Death of Conventional

Originally Posted by JeffKeryk

The Vette and 4-4-2 have the original motors, which to most is really important.
There are boutique oils, but my answer is to stab hydraulic roller cams and be done with it.


That really is NOT necessary.... you can't see the forest through the trees
 
Well I certainly hope dino oil doesn't go the way of the dinosaurs. If it does, I may have to adjust my goal of not paying any more than $1 - $1.25 per quart for motor oil.
With sales and rebates I sometimes can get below the $1 threshold. By stocking up I presently have enough oil to last for years. Naturally, it's almost all dino. All major brands. Except for that Harvest King.... :)

And have never lost an engine yet.
 
If these really are trade terms...

Synthetic = Best
Blend = Better
Conventional = Good

What's the incentive to produce all three if the prices merge?
 
Originally Posted by Gene K
If these really are trade terms...

Synthetic = Best
Blend = Better
Conventional = Good

What's the incentive to produce all three if the prices merge?


I think for average driver (e.g. not racing), they are all good except I increase my oci with syn.

However I have old cars that burn oil with syn or syn-blend for whatever the reason and that's another long thread and/or discussion ... I have experienced that MANY times with my old(er) cars so I will still be using dino just for that particular reason no matter what the price is.
 
Originally Posted by OilUzer
Originally Posted by Gene K
If these really are trade terms...

Synthetic = Best
Blend = Better
Conventional = Good

What's the incentive to produce all three if the prices merge?


I think for average driver (e.g. not racing), they are all good except I increase my oci with syn.

However I have old cars that burn oil with syn or syn-blend for whatever the reason and that's another long thread and/or discussion ... I have experienced that MANY times with my old(er) cars so I will still be using dino just for that particular reason no matter what the price is.



Yeah I think what you're saying makes sense.
 
Originally Posted by OilUzer
Originally Posted by Gene K
If these really are trade terms...

Synthetic = Best
Blend = Better
Conventional = Good

What's the incentive to produce all three if the prices merge?


I think for average driver (e.g. not racing), they are all good except I increase my oci with syn.

However I have old cars that burn oil with syn or syn-blend for whatever the reason and that's another long thread and/or discussion ... I have experienced that MANY times with my old(er) cars so I will still be using dino just for that particular reason no matter what the price is.

I'm curious to what you mean by old(er), how old are you talking? My 08 Lucerne starting using a little oil when I switched from Mobil 5000 5w30 to VAS 5w30. It's not much, a quart per 5k but it didn't use any before.
 
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Originally Posted by Duffyjr
Originally Posted by OilUzer
Originally Posted by Gene K
If these really are trade terms...

Synthetic = Best
Blend = Better
Conventional = Good

What's the incentive to produce all three if the prices merge?


I think for average driver (e.g. not racing), they are all good except I increase my oci with syn.

However I have old cars that burn oil with syn or syn-blend for whatever the reason and that's another long thread and/or discussion ... I have experienced that MANY times with my old(er) cars so I will still be using dino just for that particular reason no matter what the price is.

I'm curious to what you mean by old(er), how old are you talking? My 08 Lucerne starting using a little oil when I switched from Mobil 5000 5w30 to VAS 5w30. It's not much, a quart per 5k but it didn't use any before.


How many OCIs on Valvoline? What you're experiencing is common when switching brands at that age. Sometimes the consumption only lasts a couple OCIs.

Much like our bodies go thru changes when experiencing new food assortments, the same happens with your engine and oils.

But don't ever put that Lucerne on a veggie oil diet. It will leave piles up & down your driveway....lol
 
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Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en
Originally Posted by Duffyjr
Originally Posted by OilUzer
Originally Posted by Gene K
If these really are trade terms...

Synthetic = Best
Blend = Better
Conventional = Good

What's the incentive to produce all three if the prices merge?


I think for average driver (e.g. not racing), they are all good except I increase my oci with syn.

However I have old cars that burn oil with syn or syn-blend for whatever the reason and that's another long thread and/or discussion ... I have experienced that MANY times with my old(er) cars so I will still be using dino just for that particular reason no matter what the price is.

I'm curious to what you mean by old(er), how old are you talking? My 08 Lucerne starting using a little oil when I switched from Mobil 5000 5w30 to VAS 5w30. It's not much, a quart per 5k but it didn't use any before.


How many OCIs on Valvoline? What you're experiencing is common when switching brands at that age. Sometimes the consumption only lasts a couple OCIs.

Much like our bodies go thru changes when experiencing new food assortments, the same happens with your engine and oils.

But don't ever put that Lucerne on a veggie oil diet. It will leave piles up & down your driveway....lol

On the second annual change. First oil change with VAS it used about half quart in 2.5k during that year, April to April. I can already see it's down below the full line so expecting the same. Milage on car is 82K.

What is a veggie oil diet?
 
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Quote

I'm curious to what you mean by old(er), how old are you talking? My 08 Lucerne starting using a little oil when I switched from Mobil 5000 5w30 to VAS 5w30. It's not much, a quart per 5k but it didn't use any before.



I would go back to Mobil 5000. why burn an extra quart per 5K if you don't have to?
you car will love you so will environmentalists ... lol
57.gif


My most recent experiences are with 2005 and 1997 cars with over 220K and 350K miles ...

'97 burns a little with dino but no need to add any oil between oci's but I do since I like to keep it at Full mark. However with syn-blend it drinks 1/2 or 3/4 qt within the first 700 miles. iirc it slows down after that but still burns some more. I need to check my excel sheets ... Kind of scary.

2005 burns none (like zero) with dino. Maybe it "got used to" my oil and it "will adjust" to new oils if I give it time or whatever ... but I don't have time to research or experiment.
 
Originally Posted by OilUzer
Quote

I'm curious to what you mean by old(er), how old are you talking? My 08 Lucerne starting using a little oil when I switched from Mobil 5000 5w30 to VAS 5w30. It's not much, a quart per 5k but it didn't use any before.



I would go back to Mobil 5000. why burn an extra quart per 5K if you don't have to?
you car will love you so will environmentalists ... lol
57.gif


My most recent experiences are with 2005 and 1997 cars with over 220K and 350K miles ...

'97 burns a little with dino but no need to add any oil between oci's but I do since I like to keep it at Full mark. However with syn-blend it drinks 1/2 or 3/4 qt within the first 700 miles. iirc it slows down after that but still burns some more. I need to check my excel sheets ... Kind of scary.

2005 burns none (like zero) with dino. Maybe it "got used to" my oil and it "will adjust" to new oils if I give it time or whatever ... but I don't have time to research or experiment.



I was thinking about going back to Mobil. It also seems to use the half quart in the beginning of the OC and tampers off.

Thanks.
 
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It really depends on where you live.

On cold environments it makes little sense to use conventional.

Around here the good old Dino is alive and kicking.

Both of my cars manual states to use conventional, even being 15 years apart. I decided to use synthetic on the Honda, only because i can find more options for the same price, and the car stays for the family use, so i keep my peace of mind.

On my 94, the 15W40 HDEO is doing a great job, i can get it everywhere, after 6 months it drains still looking gold, the filter media looks excellent and the engine is spotless inside. I can get Total Quartz 9000 5W40 (A40) for the same price, but i have to order it and i'm not sure it will do any better after only 6 months (i like to change twice a year due to fuel dilution). I am also afraid of the oil pressure drop if i make the change, due to the lower HTHS. There is none 15W40 synthetic options around here.
 
Conventional = Conventional
Syn Blend = 1% or more synthetic
Full Synthetic = (more than synthetic content than syn-blend)

The labeling seems like a bad joke to me.
 
Originally Posted by tundraotto
Conventional = Conventional
Syn Blend = 1% or more synthetic
Full Synthetic = (more than synthetic content than syn-blend)

The labeling seems like a bad joke to me.


I thought they used to require 20% to be labeled Blend.

Regardless very few oils marketed as conventional don't have at least some Group 3.

I also don't believe you can market an oil that's 51% Group 3 as Synthetic. I know 0W-20 Blend is more than that.

I haven't kept up with the latest API requirements. Someone enlighten me.
 
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When I rang up Valvoline they told me their DuraBlend semi-synthetic was about 30% synthetic, when I rang up Penrite they told me that "all Penrite semi-synthetics have a minimum of 20% Group III and possibly more depending on the actual product, ... and that none use Group I as a base".

I'm not scared of using a name brand semi-synthetic / synblend. Their reputation is worth more than than a weak brew, which they can just label and sell as a conventional anyway.

I have DuraBlend semi-synthetic in my sump right now. It carries ample specs for me to trust it.
 
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Originally Posted by Gene K
Originally Posted by tundraotto
Conventional = Conventional
Syn Blend = 1% or more synthetic
Full Synthetic = (more than synthetic content than syn-blend)

The labeling seems like a bad joke to me.


I thought they used to require 20% to be labeled Blend.

Regardless very few oils marketed as conventional don't have at least some Group 3.

I also don't believe you can market an oil that's 51% Group 3 as Synthetic. I know 0W-20 Blend is more than that.

I haven't kept up with the latest API requirements. Someone enlighten me.


________________
I just looked up Rotella T5 Semi-synthetic 15W-40

http://shop.sclubricants.com/pub/media/sds/shell/Shell-Rotella-T5-NG-15W-40-MSDS.pdf

1% or more - like said. The terminology, is just sales garbage anymore.
 
I just see
Interchangeable low viscosity base oil (span>

This would cover both Group II and Group III and says nothing about the split. The rest would be the add pack.

A MSDS is a safety data sheet for emergency services, it's not a blending chart, and it's not meant to give away corporate secrets.
 
I use whatever oil my engine specs, could care less if it is labeled "conventional" or "synthetic" most times I just use conventional but whatever, very true that I have started to lean towards syn if its the same price or around it and now most are pretty much the same... either one will show the same wear numbers and the engine will outlast the vehicle and/or its non lubricated components no matter what anyone uses or how often they change the oil. .
 
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