Motor Oil

I'm too lazy to do a search. Do synthetic oils eliminate (or nearly eliminate) worries about oil temperature? I notice that my oil gets pretty thin when it's really hot, and my oil pressure drops. Synthetics provide much more protection at higher temps, don't they?

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'83 SC

The way I understand it, a full synthetic will continue to provide protection at temps where conventional oils fail. But even though I've never seen my oil temp go past 225, I now use Mobil 1 15-50. CAR & DRIVER ran a column some months ago, can't remember which issue or column, that not all oils labeled "synthetic" are, and the columnist wasn't talking of the oils labeled as "blends". Anybody else remember this? IN the column, it was mentioned that Mobil 1 is full synthetic...

I remember reading the article but cannot remember which issue it was from. The author was basically questioning the need to pay the premium for synthetics. The gist of the argument was that all premium brand oils, dino or synth. meet and exceed all the tests and standards set by manufacturers for their engines. The oil companies do not recommend extended oil change intervals with synth's over dino so the author questions what benefits an owner would get especially if he changes his oil frequently (every 5k miles).

I am pondering the very same thing myself. Apparently, most endurance racing teams use dino oil too as they find it much more economical because they change their oil so often. You could do oil changes twice as often with conventional oil and you would still be halving your oil bill compared to synth's. The only thing that does worry me is the heat from my turbo and it's effect on the oil. OTOH, when the 930's were first produced, synth's didn't exist yet so the factory recommended oil grades then should still be good enough now shouldn't it? I use Mobil 1 0w-40, the only type I can get but it's too thin for me so I'm going to switch to 20w-40 semi synthetic or just plain Shell Helix unless someone has first hand negative experience with this on a turbo.

I think there is some truth to that article, as you say. I think for most cars, if you were to change the oil every 3-5K, and used a high quality dino oil, it is unlikely that the car's demise will be oil related.

On the other hand, just saying that all oils meet certain minimum standards, and therefore all oils are the same is obviously false.

However, I don't think anyone really disputes that sythetic oil offers better protection for an engine, or that dino oil is a superior lubricant. So the question is really this: Exactly HOW MUCH better is sythetic, and is the extra cost justified?

I think that can only be answered on an individual basis. For example, if one has a car that one intends to only keep for 50,000 miles, the extra cost of synthetic may not be worth it. On the other hand, if the goal is to drive the car 500,000 miles, it probably would be worth it. One's own personal budget may also be a consideration. So, I don't think there is any one right answer. For example, in some of my cars I use synthetic, in others I don't. Depends on the car, how it gets used, etc. etc.

HOWEVER, for a turbo, I would DEFINATELY use a sythetic. Syns are no doubt better at handling ultra high heats, like they are subjected to in a Turbo. You can help avoid coking and all sorts of other "turbo-type" problems.

Just because syns may not have existed when the Turbo was first introduced doesn't mean its not a good idea to use it now! Multi-weight detergent oils were not around when the 911 was first introduced, but that doesn't mean you want to use straight weight, non-detergent oil! You should treat your car to the best tech oil that will help it lead a long, healthy life, IMO.