Motor Oil Myths
JK Super Freak
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,699
Likes: 2
From: Lancaster Pa
I respect you brother jeeper. I'm not in anyway, and far from being a mechanic or an engineer.
I think it's easy for us to imagine how the fluids are sloshing around in the engine and how they may have various effects upon the components, but i think that might be mis-leading unless we exactly studied in detail the possible effects. Unless we were to do that, it's really just a guessing game. For example, you're imagining this sludge building up at a point in which it acts as a barrier that prevents the release and burn off of the oil. But i'm not sure if that is actually even the problem. Perhaps if there were some wear that any sludge buildup fills in to prevent the loss you'd have an answer but i just don't think it works like that. Did you look over the vavoline motor oil myths? I think that says it all. I don't think we can say that sludge is ever useful. Perhaps in some really old engines, in which it's actually hardened to replace some worn out space. Anyway, i appreciate your thoughts and respectfully have to disagree with your idea that any sludge buildup might be helpful. Any oil loss, in my opinion, is due to some faulty engine *component(s)*.
Also think of this; if your dino oil is *hotter*, in theory, it should be more fluid..
I think it's easy for us to imagine how the fluids are sloshing around in the engine and how they may have various effects upon the components, but i think that might be mis-leading unless we exactly studied in detail the possible effects. Unless we were to do that, it's really just a guessing game. For example, you're imagining this sludge building up at a point in which it acts as a barrier that prevents the release and burn off of the oil. But i'm not sure if that is actually even the problem. Perhaps if there were some wear that any sludge buildup fills in to prevent the loss you'd have an answer but i just don't think it works like that. Did you look over the vavoline motor oil myths? I think that says it all. I don't think we can say that sludge is ever useful. Perhaps in some really old engines, in which it's actually hardened to replace some worn out space. Anyway, i appreciate your thoughts and respectfully have to disagree with your idea that any sludge buildup might be helpful. Any oil loss, in my opinion, is due to some faulty engine *component(s)*.
Also think of this; if your dino oil is *hotter*, in theory, it should be more fluid..
Here's a pretty good read, http://www.schleeter.com/oil-sludge.htm Please note amoung a few other things, one of the biggest factors to breakdown of oil is heat and cooling.
Thread Starter
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 318
Likes: 1
From: Toms River, NJ
Yes I did look that over, as well as many articles written on the subject.
Here's a pretty good read, http://www.schleeter.com/oil-sludge.htm Please note amoung a few other things, one of the biggest factors to breakdown of oil is heat and cooling.
Here's a pretty good read, http://www.schleeter.com/oil-sludge.htm Please note amoung a few other things, one of the biggest factors to breakdown of oil is heat and cooling.
I don't see anything about any sludge buildup being beneficial in the article you linked.
JK Super Freak
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,699
Likes: 2
From: Lancaster Pa
Right, but i thought your argument was that the possible sludge buildup from dino oil *helped* retain engine oil and prevented oil loss and that it was therefore better to run with dino oil.
I don't see anything about any sludge buildup being beneficial in the article you linked.
I don't see anything about any sludge buildup being beneficial in the article you linked.
JK Jedi Master
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 14,800
Likes: 374
From: Midwest City, OK
Well, supposedly it came from the factory with synth. Or did it? If so, why? If not, please provide me proof (I'd like to stamp this rumor did, if possible).
Thread Starter
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 318
Likes: 1
From: Toms River, NJ
According to the manual, you're wasting your money changing your oil every 3000miles too when you could be changing it every 6000miles per the manual.. You can buy mobil 1 synth here for around $30 for 6 quarts..
Thread Starter
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 318
Likes: 1
From: Toms River, NJ
No No, sorry for the confussion. I'm a synthetic oil guy from the beginning. I think syn is the greatest thing since sliced bread. just sayin' it's been my experience that if someone has been using dino and has not been paying attention to oil changes, sludge could build up on the seals, and actually starve them for lubrication to the point they become brittle. If that happens and now switches to synthetic, due to the superior performance and high degree of detergent properties within the synthetic oil, there is a very good posibility that it will remove the sludge from the seal, and thereby the seal which is already brittle could begin to leak. I believe that is what has happened in most cases, and that is how the myth of synthetic oil causes leaks in older vehicles got started in the first place.
JK Freak
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 786
Likes: 1
From: Charlotte NC
My GTO has an "old technology" V8 and it comes with Mobil1 from the factory.
Unless you are comparing the most expensive synthetic oil (amsoil, Royal Purple, etc.) to the crappiest no name brand dino oil, the price difference between the two is not that great.
Wallyworld has the Penzoil Platinum 5 quart jug for $20. That's $4 a quart for a very good synthetic oil. Their store brand synthetic is even cheaper.
Last edited by goaterguy; Jul 29, 2010 at 06:12 AM.