I just bought an '08 Yaris with 170k miles on it and immediately switched to synthetic. Never too late to do so. Castrol makes two great products. 1) Magna-tech synthetic and 2) high mileage synthetic. I chose the magna tech because it clings to the metal parts even when cold and since most of the damage to an engine is done on start up/warm up I wanted that. So far so good. Also use it in my RSX and it was around 90k miles when I started using Castrol. Mobile 1 is fine as well, but I've become a Castrol convert.

Toyota's have had issues with piston rings allowing oil past to burn during combustion.

Many times, crap build up in the oil rings will cause this. Using products like what BG sells, helps to reduce this consumption.

I have a 2006 Tacoma with the 2.7 liter four cylinder engine. I bought it with 84K, switched to synthetic. Change it every 6K miles.

The truck now has over 285K, and I just replaced the valve cover gasket last week because of oil leakage. The oil leakage sure as shit wasn't caused by using synthetic oil. The leak was caused by the original rubber gasket losing it's pliancy and not sealing well any longer. This is caused by the many thousands of heat cycles the engine has gone through.

By the way, when I removed the valve cover, the top of the head was as clean as a brand new engine. My engine uses no noticeable oil between changes.

Synthetic is better than conventional oil. I have been running it in my cars for years. One of them is just a year older than your Chevy.

Will it make your 1500 make it to 200K, who knows but it certainly will not hurt. I like Mobile One. Look for deals and buy it in gallon jugs when you can. Costco and Walmart often have the best prices. Costco usually only sell it by the quart though.

I switched to full synthetic in all my older used vehicles...all were over 200k at the time. I've seen no adverse affects, but have seen positives (less oil consumption, quieted lifter noise). All of those vehicles are still running strong, and one has over 100k on it since the switch.

I have always used full synthetic. My current truck is a 2002 and when I bought it I changed the oil at 500 miles with synthetic and change it every 5,000 miles.

Another thing to consider, synthetic oil is more resistant to evaporation than dino oil. This oil evaporation is a contributor to sludge formation.

This is nearly as bad as 45 v 9, 1911 v Glock, etc. There are facts, and there are experiences, and often the facts do not explain the experiences.

As a formulator of lubricants, I am aware of many differences in synthetic and conventional base oil. I am aware of differences in additive chemistry that are required for synthetic base oil.

As all engine oil passes minimum industry standards, you can be assured that any reputable API licensed engine oil will meet your needs. Synthetic oils offer many advantages. Conventional oils have many good features.

There is some wisdom in not changing what has been working for many miles. However, Mobil 1 is an incredible product, and is what I choose. Costco, 5W30, $26 for 6 quarts.

A friend of mine had a mid 80's Dodge Daytona Turbo that he owned since new. He got it as a high school graduation present and drove the piss out of that thing for almost 200k when he thought it could benefit from having the engine pulled and gone through.
He and I took it into my shop and got to work. When we had the engine tore down I could not measure any wear on the cam or main bearings and the rings were in factory spec.
All he did was use Mobile 1 synthetic and changed it and the filter every 5k without fail.
We ended up returning the rebuild kit and just sealed the thing back up. The turbo on the other hand needed some help. We rebuilt it and added a few more pounds of boost. That car would flat get with the program after that!

https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/

You can read for hours on oil stuff here

Run what you like and can afford. Switching to full synthetic now, I don't see the benefit. If you live in sub zero temps synthetic is the way to go or you do extended oil change intervals. There are plenty of oil analysis on that web sight, both Dino oil and synthetic and the consensus is if your changing your oil every 5K with synthetic your throwing your money away using synthetic. I'm no expert but I think I know a thing or two about a thing or two. That's what I tell my wife any way. I use 3 gallons of Valvoline premium blue 15w40 or rotella 15w40 Dino in my cummins cause it don't get that cold in south Florida. Hray

Not a mechanic, but I can tell you my old 1960s Chevy runs cooler with Mobil 1 than it does with non synthetic oil. If that's a factor for you it might be worth it.

All we use is synthetic. The V70 hauler I bought used a couple of years ago had 105k or so on the odo; hasn't developed any leaks since the switch to Mobil 1. My VW uses synthetic since Day 1. My 993 only gets synthetic since the day I bought it (mostly because that's what Porsche says it's supposed to get), and so does my wife's car, though that one's lubed with Castrol. My wife takes it to a mechanic friend of mine, whose wife just happens to be her best friend.

The synthetic oil is better in every way than dino oil ... but for that engine and your driving, not 50% (average cost increase over dino) better. Where it really shines is for newer engines requiring 0W20 (for which only synth is available), turbocharged engines, and for Euro makes that require it. I don't see a compelling reason to switch if you've gotten good service out of it up to now. You could meet things halfway by using synthetic blend.

You'll get minimal performance difference with synthetic vs a conventional. Today's conventional oils are very good, especially Dexos and Penz products that are rumored to use some GTL base stocks.

Your 5.3 has a reputation for longevity, would likely make it to 200K on oil change shop bulk. Run Dexos 5W30 to 5K or synthetic to 10% on the oil life monitor. Likely little difference in cost if you are changing your own.

quote:

Originally posted by Shifferbrains:

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:

quote:

Originally posted by Ryanp225:
Synthetic is superior by far. Any leaks or consumption that develops are due to the sludge getting rinsed out.

Not true. Synthetic oil gets past gaskets much easier than traditional oil and causes oil leaks. Sludge does not build up at all with modern Dino oil and it's additives if changed at normal recommended intervals.

OP- I wouldn't do it at this age. There is no reason your truck shouldn't go 200k with Dino oil. The modern additives in oil is much much better than 20 years ago, there is no reason the motor shouldn't do 200k miles on dino oil.

Sweet Jesus, would you just stick to driving your boats. Seriously, you don't know shit about what you are trying to pass off as truth.

Synthetic oil does not pass by gaskets easier than dino oil. That's just crap. I have almost 30 years as an auto tech, and what causes oil leaks is the degradation of gaskets over time due to thousands of heat cycles. Lack of proper maintenance will increase the likelihood of leaks.

Of course gaskets degrade over time. So when you take an oil (synthetic) that passes through smaller passages like gaskets on a 20 year old truck engine, you will generally see more weepage.

I started out turning wrenches in my dad's automotive shop for over 15 years and built race engines that I ran in FFW's street renegade class and placed 3-5th mostly due to me not wanting to switch my 1993 mustang cobra over to an automatic.



That being said, the OP's 5.3L chevy engine will make it to 200k miles running any oil off of the Advanced Auto parts 10w-30 oil shelf you put in there with regular oil changes. It will still most definitely develop piston slap like most 5.3's do (which doesn't detriment longevity) whether you run synthetic or dino.

What kind of engines do you think boats have???? If it's an inboard gas engine 96% of the time it's going to be a Chevy. In boats they see a lot more load, and they're run at 3200-4200 RPM's all day long at cruise.

There is a lot of science proving that Synthetic will pass through much small tolerances in gaskets than Dyno oil (weepage). It's also just not a gasket issue, tolerances in the OP's truck engine parts are not as good as today's tolerances. Valve covers don't fit as well to the cylinder heads, oil pans are not shaped as well to the blocks, the engine blocks themselves in those days had varying tolerances. There are tons of articles on it, all over the internet.

Also, if there is a lot of sludge and carbon in the engine, switching to synthetic will loosen it up and it will end up in the oil pan possibly clogging the oil pump pickup.

Switching to synthetic in any car and choosing to extend drain intervals without pulling oil samples at each change interval and having a lab process them is simply playing mad scientist.

Currently I oversee and maintain 38 engines, 8 of them being gasoline. I stick to the manufacturer's oil and oil change intervals because I'm not the engineer that designed the engine. Manufacturers spend billions of dollars a year researching what works best in their engines. I simply am not taking the liability of putting synthetic in a $250k Cat diesel and voiding it's warranty in any of my customers yachts and for what purpose? If the manufacturer requires synthetic then always use synthetic.

The valve covers just came off my 2008 expedition with 102k miles, the only oil that has ever been in it is the Ford semi synthetic 5w-20 and factory 5,000 mile oil change intervals and the cylinder heads were crystal clean without even a speck of carbon.

That being said the synthetic versus Dyno oil debate is as long as the 9mm versus 45acp debate. Everyone has an opinion, but in a 20 year old truck, I personally would not put synthetic in it.

I have used only Mobil 1 in my vehicles over the past 25 years. One new vehicle 179,500 miles and a used vehicle 237,000 miles.

I've had good luck with synthetic oils, and intend to keep using it.

2 things I have heard , whether true or untrue I can't verify:

Use conventional oils in a new or rebuilt motor for the first oil change, as synthetics won't allow the rings to seat properly.
And
Never switch back to conventional oils after using synthetic oils. Conventional to synthetic, okay.

quote:

Originally posted by Sunset_Va:
I have used only Mobil 1 in my vehicles over the past 25 years. One new vehicle 179,500 miles and a used vehicle 237,000 miles.

I've had good luck with synthetic oils, and intend to keep using it.

2 things I have heard , whether true or untrue I can't verify:

Use conventional oils in a new or rebuilt motor for the first oil change, as synthetics won't allow the rings to seat properly.
And
Never switch back to conventional oils after using synthetic oils. Conventional to synthetic, okay.

Yes, break in on dyno oil is recommended for a rebuilt engine.

The oil manufacturers and Bob the Oil guy state that switching back and forth from Dyno to Synthetic and back to Dyno and back to Synthetic is not an issue.

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:

(Of course gaskets degrade over time. So when you take an oil (synthetic) that passes through smaller passages like gaskets on a 20 year old truck engine, you will generally see more weepage.)

If your seals are good, no oil will leak with synthetic, period.



(It will still most definitely develop piston slap like most 5.3's do (which doesn't detriment longevity) whether you run synthetic or dino.)

Seriously WTF? piston slap has nothing to do with oil, it's a clearance issue.


(There is a lot of science proving that Synthetic will pass through much small tolerances in gaskets than Dyno oil (weepage).)

Only if you have faulty gaskets or seals.


(It's also just not a gasket issue, tolerances in the OP's truck engine parts are not as good as today's tolerances. Valve covers don't fit as well to the cylinder heads, oil pans are not shaped as well to the blocks, the engine blocks themselves in those days had varying tolerances. There are tons of articles on it, all over the internet.)

Dumbest comment yet. This is the freaking reason for gaskets, that's what they do, take up for uneven tolerances.


(Switching to synthetic in any car and choosing to extend drain intervals without pulling oil samples at each change interval and having a lab process them is simply playing mad scientist.)

I know you will come back with a whole lot more words that won't actually say much. Get a clue Dude, you come into damn near every tread with your opinion, that you state absolutely.

You come off, a lot of the time, as an arrogant know-it-all. Most of the time I read your swill and just roll my eyes and move on. Just please, stick to what you really know, and chill.



.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Shifferbrains,

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:

*Synthetic oil gets past gaskets much easier than traditional oil and causes oil leaks.

*The oil manufacturers and Bob the Oil guy state that switching back and forth from Dyno to Synthetic and back to Dyno and back to Synthetic is not an issue.

So who is correct?

The oil Manufacturers?
Bob the oil Guy?
or
Jimmy the dinghy driver?

quote:

Originally posted by Mustang-PaPa:

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:

*Synthetic oil gets past gaskets much easier than traditional oil and causes oil leaks.

*The oil manufacturers and Bob the Oil guy state that switching back and forth from Dyno to Synthetic and back to Dyno and back to Synthetic is not an issue.

So who is correct?

The oil Manufacturers?
Bob the oil Guy?
or
Jimmy the dinghy driver?

According to the jimster, it's him and all those articles you can find on the inter webs.