I bought my Camaro used and it's at about 50,000 miles. I switched to synthetic oil a few months ago, haven't seen any leaking yet. I was told that if any leaking did occur, I wouldn't see it right away, it would take about a thousand miles.

 

Saying to switch to petro if you have oil burning issues ... is not the same thing as saying use petro because running syn makes an LS1 prone to burn oil ...


Besides the oil consumption issues with the LS1 pretty much have been a result of problems with the rings ... which there is a TSB out on ... and dealers do replace the rings which solves the problem.

Switching to petro may mask or "lesson" the problem ... for awhile, maybe long enough for the warranty to expire ... if you're burning oil - wehter it be syn or petro - you have a problem and it is not the type of oil you are using ...

 

I bought my car with 30K on it. The owner had left an envelope in the glove box and the dealer left it there. In the envelope was a lot of original documentation, including the build sheet, and a several receipts for oil ... Mobil1.

Assuming it had been running synthetic for the 30K miles before I got it, I continued using M1. This car has burned 1 quart eveyr 1000 miles since day one.

I could pay the grease monkeys to rip my motor apart and change the rings, or I could just spend a little extra money adding a quart of oil every 1000 miles.

Guess which one I do ....

 

Switch to regular oil and see if it helps. Burning oil will foul your plugs and mess up your O2 sensors.

It isn't just the LS1 that is prone to the oil consumption problem. Trucks are having the same problem. Synth just compound the problem. It that clear enough for ya? lol

Like I said, you wanna spend extra cash running synth I could care less. I've built many engines and have raced for years and have not found enough benefit, if any at all, in synth over petrol oil for me to switch. Again with regular oil changes and good filters, my engine on plain petrolium based oil will last as long as your engine on synth.

I have seen on the same engine running the same weight of oil that Valvoline keeps higher pressure after it heats up.

 

I used Valvoline and Castrol synthetic blend oils for the last 30000 miles - no problems at all ... if you change the oil and filter every 3000 miles this oil is just fine.

You might benefit from synthetic oil if you plan to drive the car into the ground (more than 200000 miles) - with "normal" TLC your engine will get there with regular oil as well....

In the winter (depens on where you live, you may not have a winter) the synthetic oil is better - at minus 10-20 F it lubricates a lot better than regular oil.... well, I don't have that problem here in FL

 

Does anyone have any actual reports on synth vs. petro? I bought my Z with 14000 miles on it, the previous owner used mobil 1 synth and so do I, no leaks or other probs, but it is quite pricey. But if Greed4Speed is just old fashoned and doesnt like technology I want a little proof, my neighbors head he believes that Im going to wash the paint off my car. And some one else on here asked about blends, any complaints on that.

 

i'm running synth and i only burn oil at high rpm, thats normal right, or do the dinos not burn oil at high rpm?

 

Anyone else have some solid info on Synthetic blend oils??

 

If I was old fashioned and didn't like technology I'd still be driving my 70 SS instead of my 00 SS. It was paid for and parts were a whole lot cheaper.

Just in my experience with building and racing, you'll tear into your engine, something will break from racing, or you'll sell your car long before what type of oil you ran becomes an issue. That is if you actually take care of your engine.

Most people who run synth run it longer, but they don't change the filter every 3k as recommended either. The way I look at it, if your filter needs to be changed your oil does too and synth is too expensive for every 3k, and at oil change intervals that short petrol oil works great.

Want info? Do a search on the web. Just make sure the source is reputable and not funded by one side or the other. I've just seen plenty of engines get thrashed on and still last well over 200K miles on regular oil. By that point I'd be looking to rebuild it anyway.

 

I haven't read all the replies, but thought I would add.

When I used AmsOil and M1 in my 95Z, I would always burn it. It would be at least 1/2 quart. I swore by synthetic.

Not anymore.

When I switched to Havoline 10-30 in my LT1, I stopped burning oil, and had a lot better oil pressure. Not that it was bad in the first place, but holds higher pressure now, when it is warm.

I also have a 99 TA w/ 39k on it, and I plan on putting Havoline in it, but 5-30 instead.

If you read the Chiltons manual for 93+ F-bodies, it advises against synthetic, unless all you do is highway driving. They said for stop and go traffic, city driving, ect. that reg. oil was best, and held up better.

Try it, and I bet you won't burn any. BTW, I probably shouldn't be saying this yet....but in my 99 TA, my oil level is always at the highest full mark, top of the xxxxxx's. And it has about 2500k on it, and it a daily driver.

Either way, I just think synthetic is a way for companies to get more $$ off us.

I am not dissing synthetic....I am just voicing my expierence.

 

I stumbled across this : http://www.viperclub.org/articles/oilfaq.html


Fairly long article, but this caught my eye:

Quote:

Synthetics are a special case. Because the base oil characteristics, the synthetic fluid needs far less VII, so synthetic oils are inherently shear stable. The base oil is highly resistant to oxidation, although mineral oils contain anti-oxidant additives that provide adequate protection. Synthetic base oils, however, are not good solvents, so additional dispersants must be added to provide adequate cleanliness performance. And since the price of additives and the price of the synthetic base oil are similar, it does not cost substantially more to use a higher additive treat rate in a synthetic oil formulation, making it more difficult to make accurate assumptions about their performance without actual testing. Two areas that do make synthetics superior are the ultra low temperature performance, when it will flow at temperatures you wouldn't drive in, and in volatility, meaning it will not vaporize at engine operating temperatures. This resistance to vaporization is noticed as reduced oil consumption compared to a mineral oil.

Interesting, no ?

Britt

 

Those are some real world words of wisdom.

I have over 70K miles on my '98 TA. The last couple of years, I have run the crap out of it at road course venues.

I run Havoline 10W40
6qts when I daily drive and 7 qts when on a road course.

I change the oil and filter just prior to a road course event and immediately after.

ANY quality, name brand motor oil, of the proper viscosity will work great in an engine. When damge occurs is when the oil is dirty with suspended contamination or the chemical make-up is altered due to heat exposure.

If you keep clean, fresh, quality oil in the car, you will be fine, regardless of it's chemical make up.

My 2 cents

 

 

Ok, sythetic oil is better for an engine - at least there are no disadvantages... if you burn more oil, ok , keep adding oil..... it's still lubricating very good..... BUT : think about the money and if you really benefit from this oil.

6qt syth oil = 33 $ incl filter

6qt reg oil = 13$ incl filter

Let's say you drive the car 200000 miles and change the oil every 3K - that are 66.6 oil changes

synth oil = 2197.8$
reg oil = 865.8$

For the difference of 1332$ you can replace a lot of parts which would be necessary anyway - even with synth oil.....

Just my two cents....

 

Here's another one for everybody who's interessted - the statement at the bottom is interessting: the oil for 25000/35000 or 1/year..... what a BS..... but the rest is worth reading....


http://my.execpc.com/~koch-ent/myths.htm