<VV> Synthetic oils

[Hugo Miller]

Very interesting - thanks!


On 2020-08-08 01:25, Jim Simpson wrote:
> There were some issues with synthetic oils when they first hit the
> market.  Synthetic oils had been developed for use in aircraft
> turbine engines.  Some entrepreneurs noted their excellent qualities
> -- heat reistantance, stable viscosity, excellent lubricity, etc., 
> and
> figured if they that good in the extreme conditions of a jet engine,
> they must be even better in an internal combustion engine.  So they
> bought synthetic turbine oil and rebottled it and sold it for
> automobile use.
>
> Well, they were mostly right.  But the folks who started marketing
> them were not automobile engineers and didn't understand some of the
> compatibility issues -- primarily how they reacted with the seal
> materials used in autos.  Yes, they leaked or caused the seal to
> swell and fail.  (There are several "groups" of synthetic oil -- you
> can research them if you want.  But one group that is commonly used
> on turbine engines is not good for the seal materials used in
> automobiles.)
>
> Times have changed dramatically since then.  The major manufacturers
> who sell synthetic oils for automobiles fully understand the 
> chemistry
> and compatibility issues.  Just about any study will show you that
> modern synthetics cause less wear, reduce friction, "stick" better to
> surfaces so there's less wear on startup, and just last longer.  Just
> make sure you are buying a synthetic designed for automobile engine
> use.
>
> Bottom line is that there are some old stories floating around about
> problems with synthetic motor oils, but they are out of the dust of
> history.  You can get a synthetic motor oil that is suitable for just
> about any car on the face of the planet today.
>
> Jim Simpson
> Group Corvair