Synthetic Oil

[Mike G.]

I know this is an old question, so please bare with me. I have a 2002 GMC 2500hd, extended cab, short bed,4.10 gears with 6.0 engine. Considering using synthetic oil in the engine and the transmission. Good or bad, any thoughts. Looking to prolong the life of the engine and transmission. I pull a 9,700lb fifth wheel and the truck does just fine.

Thanks

[Black02Silverado]

Mike,

 

Synthetics are great for protection. If you change your oil every 3k then there is no need to go to synthetics. The only reason to change to it is if you live in a cold climate and then you get the extra protection on cold start up. It helps reduce wear and tear on the engine and lessens the strain on the battery and starter since the engine turns over easier. It can also help for mpg, not that it will be very noticeable but IMO I feel it helps. Also if you don't mind the extra expense.

 

Now you say you do some towing. This is were the synthetic ATF comes into play. I have read a lot of feed back from owners of vehicles that tow alot and they all swear by synthetic.  Amsoil makes a really good ATF. It helps keep tranny temps down and extends the life of your transmittion by a long margin. Towing puts a strain on the tranny more so than just regular driving. Doing anything to keep the temperature down in the transmittion really makes a difference in the life it lives.

 

If you want to keep your truck around a long time and are not planing on trading anytime soon and the big question, can you afford the extra expense? Then synthetics are the way to go.

 

[bcfitzsimons]

I use Royal Purple synthetic oil in my 496 and I can definitely tell the difference between the synthetic oil and dino juice.  It's nothing major, but little things do add up: (1) far less startup noise, esp. at low temps (2) better oil pressure at operating temp-45 psig with dino at 2000 rpm vs. 60-65 psig with RP at 2000 rpm (3) better fuel economy-granted, it's only about 1-2 mpg.  

 

If you put a drop or two of the RP on your finger, you can definitely tell that it's a LOT slicker than regular old 5W-30.  

 

Haven't changed the tranny fluid yet, but you can bet that when I do, it'll be with synthetic.  

 

Fitz.

[Mike G.]

Thanks for the info. Since I plan on keeping the truck for a long time (retiring in 35 days) I will probably switch over to synthetic. Again, thanks for your input and it is most appreciated.  Mike

[TxDoc]

If you go to http://www.mobil1.com, you will find a lot of info to read.  Look around under the FAQs, etc.

 

Synthetics will provide:

 

Anti-Wear

Superior protection under heavy engine loads/stresses, such as hauling and towing.

Minimizing oil degradation.

 

All-Temperature

Faster lubrication at start-up in low temperatures.

Superior protection at high temperatures.

Superior resistance to thermal breakdown.

 

Engine Cleanliness

Superior protection against harmful deposits.

Cleaner running engines.

 

Engine Efficiency

Greater resistance to oil oxidation (thickening).

Lower oil consumption under high-speed conditions.

Optimizing engine efficiency.

[Mike G.]

TxDoc - thanks and again thanks to all that replied.

Mike