Using heavier viscosity oil to increase fuel economy?

[JanGeo]

As far as I know there are no "gaskets" under oil presure in an engine - all oil galleries are metal to metal. However too thick an oil and the pump works really hard and the oil filter seal can BLOW out if the pressure gets too high.

Mineral oil I think breaks down also. Synlube doesn't break down and produce sludge because it doesn't have the sulfur compounds in it like convential oils and it also relies on the solids Moly and PTFE to lubricate and the liquid part to carry the solids through the engine. It also seals the cylinder to ring area to reduce blowby and has graphite to absorb moisture when the lube and engine is cool and then releases the moisture from the graphite when the engine gets hot enough and vents the steam back through the PCV valve. The better filter they provide has does a much better job of filtering the oil along with Neo Magnets to remove trace metal particles.

[jamescartagena]

I don't think Synlube's cost justifies the expense in my case. $32 a quart for four quarts plus $25 for the oil filter. My vehicle uses 1 pint of oil every 3000 miles at a cost of $16 a pint. I drive 25000 miles in a year so I will need to add 4 quarts of oil total.

(32 x 8) + 25 = $281 (not including shipping and handling)

Current do it myself oil changes are $12 (Walmart oil and purolator pure one oil filter) done every 5000 miles = $60

Total savings is $221. That will buy 94.444 gallons of gas at the current price of $2.339 at the local Sam's Club. Even if I were to get 8% better fuel economy, I still wouldn't make up the expense. Plus with a baby on the way, I need that money for diapers! LOL

[FormulaTwo]

Originally Posted by JanGeo

They say about an 8% increase with the engine lube then the power steering lube was a few percents and the tranny will vary with what was in it originally. Apparently EVERYONE that changes the tranny oil in the Scions sees mileage improvements when they change to a "better" lube. . . I.E. Redline - Mobile1 etc.
One thing I did notice was that the idle gets down to 0.1gph and about 650rpm but after some extended driving around the idle gets higher like about 750-800 and still 0.1gph so yes the engine is still breaking in a little but is averaging about 10mpg more than EPA estimates (33% more).

You didnt put in synthetic while your engine is still breaking in did you?

[psyshack]

Ive been watching this thread from the start.

My turn.

If you have a old oil burner. Thicker oil my well help with FE. Vavle guide seals and piston rings might seal a bit better. Not to mention a better oil film for the crank, rod and cam bearings thus reducing some enegry loss from ocilation from rotating parts in a babit style bearing.

If you have a engine thats in good shape and not a oil burner. (By a oil burner I mean a mosquite killer.) Using thicker oil than what it was broken in on and has ran on could hurt mpg. And could also set you up for a major failure. I know afew of the members here have ripped open afew engines in there day. In my days of engine repairs and rebuilds. I often found the oil pressure by pass part blocked or hung open or close. With a blockage or crud holding it shut the thicker oil will ruin bearings due to the increased oil pressure when rev's come up. This can also draw oil passage ways and so on.

Basicly oil weight can be the enemy if your engines tolrances dont go with the oil. Lets say you build a 327 chevy. You want it to rap up. Have the cam, carbs that dump gas like a garden hose. How do you handel the lube system. If you go with a tight 30W build. Dont put 50W in it. Or you go with a high flow/psi oil pump. If your going high psi/flow you have nore than likely had your cyclender bores setup a bit on the loose side and running rods, mains and cam bearing tad looser. You have the weight of the oil and the flow to handel the shock and such with the 50w. Put 30W in that engine and its as good as shelled.

As for Synlube. From what i can tell this stuff is alot like some turbine oil I got years ago. It was a full syn that cost about $50 a qt. I got it heap cheap because the container spec. didnt meet some end users spec. This lube was white of all colors. There wasnt a petro part in it. It was a 20W lube. It was no change sort of stuff. I never bought into it and ended up reseliing what I had bought for a handsome profit.

I for one run M1 5-w20 with M1 or PureOne oil filters in our Civic and Accord. Change it every 7.5k to 10k miles. Call it good and move on.

psy

[JanGeo]

jamescartagena : If you have a lot of miles on the engine then I would say not to bother with Synlube but it does improve the ring seal of a worn engine and reduce the oil consumption and since your car probably will not last long enough to justify the oil savings then definately do not bother with Synlube. I would recommend using a bit higher weight oil on the second number since you are loosing so much.

F2 : It is recommended by Synlube to break in the engine with the factory oil for 3600 miles or so and then drain it completely and install the Synlube. This will give the 300,000 mile warrenty from Synlube for a new engine. As far as break in goes, it will continue getting better for maybe 20,000 miles the way I drive but the major part of the breaking in has been done and with the Synlube the wear will be reduced from this point on and thus the engine should outlast the vehicle. Of course all my engines have outlasted my vehicles anyway.

[Antares2k6]

Switched form 10w3 - 5w30 when I got my oil changed. Big difference on my gaslog. Definitely makes a difference.

Antares

[Sigifrith]

Originally Posted by Ryland

......... to light of an oil and it flows out of the bearings to fast, and you loose that cushin that prevents metal to metal contact.

Isn't the oil in a constant stream? Are you saying it ebbs & flows like the tide?

[wsm41bn]

i Run the Delo 400 in my M882 and it works great, 15w40

[GasSavers_Ryland]

the best way to tell if you have to thin of oil is if your oil presure drops, as alot of the bearings are relying on the oil presure to matain a film of oil between the moving parts, the presure drops and metal touches metal, to thick of oil and your oil presure stays higher because it's not flowing out of the small spaces as fast, when we rebuilt our old tractor we put 5w 30 oil in it to help with braking in the new rings, and it keeps great oil presure, so we've kept thiner oil in it.
of course it's hard to watch your oil presure without a gauge.

[GasSavers_rookie]

Originally Posted by JanGeo

As far as I know there are no "gaskets" under oil presure in an engine - all oil galleries are metal to metal. However too thick an oil and the pump works really hard and the oil filter seal can BLOW out if the pressure gets too high.

Mineral oil I think breaks down also. Synlube doesn't break down and produce sludge because it doesn't have the sulfur compounds in it like convential oils and it also relies on the solids Moly and PTFE to lubricate and the liquid part to carry the solids through the engine. It also seals the cylinder to ring area to reduce blowby and has graphite to absorb moisture when the lube and engine is cool and then releases the moisture from the graphite when the engine gets hot enough and vents the steam back through the PCV valve. The better filter they provide has does a much better job of filtering the oil along with Neo Magnets to remove trace metal particles.

Be cautious of PTFE and SOLIDS, these products have been proven harmfull over prolonged use.http://www.skepdic.com/slick50.html