Date:         Wed, 18 Nov 1998 14:01:15 -0800
Reply-To:     YauMan Chan <YauMan@CCHEM.BERKELEY.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         YauMan Chan <YauMan@CCHEM.BERKELEY.EDU>
Subject:      Re: oil additives (synthetic oils)
Comments: To: vanagon@vanagon.com
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

I abolutely agree.  I have been using Mobil One since it was first available commercially.  My Vanagon has not seen any other oil after the first 10k miles (she's now has 135K miles, orignal engine, orginal head - no leaks.)  I use synthetics on all my cars.  Change oil every 10K-12K whenever I remember or get around to it.. and change filters every 5K.  Save the pain and pollution of changing oil every 3K miles. Synthetics here in the SF bay area cost about $4 per quart vs the $0.99 per quart for the regular stuff. .. so you have decide if this difference in price is worth it. imho, it is.. definitely.

My understandings is that currently , all synethics are pretty much the same for normal use.  So unless you are putting it in a race car or a long haul truck, it's a matter of brand loyaty which one you use. .. That is not true with natural oil as the origin of the base oil determines the characteristics.  ie. Quaker and other that use paraffin crude from Pennslyvania and the eastern oil fields has more wax then the mid-continent fields which has better pour point .. (or is it the other way around!)

Also, it use to be that you are not suppose to use synethics until the engine is broken in.  This is because synthetics do not have the same seal swelling properties as natural paraffin base oil which helps to set the seal in for new engines. I don't know if that is still true.. one the safe side, I would not use synethics in a new car until after 10K miles or so.

another of my $0.02 worth.

Yau-Man Chan
87 GL



>>> <KENWILFY@AOL.COM> 11/18 12:59 PM >>>
<clipped>Also I have heard that if you change just your filter every 6k miles and just add the quart of oil that comes out with the filter, that you can extend your oil
change durations from 6k miles to 10k miles or more (but I would ask your mech
his opinion about this first) because the synthetic oil just doesn't break
down like normal oil. I have heard these great things about Mobil One.  I haven't researched any of the others so I have no idea if there is a quality difference or not.
Ken Wilford
Van-Again
John 3:16