ron@fluke.UUCP (Ron Pankiewicz) (12/11/85)
The recent submissions on Syn vs Petro oils has raised a few questions: The consensus seems to be that syn oils should not be used in an engine that already has 40-50K miles on it (cause of their superior detergent properties). Well what if the engine were first flushed out (one or more times) with something like Rislone? Would that alleviate the deposits problem? (I have no idea how well Rislone or similar products work, but have been told that running it in the engine for 5-15 minutes right before an oil change helps flush out deposited crud.) Alternatively, what would happen if a person were to gradually wean the engine from Petro oils over to Syn oils. Assuming they do mix, could a person start out with, say, 1 qt of Syn oil and the rest Petro oil, and gradually work up to 100% Syn oils over the next few oil changes? (Or do Syn and Petro oils resist mixing, such that putting them together in the crankcase is madness?) One more ancillary question Does anyone know anything about the virtues of oil additives such as Bardahl #2? (or is it #1?). These are supposed to improve the lubricating ability of conventional oil; (I believe they are wetting agents that at least reduce the amount of oil that drains off surfaces when the engine is stopped). I'm NOT talking about "oil life extenders," like STP, for oil that is long due to be replaced... we needn't waste electricity discussing STP. Any light that you can shed on this is appreciated. -Ron Pankiewicz
struve@calma.UUCP (Dimetry Struve) (12/16/85)
I recently bought a Kawasaki 550 motorcycle that had 29000 miles of using petroleum-based oil, which is considered a fair amount for a 10000 rpm air-cooled engine. I switched to Redline synthetic oil. After several weekends of club road-racing and 2000 miles of street use there has been no apparent oil consumption. When I switched oils, I mereley drained and replaced - no flushing. After owning a Vega, I learned that oil is cheap compared to engine work, and even at $5 per quart I feel more comfortable with the supposedly superior protection.