Something that I have heard about synthetic oil in an old motor is that it will
start leaking oil due to the synthetic cleaning so well and be so "slippery".
Has anyone else heard this or actually seen this happen?
I ask because I have thought about switching to synthetic because my car sits
so long (usually several months or more). I assume that the synthetic would
not break down and help reduce wear on startup.
Zach
Bob Howard <mgbob@juno.com> wrote:
Max,
That's the way it seemed to me also. Yet here is my experience with
a very-worn Tecumseh 7 hp engine on a Ariens power handle that drives
snowblower in winter, lawn vacuum in spring and fall, and a reel or
rotary mower all summer.
Last winter, when it was in snowblower mode, I found that I was
lifting it off the floor with the starter rope when attempting to start.
Figuring that the thing is well worn, beat to death essentially (I was
already researching replacement engines), using about 1/2 pint of
recommended 30 or 20/50 in an hour of snow blowing or mowing, I drained
and refilled with Mobil 1 5-30.
As expected, it started easier. Quite unexpected, though, was the
remarkable decrease in oil burning. I didn't add oil for the rest of the
winter. And now that mowing season is here, I am adding 1/4 pint of oil
after every six hours of mowing. How can this be? Surely it's not from
stuck rings, unless rings can stick during regular use. This 20+ year-old
engine runs three to four seasons of the year, so it is not unused for
long periods.
Whatever the cause, it's a great improvement in consumption.
The one disadvantage found is that in this configuration the vapors
from the crankcase vent are directed toward the rubber drive-wheel for
the unit's propulsion system. With dino oil the thing would get cruddy
and greasy but would propel OK. Now, with the Mobil 1, I have to clean
off the collected oil mist as it's so slippery that the rubber drive
wheel will not grip against its drive plate.
Bob
On Wed, 28 Jul 2004 10:24:10 -0700 Max Heim
writes:
> Hmmm, I wonder if you'll see much benefit at this point. I mean,
> depending on how many miles you have accumulated on dino oil, it's
arguable
> that the wear and crud distribution has already occurred. Running
synthetic
> starting after a full rebuild seems reasonable (it certainly seemed to
work
> in your example), but I would suspect it's a waste of money on a
> high-mileage engine. Though you could take the attitude that it can't
hurt...
> Max Heim
> '66 MGB GHN3L76149
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