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synthetic oil use yes or no


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18 minutes ago, walnut said:

my dealer recommended against it,  I think its fine if you want to pay the extra cost? 

Yes it is fine to run, in fact, it probably makes more sense to run it in a boat than a car since boats are usually run harder.  I still run conventional oil though.

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I  waited over 100 hours before going synthetic.  I was taught that synthetic oil, due to the fact that it is a near perfect lubricant, does not promote a good break in.  But this was back in the days when synthetic lubricants were 100% man made.  Today it is just a "more refined" oil thats allowed to be called synthetic. 

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Requirement in Ilmor's! Some of our picky customers use Mobil 1 or Royal Purple. You should be golden as long as the oil meets the engine man. requirements..

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11 hours ago, MadMan said:

Yes it is fine to run, in fact, it probably makes more sense to run it in a boat than a car since boats are usually run harder.  I still run conventional oil though.

By the way, I'm not taking my own advice.  A month or two ago Academy Sports was clearing out their Royal Purple inventory.  I bought ~75 quarts of synthetic marine oil.  It was <$3 quart.  I use it in the 4 daily drivers I have.

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At 50 hour oil changes and I am religious about it, it seems like a big waste of money. Especially when I only get about 60 days worth of use. I could see spending double the money if the boat was used in an extreme manner in an extreme environment, but I can't see the need looking at the oil when I have been changing mine! JM2C

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Mobil 1 synthetic all they way. I do a ton of hours and it's always worth it.  50 hours each oil change. If you only do a few hours a year probably not worth it.

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Thanks for the the replies, went Mobil 1  $25 for 5 quart Jug.

 Dealer steered me away because they use Factory Pennzoil conventional  at a higher cost than Mobil 1

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My boat calls for conventional 15-40 oil. You could always call the motor manufacture and ask them what they recommend or follow what your manual says. My guess is the manufacture knows what's best for the motor since they made it. 

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My current boat (LS3) calls for Mobil1, so I run that of course. My last boat (2010 w/ 350) called for conventional, and 50 hour change intervals.  After a 50 hour break-in period, I switched to Amsoil. I ran the Amsoil 100 hours, and sent it out for testing at Blackstone Labs. They recommended I could go at least another 25 hours on it. I had the oil tested every fall in that boat, with between 90-110 hours on it for the year, and the oil was still "good" every year.  So, running a good synthetic oil should get you through 100-125 hours, which is nice if the boat is on a lift, and you don't feel like pulling it from the lake for an oil change!!! 

My main reasons for running synthetic were the convenience of a longer change interval, and because I was running a "better" oil.....

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Typically, synthetic oils are fine in our engines. Some of the newer engines specify synthetic or synthetic blend oils and those recommendations should always be followed. Other engines, like the 350 cubic inch GM based call for 15W40 conventional oil. Synthetic is fine in those engines after they are broken in for 100 hours or so. The use of synthetic normally does not increase the oil change interval time ... particularly in heavily loaded boats that are never able to operate near the top of the RPM range.

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  • 3 weeks later...
On March 5, 2016 at 8:53 PM, electricjohn said:

I  waited over 100 hours before going synthetic.  I was taught that synthetic oil, due to the fact that it is a near perfect lubricant, does not promote a good break in.  But this was back in the days when synthetic lubricants were 100% man made.  Today it is just a "more refined" oil thats allowed to be called synthetic. 

Depends on what you're using. Your statement is true for Mobil 1, but not for higher end oils like RP, Redline, or Amsoil SS.

The simple answer is yes, you should absolutely run synthetic. And, why wouldn't you run an oil that is characteristically superior? Where the debate arises is cost/benefit. These motors, if maintained, will outlast the boat in most cases. I can't think of a situation where an engine failed because of poor lubrication, at least in the last couple decades.

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If you don't mind spending the money, Then yes it's a great oil, But if you use your boat a lot and change it every 40 Hr's then you wont get the full benefit, I use it in all my cars and trucks, But since I change my oil 3 times a season I don't see the benefit of using full synthetic oil! 

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14 hours ago, leje0306 said:

These motors, if maintained, will outlast the boat in most cases. I can't think of a situation where an engine failed because of poor lubrication, at least in the last couple decades

On Syn or conventional? 

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I'm a big believer that the guys who build these motors also know which oil works best for them. Follow what the manufacturer recommends. Ls3 = Mobil 1 for me. 

That being said, I do run synthetic in my 5.9 Cummins (valvoline full syn)  and my wife's 5.7 hemi (Mobil 1) because my observation is that oil pressure increases faster at start up with synthetic than with conventional, especially during cold winter months. 

If you share the opinion that most of your engine wear occurs at start up then this alone could be a good reason to use synthetic. 

I will also say that I think engines get used to a certain type of oil so if yours is running great don't change what you're doing. Timely  oil / filter changes of any type are still the most important thing. 

 

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18 hours ago, leje0306 said:

Depends on what you're using. Your statement is true for Mobil 1, but not for higher end oils like RP, Redline, or Amsoil SS.

The simple answer is yes, you should absolutely run synthetic. And, why wouldn't you run an oil that is characteristically superior? Where the debate arises is cost/benefit. These motors, if maintained, will outlast the boat in most cases. I can't think of a situation where an engine failed because of poor lubrication, at least in the last couple decades.

Mobil 1 is a Group IV PAO like Redline and Amsoil... RP plays in Group III and Group IV/V ...... Group III is highly refined/hydrocracked conventional oil.... what Castrol uses.   Lots of good info but also lots of opinion. If you have an hour to spare and be a geek it is very interesting to read   http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/

 

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5 hours ago, G-Mack said:

Mobil 1 is a Group IV PAO like Redline and Amsoil... RP plays in Group III and Group IV/V ...... Group III is highly refined/hydrocracked conventional oil.... what Castrol uses.   Lots of good info but also lots of opinion. If you have an hour to spare and be a geek it is very interesting to read   http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/

 

I respectfully disagree. Mobil1 moved from a group IV to a group III/IV blend after it lost the lawsuit against Castrol. It's PAO based to the extent the market drives PAO's lower in cost than the hydro cracking process. It's unfortunate that we as consumers can't explicitly identify a true synthetic (PAO or ester based) oil anymore as the government only requires certain properties to be met for an oil to be labeled "synthetic".

 

I'm well aware of oil analysis and use Blackstone labs. 

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