switch to synthetic oil?

[AOD]

i've done extensive research on synthetic oils compared to conventional oils (engineering report i wrote last semester) - and i'm getting the idea to switch my 79 to synthetic oil.

the bike sat for over a year and didn't run when i got it. i drained out the crap oil and put in good ole Pennzoil 10W40 (i'm a Pennzoil standby). It rides and shifts pretty good...and i'm sure the oil is protecting fine.

my question is though, with a 25 year old engine that has 11,700 miles on it now, is it worthwile to switch to synthetic? i know the benefits...but am i going to run into oil leaks and burnoff problems if i switch? the bike runs great, i want it to run for a long time...but i dont want it to start leaking oil now.

what's your take on this? should i go for it?

thanks!

~Adam

 

[redliner1973]

That Pennzoil your running now is a very good oil. to switch? That is going to be up to your pocketbook more than anything..If you change your oil quite frequently, say 2 or 3k intervals, I say your wasting your money. Synthetics are not 'slipperier' than conventionals, they just usually have a stronger VI improver in them that really makes the difference in longevity. Some people say that Mobile one makes a car/bike run cooler. maybe because if you look at a virgin sample TBN of Mobile one 10w-30, it is barely a 30w at temp. same with the other weights. Another consideration is seal age. Most older seals are harder than when new, and the PAO/Ester fight in synthetics sometimes overcomes these harder seals resulting in more consumption or leaking past seals (most Internal consumption is past the valve seals, not the pistons as some will argue). My suggestion? if you like, try it, see how it runs, sounds, if it leaks or burns it, etc. If you like what you see, use it, as it will not 'hurt' the motor, and if you don't like it, that Pennzoil is a Hard to beat Conventional.... :twisted:

 

[daveo]

http://www.ducatimeccanica.com/oil.html
it may be worth it if you don't like losing 27% of rated viscosity in 800 mi.

 

[AOD]

i read that this morning, and last week.

propflux, i agree Pennzoil is the best...i'm biased but i've used it only in my car for over 6 years now and its still running great and approaching 160K miles.

a few clarifications for you. synthetic oil is actually 'slipperier' then reguarly oil. it has more viscosity in comparision, which is the 'slippriness' of oil. regarding the temperatures...synthetic has better heat absorbtion characteristics then conventional oil which can result in lower oil/engine temperatures. its not always a given though.

as you explained, i am worried about the synthetic getting past seals that the conventional oil stays behind.

i dont really change the oil a lot...because i haven't logged a lot of riding time. about 1000 miles last year on my 78 GS550, and a few hundred this year. both bikes were down for about a month already this year...and i'm back on the road running strong again in the 79 GS550, so that's why i'm considering the swap to synethic. i would probably run that oil until the end of the season...

~Adam

 

[cbxchris]

Just for information purposes kendall owns pennzoil now and there is no more penn crude...all pennzoil comes from foriegn sources. Not saying its good or bad just mentioning this. I have recently tried 5w40w shell rotella synthetic...it is not formulated for a car. It is working great. I used it in a 1979 cbx and seems to be doing great. There has been some really big discussions on this before.

 

[Anonymous]

I started using mobile 1 in my bike when it had about 40K on the clock. I took a long rip with i and nothing leaked. It did make my bike run cooler according to the oil temp gauge. I stopped using it this winter because my bike was not getting the oil hot enough. I have since taken off the oil cooler and will switch back on next oil change. I like the 5-50 castrol because the lighter viscosity when it is cold allows the beast to shift smoother while warming up.

 

[redliner1973]

http://www.ducatimeccanica.com/oil.html
it may be worth it if you don't like losing 27% of rated viscosity in 800 mi.

That article is about 5 years old, using SG oils. VI improvers have made an enormous leap since then, hence the use of 0w-40 oils and such.


To CBXCHRIS, where did you get this information on the Pennzoil? :twisted:

 

[Anonymous]

Mobil-1 15W-50 auto oil has been working fine in my '81 GS1100E. I wanted the extra margin of protection from heat-related breakdown on those flaming summer days (no oil cooler on the '81). Shifting has remained smooth, unlike when I used to use conventional motorcycle oil. Then, it was apparent that the tranny was a little more clunky at even 1000km on the conventional oil - the difference was startling as the "problem" cured itself at each oil change.

 

[AOD]

right from Pennzoils webpage:

SOPUS Products

On October 1, 2002, the acquisition of Pennzoil-Quaker State Company by Shell Oil Company, an affiliate of the Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies, was completed. In May of 2003, Pennzoil-Quaker State Company began doing business as SOPUS Products. Pennzoil? brand products are now manufactured by SOPUS Products. Combining Shell lubricant's networks and infrastructure and Pennzoil-Quaker State Company's leading motor oil brands, portfolio of car care brands and Jiffy Lube stores, the new company is a leader in the U.S. lubricants and car care business. car care business.

 

[redliner1973]

That just states that Pennzoil is owned by a foreign source (what isn't nowadays..) the actual oil still comes from the eastern united states oil reserves. :twisted:

 

[Gerry]

I have been using semi synthetic oil for years.IMO it has lowered the temp and made the gear box shift better. The only down side is the possibility of clutch slippage with a cold motor. I experienced this until I updated my clutch to a Barnett.

Gerry

 

[cbxchris]

Guess who owns kendall... as for pennzoil coming from eastern US reserves...its more like middle eastern saudi oil reserves. I still think if you change oil often most any will do in a hurry. I do like rotella though.

 

[AOD]

as long as the Pennzoil oil quality stays the same and protects the same, i'l be happy.

Pennzoil does have synthetic oils, but i am told they are Group III oils, whereas Mobil 1 is a Group IV synthetic oil...supposed to be better.

i'm kinda torn i guess...it comes down to do i want to do the work now? i just got the bike running again...the oil has maybe 300 miles on it. i have to buy an oil drain pan for myself...i've always used my brothers at home.

at least 3 quarts of Mobil 1 isn't too expensive.

~Adam

 

[Anonymous]

as long as the Pennzoil oil quality stays the same and protects the same, i'l be happy.

Pennzoil does have synthetic oils, but i am told they are Group III oils, whereas Mobil 1 is a Group IV synthetic oil...supposed to be better.

i'm kinda torn i guess...it comes down to do i want to do the work now? i just got the bike running again...the oil has maybe 300 miles on it. i have to buy an oil drain pan for myself...i've always used my brothers at home.

at least 3 quarts of Mobil 1 isn't too expensive.

~Adam

I wouldn't drain 300 mile oil unless there was some other reason to do so. If you had particularly dirty or neglected oil in there before, it wouldn't be a bad idea to drain it again now to get the last of the poison out.

As to an oil drain pan, don't you folks buy cheap ice-cream in one gallon plastic buckets there? They're a staple of DIYers here in Canada. Perfect for catching oil, 'cause you can take 'em directly to the oil recycling depot.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm using Pennzoil synthetic 5W-50 with no problems. Much improved gearshift.

You might need to track down some leaks. My cam end covers needed some attention. If the leaks are too bad you can always change to another oil.

regards

 

[redliner1973]

I'm using Pennzoil synthetic 5W-50 with no problems. Much improved gearshift.



regards

Unfortunately, Pennzoil 5w-50 isn't available in the States.... :evil:

 

[AOD]

I wouldn't drain 300 mile oil unless there was some other reason to do so. If you had particularly dirty or neglected oil in there before, it wouldn't be a bad idea to drain it again now to get the last of the poison out.

well the bike sat for over a year with oil in it before i changed it out. i did the filter at that point, i dont think i'll change the filter this time if i put in synthetic.

i would probably stick to what the book says on this one. 10W40 Mobil 1.

~Adam

 

[Anonymous]

Switching to synthetic

Switching to synthetic

I say, go for the switch to synthetic. It's by far the best thing someone can do to an air-cooled engine. And it will do wonders in the shifting department. I've been running Castrol Syntec 5W-50 in all my bikes for the last 12 years or so.

Klaus

 

[Anonymous]

There are more urban legends regarding oil, then probably anything else. A friend of mine would only use "Wolf's Head" oil (do they still make that stuff?) because that's what his father used. It's hard to fight brand name loyalty. Anyway, I change my oil every 1000 miles. Synthetics, as great as they may be, are cost prohibitive for me. I use Quaker State semi-synthetic. Do I think it's better than Mobil 1's $8.00 a quart motorcycle specific stuff? Nope. But I doubt it's any worse. Your motor doesn't care or know what brand is in it, it does care if the oil is dirty. There has never been a documented case of engine damage, based on brand, or even type of oil. Never. There have been plenty based on lack of oil, and contaminated (dirty) oil. Everything else is our own personal inclination. I've tried full synthetic, semi, and dino oil. Both Mobil 1's car and bike oil, Honda's HP4, Valvoline's motorcycle oil, and even the 99 cent a quart stuff from Walmart. I couldn't tell any difference in performance between any of them.

 

[dpep]

Here's a wrinkle to the synthetic vs. regular debate. I am a believer in Mobil 1 myself. But the mechanic that I had rebuild my 850 is dead set against synthetics because he says that they do not absorb heat as well as regular oil. The oil runs cooler, but the metal runs hotter. Regular oil breaks down sooner because it has been taking more heat from the metal.

I have never heard of this elsewhere, but it doesn't sound completely illogical when you think about it. When we say that the engine is running cooler, it is the oil that is in the engine that is being reported on the temprature guage. The metal could actually be hotter.

This mechanic is not a rookie. He worked on GS's when they were new. We have a lot of technically savvy members on the forum. What say ye?