synthetic oil?

[wolfgangwelding]

So the first engine oil change is comeing up for my bobcat should I go synthetic or regular oil?

[boilerman]

oh boy ...this thread will go a long ways ....i run synthetic as in amsoil...cost like hell but i find it to my benefit...i change oil every 25,000 miles or 1 year and change oil filter every 12,500...the benefit is i'm lazy and this way i don't have to crawl under every 3,000....both my vehicles have over 100,000 miles and i run them hard along with my mowers and 4 wheeler...only thing i don't have synthetic in is my 3 sa-200 welders and that is cuz they leak it out and make a mess ...synthetic is a tough oil to hold...if i ever overhaul one of my welders they will be put on synthetic after break in....the 2 biggest things about synthetic is decreased maintence and flowablitiy in the cold...thats my nickels worth

[Fla Jim]

I run Amsoil in my Ranger 8.
I hope Shade will pop in and advise us the Brillance, or folly of our actions.

[arcdawg]

while i cannot comment on heavy eq .........i can tell you this much... 87 vw gti bought it with 175,000 guy had ran mobil 1 since 100,000 and looking at the the oil filler......inside was CLEAN ........i ran that car for an other 100,000 miles beat the shiz out of it....5,000 rpm every day for 3 years and never had a problem......however synt finds ways to seep out of older LOOSER engines

good luck with what ever you decide

dawg

[Shade Tree Welder]

Originally Posted by arcdawg

.....however synt finds ways to seep out of older LOOSER engines

good luck with what ever you decide

dawg

The older buna-N seals swell and leak with synthetics, newer engines have better seals, compatible with synthetic basestocks.

I will find of the other threads and post links to them.

http://www.shopfloortalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=70
http://www.shopfloortalk.com/forums/...read.php?t=131

Short version, don't waste your money.

I personally can't see the point in synthetic engine oils. The cost is rediculous and the only benifit I've run across is the lower viscosity they can achieve, and thats only if your starting the vehicle at 40 below. My diesel won't start at that temp unless its plugged in, if it is the oil is warm anyway. As for the extended oil changes, think of all the sludge that builds up in the pan that isn't getting drained.
We ran pickups at work with regular oil to 400,000 km regularly and would never touch an engine. By that point the body was trashed from working off road so synthetic wouldn't gain any life anyway.
My two cents worth,
Greg