Oilman

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Yes, a lot of people increase the change intervals when using a synthetic. If a car is using a semi and getting changed at 5k, generally changing at 10k with a synthetic is fine. Cheers Tim - - - Updated - - - How hot does the oil get? Cheers Tim

All semis are 100% mineral based (the 'synthetic' part is a modified and refined mineral oil), so a semi is more like a mineral oil than a proper synthetic. Cheers Tim

The Advantages of Synthetic Oils over Mineral oils Extended oil drain periods Better wear protection and therefore extended engine life Most synthetics give better MPG They flow better when cold and are more thermally stable when hot Surface-active meaning a thin layer of oil on the surfaces at all times (in ester based oils) How Synthetic oils Achieve these Benefits Stable Basestocks Synthetic oils are designed from pure, uniform synthetic basestocks, they contain no contaminants or unstable molecules which are prone to thermal and oxidative break down. Because of their uniform molecular structure, synthetic lubricants operate with less internal and external friction than petroleum oils which have a non-uniform molecular structure. The result is better heat control, and less heat means less stress to the lubricant. Higher Percentage of Basestock Synthetic oils contain a higher percentage of lubricant basestock than petroleum oils do. This is because multi-viscosity oils need a great deal of pour point depressant and viscosity improvers to operate as a multigrade. The basestocks actually do most of the lubricating. More basestocks mean a longer oil life. Additives Used Up More Slowly Petroleum basestocks are much more prone to oxidation than synthetic oils. Oxidation inhibitors are needed in greater quantities in petroleum oils as they are used up more quickly. Synthetic oils do oxidize, but at a much slower rate therefore oxidation inhibiting additives are used up more slowly. Synthetic oils provide for better ring seal than petroleum oils do. This minimizes blow-by and reduces contamination by combustion by-products. As a result, corrosion inhibiting additives have less work to do and will last much longer in a synthetic oil. Excellent Heat Tolerance Synthetics are simply more tolerant to extreme heat than petroleum oils are. When heat builds up within an engine, petroleum oils quickly begin to burn off. They are more volatile. The lighter molecules within petroleum oils turn to gas and what's left are the large molecules that are harder to pump. Synthetics have far more resistance as they are more thermally stable to begin with and can take higher temperatures for longer periods without losing viscosity. Heat Reduction One of the major factors affecting engine life is component wear and/or failure, which is often the result of high temperature operation. The uniformly smooth molecular structure of synthetic oils gives them a much lower coefficient friction (they slip more easily over one another causing less friction) than petroleum oils. Less friction means less heat and heat is a major contributor to engine component wear and failure, synthetic oils significantly reduce these two detrimental effects. Since each molecule in a synthetic oil is of uniform size, each is equally likely to touch a component surface at any given time, thus moving a certain amount of heat into the oil stream and away from the component. This makes synthetic oils far superior heat transfer agents than conventional petroleum oils. Greater Film Strength Petroleum motor oils have very low film strength in comparison to synthetics. The film strength of a lubricant refers to it's ability to maintain a film of lubricant between two objects when extreme pressure and heat are applied. Synthetic oils will typically have a film strength of 5 to 10 times higher than petroleum oils of comparable viscosity. Even though heavier weight oils typically have higher film strength than lighter weight oils, an sae 30 or 40 synthetic will typically have a higher film strength than an sae 50 or sae 60 petroleum oil. A lighter grade synthetic can still maintain proper lubricity and reduce the chance of metal to metal contact. This means that you can use oils that provide far better fuel efficiency and cold weather protection without sacrificing engine protection under high temperature, high load conditions. Obviously, this is a big plus, because you can greatly reduce both cold temperature start-up wear and high temperature/high load engine wear using a low viscosity oil. Engine Deposit Reduction Petroleum oils tend to leave sludge, varnish and deposits behind after thermal and oxidative break down. They're better than they used to be, but it still occurs. Deposit build-up leads to a significant reduction in engine performance and engine life as well as increasing the chance of costly repairs. Synthetic oils have far superior thermal and oxidative stability and they leave engines virtually varnish, deposit and sludge-free. Better Cold Temperature Fluidity Synthetic oils do not contain the paraffins or other waxes which dramatically thicken petroleum oils during cold weather. As a result, they tend to flow much better during cold temperature starts and begin lubricating an engine almost immediately. This leads to significant engine wear reduction, and, therefore, longer engine life. Improved Fuel Economy Because of their uniform molecular structure, synthetic oils are tremendous friction reducers. Less friction leads to increased fuel economy and improved engine performance. This means that more energy released from the combustion process can be transferred directly to the wheels due to the lower friction. Acceleration is more responsive and more powerful, using less fuel in the process. In a petroleum oil, lighter molecules tend to boil off easily, leaving behind much heavier molecules which are difficult to pump. The engine loses more energy pumping these heavy molecules than if it were pumping lighter ones. Since synthetic oils have more uniform molecules, fewer of these molecules tend to boil off and when they do, the molecules which are left are of the same size and pumpability is not affected. Synthetics are better and in many ways, they are basically better by design as they are created by chemists in laboratories for a specific purpose, rather than being modified from something that came out of the ground to be as good as they can for a purpose. Cheers Tim

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Hi Due to the gearbox specs I would go for either the Amsoil ATF, Motul Multi ATF, Fuchs ATF4400 or Millers Millermatic ATF SPIII. http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-442-atfs.aspx Cheers Tim

Could well be. What oil are you using? Cheers Tim

Hi all, Around this time of year we get quite a few questions about experiencing difficult gearshifts in cold weather, so we thought you might find this useful. Using the incorrect viscosity gear oil in your car can make gear changes very difficult when the gearbox, and oil are cold. This is why we often don't recommend using thicker gear oils than the manufacturer specifies. It is easy to think that increasing the viscosity from a 75w-80 to 75w-90 or 75w-90 to 75w-140 isn't going to affect the cold properties of the oil, but it does. Below are some figures showing the viscosity of a selection of oils at 40C measured in mm²/s ( 1 millimeter²/second = 1 centistoke, A centistoke is a decimal fraction of the CGS unit of kinematic viscosity stokes, which is equal to centimeter per second (cm²/s). 1 stokes is a kinematic viscosity of a fluid with a density of 1 g/cm³ and a dynamic viscosity of 1 poise… In short the thickness of oil!). 40degc may not seem cold but this is the temperature at which the viscosity is measured and is the information you will find on the oil technical data sheets. I have listed specific brands and products to make it easier to see the differences in viscosity. Fuchs Sintofluid FE 75w = 40.8 @ 40°c Fuchs Sintofluid 75w-80 = 49.8 @ 40°c Fuchs Sintopoid 75w-90 = 90.5 @ 40°c Fuchs Sintopoid LS 75w140 = 170 @ 40°c As you can see from that, they are all 75w oils, but there is a large difference in the viscosity at lower temps; the Sintopoid 75w-90 is over twice as thick as the Sintofluid FE 75w when cold and the 75w-140 is almost twice as thick as the 75w-90.* So, if you've got a car that needs one grade of oil as standard, but you've modified it and decide to try a thicker oil, or someone puts the wrong oil in, it might really affect the cold gear shifts. Usually, increasing the quality is a better option than increasing the viscosity when thinking about upgrading from standard fluid. Also, viscosity ratings are not exact points, but are a band that the viscosity should fall in. The Motul Gear 300 75w-90 has a viscosity of 76.2mm²/s at 40°c and the Castrol Universal 75w-90 is 84.8mm²/s, so you can see there is some variation in oils that appear to be the same viscosity. A lot of gearboxes specify an 80w-90 rather than a 75w-90, but I would always tend to go for a 75w-90 instead as there can be a large difference is the viscosity when cold. The Motul Gearbox 80w-90 is 164mm²/s, so over twice as thick as their Gear 300 when cold. If you're using an 80w-90 and are having stiff cold gear changes, changing to a 75w-90 is likely to improve things. If you have any questions or need further advice please post here or email us at sales@opieoils.co.uk Cheers Tim.

The guy in Halfords is confused. He's talking about something that he knows nothing about. Most of the 300zx owners we deal with use a synthetic and all the ones that are modified use a good synthetic. There is no issue with using a synthetic in older engines, and if you want the best for the car, you use a good synthetic. A good example of that is the Rover 3.5/3.9 V8 that went in loads of different things (Rover SD, Range Rover, TVRs etc etc etc). That engine was first made in 1960 (long before yours) and while some people use a mineral oil, plenty use a full synthetic. Cheers Tim

I'd go for a 10w-50 http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-659-10w-50.aspx Both are really good oils, absolute top of the range ones, so go with any brand preference you have. Cheers Tim

Hi As the most simplified way of recommending an oil, a 5w-40 or 10w-40 is suitable all year round in a standard or lightly modded car used on the road. If you get a really good oil, then that's also suitable for a bit of track use as well. If there are a few mods and track use, a 10w-50 is a better idea. To be honest, I'd rather people just asked for their own car, what you see as lightly and heavily modded vary from person to person. Cheers Tim

Well we can do some sort of group deal, but hold on a day or two and the 10w-50 and other (the new ones) Fuchs Pro oils will be on offer. Cheers Tim

Hi Due to changes on the website, restrictions enforced by Google Shopping and customer confusion, we no longer have the members discount in the same way we used to. All the prices contain the discount now, rather than having seperate members and public prices. Cheers Tim

I would say a good 5w-40 would probably be the way to go, unless you are getting high (over 125C) oil temps, then a 10w-50 is the best choice.* http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-656-5w-40.aspx http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-659-10w-50.aspx Out of those, the best ones are the Fuchs/Silkolene Pro S, Millers CFS, Motul 300V, Redline and Gulf Competition. Cheers Tim

Certainly cheap! And, sadly, much less than we have to pay Castrol for it. Strictly speaking, GTX is part synthetic rather than semi-synthetic. The "synthetic" element is hydrocracked base stock in an undisclosed quantity; a pretty basic choice.

Glad you like it

It's that time of year when you may need to perform some maintenance on your car to keep it safe and give it the best protection through the winter. Engine Oil In a road car, about 90% of the engine’s wear can occur during cold starts and this is only made worse with low winter temperatures. The thicker an oil is when it's cold, the longer it takes to flow around the engine. The longer it takes for the oil to get where it's needed, the less protection the engine gets. That means that an oil that is thin when cold will give the best cold start protection, but it's not always practical to use a 0w or 5w oil. A worn engine can leak oil if it's too thin, whilst heavily modified forged builds have larger tolerances, meaning that the oil can get past the piston rings and burn (although this would probably only be a problem when cold). But for the majority of cars manufactured within the last 20 years, you can use a 0w or 5w oil without any problems to help provide good cold start protection. With older cars, you can usually use a 10w rather than a 15w and a 15w instead of a 20w. If a car needs a thick oil when hot (for example a SAE50), then using an oil that is very thin when cold (0w-50 or 5w-50) can be an issue. The large viscosity gap can make the oil unstable, leading it to break down to a thinner grade relatively quickly and rising oil consumption. With many cars, if they have two oil changes a year, it can be a good idea to use a thinner grade for the winter and a thicker one for the summer. Another thing you can do to help protect your engine over the winter is to use an ester based oil. The ester content of the oil is electrostatically charged, which helps it to stick to metallic surfaces. That means there is already a layer of oil in place when you start the car up. If you have a track car that is stored for the winter and it's had an ester based oil in it for the summer season, leave the oil in there so the ester content helps to coat all the metal surfaces while it's out of use. Heat pads are available to sit under the sump and warm the engine oil before use, but they aren't really necessary in the UK if the correct oil grade is used. Gearbox Oil The main issue for gearbox oil is that if the oil is too thick, cold gear changes can be almost impossible in certain cars. In the UK it shouldn't get cold enough to need a much thinner than standard gear oil (although using something like a 75w-90 rather than 80w-90 will improve the cold flow rate), but in Northern Europe and other cold areas, some cars will benefit from using something thinner (MTF instead of 75w-90, ATF rather than MTF). A lot of people that use thick gearbox oil for competitive use in the summer find that cold gear changes are much more difficult in the winter and they may need to use a different oil. Coolant/Antifreeze Make sure that you have enough and that it's not over diluted. Last winter the temperatures dropped to below -20oC, so well below the freezing point of water, and that can cause real problems if there is insufficient antifreeze. As the water freezes, it expands and that can really damage the cooling system and engine if there is nowhere for the water to expand into. Diesel Engines As the temperatures drop, you may find that a diesel engine gets harder to start from cold. This is often due to glow plugs that need replacing. They might have been absolutely fine a month or two ago, but the lower temperatures of the last couple of weeks are likely to be low enough to show if the plugs need replacing. Another problem with diesel is that it can freeze at -15C (dependant on the blend, as it's a mix of hydrocarbons, there is no exact point where all diesel freezes). Last year we spoke to several people who had tanks of diesel (mainly for agricultural and commercial purposes) that had frozen during the coldest nights. That left them stuck as they couldn't operate their vehicles with frozen diesel. There are a few fuel additives that can be mixed with diesel that lower the freezing point, down to -30C to -40C, meaning that it doesn't freeze in the UK. Air Filters/Induction Kits If you have a aftermarket cone-type filter or induction kit that is exposed to the elements or liable to pick up spray from the road, make sure it's properly cleaned and oiled. That should prevent excess water and debris from entering the engine, but if you want to really protect the filter, get a filter wrap to cover it. Windscreens Your windscreen is a very important part of your car and you want to keep it as clear as possible to be safe. Get a good de-icer and scraper for frosty mornings, some decent screen wash (in a more concentrated mix than in the summer) and a reliable set of wipers to keep it clear. Paintwork With salt being added to the road surfaces, it will spray onto your car's bodywork and can harm the finish. Give the car a wash and seal the surface with a good layer of wax or sealant. You can do the same to your alloys. If you have any exposed metal or if you know if your car is liable to rust spots in certain areas (wheel arches, door sills etc), using a light oil spray to cover them is a good idea. It gives a little extra protection against the salt and water coming off the road. - The team at Opie Oils

How about this as a cheaper option? http://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-990-fuchs-titan-xtr-10w-40-high-performance-semi-synthetic-engine-oil.aspx Cheers Tim

The chipboard is quite a good way of describing it, although it doesn't seem like a flattering description. In some ways, chipboard is a good substitute for wood (like using marine chipboard in boats, rather than pine). Just like synthetic oils are good for engines, but not a good idea when it comes to heating oils. Cheers Tim

Various shorter hydrocarbons, basically.

How is an Engine Oil Made? There are two main components that all engine oils are made of, basestocks and the additive package. The base fluid typically makes up the bulk of the oil (70-95%). Additive chemicals are then added to enhance the positive qualities of the basestocks and to overcome whatever negative qualities there may be. There are two main types of basestocks, petroleum and synthetic. Petroleum basestocks are a purified form of crude oil and have been used as the base for automotive lubricants since motor oils were first developed. Synthetic basestocks, on the other hand, are chemically engineered in a lab specifically for the purpose of lubrication. They are engineered from pure compounds that contain no contaminants which must be removed via purification. Synthetic basestocks have been around since the early 1900's but were not widely used in automotive type applications until the 70's. Petroleum Basestocks Petroleum basestocks are refined from crude oil, it must be run through a series of purification steps to improve the following desirable lubrication qualities: Viscosity Index A measure of an oil's ability to maintain its viscosity over a wide temperature range. The higher the number, the less change in viscosity with a change in temperature. Better oils will generally have higher viscosity indexes. Low Temperature Performance The better an oil will flow at low temperatures, the better its low temperature performance. Better low temperature performance provides more immediate engine protection at start-up in cold weather climates. High Temperature Performance How well does an oil hold together under extremely hot conditions. Will it burn off easily? Will it allow metal to metal contact under hot conditions as a result of viscosity loss (shear)? Obviously, better oils will hold together more effectively under extreme heat. Oxidation Resistance Oxidation occurs when oxygen reacts with the components of an oil to form sludge and other engine deposits. Oxidation leads to increased oil viscosity making the engine work harder to pump the oil through its system. An oil should be able to resist oxidation. “Hydrocracked” (HC) or Molecularly Converted (MC) Basestocks There are many petroleum oils available on the market that are so pure and refined, they can now be passed off as synthetics. They are not made from true synthetic basestocks (at least not in the way that synthetics have traditionally been defined), but they have so little in common with traditional petroleum basestocks, it is really somewhat silly to classify them as petroleum oils. Petroleum oil basestocks can be put through a super-extreme refining process called “hydrocracking”. In some cases, as in the case of one particular name-brand "synthetic" oil, these highly refined petroleum basestocks can actually be termed and sold as "synthetic". It is completely legal for lubricants manufacturers to label these oils as "synthetic". These are extremely high performance petroleum basestocks, but they are not truly synthetic the way that most people understand the term and will not necessarily perform to the same level as a premium synthetic oil like PAO (poly alfa olefins) or Esters. Hydrocracking involves changing the actual structure of many of the oil basestock molecules by breaking and fragmenting different molecular structures into far more stable ones. This results in a basestock which has far better thermal and oxidative stability as well as a better ability to maintain proper viscosity through a wide temperature range - when compared to a typical petroleum basestock. Although contaminants are still present, and these are still petroleum basestocks, contamination is minimal and performance characteristics are high. This process also can turn a wider range of crude oil stock into well-performing petroleum lubricant basestocks. Synthetic Basestocks Synthetic oil basestocks have very little in common with their petroleum "cousins". They are used for a similar purpose. But, while one is designed specifically for the purpose of lubrication (built brick by brick), the other has been simply transformed into something that will adequately do the job. In the case of synthetic basestocks the first step is the most important. The lubricant manufacturer first decides what the final lubricant is going to be used for. Once that is determined, research is done to determine what lubricant characteristics will be best suited to that particular application. Only then is manufacture of the actual lubricant basestocks begun. On the surface, the manufacture of synthetic basestocks may seem far more simplistic than the manufacture of a petroleum oil. In the case of synthetics, materials of low molecular weight are chemically reacted with each other to produce materials of higher molecular weight with very specific lubricating properties. There is no need to separate the basestocks into fractions of differing molecular weight because the intended molecular weight is formed at the start. There is no need to extract contaminants or transform them into something useful because there are no contaminants to begin with. Nevertheless, it is important to understand that the particular materials used for chemical reaction and the methods used for those reactions will result in synthetic basestocks of varying quality. Experience is essential to proper manufacture of a quality synthetic basestocks. Synthetic basestocks manufactured in this way will have the following basic benefits over their petroleum basestock counterparts: improved low and high temperature performance, improved oxidative and thermal stability, enhanced frictional characteristics and longer lubricant life. The Importance of the Additive Package Although the basestock of an oil will be a major determining factor in the lubrication quality of an oil, chemical additives play a major part in making sure that it does all that it is supposed to do. The chemical additive package of an oil is just as important to insuring the quality of a lubricant as is the particular basestock used. The chemical additive package of an oil is designed to perform a number of tasks and each task is performed by a particular type of chemical. The quality of the chemicals used and the manner in which they are blended plays a large part in determining how well the additive package does its job. As the quality of the additive chemicals increases, so does the price. In addition, proper blending takes a great deal of research. This requires much time and, again, money. Therefore, manufacturers will, of course, charge more for motor oils which contain a high quality additive package than those with lower quality additive packages. They simply can't afford not to. Each chemical within an oils additive package plays a different role in boosting the beneficial properties of it's host lubricant (basestock). Any questions on this or anything else are welcome. Cheers - The Opie Oils Team

Thanks for that, it can't always go as planned, but we do try to sort things out if it goes wrong.

Any advice needed ? Ask us here, will be happy to help :-) Cheers Oilman

Yep :)

Hi I would say a good 5w-40 would probably be the way to go, unless you are getting high (over 125C) oil temps, then a 10w-50 is the best choice. http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-656-5w-40.aspx http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-659-10w-50.aspx Out of those, the best ones are the Fuchs/Silkolene Pro S, Millers CFS, Motul 300V, Redline and Gulf Competition. Cheers Tim