Keith:
On the subject of oils, I am a novice. This is
especially true for modern oils used in current
generation passenger car engines. It has been my
understanding that oil companies blend fluids to meet
a minimum requirement. All those SAE standards
insignia on oil container labels only serve to
instruct a user that the oil company provides a bare
minimum to meet those specifications. I have heard
horror stories about stock HP engines running non-
factory recommended oil only to suffer some sort of
failure soon after. At first blush, it sounds like
operator error. A second look presents a different
story. New car engines have different oil requirements
than even a generation ago. Race engines may be
another thing, however.
What I think I do understand about oil probably
remains the same as it always has. Use a quality oil
to break in a new race motor so that you reduce
friction and thereby reduce heat. Heat is your big
enemy, especially to a fresh engine. I may disagree
with not using a good synthetic for initial break-in.
This is just my opinion but the only real argument I
have heard against using synthetic in this situation
has to do with seal failures. If there was any truth
to that, I don't know. I always used synthetic to
break-in without issue. Today, seals do not have this
problem. Hone cylinders properly and pay particular
attention to surface quality throughout the engine on
all load bearing components and you should be fine
with a synthetic oil from the very beginning. If in
doubt, call an oil company technician. These guys are
naturally well versed on what an oil can and can not
do for any given application. The ring manufacturers
are not so blessed.
John Goodman
--- Keith Turk <kturk@ala.net> wrote:
> Okay John.... fill us in buckwheat... what's your
> Semi Expert opinion?
>
> K
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