>but your engine will be better off with synthetics in the long haul
Depends on the application. If you experience a lot of ambient
temperature extremes (subfreezing and/or >100degF), I'd think you're
definitely better off with synthetics. Otherwise, I don't think it's
anywhere near as clear.
>especially if you're not religious about 3k oil changes.
Absolutely true.
>Dino juice breaks down a lot quicker than synthoils
Again, depends on the application.
>In a then-new '76 Ford Econoline van used to tow a travel trailer, we used
>Pennzoil in the 351 Windsor [...]
>we discovered a lot of crud left from the dino juice-the lifters were
>literally sludgecicles. I believe (no proof) that this was due to the high
>heat generated in a lot of towing, and the natural oil just broke down too
>fast between 2,000 mile oil changes. An oil cooler may have helped too.
I'm inclined to agree, but wasn't Pennzoil primarily paraffin stock in
the mid-'70s?
>Dad switched to AMSOIL (one of the few synthetics he could find back then)
>and ran that for another 100k. We pulled the engine for some "tune up" work
>(more power, a recurring theme in our lives before it became a grunt call)
>at 170k and while the engine wasn't dinner table clean, it absolutely didn't
>have any sludge buildup.
FWIW, we rebuilt my '66 Mustang's 289 at ~260K miles, running mineral
oil (mostly Valvoline SAE 30) at a religious 2500 mile change
interval. There was almost no crud in the oil galleys, and no sludge
to speak of. Just for fun, we Plastigaged the crank bearings and
they were within Ford spec (we rebuilt due to a burnt valve and broken
ring). We changed them anyway.
This was a basic Southern California grocery getter, so no heavy-duty towing,
but an occasional jaunt through the 120degF desert. My point is that frequent
oil/filter changes are your best insurance for a long-lasting engine.
Synthetics are icing on the cake, especially if you run hard.
My Dakota has got nearly 6K miles, and I'm considering a switch to Mobil-1.
Ron
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