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If you are assuming that the Cup cars run Mobil One, you couldn't be more wrong. NONE of the Cup teams run a bottled or branded oil. They all have their own formulators and these guys blend the oils to make the most HP and the engine last as long as the race. The engine is considered expendable. The additive packages in most of the oils would literally kill your street engine. Some run as thin as a 0 viscosity oil, some will run a 10 viscosity oil. I know of no team that runs anything thicker than a 20 viscosity oil. Obviously the thinner oil allows the engine to make more HP as there is less resistance to flow which requires less effort on the engine to pump it. That little extra power is used to win races. The norm for one of the cars is a 16qt capacity, if you didn't already know that. It allows the oil to cool before going back to work. ALL NASCAR engines run a dry sump.
The difference between a conventional and synthetic is not near as well defined as it was 15 years ago. They are almost identical today. The synthetics have not changed much over the years but the conventionals have changed dramatically. There are no more Gp IV based oils anymore as the ethylene gas that's required to make it has gotten hard to find and expensive. All of the synthetic bases are a Gp III and most are made from crude oil. You will have a few that use natural gas as the feedstock to make a synthetic base but it still comes out a Gp III. The conventionals are blends these days. None are a pure conventional due to the high heat requirements by Ford specs. That's an API test that is double length or 16 hours instead of 8 at 302F with the high deposits half that of API requirements and it's not allowed to oxidize or shear out of its respective viscosity. Pretty stout stuff. What has changed in the "industry" is that the Advertising Council which decided in the Mobil Oil vs Castrol concerning the Gp III being called a synthetic, changed the rules on marketing a synthetic. If it doesn't appear in nature, it is a man made product therefore a synthetic. With the exception of the solvent refined base oils, ALL base oils are considered today as a synthetic. So what you bought a few years ago as a conventional is now todays synthetic. Not all motor oil formulators subscribe to that kind of thinking but there are name brand synthetics out there that are yesterdays conventionals. Problem is, Joe Common has no clue which is which. The best choice out there......use the correct viscosity as the car maker designed the engine to use. Buy an API certified oil. Don't pay a lot for it, sit back and enjoy the ride. Few ever keep a car long enough for it to matter but using a synthetic does not guarantee you that the engine will go one mile farther. Your engine, your money.
I have only used Mobil One for years. I had a Trans Am that went to over 200,000 miles and still ran when I gave it to my nephew, then and Acura that died at 315,000 miles. Maybe it was due to the Mobil 1 maybe not, but 2 cars i 28 years is a pretty good track record in my book. I never changed the oil at 3,000 miles, but around 7,000, longer if I used Extended Life. The oil was never dirty when I got it changed and IMO having 2 cars in 28 years is a pretty good track record. So if it ain't broke, don't fix it...I'm a loyal customer for life.
I have used synthetic oil but I stick to conventional oil because I feel oil should be changed 2,3,4+ times a year because of how it becomes dirty, even if it holds superior properties. Dirt/particles in the oil is bad for the engine, so it has to be changed anyway, even before the properties wear down. Not to mention conventional oil is half the price. Thoughts?
I would go by the manufacturer's recommendation, unless the car is turbocharged. If that's the case then I would go with full synthetic no matter what the manufacturer says.
Ditto, I have a volvo turbo, it needs synth oil,
the oil galleys are smaller.
What does the owner's manual on the specific car say, I usually follow that.
Also, oil is more controversial in the car enthusiast community than religion, so good luck getting a consensus.
I don't think it's that controversial. Modern motor oil generally speaking is much higher quality that in decades past because of improvements in how its refined so even "cheap" conventional oil will do the job pretty well if it is changed regularly.
I have used synthetic oil but I stick to conventional oil because I feel oil should be changed 2,3,4+ times a year because of how it becomes dirty, even if it holds superior properties. Dirt/particles in the oil is bad for the engine, so it has to be changed anyway, even before the properties wear down. Not to mention conventional oil is half the price. Thoughts?
I tend to use the best parts or ingredients that are realistically available just out of habit but that's just me. The added cost of an oil change procedure you do once or twice a year is really pretty trivial. It's not like I'm buying gallons of the crap every week so I usually spring for the better stuff.
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Very good points, TrapperL
