Oil

Is all synthetic oil the same. Got an engine requiring Manufacturers labeled oil. The oil is in need changing. Were out-a said oil. To replenish recommended lube may have take an extended drive, I want eliminated.
Is all synthetic oil the same. One any better than another? Got an engine requiring Manufacturers labeled oil. The oil is in need changing. Were out-a oil. To replenish recommended lube may have take an extended drive, I want eliminated.
I have heard Mobil One may be the oneway to go???
Looking forward to enlightenment...
Fernan

BTW - It is against the law for a manufacturer to "require" use of their own labeled oil for the purpose of warrenties etc. I use Moble one have for many years and have had good luck with it. However, that is just what I use, there are many good synthetic oils out there now. When I switched to synthetics Moble one was about the only major oil company making a synthetic.

have royal purple in my 93 gmc turbo diesel 180000 with no problems

Short answer no not all synthetics are the same. You'll notice some are much more expensive, those (like Royal Purple, Redline, Mobil 1, and Amsoil) are real synthetics. Others are "fake" synthetics or just highly refined conventional oil.

If this is a motorcycle you need to be careful of "energy conserving" oils which will make the clutch slip...

Fern-----They are all pretty much the same. Don't compare a full synthetic to a semi synthetic though. They do that to reduce the price.
I have been using the Walmart synthetic Tech brand oil and it does a really good job. They sell it here in Pa for $17.50 for a 5 qt bottle.

Technically in the US, they are not all the same, but that doesn't mean that one is necessarily better than the other. Mobil 1 is one of the few Synthetic oils that is made from a group 4 base, while most of the others, such as Rotella, Castrol, etc are made from a group 3+ base stock. This doesn't mean that the others cannot be beefed up to be as good. It's kind of hard to explain and I don't have a complete understanding of it myself. If you are really interested in learning, check out bobistheoilguy.com. It's a forum that is all about oil.

Hurst

I don't believe in synthetic if you are going to use it for those extremely high mileage between changes. Oil gets dirty where it dino or synthetic and for me I want it out of my engine. I can't understand why anyone would want dirty synthetic oil in their engine rather than clean dino oil.

It would help if you would tell us WHAT engine your needing this oil for, and no all synthetics are not the same.
The VW TDI diesel is one that I believe requires a European oil spec that is hard to find in the US. Your operators manual must include an oil spec in addition to the brand name oil they recommend.
Google search for that oil spec and see who sells an oil that meets that spec.

Agreed.

Most likely any similar rated oil will work but it helps to know what you are working on.

There are some interesting studies that show more wear with fresh oil than oil that has some miles on it. Besides which what is the oil filter for?
My last car got the oil changed at 15,000 miles and went 310,000 before the tin worm got it...
That was a Mercedes diesel with M1 5w40.

I think so, anyway.

NO all synthetics are NOT the same some are group 3 and some are group 4. Some also have better additive packages than others as well. Just like all conventional oils are not the same either regardless of what API or other spec they meet. The spec only means they meet the Minimum.

As others have said it would help if we knew what engine or vehicle you're working on. Is it personal or commercial use? Personal use you can use any "equivalent" oil and NOT void the warranty (Federal Law) by using non-manufacturers oils (which are made by someone else). If commercial ues its a bit trickier in the Fed law doesn't apply and you may have to use their oil.

The best synthetics (group 4, PAO) are AMSOIL and Mobil-1. If you'd like to try Amsoil send an email.

Personally I use what ever they have at the local oil change place. Over the years and that"s a lot of them I have found that any good oil will keep your engine running a long time. Most new engines are so much better built than the old model T"s or the first flat head V-8s that they will last longer than the vehicle if you take any kind of care. I change mine about once a year because we only put about 5000 miles on the Ranger. It has 77K right now and has never been touched. I feel bad for the guy that has to replace the plugs in about 5 years or so when I hit 100K.
When you change your own oil you just add to the cost and work.
Walt

Gasoline, two stroke Detroit, conventional pre 2007 four stroke diesel, post 2007 low ash diesel?
Extreme heat, extreme cold or extreme load?

That's the notion that got us where we are today. 2011 and still most folks do what Dad did and change at 3,000 miles. It's such a waste and the waste oil is unbelievable in this country.
Folks that have researched and learned know what extended drains are all about. Use an oil that will suspend contaminates and filters that will filter them out and the engine will run just fine at less operating cost. I know of fleets that use extended drains and run up to 25,000 miles on oil changes. Use a bypass filter and that number really goes up.

Not just all oils are the same but filters are not the same either. And that includes air filters. Since ULSD came about with a group 5 synthetic engine oil I can go 300 hours on my farm tractor oil changes and still see the dip stick through the oil. Cleaner fuel cost more but oil changes can go longer because of cleaner fuel.

I've used extended drains since 1989. When I buy a car or truck I run the wheels off them and then buy another. I may get 100,000 or more miles out of an engine than normal and sure used a lot less engine oil over that time and sent a lot less used oil in the system. In other words the Arabs get a lot less of my money than most in this country.

Good comments about the better oils and fuels allowing extended oil changes.
I have used Mobil 1 synthetic for 30 years, and oil anaylisis showed me that even on older machines using the older dirtier fuels, they use less oil and the oil stays clean longer when using a quality pao grp 4 base oil.
I suspect the better ring seal caused by the synthetic oil film, results in less oil getting past the rings to burn, and less blowby and combustion products going the other way past the rings to contaminate the oil.
The longest I ran Mobil 1 synthetic on the farm in the dirt was 12,000 miles, analysis of that oil always came back as still having plenty of life left at those miles. I do take special care of air filters and such,so I am sure that helps .

I perfer the PAO based grp 4 synthetic oil, but even a grp 3 hydro oil based synthetic is much better than plain mineral oil.

I am not pushing Amsoil, never have used it, although a little online research shows it to be great oil.
While Google searching for a clear discription of oil base stocks, the one on the Amsoil site is pretty good.
Oil base stock discription, Amsoil page

Thanks for your comments. I read your post on this site and another every time I see your name. You just like I, don't comment on something we haven't tried in depth. I admire your knowledge.

TBN is a big key to oil service. I expect 99% of engine oil users have never seen or read about it. I know you have. I do use Amsoil and am a dealer. I've never sold any and don't push it as a sale. I do enjoy seeing someone that's willing to learn by reading, start using the product and then see what it will do for them. That's one more that's stopped the some flow of American money back to the Arabs too.

For diesel engines I use the Marine 15W40 synthetic oil. The TBN is 12. I started out with that on a 574 IH that had 4,800 hours and used some oil. It cleaned the rings, oil use stopped and power came up a bit. Oil got black but with tbn 12 dark oil means nothing. Engines will run quieter on most of them and run cooler too. Start easier in winter too. Easier starting in winter cuts down a wear. I can't think of another oil that'll go above the Marine 15w40. It's just what most diesel engines need.

I thank all you gentlemen for such a quick and impressive reply. I may now go shoplifting with a sincere purpose in mine.
We use a high quality Sunoco or Shell diesel oil in a dozen varied tractor and implement engines. This synthetic oil question is for the smaller equipment engines: a Polaris Ranger, A recently rebuilt OMC engine in a 1977 Cushman Truckster, and while I'm at it possibly oil change oils in a couple OHD16 Tecuumseh engines.
It'll be whatever oil we use in these machines will become the standard here after for these smaller motors.
Thank you again.
Fernan