Synthetics (Long, hopefully not preachy...)

[apowell@ezlink.com]

OK...let's see if I can make some points without pouring gas on the 
fire.....

Item:  ALL contemporary major brand oils are damn good.  ALL will 
work very well in the normal range of engine conditions.  My 
**opinion** based on some 20 years of reading on the subject is 
that synthetics offer you insurance at specific times: startup, high 
temperature operation, turbo operation, and if any part of your 
lubrication or cooling system should fail.  Synthetics have, 
**IMHO**, an advantage at those times.  I also believe they hold up 
better under long-term use, both in regard to less volatility shift and 
in regard to less breakdown of the polymer chains.

[Having said this, I bought a 93 Ford F-150 with 95K miles in 
October.  It uses less than a quart every 3K miles and has never 
had synthetic in it.  Clearly, conventional oils have performed well 
in this vehicle.  I will change it to synthetic for one reason: to 
extend engine life before a rebuild.  I plan to own this truck for at 
least 10 more years, and I think I can buy time with synthetic.]

Item:  Some truckers have never heard of Amsoil.  True enough.  
Some have never heard of synthetics.  Others think synthetics are 
pure ju-ju.  Others swear by them.  All this proves nothing: people 
in all occupations and groups have a range of opinions about 
everything, whether they know anything about the subject or not.  

Item:  Synthetic lube makers, Amsoil included, have made some 
serious marketing runs at big rigs because they feel those vehicles 
are in a superb position to profit from the characteristics of 
synthetic.  Some have used the synth, and the results have been 
clearly recorded in literature I have read (the Amsoil mag, I grant).  
They have documented engines with 400K between teardowns 
using synthetic, and when the engine was torn down, wear has 
been too minor to replace parts!  Not bad!

Item:  I don't care WHAT brand synth you might run.  All of them 
have advantages as noted above, especially in turbo engines.  
**IMHO**, anyone running a turbo and NOT using synth is asking 
for early turbo failure, period.  I know more about Amsoil because I 
have used it for 20 years, and became a lifetime dealer simply so i 
wouldn't have to pay a fee every year.  I get my oils direct and at a 
discount.  No big deal.  I don't make my living by selling it, so I 
don't give a rap which oil anyone runs.

Item:  Marketing doesn't mean SQUAT relative to a product's 
quality.  Whether you've heard more about Pennzoil than Amsoil is 
irrelevant.  Most people don't pay any attention to motor oil, they 
frankly don't care about it, and I'm not sure they're not smarter than 
we are, since we tend to obsess about this!!  Having said the 
above, Amsoil has been around since the Korean war.  They did 
some of the early work in synth development, and they know what 
they're doing.  Just because they don't spend the money Pennzoil 
(an oil I no longer prefer after seeing the deposits it leaves...yuck) 
does on marketing doesn't mean they don't have a great product.  
But people who are NOT mechanical nuts don't want to spend one 
penny more on oil and filters than they have to.  Many NEVER 
change oil as long as they own a car (abuse, I know).  That's a 
major reason why synth products have had a slow, gradual growth 
trend onto the market...most people simply don't care!

Item:  Because synth products are a relatively recent development 
in the market, many of the "old mechanic" school still dismiss 
them as snake oil.  This dismissal seldom has any research or 
rationality behind it.  If they're not good products for modern 
engines, why do Corvette, BMW and Porsche (I believe) require 
synthetic motor oil or they void the warranty?

I leave it to the members of this group to do their own research into 
brands and types of motor oil.  BUT I think dismissing any type of 
oil or filter or whatever because "none of my dad's/brother's/coach's 
trucker friends/bar buddies/fraternity bros. use it..." is not clear 
thinking.  Do your own homework and keep it rational.

Go now in peace......
++++++++++++++++++++WSU-CSU+++++++++++++++++
Al Powell
Apowell@EZlink.com
1958 Fiat 1200 Spyder "Transformabile"
1983 Datsun 280ZXT
1990 Audi 200
http://www.ezlink.com/~powells/
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++