DO SYNTHETIC OILS WORK?
Seeing the ads for synthetic motor oils and lubricants, you may ask if they are right for your gasoline or diesel engines. Are they worth the extra money? Conventional mineral motor oils are refined using crude oil for the base sotck. Mineral oils contain impurities, such as nitrogen,resin,asphalt,wax, carbon, sulfur, and aromatic residues. Refining removes most of these, but some remain to cause problems, especially under stress and temperatures. In contrast, synthetic oils are developed in the laboratory- from man made orgainc esters and other synthesized hydrocarbons to provide the exact characteristics desired. These “designer” oils include no impurities, at least when poured from the can. Impurities, of course, can appear during combustion. Even the best mineral-based motor oils break down or oxidize at temperatures of 250deg to 350deg F. Above this the life of these oils drops drastically, resulting in increased engine wear and formation of harmful sludge (or BLACK DEATH) , varni
Related Questions
- Why do some test results showing synthetic oils superiority state "as tested by an independent lab"? Why don’t you state which lab did the testing?
- In the past, Harley-Davidson® did not recommend the use of synthetic oils in H-D/Buell® motorcycles. Why is H-D introducing a synthetic now?
- Do synthetic oils really work?
