Synthetic Oil

[Beholder88]

Ok, I've searched everywhere on this forum, and have yet to find an answer without asking. Here goes - Most of you senior guys have read my introduction (My New Alero), and should have a pretty good idea of what my car is like. I want to run Mobile 1 fully synthetic oil. I am also planning on getting the larger Fram filter. With just over 75,000 miles, would it be safe to go full synthetic, or start off with a blend first? There seem to be some mixed opinions, depending on who you ask. I started my Malibu off on full synthetic @ 100,000 miles, and had an all around improvement. I don't plan on using syn in my tranny, maybe B&M? Let me know what you think.

[Midgear]

royal purple methinks-

[Redog]

Mobil 1 is better and cheaper ;)

IDK about running syn in a motor with more than 60,000 on the clock. but you've done it before, so IDK

I went to syn around 55,000 or so, My mech had to pull the VC just before ASS this year and with 95,000 on the car, he asked if I had the motor replaced because there was no way the motor was orginal :p

[Midgear]

so changing to a synthetic -after- a certain amount of miles could be considered a bad thing?

its like flushin' the tranny after 10 years of abuse and neglect, amirite?

[Redog]

Yes because after a certain point the gaskets are set to regular oil, syn oil is much thinner. It does coat internal parts better, but the thin-ness of the oil can find it's way though very fine cracks in the gaskets. This also comes with an old motor too than might not have as many miles, but the age of the gaskets, same thing.

Tranny flush is a good thing, for an auto. But use the regular GM tranny fliud. GM trannies don't take too well to the syn tranny fluid and makes the gears too slippery, not good.

Tranny flushes for manual trannys, not a good thing. That fliud is more like a lube. It should only be changed if the tranny is rebuild or the the fliud leaks out

[Midgear]

I wonder what kinda tranny fluid that guy at the shop stuck in my car.. cause it slips at WOT every now and then. took 25 quarts of fluid to clean it out :blink:

come to think of it.. I dont even think they changed the tranny filter in the car.. they just hooked it up to a machine that pumps new fluid in and old fluid out.. and it took 25 quarts pumped to get it clean.

[Redog]

25 quarts is like almost 2 times the amount. the 4T45 holds, I think, 14 quarts. That's everything in the convertor and the tranny itself and a machine has to be used to suck it all out.

They HAD to change the filter. It's in the way, and bad news to put back in after it's been out

[Midgear]

apparently this machine hooks up in two locations on the transmission.. one end pumps while the other end sucks (lol he said sucks..)

they pump fluid at a pressure that "matches" the transmission.. so they just pump it in while the other hose sucks it out.. untill its clean fluid that comes out-

it was a 120 dollar deal.. so im hoping they changed the filter lol.. he never did say anything about it though.

[Redog]

Probably did. That's what I paid too ;)

[TheEdgeofSanity]

when I bought my car with 93K on the odometer, the first thing I did was switch to mobil 1. Since then, i've had problems with nearly everything OTHER THAN the motor. I love synthetic and thing that it should be used in any vehicle.

go ahead, it'll be fine. you'll thank yourself later.

[bdyman]

the drag bbc my brother had was on royal purple when dynoed we gained close to 5 hp, stuff really works, i used that oil since then in every car i ever owned

[kwhauck]

i use royal purple in the alero, and mobil 1 in every thing else.....

[bdyman]

and some tassles

[Steven01]

How many km should you wait to do a tranny flush?
Has anyone here ever tried Zero-F additive for oil? Its really thick like lucas. $$
My buddie bought a 05 silverauto and has been useing royal purple for since 30,000 and he says he gaind hp. but then again motor wasn't really broken in.

[Beholder88]

I tried the Lucas additive in my tranny in my 1993 Olds Cutlass, and it went to the shieter. Never shifted right after that, then it started slipping. Had to get the tranny rebuilt, the mechanic showed me the clutches, there was like no friction material left. I guess the Lucas makes the tranny fliud foam real bad, and it doesn't lubricate right. I'll never use it again. Lucan in the oil is also not that great, I just run straight synthetic.

[Ryan from Ohio]

The synthetic oild will actually clean your engine. It will remove build ups around roatating parts and those seals will tend to leak a bit. If put the nail in the coffin on my LIMG.

Mobile 1 FTW. Easily available and cheap. Theres different levels of Synthetics. Mobile 1, Amsoil, Royal Purple all are on the same level for quality. Get whats available/cheapest.

[Alero_1986]

since we're on the topic..
Is there any significant risk in changing between synthetic oils for a brand that it on sale that month?

I have been using pennzoil platinum full-synthetic for a while based on the cost. But the prices have gone up over $5 a jug though.

[Redog]

Full syn is full syn

As long as it's for gas engines you're :thumb:

[Redog]

How many km should you wait to do a tranny flush?
Has anyone here ever tried Zero-F additive for oil? Its really thick like lucas. $$
My buddie bought a 05 silverauto and has been useing royal purple for since 30,000 and he says he gaind hp. but then again motor wasn't really broken in.

96,560.7 kms

I think I did the conversion right :ninja: 60,000 miles = 96560.7 km's

How cold does it get where you live? It doesn't get too much below 0*F here, Motor oil does thicken in the cold weather. When it gets bloew 25*F I let the car warm up for 2 mintues, otherwise the tranny will slip :eek: 5 minutes below 0.

Royal Purple does have the claims and proof to gain HP, but I still think Syn is Syn :ninja: Of course Mobile 1 claims 200,000 miles and little to no engine wear

[Midgear]

you should see the images they have on royal purple's website about how it actually smooths out the metal..

they take 3 pictures- all of the same bearing, magnified by 1500 times. In picture #1, you can see the straight line gouges in it when the bearing was brand new.. in picture #2 (after regular use with regular oil) the bearing surface looks distorted and jagged.. and in picture #3 (after royal purple use) the bearing surface is baby ass smooth.

- http://royalpurple.com/rp-performance-advantages.html <== scroll down

[Ryan from Ohio]

Which holds true for all PAO IV or VI oils.

[undecided02]

I would start with a blend and see if u have any trouble. if all goes well go for the full change.

[Beholder88]

At this point, after finding the factory plugs and wires and air filter still installed, I'm wondering if the oil is still the same that was put in at the factory as well. It doesn't appear to be really black, but it does look rather old. I don't know if even a synthetic blend would be a good idea. There is a Fram filter currently on it, so it had to have been changed at one point. I think I'm going to put in some conventional 5w-30 for the first oil change, along with a new Bosch filter, and see what happens. I'm thinking it may need new intake manifold gaskets, which I have from my 3.1L, and I don't want to see if they leak by putting synthetic into it right away.