I have been fascinated by engine lubrication since the late '70's, and have used Synthetics in just about every powered device and car since then. I have read the occasional discussioins on
oil/oiling in the auto magazines. I no expert nor engineeer, but here are a few posts about
oil:
http://www.caranddriver.com/xp/Caran...l?keywords=oil
http://www.caranddriver.com/xp/Caran...l?keywords=oil
http://www.caranddriver.com/xp/Caran...l?keywords=oil
Sorry about the very long links, you will have to type them in, or just go to the Car and Driver webs site, and do a search on
oil
http://www.caranddriver.com/xp/Caranddriver/home.xml
These discuss many of the points argued about in the CC oiling posts.
I won't reinterate them. For the "record", about 15 years ago, my neighbor and I bought John Deer lawn tractors, with 12.5 HP Kawasacki motors. Bought the same day, mowed large yards (Kansas!!) , i used synthtic oils after a break in with mineral oil (which i always do), he used the John Deer mineral oil.
After some years, his smoked a bit and used some oil, whereas my identical motor did not use a drop, and did not smoke at all.
Previously, my wife was out mowing on a 8 hp Snapper, and did not notice that cottonwood spring "cotton" had completely been sucked into the engine's cooling fan, so no air was cooling the motor. When she turned it off, running fine, the motor was so hot all the paint had blistered off, and it was sizzling, but it was not siezed, i believe because of the thermal protection of the
Synthetic oil in the crankcase.
I broke my SPF's custom stroker in for about 4Kmiles with frequent mineral oil changes, and have run Red Line 10-40 or 20-50 with now over 46,000 hard hard miles on the motor. It does not leak or use oil between changes. Red Lines' race oils are non detertent, by the way. I use the street detergent oils, of course.
My opinion is that all modern oils are superb lubricants, and that synthetics are even better.
I have an extensively modifed external oiling hose/filter/cooler, and run an Ernie Elliot filter adaptor off of one of the Evernham Dodge NASCAR cars, which i got from a used NASCAR parts place up in NC. I run Wix racing oil filters, 23 micron, and have drilled and tapped my oil return line so it flows thru AN 12 straight into the block, bypassing the Canton block adaptor.
I am very proud of my oiling set up, it is very impressive, looks cool with the new Blue Accusump right in front of the engine, up by the huge oil filter. Had the Race Tech mechanic at Goodrich up in Mooresville make up some of my lines, what a pretty thing the Kevlar and Stainless Steel mix is in the engine compartment. I an do SS lines, but Kevlar takes a special swedge machine to assemble.
When i croak, i have it in my last will and testiment that i am to be embalmed with 20-50
Synthetic oil!!