I have a '62 Mercury Meteor that currently uses Castrol GTX 20-W-50 oil. The car has good oil pressure (50 lbs. when driving, 40 lbs. when idling), but smokes slightly when starting (could be the rings?). Also another querk the car has is it doesn't like to run hot - I run a 160 degree thermostat, anything near 190 degrees and it tightens up and wants to stall. Anyways I've been thinking about using Amsoil synthetic 20-W-50 oil. It advertises as having a high zinc formula, something I've always read as being missing from today's oils. Should I switch over to a synthetic oil? What are some of the benefits of running synthetic oils (eg. - will it help the engine to run cooler?). Thanks! Tom - Gl***_Packs
This has been covered a million times. My experience with synthetics is that they run cooler than regular oil. Me, I run Mobile 1, 10w30.
Thaks for the info guys. You're right fiat g***er, it could be the valve seals. If it didn't run as good as it does, I would of swapped the motor with another 221 Ford V-8 from my low-mileage '62 Fairlane parts car. The reason I'm leaning towards amsoil is there's a dealer close to home. I was talking to him at a local swapmeet and it seemed there was quite a few postives to using a synthetic oil (but any salesman will try to sell there product as being better). It still sounds like the way to go, I'll contact the dealer to see if he has the 20-W-50 in stock and matching oil filter. Thanks! Tom - Gl***_Packs
I would switch to the high mileage castrol and not waste the extra money on the synthetic. The castrol oil you have been using is already about 70% sythetic. I dont think your going to notice a difference in cooling.
The tightening up at higher temperature: Have you considered it may be something like a senior citizen coil that is feeling the effect of the higher surrounding temp, and giving up? If you find and fix the culprit, you may wish to go back to a 180 or 190 thermostat. The engine would produce less sludge internally and be more efficient in general. Re: Amsoil. Does the car use or leak oil? If it does, and I were determined to use a synthetic, I'd use the least expensive. $10 a quart oil is not going to make a great engine out of one that is tired and worn. (I use off-t******lf synthetics for the old truck, Amsoil for the later ones.) Re: The oil vapors at startup. That may be why the old soldier is still serving you well. It has self lubricated the cylinders. A guy asked me to overhaul a 429 Ford because it had done that for a long time. It had 100,000 miles. Yes, it was the valve stem seals, and there was no ring wear in the cylinders. Zero. Good luck with it.
I run Syntec in my vette and rod and love it. Ran Amsoil in a road racer and it was FANTASTIC. I use Mobile one only cause it's what the factory recomends on my wifes Turbo PT and son's Crossfire
There is a line between people who love them and people who dont. Ive not really seen that with other oil.
if your engine is old, tired and already smoking? ANY synthetic is going to end up on the pavement or out the exhaust.
Wow, I thought I would hear all positives about going to synthetic - thanks for the imput everyone! My car leaks slightly (just by the oil pan drain plug) and doesn't burn too much oil (just the oil vapours at startup). Excuse my ignorance, but what's a senior citizen coil? I think for now I'll just stick with my Castrol GTX and do an normal oil change tonight. Thanks! Tom - Gl***_Packs
Rotella T has high zinc content, also Valvoline makes one. I run Rotella in my 289 because it is necessary for the life of solid lifters. I like the fact that Rotella is $10 a gallon or less at Wallmart, since I'm running an 8 quart pan with cooler. I've run synthetics in Harley and other cars. I have seen on bikes that synthetics do weep around gaskets. I know some will argue but I've seen it on my bikes when I switched. The reason I went to them were the cooling properties and my bikes were air-cooled and in the south. Another factor is I like to change oil in my bikes, rod and Cobra about every 1,000 miles since they're not driven as much as my daily driver. Why waste $.
wow... 1000 miles? why? THAT in my way of thinking is a waste. oil does not break down like it once did, especially if you're using the rotella t. the stuffs engineered for 25k miles under HARD conditions in a diesel engine
Why? Did you have a problem? Ran it in an H/Prod AH Bug Eye SCCA racer. We picked up 5 psi oil pressue at race temps and never had a rod or mail bearing failure all season. With dyno oil bearings were shot after every race. We showed no wear after 3 races. Picked up MPH down the straight at Riverside to the point we were keeping up with the F/Prod TR Spitfires. On the street driver after 2 weeks we had to adjust the idle down about 200 rpm. MPG went up as well. Didn't like Modil 1 when it first came out as it was 0-20w. Ran my Vette on it for one day. Lost oil pressure and the engine was louder the sh-t. Went to Castrol Syntec 5-50 and all was well. I use it on most of my stuff. I'd use Amsiol more, but it's a pain in the A-- to find locally. I've been using synthetic oils since 1977 only one bad issue and that was with Mobil 1
Do you run 0-20 in your vette with other oil brands, that seems to be really thin or for really cold weather?
I only ran that for one day because at the time that was all that was available from Mobil. This was 15 years ago. GM did recomend it at that time for the Vette. I didn't like it. I switched to Castrol Syntec 5W50 and all was right with life. 0w20 was way to thin. Not sure why Mobil did that.
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