calgutie

iTrader: (3)

So I got a 1984 Z28 carbed, and so far ive just been using conventional oil, and I was thinking of switching over to full synthetic oil but IDK if it will harm my engine if I switch over....?

A guy told me that its awesome, and another person told me that it can harm it, so now I am like in between.....please help, thanks!

mickeypatches

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...tzE9bU8#t=357s

this should help, supposedly synthetic is gonna help you but i dont have any personal experience with it. but i have not heard anything bad about it

Guest

synthetic is for real men....you decide.

Killerz187

iTrader: (1)

I'd stick with good ole conventional oil.

What's your mileage like?

BlackenedBird

iTrader: (5)

I switched from Castrol 20w50 to synthetic blend 5w30 at 200k miles with no problems. A shop was doing work on my car & had drain & refill. I figured it was a risk but if it failed shortly afterwards it was their problem not mine, since I had expressed my concerns. 6 months later & no oil loss of exhaust smoke problems.

8t2 z-chev

I used mobil 1 synthetic for a while in the early '90s
-mostly i wanted it for lower friction and easier cold
weather starting as my third was an all season car
car back then.only trouble i noticed with the synthetic
was a greater tendency for the cork rocker cover gasket
to leak-switched to rubber gaskets to cure the problem.
The store that sold the mobil 1 i was using quit selling
the oil so i switched back to mineral oil though by then
i had a winter car.

b4ccamaro

Synthetic is better oil no doubt, but when you have a high mileage engine and you switch to it, your seals will start leaking.

I speak from experience. It will get through cracks that your conventional oil couldn't.

So i wouldn't switch unless you have recently resealed your engine.

BlackenedBird

iTrader: (5)

That is what I thought too but as I said above, so your experience is obviously not how it WILL happen 100% of the time.....

abray1

You cannot break in a new motor with synthetic oil that should tell you all you need to know.

AdamsRS25

Well, I just had my RS 305 Rebuilt and the subject of oil came up. I wanted to use Royal Purple full syn. but my mechanic informed me that, due to the flat tapet design of the engine not to use full syn. He said that it is best to use part syn. The reason he stated was a lack of Zinc in syn. oil.

They do however sell a Zinc additive that could be added to full syn. if you want to use full syn.

Since i do not have another $2600.00 to rebuild it again I use Kendal 5-30 And the Zinc additive.

3rdgenmaro

iTrader: (9)

Why does this even still come up?

You can run a full synthetic in a flat tappett. They do offer different formulations with different additives. Zinc being one of those additives. Call up Brad Penn, Joe Gibbs, Royal Purple, Amsoil, etc and ask them which one they would recommend with your setup if you dont want to do the research yourself online.

Joe Schmoe mechanic doesnt always know whats right.

Research!!

KrisW

iTrader: (5)

This has been my experience on more than one occasion. I don't switch to synthetic if the engine has over 100k miles.

I do run full synthetic Mobil 1 after I rebuild an engine and after the rings are seated and the cam is broken in. I love that oil and I have never wiped a cam due to low Zinc. I am hedging my bet a little, though, because I run 0w-40 turbo diesel Mobil 1 oil. It does have reduced zinc over the old Dino oils that I used to use but I guess maybe they put something else in there to compensate. I don't know, I just know it works great.

Ron U.S.M.C.

I switched to Mobil 1 Extended Performance 5w30 full synthetic when I bought my Camaro with 85,000 miles on it with no problems after 6 years. The gray/white smoke on start up is even gone.

85FBTranam

iTrader: (3)

Swapped over to full synthetic at 250,000 kms, absolutely no issues.

Dakota W.

Don't do it unless you can afford engine issues, your engine may or may not like the Synthetic.

85FBTranam

iTrader: (3)

Where is that coming from Dakota W?!?!
The only reason your engine would die is if it had internal problems to begin with.
I have made the swap from conventional oil to synthetic in everything from a 4 cylinder to 8 cylinder, carburated to fuel injected, brand new to old engines. Zero issue with any of them. Real hand experience, not something I heard from someone.

Dakota W.

I know people who have done the change with no problems at all and also people who have done it and had problems, I would recommend it just because of the benefits but also have the money in hand as a precautionary measure, because I've seen it work and seen it fail miserably.

85FBTranam

iTrader: (3)

Fair enough...I will leave it as do what believe in. There are pros and cons to either.