Originally Posted by dukie564

Hate to break it to you bud, but the same detergents and cleaners that are in synthetic oil are in conventional oil as well. If a lubricant can clean your engine enough to expose the seals, i'd say that's a really good thing. If the seals leak, the obvious solution is to replace the seals because they were not working in the first place.

If you compare the same grade oil in both a mineral oil and a synthetic oil,
the synthetic lubricated engine will turn over easier. This has the effect of using less power from your starter motor. It will last longer. Your battery has less of a current draw. This will also last longer. The battery was discharged less during the start so the alternator will rob less power from your engine to recharge. The alternator lasts longer and you get a little better gas economy. The synthetic oil also does not require the VI friction modifiers that mineral oil requires (they break down faster than the oil itself), thus it can last longer run cycles. The only downside of synthetic lubricants is the cost.

Additives are a big no no as well. The oil companies and engine manufacturers work together very hard to give you the product you need. There is a lot of competition to get us the best working motor oil. Independent additives cannot make the oil better and in many cases makes things worse. There have been engine failures as a result of adding some of these aftermarket additives to motor oil. Yes, even the famed lucas.


I encourage everyone to read this article, it's extremely thorough:
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/cms/in...=article&id=84

Originally Posted by dbcox

I run Amsoil 5-30 in everything with an Amsoil filter. I send it off at 25k and get it tested. it comes back still working but getting near the end of its life. I have a 97 4runner with 238k and it almost doesnt use a drop during those 25k, i got a corolla with 270k, i change it every 10k, cause it had a bad head gasket and water in it and i havent had it tested to see if ALL the water is gone. 3000 mile oil changes are ridiculous these days even on conventional oil, it is better than it used to be.
If your not testing you cant say what oil works, kinda like voting. If you dont vote dont *****

Originally Posted by NapaJohn

I started running Mobil 1 (10w30) in my 93 at 225,000 at 240,000 it is going strong. Rebuilt head was put on at 150,000 ish so I was told. It burns absolutely not a drop as it used to use 1/2 qt every 2500 miles. It also got rid of my "valve tap / lifter" noise that i'm sure most are familiar with higher mileage 4.0's. I have used this oil in the past on various vehicles i have owned but at this point in my life I will use no other. I put it in my 2010 JK (5w20) and highly recommend Mobil 1 to my coustomers. At my store we also sell Amsoil because the previous owner was a dealer. I see Amsoil as a kinda "scammy" pyramid drivin company that looks pretty and sells to a particular market. I do not ever remember a problem with Amsoil products (as many new things as they dream up) but I feel it is over priced and over marketed. I would not be scared to go to Mobil 1 in any car or truck regardless of milage, and like someone else said if it causes seals to leak they need to be replaced anyway. Seals dont leak from oil the leak from wear.

Originally Posted by dbcox

Amsoil isnt a scammy pyramid, a pyramid sells to each other and freinds to friends and so on and the produvct isnt sold to the public and eventually some poor bastard at the bottom is stuck with a bunch of product they had to buy. Amsoil is a multi market set up , that is no different from autozone having a store in your town, across town, in anothwer state and so on. They also sell to anybody not a particular market. Also it seems $4.20 is pretty cheap for a full synthetic oil. I have a customer with 3 cars he figured he would save over $800 a year by swapping all his vehicles over. people are going to run what they like even if they dont test it to know if it is even working. I test my vehicles at 25k or the 1 year whatever comes first, the oil is still working but nearing the end of its life. I enjoy running it hard and testing it in many different vehicles and hearing the same from non beleivers when i swap them over. Everybody is an oil expert tho, i by far am but i got test to back up my experiences.

Originally Posted by NapaJohn

Is the 4.20 for the XL or the first line oil that is good for 25000 that they sell? Is that with the shipping included if you have it sent to your house? I dont mean to start an argument but It seems like all Amsoil guys want to do is sign up up as a dealer so they can collect the commission off of you and get you to buy the latest gear oil in whatever ridiculous viscosity they seem to come up with next. Its almost comical at times, and when in there one manual they said that Wix filters were better than Napa Gold Filters we all had a chuckle at the store. Espically since two of us had recently been to the Wix plant in North Carolina and saw the Wix and Napa gold rolling off the same assembly line just getting diffrent stickers and markings. I'm sure Amsoil is a good product and have no reason to think otherwise but its seems to be brain washy in a way. I'll end this now I dont mean to hurt feelings. They cant even give you a good deal on there clothing and stuff, and make your "earned money" expire if you dont use it fast enough. Mabey its just because our dealer, soon to be our X dealer when I get full control of the store next month is just such a stooge. You got to admit the Wix/Napa Gold filter comparison was a bad piece of marketing that didnt look good amongst people that are in the autoparts business and can see them aiming at the general public at its finest.

Originally Posted by NH_Jeep_XJ

This was a very comprehensive synthetic Oil life test performed on Amsoil and Mobil1 Camaro LS1 engine tested every 1K miles by a Laboratory

The Amsoil tested every 1K miles by a Blackstone Laboratories lasted for a year without requiring a change ...but as I'd mentioned earlier. It Did perform well though other than it's significant change in viscosity from it's original 5W/30 to a 15W/40 which would exceed most manufacturers specifications.

Here's the excerpt from the article of the last sample evaluation.

Mile 14,000 -- Dick Brewster, December 2, 2004.
Oil/Vehicle miles: 13,994 / 44,970
Oil added after sample: none
This is it. Amsoil is done! The oil exceeded a year in service, with 14,000 miles on the ticker, and no filter change! Well, if the year hadn't ended, we would have had to change the filter now -- it finally reached our insolubles cap, 2,000 miles after Mobil 1. The main thing that stands out on this, our final Amsoil sample, is the ridiculous viscosity. This 5W30 oil has now thickened out to a 15W40 -- argue whether it matters if you like, but we believe engine builders spec an oil for a reason, and this oil is far, far thicker now than intended for the LS1. Switching to our flush Mobil 1 netted a nearly instant 10% improvement in fuel economy, and the engine runs a heckuva lot smoother too. To Amsoil's credit, wear metals remain in check, but we will soon see whether that was really thanks to the oil or just to engine break-in. We'll start posting detailed analysis in the coming weeks.


http://neptune.spacebears.com/cars/stories/amsoil.html

Here are the Mobil-1 test results

http://neptune.spacebears.com/cars/stories/mobil1.html

http://neptune.spacebears.com/cars/s.../oil-life.html