according to my dealer-trans fluid is semi synthetic like their 5-20 oil

 

All Mercon V is synthetic.

 

better than regular oil

engine overheating can occur in certain circumstances, and when that happens, the vast majority of information that i've read indicates synthetics will perform to a higher temperature before thermal breakdown, ...perhaps synthetic oil might prevent those worse things with which i'd deal with if i were to shut down the engine in time


i don't believe everyone needs to, much less ought to, use synthetic, hence my lack of suggestion everyone do so...i have plenty of anecdotal evidence to the contrary and i'm of the opinion that regular oils with regular change intervals are quite sufficient for engine longevity...but i'm certainly not qualified to refute scientific analysis and subsequent information that points clearly to many synthetics performing into higher temps before thermal breakdown

you are clearly quite opinionated on the topic, and i have no desire to change your opinion, i'm just offering information to ricksfx4...if you can refute it, then i stand corrected

 

I noticed you live in Buffalo, so I will share something from my experience in cold weather. I lived in Alaska for 8yrs and had a daily driver 3/4 ton that had to sit outside...I started off using regular Dino type oil. Then when winter came and we would get a cold snap, meaning like -10 and below (-50 and below at times), the truck would not turn over...The oil would thicken so much it just wouldn't allow it. Happened a couple of times.

Talked to some folks and it was pretty common knowledge that synthetics were a much better performer in the cold...Changed it out to Mobile 1 and it never happened again...even at 20 to 50 below...The engine always turned over and started...I used Mobil 1 and Castrol Syntec exclusively for both of my vehicles the whole time we lived there. Never a problem after that.

The conclusion I drew from that is at least in Cold weather the Synthetics performed as specified or better...While the regular oils did not. There is plenty of research out there for this...If you want a site that is specific to oils and Lubes you can visit Bobistheoilguy and you will get plenty of knowledge.

I live in the South now and use a Synth Blend...and keep it changed regularly But if I lived in Cold weather I would absolutely use pure Synthetic for the engine..at least in the winter months..I don't know how the Reg. Oils work on the Hot side but I would imagine that it is pretty stable because the thermo regulates the engine heat...But you cannot control how cold your block gets sitting at work all day or sitting overnight and synths provided the best lubricating qualities in those conditions...

I had a manual tranny and used regular fluids for that and the rear-end...But will tell you that they were very very stiff when cold...

This is from my personal experience...We bought a brand new vehicle when we were up there (not the truck) and brought it with when we moved south...We just sold it a year or so ago with 140,000 still running strong and not burning a drop of oil...

Hope this helps...

 

Well, I can't refute it, but I can support my side of the argument. I've seen an engine get so hot that it melted the spark plug wires, vacuum hoses, and intake pipe to the block, and then proceded to set itself on fire. The engine oil was whitish foamy and burnt smelling when we "drained" it. But the guy put another 50,000+ on the truck before he sold it. (he cooked the tranny too, and had to replace it but the engine was still running fine)

I've seen engines get so hot that they just shut off,(not computer controlled either!) and once they cool off, they crank back up. That's the evidence I have that supports my side of the story.

But FORDZGUY has a different argument that I cannot comment on. His situation is totally unrelated to anything I do. I'm gonna take his word for it, cause he has SEEN how much better the synthetic oil did.

It's great when people come here and have something to say, and try to explain their thoughts. I will admit, that when that engine overheated and melted those hoses, it RUINED the oil. I guess he should have been running synthetic! Having an intelligent argument leads me to think more about everybody's comments. And I KNOW I've been proven wrong before.

There are (occasionally) situations on the farm where "normal" oils do break down in high heat situations. (such as oil on rusted threads) I might try a little synthetic oil next time and see what happens.

 

Well regardless i plan on getting the diff and the tranny changed over to royal purple soon. I am hitting 5000 miles and the bgreak in oil needs to be changed. I'm also adding a mag-hytec diff cover and a tranny pan.

For a 20K$ Truck a couple hundred $ of insurance can't hurt!!

seriously check out http://www.royalpurple.com/techrp/summary.html they have data from North Carolina State university, magazines, tv shows, etc....
A good read.

 

 

FYI -- in the old days, synthetics did have much better cold temperature flow ratings than a regular dino oil. However, with today's modern blends, these numbers are far more comparable. So close, in fact, that the difference is irrelevant except in the most extreme circumstances.

 

In regards to the sludge. Sludge is not formed from anything in the oil. It is formed due to moisture that the oil cannot hydrolize or the engine does not build enough heat to cook it off. The older engines ran a 160F thermostat. There's your sludge. Also, folks didn't drive 30 miles to work like we do today. Most folks drove less than 3 miles to work. Hardly long enough to cook off moisture in a relatively cool engine. Then there is also the lead from the fuels and the contamination of the oil with fuel because of the carbs used. All of this adds to the formation of sludge.

In regards to artic conditions and synthetics. The term "synthetic" is far too broad for a statement like that. Just a couple of years ago the term was used to define a PAO basestocked oil. There are very few left anymore. The PAOs will flow better at artic temps than any dino blend or dino synthetic averagely. As of today, the common PAO synthetics would be Amsoil excluding the XL7500, Royal Purple, or Redline which is a PAO/ Ester blend. The others marketed as synthetic are all now a GP III dino synthetic. You almost need a score card to keep up. But the oils you buy today are a better formulation than the oils you bought in 2000.

In regards to the high heat. If the oil has the Ford spec 929 or 930, it is tested at the same temps as any synthetic which is 302F. It does not allow the oil to oxidize or shear out of it viscosity range. It does not allow but 35 gms of high heat deposits across the life of the oil. If your oil runs at 302F, the engine is toast anyway as there is already a catastrphic failure in progress. Most of todays synthetics are a GP III synthetic. This is same oil as any dino oil out there just a little more impurities removed and a higher viscosity index. While I'm a fan of the GP IIIs, there are no magic bullets and none of the oils will make a difference in a catastrophic engine failure.

 

interesting stuff, thanks for the clarification

 

Mobil 1 is a PAO as well correct?

Yes...Back when I used Castrol Syntec is was a full PAO, but has since changed. The only PAO in Castrol's line-up that I know about now days is "German Castrol" at 0W-30..But it is a very thick 30W oil...Some engines love it and some don't from what I have read the Fords don't like it...

Oil has changed formulas since I lived in Alaska...IIRC...Synths still have better cold temp pour points and I would still use them if I lived in the cold.

 

apparently, there's some grey area with mobil one now--rumor has it that many of their synthetics are now built upon group III basestocks

since this came about right about the time their prices on 5w-20 went up, i decided to go with castrol syntec or pennzoil platinum in our gt...i know it's group III, but i can find pretty good prices on it compared to the M-1

i think i'll stay with the MC blend in my pickup since i can usually find it for a good price...i was considering going to longer intervals with a synthetic, but honestly, i think i'd rather just change it more often

 

Theoretically your friends are right, but is it necessary? No, waste of time and money IMO. Change your oil, 5w-20 (whatever brand), and tranny fluid as per recommondation, I'm guessing Mercon V and you have no torque converter plug so maybe a flush every 40k or so. The rear end you'll prolly never have to touch, the book says so unless you open up any part, like pull axles etc. The power steering is another that's not important, monitor color and level, same thing with brake fluid. Some say that has to be flushed every 2-3 years? I dunno, I never have and mine's fine. Engine and tranny are the important ones, just read you're service recomondations booklet to see what fluids to change and when. The coolant should be changed every 2-3 years.

 

Thanks Everyone For Your Input

 

Thanks Everyone For Your Input