First, let me thank everyone who had a suggestion about refitting the O.D.
back onto the transmission. I finally got it there last night after much
trying and re-trying. I had to pry up on the actuator bars and put a "shim"
under them to get the spines to move around for alignment. When I would
release the actuators again, the splines would usually shift out of position
again (Grrrrrrr!), but I finally got everything to line up and the
transmission just dropped on and closed with a very satisfying "clank".
Again, thanks to the combined wisdom of all of you!
Now, on to the question Du Jour... Is synthetic oil good for your car?
(WARNING -- some Volvo content follows)
I have used only Mobil 1 in my '92 Volvo 240 since I have owned it (making
the last payment this month). Just this week, the Service dept. replaced
the rear main oil seal for the 2nd time. The 1st time was only a year ago.
Is this because of the synthetic oil, or did they put a defective seal in
last year? The service writers (a couple of regular "car guys") both claim
that the under-current of rumor about synthetics is wrong. This
under-current has it that synthetic oil doesn't cause the rubber seals to
"swell", so any wear in the sealing area can't be compensated for by the
chemical reaction of petroleum and rubber. What's the opinion of those of
you out there? I'd love to run my TR6 on synthetic oil because I feel that
it is a better lubricant over a wider range of conditions, and it sure does
keep the inside of the engine clean! I also know that any LBC doesn't need
much excuse to start leaking all over the place. I suppose that the
trade-off would be: if it leaks, keep throwing oil-dry on the garage floor
and keep an eye on the dip stick -- it's worth the extra $$$ to reduce
friction and heat, and to keep the interior of the engine "surgically
clean". It's coming on time for my "Spring oil change", so this isn't just
an academic question... Thanks.
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