Lifters and Synth Oil

[George Harris]

I know that Phil and most on the list already know all this, but I would 
hate for a misunderstanding to develop that 0W30 synthetic is not as 
good as 0W30 dino oil when used in our I5s.

One of the main advantages of full synthetic oil is that you can get 
them with a wider range of viscosity. Since the '0' in 0W30 means that 
it is as thin as a standard 0 weight oil at room temperature or 'cold' 
and the '30' means it is as thick as a standard 30 weight oil at 
operating temperature, then it is a big advantage to use 0W50, only 
available in synthetic, because when you first start up, the oil will 
flow quickly to the dry bearings and start lubricating quickly even when 
used in winter temperatures in Canada. But when the engine is hot the 
oil will still have the same body as a standard 50 weight oil. Unless 
the rating system is inaccurate, or there is some important factor not 
compensated for by the rating, a 0W30 synthetic should not make the 
engine rattle any more than a 0W30 dino oil.

BUT why use 0W30 when you can get 0W50 for the same price?

Cheers
George

Phil Payne wrote:
>>As they were dumping oil from my boost tubes, I asked if they could tell if
>>it
>>was dino or synth oil (since I had just switched to synth a thousand miles
>>ago).  Both the service advisor and the mechanic said to switch back to dino
>>immediately.  They were quite clear that I *would* have lifter problems
>>(their
>>words: "every time").
>>
>>Does any one have any information about this??
> 
> 
> Having just read Al's response - I wonder.
> 
> Over here (UK) "synthetic" usually means Mobil 1 or something similar.  If you walk into one
> of the auto stores such as Halfords and ask for some Mobil 1, they will without comment give
> you a can of 0W30 or 0W40.  These oils _will_ make your lifters rattle - they're much too thin
> for I5 engines.
> 
> I wonder if that's what your monkey boys really mean.
> 
> --
>   Phil Payne
>   http://www.isham-research.com/quattro
>   +44 7785 302 803
>   +49 173 6242039
> 
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