Thoughts on synthetic blend vs full synthetic engine oil?

[BYBO]

I run synthetic in all of my vehicles. I normally change 7-10,000 miles and never had any issues. Our oldest car is 23 years old now, and doesn’t leak, smoke, stutter, etc. Of course mostly we drive Toyotas. I’ll probably do 7000 mile changes in the Mustang.

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[DukeCLR]

Bring the sample collection kit with you. Tell them you want it from the middle of the drain after a few quarts have drained. Meaning, don't collect it ad SOON as it starts to come out and don't wait until the end.

When I first learned about oil analysis it was an an aviation maintenance course, the instructor said it was just like a mid stream urine sample.

I haven't changed my 2024 GT Oil yet but I just had an analysis done on my sons Bronco Sport. It's a really great way to keep on eye on the health of your engine.

I have been have a hard time deciding on what oil to use, I don't drive that many miles so I run out of time as opposed to miles. I'm leaning towards Pennzoil full synthetic.

 

[24BlueStang]

In all honesty from what I’ve seen and read, all these brands mentioned are actually not true 100% full synthetic oils. They are usually the minimum amount required to be classified as full synthetic and so the brands label them as such even though they are not actually full synthetic. Now with that being said, if someone here that has more information or could provide a link to more information I’d gladly listen/read to educate myself more on the subject

 

[Skye]

Curious at what mileage you did your second oil change?

Also as I'm having the quick lane at the dealership change my oil I'll have to see if they would collect a sample of the oil for me to send away for analysis.

Skye is a weekend and Holiday car, so she naturally doesn't accumulate a lot of miles. A few thousand a year. Following the Ford OLM, I'm doing once a year oil changes.

The oil and all under hood fluids are checked once a month. At that time, I also look for any leaks, any tells something is not right under hood and under car.

This topic, you'll find there's a wide spectrum of what people do. At once extreme, people follow the maintenance schedule. At the other, people change fluids of all kinds with great frequency. I feel I'm somewhere in the middle. First oil change early, and with a few thousand miles a year, just the OLM.

My reasoning on the first oil change early is that's when most of the crud will be captured and removed. Over time, the rest will come out, in lessening amounts.

At the first change, I witnessed some of the residue in the drain pan. Not scary large chunks, but some large, gritty pieces. I didn't bother cutting the filter open. I expected any number of things in the filter. Wether it was too much or too little was beyond me. All the tells I saw, things were going according to plan: the engine's internals were wearing in, while whatever was left from that and assembly was coming out.

At the time of the first oil change, I installed a drain plug with a magnetic tip. Attached are some photos of what was captured on it from the first oil change to the second. Not bothered by what was collected at all. If anything, encouraged.

To see nothing on the plug would concern me, that internal parts were not seating. And the plug is doing it's job: it's giving me tells as to what is going on while assisting in removing any loose materials not captured by the filter. Those using the factory plug, that loose material will fly out during an oil change. Oil analysis confirms the wear metals are well within tolerances.

Ford's OLM takes multiple variables into account. How often driven, conditions, duration of drive, temps, etc. As a backup or failover, it counts down 1.92%, weekly. It will expire at the end of one year, no matter how the car is driven. Drive hard or track the car, the OLM will countdown quick. Store the car, it will countdown 8% a month.

When you receive the Blackstone kit, it will have instructions on how to take a sample. In general, halfway through the oil change/drain time on a warm engine. It's just a small tube of oil that needs to be recovered. They should be able to take it for you. Many individuals and people maintaining fleets take samples as part of their programs. The sample kit can be mailed back in the pre-paid, USPS mailer. All the materials needed and instructions will be received in one pouch, from Blackstone.

The oil analysis will give confidence everything is going well. The reports will also establish a baseline, specific to that engine. And when/if the car is turned over to another, the information could help facilitate the sale; it helps prove how well the engine was cared for.

As shown in the example posted earlier, the report will show your results, and a comparison to their baseline, the "Universal Averages". The far-right column is a summary report of a Coyote, using an oil type (dino, blend or synth) and weight similar to yours. Later reports will display a long-term trend (see multiple columns) of your engine, as compared to Blackstone's baseline. You'll also have a remarks section, giving you any further insight on the analysis.

Like oil changes, analysis covers a broad spectrum. Some get one report and are done. At the other extreme, those who track or race often will get an analysis at every change.

Edit,

So the drain plug pics highlight materials seen from first to second oil change.

I found some drain pan pics, from the first oil change. The specs of materials I consider normal, healthy even, for a break-in period.

While visuals are appreciated and can sometimes offer tells, an oil analysis will actually quantify what is going on while measuring any number of parameters ones senses cannot pick up.

 

[roadpilot]

For vehicles used as an average everyday driver, those who arbitrarily change thier oil at N miles without basing it on an oil analysis either have money to burn or they have no idea what they are doing.

Oil lubricates and cools engine parts. It also moves engine particles combustion byproducts, and dirt where they are trapped in the filter. Oil can only hold so much crap, and it also breaks down. That's why it needs to be changed. You change oil to ensure you have a good flow to keep the engine clean and cool. Changing it too late can lead to engine damage, while changing it too early simply wastes (still) perfectly good oil and money.

 

[roadpilot]

In all honesty from what I’ve seen and read, all these brands mentioned are actually not true 100% full synthetic oils. They are usually the minimum amount required to be classified as full synthetic and so the brands label them as such even though they are not actually full synthetic. Now with that being said, if someone here that has more information or could provide a link to more information I’d gladly listen/read to educate myself more on the subject

It's not any easy yes or no answer. Here, read this:

https://blog.amsoil.com/100-synthetic-oil-vs-full-synthetic-oil-whats-the-difference/

 

[Zig]

For vehicles used as an average everyday driver, those who arbitrarily change thier oil at N miles without basing it on an oil analysis either have money to burn or they have no idea what they are doing.

Oil lubricates and cools engine parts. It also moves engine particles combustion byproducts, and dirt where they are trapped in the filter. Oil can only hold so much crap, and it also breaks down. That's why it needs to be changed. You change oil to ensure you have a good flow to keep the engine clean and cool. Changing it too late can lead to engine damage, while changing it too early simply wastes (still) perfectly good oil and money.

So, burning it + adding it won’t keep the filter fresh enough to prevent the spread of slug?

was there a recent article regarding ford motorcraft oil vs others?

 

[roadpilot]

So, burning it + adding it won’t keep the filter fresh enough to prevent the spread of slug?

was there a recent article regarding ford motorcraft oil vs others?

I don't follow you. Who's burning oil? And how does that keep the filter from trapping engine particles and debris?

 

[Zig]

I don't follow you. Who's burning oil? And how does that keep the filter from trapping engine particles and debris?

Dunno who but have heard tales of habits, if we’re covering stuff might as well mention why you don’t just add each time it’s low and never change it.

 

[roadpilot]

Dunno who but have heard tales of habits, if we’re covering stuff might as well mention why you don’t just add each time it’s low and never change it.

Ahh, OK. I wasn't sure what you were saying.

Agreed - burning and adding without changing is NOT a strategy I would recommend.

 

[steveo1960]

I'm another person who tends to keep my cars forever. All my cars have run well over 200k miles and most over 300k miles without major engine issues before I sold them. My son is now driving my 2003 Mustang GT with about 225k miles on it with no engine issues or oil consumption etc. That Mustang has used Mobil 1 full synthetic regular or the high mileage version it's entire life. Mobil 1 or Motorcraft filters and 5k mile oil changes. Like Skye says, inspect under the hood regularly to catch little problems before they become big problems. My only question is regarding the WSS-M2C961-A1 /A3 spec that Ford requires. Some oils list it and others, even top well regarded brands, do not. Online information is all over the place on this one so I'm still not sure.

 

[mdoren252]

Here is a video about 5.0L coyote engine with a note about synthetic oil. If you do short trips synthetic crystallizes in engines.

 

[Mustang1987]

Here is a video about 5.0L coyote engine with a note about synthetic oil. If you do short trips synthetic crystallizes in engines.

Never heard that. What's considered a short trip? Like what temp should the oil get to?

 

[mdoren252]

I’ve read at least 30 mins of driving not just idling, at least 20 miles. I believe that’s why Ford uses semi in the recommendation for my 2021 GT. Short trips are worse on engines.

 

[Skye]

I question the two in the video, purporting that synthetic oil can cause issues in Coyotes or that it is "aggressive" to bearings with an aluminum-alloy face.

The engine they are working on is a Gen1 spec, dating that power plant to 2011-2014.

As the tear-down continues, they make several comments as to the condition of the engine:

"prolonged oil changes, which leads to the sludge"

"high mileage"

"burning oil"

"running low" [on oil]

"being beat on"

"possibly running out of oil"

"lack of maintenance"

"different types of oil"

"spun bearing"

"overheating"

I do agree with the authors that the conditions I quoted caused the failure of those components. Did using a synthetic have anything to do with it? I have to doubt that, both from my own experience, other threads and tear down videos.

I agree that short trips on any engine are not welcome. The engine should be brought up to its expected operating temperature for some time. My Gen3 reaches stable temps in about 10 minutes, quite a distance if catching the lights. Yes, shutting down shortly afterwards would not be good.

Any ICE will create at least two dioxides as part of the combustion process: sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide; mixed with any accumulated condensation, they become acidic.

Engine oils do have antacid components added to them, which become spent over time. Regular short runs can lead to an oil which is unable to stop the acidification from continuing to occur.

More trying still, multiple cold runs over time will result in greater fuel wash. So the oil is not only becoming more acidic, faster, it's being compromised further still by greater amounts of fuel mixed with it.

Given the option of having a garage queen which is babied all the time, versus one which is run and maintained well, I'll always take the latter.

Good products, following the maintenance schedule and not abusing the mechanicals will lead to an engine with a long service life.

YMMV.

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