Synthetic VS Dino Towing

[rraiderr]

Tow Vehicle 2010 Jeep with hemi

Let’s say you are towing a 4000 + pound load cross county in the extreme heat and through the mountains.

It you change the oil every 3000 miles would an Amsoil XL synthetic be any better, provide any added protection or margin of safety compared to PYB?

Thanks

 

[Oregoonian]

IMO....Amsoil XL....and most synthetics....would run cooler.

 

[AzFireGuy79]

Synthetics don't always run cooler. They do(not all) however resist high temperature break down better than ordinary conventional oil. My opinion is that Amsoil XL would be a complete waste if only run 3,000 miles. Really any modern oil will protect about equally as well in the 3k mile realm.

 

[tomcat27]

towing, especially above 2000 lbs, I would (and do) use synthetic. I tow 6000lb boat in July heat in hills of kentucky with dual A/C running. you bet I use synthetic!!! I know alotta peeps here love PYB - but I have always run synth in my toyota (car, not even towing) until this last oil change: PYB, 4500 miles - and I had deposits on the drain plug and crusty deposits on the oil cap threads on the valve cover. ?!?!?!??!

 

[user52165]

Worry less about your engine oil and more about your transmission. When it comes to towing, that is the concern. If you don't have a cooler, get one. If you have one, get a bigger one. Get a deep pan for greater capacity. Flush and fill with new filter. Maybe add Lubeguard too. Temp gauge is nice too.

 

[afoulk]

Originally Posted By: user52165
Worry less about your engine oil and more about your transmission. When it comes to towing, that is the concern. If you don't have a cooler, get one. If you have one, get a bigger one. Get a deep pan for greater capacity. Flush and fill with new filter. Maybe add Lubeguard too. Temp gauge is nice too.


I agree, your transmission and rear will probably see more abuse while towing than your engine. The way I look at is, I work on heavy duty trucks for a living and rarely ever see a lubrication related failure in the engine, and I bet you 99% of the trucks we see run dino oil in their engines. Yes the engines are built much heavier than our cars, but they routinely haul around 80,000lbs and will more than likely go 500k-1million miles before needing a rebuild

 

[Scum_Frog]

Agree...Transmission is the real worry when towing, but I do run synthetic in my Nitro year round for the reasons of : 1) cold winter starts here in Ontario and 2) towing my trailer around in the summer.

 

[daman]

Originally Posted By: rraiderr
Let’s say you are towing a 4000 + pound load cross county in the extreme heat and through the mountains.

Nothing against PYB but if i were to do that^^ no way in [censored] would i be using a conventional,synthetic all the way! your talking some high engine oil temps.

 

[cchase]

Originally Posted By: Oregoonian
IMO....Amsoil XL....and most synthetics....would run cooler.


Why would it run cooler? I'm missing something here.

 

[weebl]

I'd say synthetic motor oil is a good idea.

But more importantly, as others have said, is the transmission. Get an auxiliary cooler, as big as can physically fit. Keep your fluid fresh, and chage it frequently. A temperature gauge would be useful to know if you are overworking your transmission.

I have come to the conclusion that I need not worry about overcooling, as some will tell you. Living where temperatures can get as cold as -40 (though usually around 0F), all vehicles here run just fine through the winter. Since adding my gauge this year, on the coldest days we've had so far (0F), the transmission would have a tough time warming up above 100F with no aux cooler (hoping Santa will be good to me this year, or else I'll go get it myself before summer). Colder weather means even cooler transmission temps. Therefore, the biggest cooler you can find should pose no problems for summer. If cold winters are a concern, either add a cold bypass or get one with a built-in cold bypass.

 

[Oregoonian]

Originally Posted By: cchase
Originally Posted By: Oregoonian
IMO....Amsoil XL....and most synthetics....would run cooler.


Why would it run cooler? I'm missing something here.


Less friction....especially thinner synthetic oils.

 

[Flying_A]

Originally Posted By: Oregoonian
Originally Posted By: cchase
Originally Posted By: Oregoonian
IMO....Amsoil XL....and most synthetics....would run cooler.


Why would it run cooler? I'm missing something here.


Less friction....especially thinner synthetic oils.


This^^^ Synthetics do have a more consistent oil film and more cohesive bond on a molecular level. As a result, you have a more streamlined movement within moving parts of your engine thus, less friction, heat etc. Typically results in less oil consumption as well.

 

[rraiderr]

Thanks for all the feedback guys.

I do have a trans cooler and Amsoil in the diffs.

With the Jeep loaded to the max with 3 people in it and the AC cranking along with a packed trailer I wanted to make sure the oil was not the weak link.

 

[Oregoonian]

Originally Posted By: Flying_A
Originally Posted By: Oregoonian
Originally Posted By: cchase
Originally Posted By: Oregoonian
IMO....Amsoil XL....and most synthetics....would run cooler.


Why would it run cooler? I'm missing something here.


Less friction....especially thinner synthetic oils.


This^^^ Synthetics do have a more consistent oil film and more cohesive bond on a molecular level. As a result, you have a more streamlined movement within moving parts of your engine thus, less friction, heat etc. Typically results in less oil consumption as well.


Thanks for confirming that...."thinner synthetics oils run cooler".

 

[Nick R]

Run Pennzoil Platinum, and get a transmission temp gauge if you don't already have one.

 

[mechtech2]

Synthetic oils have less friction?
And run cooler?
All these years here [and empirically] and I never have seen that proven.

 

[Flying_A]

Originally Posted By: mechtech2
Synthetic oils have less friction?
And run cooler?
All these years here [and empirically] and I never have seen that proven.


I suppose it would be harder to prove with a combustion engine but I have seen real world results with industrial machinery (large gearboxes) when switching from a conventional to a synthetic.

 

[cchase]

Originally Posted By: mechtech2
Synthetic oils have less friction?
And run cooler?
All these years here [and empirically] and I never have seen that proven.


This was my point but since the voice of reason got drowned out I decided to let it lie.

Oil temperatures are governed (given a viscosity) by the cooling system for the oil and/or coolant. This is like the people on here who say their engine "runs cooler" on some oil.