What is synthetic oil?

[LouDoo]

Since this is the off season, at least for most of us in North America, I thought I would start a thread on synthetic oil and not necessarily injector oil just synthetic oil, and synthetic lubricants in general.

I use synthetic oil in almost everything I own, the car, the Jeep, lawn mower, lawn tractor, and of course the SeaDoo's. Other than knowing that it's more slippery and doesn't break down as easily and conventional mineral oil, I don't know exactly what it is, or how it's made.

I assume it's made from petroleum so if that's the case why is it called synthetic. Also I know that a synthetic blend oil is mineral oil with synthetic additives. I know that I could just google and find the answers, I just thought it would make interesting conversation.

Please don't take this as a serious thread, it isn't and I guess it's not really important why synthetic oils, or synthetic lubricants are called synthetic, I was just curious. As they say inquiring minds want to know.

Lou

 

[griz400]

50.00 a gal

 

[Seadoobuddy]

Disadvantages....

A few of the disadvantages of synthetic motor oils include:

1. Higher cost....(esp. at Seadoo)

The lower friction may make them unsuitable for break-in (i.e., the initial run-in period of the vehicle), where friction is desirable to cause wear. However, improved engine-part machining has made break-in less critical than it once was. A select few cars (in general turbo- or supercharged) are factory filled with synthetic oil, usually to help minimize high-temperature oil degradation issues.
...... decomposition problems in certain chemical environments (predominantly in industrial use.)

(15 years ago)...... In July 1996, Consumer Reports published the results of a two-year motor oil test involving a fleet of 75 New York taxi cabs and found no noticeable advantage of synthetic oil over regular mineral oil. In their article, they noted that "Big-city cabs don't see many cold start-ups or long periods of high-speed driving in extreme heat. But our test results relate to the most common type of severe service - stop-and-go city driving." According to their study, synthetic oil is "worth considering for extreme driving conditions: high ambient temperatures and high engine load, or very cold temperatures."........
Synthetic oils are not recommended in automotive rotary engines........

 

[griz400]

actually not made from crude oil at all, your semi-synthetic oils are a blend of synthetic and conventional - from crude -- chemical compoundswe all here probably wont understand fully, but its lubricating properties are great cause its abilty not to break down under heat, almost doubling heat breakdown points of conventional oil -- like what we want for keeping rave valves clean - 1 example - lol....which means that engine wont burn up as much oil, fewer varnish deposits, better lubrication, which in theory, gives u more horsepowr,the different oil weights, for different temperatures is a greater and better choice, like 0w-40w --- lol, lets have some fun here --- who can tell lou here what the "w" stands for -- lol i remember 1 time a guy argued with me about this at a parts store, and my wife overheard the man and she answered the question....remember your most crucial time of an engines life is at start up, and with synthetic oil properties, this is where this kinda oil sorta shines, dodge comes with it in all thier srt hemi engines, some people will never change like lou here does in about everything, but contrary to the old addage that if u have conventional oil in your car, u shouldnt put in synthetic, thats not true, not true at all - they even make a blend -- lol, well, tired of this oil talk, to slick for me, --- whos up next ?????

 

[Seadoobuddy]

Ahhh, good question Jeff.

I think a lot of people think it stands for weigh, but doesn't really mean "Winter"? As in winter weight 5W-30.

 

[LouDoo]

Griz, I thought you would have the answer. So probably the synthetic part come from a higher point in the cracker when the oil is refined.

My newest vehicle an 08 Jeep Compass Sport, I bought it new back during the Obama Sale-O-Rama actually came with synthetic oil, from the factory, I suspect to boost the fuel mileage since then I have always used Mobile 1, 5W20. When I made the change in my wife's car, I did a synthetic blend change and the next change full synthetic. I don't know if the synthetic blend was necessary, but that's what I did.

I also know that Corvette's and Cadillaic XLR's come from the factory (they are both made at the Corvette plant), with Mobile 1.

The lawn mower, tractor, etc. I use 10W30 Mobile 1, I have been for three years.

 

[LouDoo]

SDB makes a good point about conventional oil during break in. I remember when I use to rebuild sports car engines, when breaking in a rebuilt engine you were supposed to use non detergent oil for the first few hundred miles then change to detergent oil. This was back before synthetic oils were even on the market.

We've got an old mechanic at the dealership that starts his car and lets it idle for 60 seconds before driving. That's how old he is, now mechanics are now called technicians. Griz you know what I mean.

I guess I'm showing my age here.

Lou

 

[griz400]

Griz, I thought you would have the answer. So probably the synthetic part come from a higher point in the cracker when the oil is refined.

My newest vehicle an 08 Jeep Compass Sport, I bought it new back during the Obama Sale-O-Rama actually came with synthetic oil, from the factory, I suspect to boost the fuel mileage since then I have always used Mobile 1, 5W20. When I made the change in my wife's car, I did a synthetic blend change and the next change full synthetic. I don't know if the synthetic blend was necessary, but that's what I did.

I also know that Corvette's and Cadillaic XLR's come from the factory (they are both made at the Corvette plant), with Mobile 1.

The lawn mower, tractor, etc. I use 10W30 Mobile 1, I have been for three years.

probably why cheese slid off my cracker already -- lol

 

[RFoster130]

The W technically doesnt stand for anything as far as the letter. What it does mean is that the viscosity number has been tested at colder temperature. Soooo..most people use the W to stand for winter. The first number before the W is the viscosity during the cold temp testing...or winter. A 10w30 has a viscosity of 10 during cold temps or winter and a rating of 30 in normal temps.

I only know because I worked 5 years as a lubrication technician and assistant manager at a Jiffy Lube when i was younger.

 

[griz400]

w stands for winter, everyone thinks that means weight, its somethin i learned about 25 years ago, was a test question, but it was funny when my wife told the guy at the parts store, she remembered it when i was discussin it one time with some friends of the house, back when ole griz was doin a little racin

The SAE classifications characterises the viscosity at low and high temperature of the lubricant. The grade is given by two numbers separated by the letter W (meaning winter).

The first number, followed by W represents the low temperature viscosity, 5W, 10W, 15W... the lower this number, the more fluid at low temperature the oils, the easier the engine starts.

The second number gives the high temperature viscosity: 30, 40, 50. The higher this number, the more viscous the oil when hot.