Oil Change/PM ...advice

When was the last time most tested their coolant too

 

I do the works at 15k.I use delvac with a gallon of lucas

 

Cant you run a conventional and still get the same results as a synthetic with a system like the gulf coast bypass system?

 

I would run the syn. It doesn't break down as fast as regular oil.

 

Are you talking about a pick up truck, then 5000 miles is right! but if you are talking about a Large car, then synthetic oil could get you around 25000 miles with the proper filters

 

That's what the ones doing it claim. Really no benefit to synthetic other than a warm fuzzy feeling. You're replenishing additives with makeup oil every filter change so why pay more for synthetic when convetional will go the distance at a lower cost?

 

I run Delo Synthetic in my Jeep Liberty Diesel and my Detroit Series 60. The Jeep gets oil changes at roughly 10,000 miles, and the truck, now that it is broke in after the factory rebuild, is going up to 30,000 mile OCI's. Maybe more depending on oil sample data. Running Donaldson Extended life oil filters. Have a bypass unit on the truck also. Been using the Delo synthetic primarily because I can get very good pricing at my local Wally World. The diesel in the Jeep has an OEM requirement out of the gate to use synthetic. The Truck will probably bounce between conventional Delo in the summer, and synthetic Delo in the winter. Have tried both and they give very close results. The synthetic is better for me for winter starts and getting lube up on top of the engine quicker in the cold weather. It stays in the northern tier all winter long.

The conventional oils are usually good enough for most folks. On previous trucks, I took the oil changes regularly out to 30,000 miles on conventional oil and samples still looked fine. Took an N-14 to 1.4 million doing that and it still was in good shape when I sold it. There is no one "best" brand. Pick a name brand, run it, do some samples and see how it looks. You can try another if that one doesn't give you the results you are expecting. Engines just seem to have their own preferences for oil just like .22 rifles have a preference for a particular brand of ammo, even though all the brands of ammo, just like oils, are good. Sometimes you can get real lucky and find a remote brand that gives you great results at a substantially lower cost. That happened with my last engine. I tried the Mystik JT-8 15w40 synthetic blend I could get at my local farm and home store for just over $11 a gallon. It turned in the best oil samples I had ever seen on that ISX, so I stuck with it.

Don't fall for all the hype on oils and marketing gimics. All of them are good. Find an oil that gives you the best results, at the lowest cost, for how you are operating your engine. Like rollin coal stated, you just get warm fuzzies and a lighter wallet getting more than you need.

 

for as much as synthetic costs i stay with regular oil.i usually change my oil around 10000 miles and the fuel filters at the same time i also started doing it myself since most of the parts stores take used oil now

 

That's what I do. No problems.

 

Generally I would agree that the cost factor is not worth running synthetics. Unless one plans on doing extended drains, spends a lot of time in rear end numbing cold, etc, then conventional oils will do quite well. I can get a Delo full synthetic, at Wally World, for only $1 a gallon higher than conventional oil off the shelf from most truck stops. With only a dollar a gallon higher cost, along with taking my drains to between 20,000 and 30,000 miles, then it becomes more cost effective. I realize that is not everyone's idea on how to do things, and that's cool. For how you are doing it, then there is no real advantage to use synthetics. Even in the summer months, with my longer drain interval, I have no problem using a conventional. I only put in synthetic during the winter months for better cold weather performance.

Even on fuel filters, I take a different tact than many. I have a Davco unit and that filter is not getting changed until fuel reaches the top. The fuel filter hardly ever gets changed out less than 40,000 miles. Just can't see throwing a filter away that still has a lot of life left. I always carry spares, so when it needs changed, I can have a new one installed in less than 5 minutes.