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Have you ever heard the story about the light bulb that doesn’t burn out or the razor that never dulls? Sure, these stories get exaggerated, but sometimes there’s an element of truth to the rumors leaking out of a manufacturers skunkworks. One particular rumor that sounds too good to be true is “an experimental motor oil that increases horsepower, practically stops internal engine wear in its tracks and improves fuel efficiency.” Well, synthetic motor oil is not a rumor. It’s been in use ever since World War II (the Germans used it on the cold eastern front because conventional oil wouldn’t flow in the arctic-like weather). Even though it sounds too good to be true, synthetics do reduce engine wear, improve gas mileage and increase horsepower. This is because synthetic oil molecules are superior in a number of ways to mineral-based oils Synthetic Oil is Superior to Mineral-Based Oil in
Every Way: Added lubricity is another attribute of synthetics. The uniform diameter of synthetic oil polymers allows them to more easily slide over one another. The resultant reduction in friction shows up as more horsepower and torque and reduced internal engine wear. Higher film strength, however is one of the major benefits of synthetics. Film strength is what keeps oil molecules from being pushed away from each other under pressure. Mineral based oil has a film strength of about 400 psi, while synthetics usually exceed 3000 psi. In an area where two metal surfaces meet, the film of oil between them prevents them from rubbing and wearing away at each other. Synthetics do a better job of this than conventional mineral oils. It takes more than seven times as much pressure to squeeze synthetic oil from between two surfaces than mineral-based oil. Consequently, synthetics are much better at keeping your engine like new. Not All Synthetics Are Created Equal: Film strength is important in another way- cold start protection. Regular mineral-based oil will not remain as a boundary layer (a uniform thin coating) on metal surfaces when an engine is turned off. Mineral-based oil drains off parts and out of passageways into the oil pan. Additionally, mineral-based oils contain waxes and paraffins that come out of the earth and solidify when it gets colder outside, therefore making it even harder to pump the oil when cold. When you crank your vehicle the metal surfaces (crankshaft, camshaft, lifters, connecting rod bearings, piston pin bushings & bearings, piston, rings and cylinder walls) that require lubrication are not fully lubricated in the time it takes for the oil pump to pressurize the lubrication system and supply oil to the engine. With Mineral-Based Oil Your Engine is Not
Protected During One of The Most Critical Times: Engine Start-Up: Synthetic motor oil, on the other hand, will stay on engine parts and coat them uniformly because of its high film strength and greater heat affinity (it adheres better to hot metal parts). Additionally, synthetics prevent start-up engine wear and are pumped to critical passageways, surfaces and bearings much faster than mineral-based oils. With mineral-based oils your engine is basically running with no oil (which can be as much as 20-30 seconds, depending on the severity of cold weather, after cranking the motor). With synthetics after several hundred thousand miles you still will have a strong running engine, instead of a used-up engine that requires a re-build. This has been proven by millions of miles of customer usage and countless laboratory and field tests. End of article Why Don’t Automakers Use Synthetics in Production Vehicles:
It is our opinion that oil companies want to keep their wells and refineries running. They do that by recommending the 3000 mile oil change. Sure, they all offer a synthetic or semi-synthetic now, but it is only a very small percentage of their total oil sales volume. By using AMSOIL people can reduce the amount of oil they use by as much as 80%. Many of the same oil companies that recommend 3000 mile oil changes in the U.S. also offer and recommend 12,000-18,000 mile oil changes in Europe, and have plans for increasing that in the future. AMSOIL is the only one to offer a superior extended drain synthetic oil that far exceeds the performance specifications of any other type and brand of oil and back it with their own warranty. Interestingly enough, the biggest reason that synthetic lubricants are not in widespread use is because the would-be consumer does not know of the benefits provided by synthetics. Also, they are not sure where to go to ask or who to ask. Asking your local parts counterman at the auto parts store, the high school kid at the quick-lube shop or even the local auto dealer that sold you the car- remember, they are usually tied in with the auto manufacturers brand of oil and the 3000 mile oil change myth is not the answer. You should seek out and acquire information from a Lubrication Specialist, lubrication engineer, unbiased automotive engineer or competent mechanic that fully understands and can explain the benefits of synthetics and the drawbacks of mineral-based oil to the consumer. But beware, there are many mechanics out there that are so engrained in the old way of thinking that they refuse to change their way of thinking or even open up their minds to the fact that there are automotive engineers, lubrication engineers and chemists that know a heck of a lot more about motor oils, filtration, vehicles and synthetics than them. Some People Will Never Change: Typical reasons are:
This last statement was an actual statement from a customer in a snowmobile store. He was having 2-cycle spark plug fouling problems due to the mineral- based oil mixture he was using. The store suggested he use a synthetic oil and 2 new spark plugs to eliminate the fouling issue. He declined and purchased 2 boxes of spark plugs and his usual crude oil mix, I guess some people will never change. Synthetics Are Compatible With Mineral Based Oils,
But Be Careful: Also, as the mineral oil breaks down it will contaminate the rest of the oil, leaving sludge and varnish deposits in the engine (this is because mineral oil is made up of many chemically dissimilar hydrocarbons, including waxes, all of which react differently under different operating conditions). By adding a mineral oil to synthetic oil you will also see a reduction in engine efficiency. depending on how much, and when, the mineral-based oil was introduced. There are many different companies that offer synthetics. because this overview is intended to give readers a general idea of the benefits of synthetic lubricants, we have not discussed the specific differences between all the individual brands and their formulations. Keep in mind that there are significant differences between brands of synthetics, which will affect the performance and longevity of your engine, transmission, axles, bearings and chassis components.
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