 miles early) or while we were there, but with synthetic I didn't feel bad about waiting until we got home.  That's actually a pretty trivial matter to be honest.  FWIW, in my old truck I change the oil every 3,000 miles.  On the others I do 5,000 miles or one year.  Yes, I know they say you can go a lot longer on synthetic.  I'm not going to go into all of the examples here about why I choose not to.  I'll simply say that oil is cheap and engines are not.

 

So what are your options?  Some have already been listed, but I'll add 2 more.  The first is Amsoil Z-Rod.  It is specifically for engines with flat tappet cams, which means it has a lot of zinc in it.  The second is one of the few remaining true conventional motor oils in mentioned above and that's an aviation oil.  That may seem crazy, but look at how your tractor gets used and how an airplane engine is used.  Both are air cooled engines with low compression ratios, low specific outputs, that operate under fairly constant load and rpm, and that are typically not used every day.  Aircraft engines also still use flat tappet cams, so they need zinc just like a tractor engine.  The only drawback to an aviation oil is that they are not offered in a wide range of viscosities.  I use AeroShell and it only comes in 40, 50 and 60 straight weights and 14W50.  

Curious as to why you wouldn't mention  Amsoil small engine? I just picked up a couple of quarts to try. Do you know if it has high zinc levels? Btw, you and I align on oil and oil change intervals. The most miles I ever put on one vehicle was a Nissan 4x4 truck at just over 300k. If you change your oil at 3000k, like I did on that truck, just about any oil will do. That truck never saw synthetic oil and ran perfect when I sold it. That being said I now run synthetic and change it at 5k miles. I like the idea of synthetic in small air cooled engines, they sit a lot and run hotter than liquid cooled engines. Sounds perfect for synthetic. BTW I only run Redline 20-50 in my Harley. Believe it or not it actually lowered operational temps notably and the motor seems more quiet. Very pricy but good stuff!

[oilwell1415 563]

1 hour ago, WheelhorseBob said:

Curious as to why you wouldn't mention  Amsoil small engine? I just picked up a couple of quarts to try. Do you know if it has high zinc levels? Btw, you and I align on oil and oil change intervals. The most miles I ever put on one vehicle was a Nissan 4x4 truck at just over 300k. If you change your oil at 3000k, like I did on that truck, just about any oil will do. That truck never saw synthetic oil and ran perfect when I sold it. That being said I now run synthetic and change it at 5k miles. I like the idea of synthetic in small air cooled engines, they sit a lot and run hotter than liquid cooled engines. Sounds perfect for synthetic. BTW I only run Redline 20-50 in my Harley. Believe it or not it actually lowered operational temps notably and the motor seems more quiet. Very pricy but good stuff!

To be honest, I just forgot they made it.  It does have high zinc levels and is a little cheaper.  It would be a good one to try.