Engine synthetic or not?

coltscardinalsfan

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Hello all, just a quick question on oil changing. My lawn tractor is a new Cub Cadet model LTX 1046 with the Kawasaki 20 hp motor. I plan to put about 5 hours on the break in oil from the factory then it will be ready for its first oil change. I use a full synthetic oil in all of my vehicles but don't know if I should in a small engine. I am partial to Mobile 1 but don't know if they make a 30w or 40w oil. Can some one help....Thanks, Coltscardinalsfan :cool:
 

benski

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I'd certainly go with a synthetic. Amsoil is my preferred weapon, but any 10-30 will be better than a conventional oil, IMHO.:biggrin:
 

reddragon

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stay with synthetic!....mobil 1 is great.....i used 10-30 high mileage for years...but once i found ROTELLA T6...i never went back:smile:
 

Black Bart

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This spring I bought a new John Deere and the manual said to use either 10-30 or 15-40 so I went with Rotella T-6 5-40 :licking:
 

KennyV

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Rotella T6 5-40 is outstanding Synthetic... :smile:KennyV
If you don't want to switch brands... Mobil1 is also okay...
 

Black Bart

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Rotella T6 5-40 is outstanding Synthetic... :smile:KennyV
If you don't want to switch brands... Mobil1 is also okay...
Yes Mobil would be much better than any dinosaur juice but it needs to be told that Mobil is not a PAO base oil like once was, It is now made from group-3 oil.

It is still good but when they switched to a cheaper base stock they did not lower the price. :confused2:
 

Black Bart

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Those of you who read this thread but don't really keep abreast of what is going on in the oil industry Castrol was selling oil called Syn-Tech and it was billed as a full synthetic but it was made from a group-3 base.

Mobil sued Castrol saying they were using false advertising.
The government decided that the Castrol was refined in such a way as to change the molecule structure enough that they could call it a synthetic.

After that Mobil switched and started doing the same thing.
If you can't beat them then joint them.

Under normal conditions this oil is good enough.

I use a PAO based oil in my 1200 HP Corvette but it cost me $ 100.00 dollars to change oil so few people need oil this good or would be willing to pay for it.

I should also point out that the EPA has got into telling the oil companies how they must make their oil.

In order to make the catalytic converter last longer they told the oil manufactures to lower the ZDDP count and that is when the guys with performance flat tappet cams begin destroying their camshaft.

All new engine use a roller cam and do not suffer from this but the fact remains that the oil has less protection from dry starts.
 

reddragon

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BEING A TRUCK DRIVER....THESE NEW CATALYTIC BIG RIGS ARE GOING TO OPEN UP A NEW CAN OF WORMS ON THIS FRONT...IM KINDA CRINGING AT ABOUT IT....I KNOW MOST FLEETS DONT USE SYNTHETIC YET BECAUSE OF COST...ILL BE INTERESTED ON HOW THIS PROGRESSES
 

Black Bart

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BEING A TRUCK DRIVER....THESE NEW CATALYTIC BIG RIGS ARE GOING TO OPEN UP A NEW CAN OF WORMS ON THIS FRONT...IM KINDA CRINGING AT ABOUT IT....I KNOW MOST FLEETS DONT USE SYNTHETIC YET BECAUSE OF COST...ILL BE INTERESTED ON HOW THIS PROGRESSES

I retired several years ago so I lost out on what the latest class 8 trucks are using but I think they are using urea tanks and that is a whole different type than what is in a typical car.
 

KennyV

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Yes Mobil would be much better than any dinosaur juice but it needs to be told that Mobil is not a PAO base oil like once was, It is now made from group-3 oil.

It is still good but when they switched to a cheaper base stock they did not lower the price. :confused2:

You are right... and that is another of the reasons I stopped using any Mobile1 ... we use to go through a lot of it....

The reduced ZDDP is and has been a big flat tappet problem... AND anyone with an older engine gasoline & Diesel, should become aware of this...
Cam operated injector pumps need extreme pressure additives...
Right now Rotella T6 has the best.
:smile:KennyV
 
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