Re: about switching to synthetic

["Michael Stocker" <mdstockr@neo.lrun.com>]

The Engine Oil Bible site recommends that the engine be "flushed" using 0W20
flushing oil to remove these deposits before changing over to synthetic.

Basically, you change the oil using this light weight synthetic oil and run the
engine for 20 minutes at idle to loosen and remove these deposits.  Do not
drive the car during this process!  Then, replace the oil and filter as you
normally would and you are all set to go.  Maybe the new 0W30 Mobile 1 will
work as a flushing oil?

What I do is follow these steps to change over to synthetic oil:
    1. Change the oil and filter using normal weight synthetic, and drive the
car for a week
    2. Change the oil and filter and drive the car for 1,000 miles
    3. Change the oil and filter and drive the car for 2,000 miles
    4. Change the oil and filter and resume normal oil change intervals, 3,000
mi/3 mo

Michael D. Stocker
mdstockr@neo.lrun.com
http://home.neo.lrun.com/pim/home.htm

----------
| Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1998 07:41:22 -0700
| From: "Ken Keith" <keith@specialdevices.com>
| Subject: re: about switching to synthetic<>oil pan upgrade question
| 
| > Other than price, I've only experienced on problem with running synthetic
in
| > an older engine. Over the winter I ran Mobil-1 10w-30 in my 87 5kq with
| > about 115k on the motor when winter started. I estimate I've put about 6k
on
| > the car since(odometer quit) and over the weekend changed the oil. When
| > adding the new oil, conventional 10w-40, I noticed a change in the carbon
| > deposits on the cam in the spaces between the lobes and bearings.  The
| > deposits have loosened up and seem to be falling off and into the oil
| > supply. This has me a little worried. I'm thinking I will never use synth
| > again or use it all the time to get all the stuff out of the motor. Right
| > now I fear I am just creating new deposits to float around the engine the
| > next time synth lossens them up.  I see lots of filter changes in my
future.
| > Just another warning I guess.
| 
| Yes, I think most people agree that synthetic oil is very detergent, and 
| will "clean" out your motor of deposits, which can be a good an a bad 
| thing.
| 
| I wonder if it might be better to slowly introduce synthetic to an older 
| car a little bit at a time, maybe a half a quart to the rest conventional. 
| That way, the cleaning factor wont be everything all at once, but the 
| deposits might have a chance to be removed slowly.
|