Synthetic Blends

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Do Synthetic blends offer more Protection the standard Oil? I have a old Jeep With a 2.8L V6. It only has about 50,000 miles on it and primarily sees off-road beach driving. So would a Synthetic blend be better. The engine is pretty stressed on the beach. What oil would you guys recommend for this old jeep. Dyno, Synthetic or full Synthetic. Would a thick oil Like 20w-50 be better? Thanks
 
The textbook answer is "yes, a synthetic blend is better than dino, and synthetic is better than a synthetic blend". Understand this is assuming the brand is the same (i.e., Castrol GTX 5w-30 vs. Castrol Synthetic Blend 5w-30 vs. Castrol Syntec 5w-30). The more synthetic the better. The problem is that the jury is still out on how much synthetic you're actually getting in a blend, and will the amount be worth the additional cost? That is why most seem to use either dino or full synthetic.

How old is your Jeep? How many miles? How long do you plan to keep it? What kind/style of driving do you do? What kind of shape is the engine in? These are all questions you need to get answers to before making the slightest educated choice. Make sure you understand that the viscosity (20w-50) isn't the same as what type oil it is (dino, synthetic). You should do a lot of review and searching on here before you make up your decision. If the oil you've been using has done well, why not keep using it? There are simply too many factors involved to expect to get an easy answer to your question. At least you found this site - you're definately on the right track now!

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The way that I view a synthetic blend is this:

The base oil is comprised of most likely a 70%-30% to 80%-20% group II - group III blend. This will mean that the higher concentration of group III in the base oil will translate into better stability at high temps, better cold properties..ect. That will in turn mean less VIIs needed...ect

This is only my opinion, but I think it makes sense that starting with a better base oil will yield a better oil.

Is it price justified? There may be some that are. I have read good things about Castrol Syntec Blend, and seen some good UOAs.
 
Based upon what I've learned here, most over-the-counter synthetic blends contain 10% or less synthetic basestock. For the price you pay for them, they're a waste of money IMO.

One of the best semi-synthetic oils is Schaeffer's, which contain 20-25% PAO basestock and from UOA's posted here, performs well in a variety of different engines. You would probably have to mail order the stuff, and it's usually around $3 a quart.

How about trying a 15W-40 diesel oil? Mobil Delvac 1300, Chevron Delo 400, and Penzoil Long Life are good Dino's available. Schaeffer's Supreme #700 is a good blend, and Mobil Delvac 1/Truck & SUV 5W-40 is a readily available full synthetic.
 
I'd run a 15w-40 commercial engine oil like Delo 400 or Delvac 1300, with a short change interval, since you are operating in very abrasive environment ....If you want to try a synthetic, one of the less expensive, GP III based oils like Rotella T, 5w-40 would be worth a try.

Tooslick
www.lubedealer.com/dixie_synthetics
 
Everything is relative in regards to price vs performance. Does the performance of a otc blend justify its price vs dino? I would say if you got the money to spend then the anser is yes.

We would all be using supertech dino at 84 cents/quart if price/performance was the issue. Does penzoil/castrol/valvoline/QS provide twice the protection and supertech? NO! does halvoline provide
a 50% increase in protection vs supertech, I dought it. Does mobil1/qc/synpower/etc provide 5 times the protection as supertech, nope.

The point I am trying to make is that yes the blends are better than plain dino, but enough to justify the price, that is up to you, your wants and needs, and how much you want to spend.
 
My jeep is a 1985. It has 50,000 Miles on it, It has a carburator on it and a 3 Speed auto trans. My question is do I need a thicker oil Due to excess fuel from a carburated engine and higher RPMs of the 3 speed auto. The engine is in very sound condition for a 2.8. The truck only goes to the beach and back about 150 miles roundtrip. Thats about 2 times a month, then it sits. I also have a 98 Camaro 3.8 as a Daily Driver. I use Valvoline DuraBlend 10W-30 in that car as my daily driver. I have always used the White Purolators on both. Thanks
 
Oil companies could only put 1 drop of synthetic oil in a blend and get away with it.How are you to know how much really is synthetic? Thats why I use "My Blend"! Its 4 quarts of Havoline or Chevron 10W30 dino and 2 quarts of Havoline 10W30 synthetic oil.
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