Synthetic Oil Expensive ?
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From:
Synthetic Oil Expensive ?
O.K. I have heard enough about synthetic oil being expensive. I use Mobil 1 15,000 mile/ 12 month guaranteed fully synthetic oil in my 05 1500 RAM. When I did the math, it was cheaper to use Mobil 1 15,000 mi./12 month oil and change it once a year instead of using conventional oil and changing it 4-5 times a year (3,000 mile). Not to mention the time it saves me because I change it myself. It would cost me more to use conventional oil and not have the protection Mobil 1 synthetic provides. It doesn't make sense to me why anyone would not use a fully synthetic oil. You do the math !!
Ram 05 1500 QC
4.7 MAGNUM
Tows EBBTIDE 20' Bowrider. NO PROBLEM !!
" I had rather be boating on DALE HOLLOW LAKE "
Ram 05 1500 QC
4.7 MAGNUM
Tows EBBTIDE 20' Bowrider. NO PROBLEM !!
" I had rather be boating on DALE HOLLOW LAKE "
Professional
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 217
Likes: 0
RE: Synthetic Oil Expensive ?
I would be fine with it if I knew I had better filtration than a paper filter with a bypass valve that bypasses the oil filter every time you hit the gas pedal. Your filter only work when at idle as far as I have read.
ORIGINAL: HemiBuell
Something just doesn't feel right about not following a manufacturers suggestions.
I enjoy changing my oil every couple of months too. Why are you trying to cheap out on oil?
Something just doesn't feel right about not following a manufacturers suggestions.
I enjoy changing my oil every couple of months too. Why are you trying to cheap out on oil?
Record Breaker
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,750
Likes: 0
RE: Synthetic Oil Expensive ?
An oil filter bypass should not open unless the filter becomes clogged or does not allow the oil to flow.
lubricates internal parts
bullet helps cool the engine by transferring heat
bullet seals piston ring - cylinder bore interface
bullet absorbs contaminants
bullet suspends wear particles
bullet suspends soot that forms as a result of combustion.
Some contaminants go into suspension and some are chemically grabbed by the additives, which constitute up to one-fourth of an oil’s makeup.
Acting by itself, oil would soon become saturated with contaminants and allow the internal parts to wear. That’s why we have filters.
History
Initially early automotive engine designs did not use any oil filtration.
That was OK in the days when oil was dumped every 500 to 2,000 miles, or if the engine burned or leaked enough oil during normal operation that almost constant replenishment with new oil compensated for any accumulated “dirt.â€
The development of pressure lubrication brought about a need for some type of filtration to protect the oil pump from damage and excessive wear.
At first only simple wire meshes or screens were used in the oil pump intake, some were permanent, while some designs permitted removal and periodic cleaning. In most cases the "oil filter" was reusable after cleaning, usually in kerosene.
Ernest Sweetland invented the modern oil filter in 1923, he named the new product "Purolator" -
a combination of the words: "PURE OIL LATER."
The new oil filter was incorporated into the lubricating system AFTER the oil pump and BEFORE the oil flowed into pressure lubricated bearings of the engine.
In 1924 first full pressure lubrication system, with an oil filter, became available on a high volume production engine.
The early oil filters used on cars were low performance and not really effective.
Many successful and popular engine designs (VW, FIAT) did not use any oil filters until 1970’s.
Some engines used oil filters ONLY in "by-pass" and not in main flow of pressurized oil.
The first use of a full flow oil filter on mass production vehicles occurred in 1946.
The "spin-on" oil filter design was introduced in 1950’s.
During 1960’s, reusable passenger car oil filters were replaced with more convenient "spin-on" disposable oil filters.
Improved full flow oil filters became available from 1964 to 1967.
Further improvements were made from 1968 to 1971 and "spin-on" oil filters were almost universally used on all US and most European and Japanese engine designs.
As engines got tighter faster revving and oil stayed in longer, filtration became a must.
All automotive engines, whether gasoline or diesel, now come with standard oil filters of some kind.
Design
Most oil filters look simple, but they’re the subject of continuing research and development to make them work better.
Physically, "spin-on" oil filter resembles a metal can that houses varying types of filter “media.†These are the materials that capture organic or inorganic contaminants as oil flows through. Organic contaminants include bacteria and other organisms that form gross sludge. Inorganic contaminants consist of dust that’s ingested into the engine, along with trace amounts of wear metals from bearings and other internal parts.
Materials
The filter media materials have changed over the years also.
Early designs used steel wool, wire meshes, metal screens, etc.
Latter bulk cotton or various woven fabrics like linen were used.
When disposable filters became popular, cellulose and papers were used to minimize production costs.
Finally "synthetic" media oil filters were introduced where special man made fibers are utilized.
Fiberglass and metal fabrics are also sometimes used for oil filtration.
Today, most low-cost disposable spin-on oil filters use cellulose filter media. Better quality oil filters use synthetic media, while top end oil filter use "MicroGlass" or extremely fine metal mesh.
HOW FILTER WORKS
Oil is pumped from the oil sump by oil pump through the oil filter and then distributed by oil passages through out the engine.
oilsyslgf.gif (12283 bytes)
Typical Oil system of American V-8 Engine
The oil enters the oil filter under pressure through the holes on the perimeter of the base plate.
The "dirty" oil then passes through the filter media where it is "cleaned". It then flows to the central tube and back into the engine through the usually threaded hollow center mounting stud.
OFc3r.bmp (926826 bytes)
Oil Filter Flow Diagram
The only thing that holds the "spin-on" oil filter to the engine and keeps the oil from leaking is the base gasket (shown in above picture in red).
Same vehicles, notably BMW, Mercedes-Benz and many motorcycles use a "cartridge" oil filters, which are essentially ONLY the "inners" of a "spin-on" oil filter without the outer can.
The operation of the filter is the same, but the re-useable outer housing is usually held to the engine by mounting bolts and thus is considered "safer" since the retainment of the housing does NOT depend ONLY on the base gasket tension.
BASE GASKET
If you realize that oil is under pressure ranging from 5 PSI to as much as 100 PSI depending on engine type and design, and that most engines pump oil at rates exceeding a gallon per minute, you can quickly understand that if the integrity of the base gasket is lost, ALL the oil in the engine will be LOST in but few minutes. Result of course is a permanent if not catastrophic engine failure, no matter how good your oil may have been. If there is no oil left in the engine, engine will fail!
Oil Filter Seal.jpg (3222 bytes)
The base gasket is therefore the MOST important part of the "spin-on" oil filter design.
The gasket will with time, more than with mileage, either harden or soften, in either case the gasket tension that holds the filter to the engine is relieved. Engine vibration will "unscrew" the filter, and ALL the oil will be lost as indicated above.
The quality and material of the base gasket is what determines for how long a filter should be used.
The low cost oil filters that cost few dollars and are used by quick oil change outfits and sold in discount stores definitely should not be used for more than the usual recommendation of 3-month / 3,000-mile interval irrespective of what oil do you use.
More premium or OEM oil filters that cost much more can be utilized safely for the maximum oil filter change interval that is specified by the OEM.
Only a specialty oil filters like SynLubeâ„¢ MicroGlassâ„¢ Long Life Oil Filters are specially engineered to be used for interval ranging from 2 years to 5 years without change. The special Viton base gasket that is used costs by itself much more than typical bargain spin on oil filter.
FILTER MEDIA
Filter media can be made of cellulose or fibrous materials, or synthetic materials designed especially for this purpose. Media in an engine's primary filters pull out particles as small as 25 to 30 microns (a human hair is 67 microns in diameters). Secondary filters do better — down to 5 or 10 microns — but also add restriction to the flow.
Oil_Filter_Element_Detail.jpg (5843 bytes)
SynLubeâ„¢ MicroGlassâ„¢
reinforced synthetic
multi-component media
SynLubeâ„¢ MicroGlassâ„¢ technology solves the problem by using special synthetic glass microfibers that are about 10 times smaller than conventional cellulose filter fibers (shown below). This allows a full flow oil filter to have following performance:
bullet 99% particle removal that are 10 micron in size
bullet 98% particle removal that are 7 micron in size
bullet 95% particle removal that are 5 micron in size
fibercl3sm.BMP (172262 bytes) fibermg3sm.BMP (172262 bytes)
Typical Cellulose Filter Media SynLubeâ„¢ MicroGlassâ„¢ Media
Most manufacturers that make low cost filters do not disclose or advertise any data on their products filtration range or efficiency, but research done by General Motors indicates following:
bullet Typical low cost oil filter will remove about 40% of particles in 8 to 10 micron range
bullet Typical OEM oil filter will remove about 72% of particles in 8 to 10 micron range
PRIMARY FILTERS
Primary filters are standard on most engines. They are also called “full-flow†because 100% of the engine oil passes through them in normal operation. The filters must work without introducing a lot of restriction, or else oil will not flow into the engine during cold start-ups. This is one reason the full-flow filter allows passage of the comparatively small contaminants; trying to catch everything would restrict flow.
If blockage occurs in the filter, bypass valves open. This allows oil to go around the filter and back to the engine. In this situation, lubrication with unfiltered oil is better than none at all.
BYPASS FILTERS
Secondary filters take a small portion of the normal oil flow, usually less than 10%, and quite often only about 1% and subject it to additional cleaning. Secondary filters are better known as “bypass†filters, but they act separately from the primary filter and have nothing to do with its bypass valves.
Sometimes mechanical or thermal action spins or “boils†out contaminants. Or more efficient media removes the smaller contaminants, but of course are more restrictive to flow. The newest oil filters combine primary and secondary filtration in separate chambers. These are used on some recently introduced diesels.
The number of filters put on an engine as standard equipment depends on its size and how long its oil will remain in the crankcase before being changed. Standard full-flow filters are designed by engine makers to cleanse the oil during normal service. This assumes the oil is changed at recommended intervals for the type of duty the engine and vehicle encounter. The cleaner the environment and easier the duty, the longer the interval; dirtier environments and tougher duties require more frequent changes.
If you run your oil for extended intervals, you may have to change the standard filters more often than the oil. Or you can use a primary filter whose materials are designed to go a longer time and distance. You can also use a secondary bypass filter, whose cleaning action eases the burden on the primary filter. Bypass filters are standard on some diesels and optional on others; they’re also readily available as aftermarket products.
They were originally sold as a way to extend engine life, but now they can also help extend oil-drain intervals. Bypass filters can be easily installed on most existing engines because they plumb into fittings on the block. If compact enough they will stay on or close to the block (which is how engine builders usually do it if they include bypass filtration). Otherwise, they’re remotely mounted using hoses and other hardware. There are several types of aftermarket bypass filters:
bpdiag2.bmp (203682 bytes)
Spin-ons (shown above), which look much like standard full-flow filters. The media varies with the product, from fibrous, cellulose or synthetic materials to tightly wound string. These have no moving parts and some claim extremely high efficiency. As with the primary filter, the element has to be changed periodically.
• Stationary canisters whose element media range from fibrous strands to paper toweling. Some hold a gallon or more of oil, which is an advantage because the greater the volume of oil, the longer it can stay in the engine. And each time the element is changed, a gallon of fresh oil is added.
• Thermal chamber types which, in addition to passing oil through a filter media, also heat the oil to boil off certain contaminants. Their makers claim this “re-refines†the oil (thus the suffix “-finer†is part of the name of at least two products). It usually operates on electrical power.
• “Spinner†filters that use centrifuge action to sling out soot and deposit it in a container. The centrifuge is powered by the truck’s compressed air system and revolves on a bearing. The container must be periodically cleaned out and the spinner’s condition monitored.
You could compare the various types of bypass filters to the adage, “There’s more than one way to skin a cat.†Each has advantages and disadvantages. But if you are a conservative soul who changes oil at or sooner than the intervals recommended by the engine maker, you need not worry about aftermarket products at all. The engine’s standard filters will be adequate.
FILTER MAGNETS
Although the use of magnets to collect iron particles from engine oil seems simple, merely placing the magnet in the oil pan does not provide sufficient effect. Because of the characteristics of motor oil, metallic particles in moving oil will not be attracted by the magnet unless there is direct contact with the magnet surface. When oil is stationary, only the particles immediately surrounding the magnet are attracted. A magnet placed in the differential gear box will have more opportunity to attract metallic particles. In automatic transmission fluid, iron particles are assimilated more efficiently if the magnet is placed near the oil cooler intake rather than merely placing it on the oil pan. There is an existing device designed to remove particles from automatic transmission fluid. Oil coolers are usually installed only large vehicles or high performance cars.
Oil_Filters_with_Bandit_2000a.jpg (5669 bytes)
Oil Filters with Bandit
Magnet Units Installed
The route that engine oil takes through an oil filter is the ideal location for a particle-attracting magnet.
oil017.jpg (6312 bytes)
Detail of ferrous metal wear particles attracted
to the inside of the oil filter housing by the Exterior Magnets
Magnets with alternating opposing poles of the magnet (N=North and S=South) are most effective in particle removal. The "new" SynLubeâ„¢ TwinMagnetsâ„¢ are of such a construction
twinOF.jpg (2451 bytes)
Fnl Oil Filter with
TwinMagnet attached
Unfortunately many marketers make unsubstantiated as well as ridiculous claims about Magnets:
bullet The magnetic forces stabilize the oil molecules
bullet The longer the exposure to the magnetic field, the more effective the acquisition of metallic particles becomes.
bullet Increases fuel mileage
bullet Reduces oil consumption
bullet Reduces Emissions
bullet Increases Engine power
Well, all above claims are FALSE and IMPOSSIBLE, the only thing that magnets are good for is the removal of ferrous i.e. magnetic particles.
The only additional benefit is derived chemically but ONLY in a low quality lubricants.
This can in turn extend the service life of a lubricant with ineffective or marginal anti-oxidants.
Here is how it works:
Sub-micronic finely distributed iron particles act as a co-catalysts in oxidation of petroleum molecules
Removal of these fine iron particles from oil circulation, reduces the oxidation rate and therefore extends lubricant service life.
No special "MAGNETIC MAGIC" performed here, just a simple chemical reality!
WHEN TO CHANGE
When is the right time to change oil and filters? Engine builders publish recommended intervals, often using charts that factor in conditions and mileage or hours. You will never go wrong if you adhere to these recommendations faithfully, or change oil even more often. It might also make you feel better that you’re regularly replacing "dirty" oil with clean, and that’s how things should be done.
lubricates internal parts
bullet helps cool the engine by transferring heat
bullet seals piston ring - cylinder bore interface
bullet absorbs contaminants
bullet suspends wear particles
bullet suspends soot that forms as a result of combustion.
Some contaminants go into suspension and some are chemically grabbed by the additives, which constitute up to one-fourth of an oil’s makeup.
Acting by itself, oil would soon become saturated with contaminants and allow the internal parts to wear. That’s why we have filters.
History
Initially early automotive engine designs did not use any oil filtration.
That was OK in the days when oil was dumped every 500 to 2,000 miles, or if the engine burned or leaked enough oil during normal operation that almost constant replenishment with new oil compensated for any accumulated “dirt.â€
The development of pressure lubrication brought about a need for some type of filtration to protect the oil pump from damage and excessive wear.
At first only simple wire meshes or screens were used in the oil pump intake, some were permanent, while some designs permitted removal and periodic cleaning. In most cases the "oil filter" was reusable after cleaning, usually in kerosene.
Ernest Sweetland invented the modern oil filter in 1923, he named the new product "Purolator" -
a combination of the words: "PURE OIL LATER."
The new oil filter was incorporated into the lubricating system AFTER the oil pump and BEFORE the oil flowed into pressure lubricated bearings of the engine.
In 1924 first full pressure lubrication system, with an oil filter, became available on a high volume production engine.
The early oil filters used on cars were low performance and not really effective.
Many successful and popular engine designs (VW, FIAT) did not use any oil filters until 1970’s.
Some engines used oil filters ONLY in "by-pass" and not in main flow of pressurized oil.
The first use of a full flow oil filter on mass production vehicles occurred in 1946.
The "spin-on" oil filter design was introduced in 1950’s.
During 1960’s, reusable passenger car oil filters were replaced with more convenient "spin-on" disposable oil filters.
Improved full flow oil filters became available from 1964 to 1967.
Further improvements were made from 1968 to 1971 and "spin-on" oil filters were almost universally used on all US and most European and Japanese engine designs.
As engines got tighter faster revving and oil stayed in longer, filtration became a must.
All automotive engines, whether gasoline or diesel, now come with standard oil filters of some kind.
Design
Most oil filters look simple, but they’re the subject of continuing research and development to make them work better.
Physically, "spin-on" oil filter resembles a metal can that houses varying types of filter “media.†These are the materials that capture organic or inorganic contaminants as oil flows through. Organic contaminants include bacteria and other organisms that form gross sludge. Inorganic contaminants consist of dust that’s ingested into the engine, along with trace amounts of wear metals from bearings and other internal parts.
Materials
The filter media materials have changed over the years also.
Early designs used steel wool, wire meshes, metal screens, etc.
Latter bulk cotton or various woven fabrics like linen were used.
When disposable filters became popular, cellulose and papers were used to minimize production costs.
Finally "synthetic" media oil filters were introduced where special man made fibers are utilized.
Fiberglass and metal fabrics are also sometimes used for oil filtration.
Today, most low-cost disposable spin-on oil filters use cellulose filter media. Better quality oil filters use synthetic media, while top end oil filter use "MicroGlass" or extremely fine metal mesh.
HOW FILTER WORKS
Oil is pumped from the oil sump by oil pump through the oil filter and then distributed by oil passages through out the engine.
oilsyslgf.gif (12283 bytes)
Typical Oil system of American V-8 Engine
The oil enters the oil filter under pressure through the holes on the perimeter of the base plate.
The "dirty" oil then passes through the filter media where it is "cleaned". It then flows to the central tube and back into the engine through the usually threaded hollow center mounting stud.
OFc3r.bmp (926826 bytes)
Oil Filter Flow Diagram
The only thing that holds the "spin-on" oil filter to the engine and keeps the oil from leaking is the base gasket (shown in above picture in red).
Same vehicles, notably BMW, Mercedes-Benz and many motorcycles use a "cartridge" oil filters, which are essentially ONLY the "inners" of a "spin-on" oil filter without the outer can.
The operation of the filter is the same, but the re-useable outer housing is usually held to the engine by mounting bolts and thus is considered "safer" since the retainment of the housing does NOT depend ONLY on the base gasket tension.
BASE GASKET
If you realize that oil is under pressure ranging from 5 PSI to as much as 100 PSI depending on engine type and design, and that most engines pump oil at rates exceeding a gallon per minute, you can quickly understand that if the integrity of the base gasket is lost, ALL the oil in the engine will be LOST in but few minutes. Result of course is a permanent if not catastrophic engine failure, no matter how good your oil may have been. If there is no oil left in the engine, engine will fail!
Oil Filter Seal.jpg (3222 bytes)
The base gasket is therefore the MOST important part of the "spin-on" oil filter design.
The gasket will with time, more than with mileage, either harden or soften, in either case the gasket tension that holds the filter to the engine is relieved. Engine vibration will "unscrew" the filter, and ALL the oil will be lost as indicated above.
The quality and material of the base gasket is what determines for how long a filter should be used.
The low cost oil filters that cost few dollars and are used by quick oil change outfits and sold in discount stores definitely should not be used for more than the usual recommendation of 3-month / 3,000-mile interval irrespective of what oil do you use.
More premium or OEM oil filters that cost much more can be utilized safely for the maximum oil filter change interval that is specified by the OEM.
Only a specialty oil filters like SynLubeâ„¢ MicroGlassâ„¢ Long Life Oil Filters are specially engineered to be used for interval ranging from 2 years to 5 years without change. The special Viton base gasket that is used costs by itself much more than typical bargain spin on oil filter.
FILTER MEDIA
Filter media can be made of cellulose or fibrous materials, or synthetic materials designed especially for this purpose. Media in an engine's primary filters pull out particles as small as 25 to 30 microns (a human hair is 67 microns in diameters). Secondary filters do better — down to 5 or 10 microns — but also add restriction to the flow.
Oil_Filter_Element_Detail.jpg (5843 bytes)
SynLubeâ„¢ MicroGlassâ„¢
reinforced synthetic
multi-component media
SynLubeâ„¢ MicroGlassâ„¢ technology solves the problem by using special synthetic glass microfibers that are about 10 times smaller than conventional cellulose filter fibers (shown below). This allows a full flow oil filter to have following performance:
bullet 99% particle removal that are 10 micron in size
bullet 98% particle removal that are 7 micron in size
bullet 95% particle removal that are 5 micron in size
fibercl3sm.BMP (172262 bytes) fibermg3sm.BMP (172262 bytes)
Typical Cellulose Filter Media SynLubeâ„¢ MicroGlassâ„¢ Media
Most manufacturers that make low cost filters do not disclose or advertise any data on their products filtration range or efficiency, but research done by General Motors indicates following:
bullet Typical low cost oil filter will remove about 40% of particles in 8 to 10 micron range
bullet Typical OEM oil filter will remove about 72% of particles in 8 to 10 micron range
PRIMARY FILTERS
Primary filters are standard on most engines. They are also called “full-flow†because 100% of the engine oil passes through them in normal operation. The filters must work without introducing a lot of restriction, or else oil will not flow into the engine during cold start-ups. This is one reason the full-flow filter allows passage of the comparatively small contaminants; trying to catch everything would restrict flow.
If blockage occurs in the filter, bypass valves open. This allows oil to go around the filter and back to the engine. In this situation, lubrication with unfiltered oil is better than none at all.
BYPASS FILTERS
Secondary filters take a small portion of the normal oil flow, usually less than 10%, and quite often only about 1% and subject it to additional cleaning. Secondary filters are better known as “bypass†filters, but they act separately from the primary filter and have nothing to do with its bypass valves.
Sometimes mechanical or thermal action spins or “boils†out contaminants. Or more efficient media removes the smaller contaminants, but of course are more restrictive to flow. The newest oil filters combine primary and secondary filtration in separate chambers. These are used on some recently introduced diesels.
The number of filters put on an engine as standard equipment depends on its size and how long its oil will remain in the crankcase before being changed. Standard full-flow filters are designed by engine makers to cleanse the oil during normal service. This assumes the oil is changed at recommended intervals for the type of duty the engine and vehicle encounter. The cleaner the environment and easier the duty, the longer the interval; dirtier environments and tougher duties require more frequent changes.
If you run your oil for extended intervals, you may have to change the standard filters more often than the oil. Or you can use a primary filter whose materials are designed to go a longer time and distance. You can also use a secondary bypass filter, whose cleaning action eases the burden on the primary filter. Bypass filters are standard on some diesels and optional on others; they’re also readily available as aftermarket products.
They were originally sold as a way to extend engine life, but now they can also help extend oil-drain intervals. Bypass filters can be easily installed on most existing engines because they plumb into fittings on the block. If compact enough they will stay on or close to the block (which is how engine builders usually do it if they include bypass filtration). Otherwise, they’re remotely mounted using hoses and other hardware. There are several types of aftermarket bypass filters:
bpdiag2.bmp (203682 bytes)
Spin-ons (shown above), which look much like standard full-flow filters. The media varies with the product, from fibrous, cellulose or synthetic materials to tightly wound string. These have no moving parts and some claim extremely high efficiency. As with the primary filter, the element has to be changed periodically.
• Stationary canisters whose element media range from fibrous strands to paper toweling. Some hold a gallon or more of oil, which is an advantage because the greater the volume of oil, the longer it can stay in the engine. And each time the element is changed, a gallon of fresh oil is added.
• Thermal chamber types which, in addition to passing oil through a filter media, also heat the oil to boil off certain contaminants. Their makers claim this “re-refines†the oil (thus the suffix “-finer†is part of the name of at least two products). It usually operates on electrical power.
• “Spinner†filters that use centrifuge action to sling out soot and deposit it in a container. The centrifuge is powered by the truck’s compressed air system and revolves on a bearing. The container must be periodically cleaned out and the spinner’s condition monitored.
You could compare the various types of bypass filters to the adage, “There’s more than one way to skin a cat.†Each has advantages and disadvantages. But if you are a conservative soul who changes oil at or sooner than the intervals recommended by the engine maker, you need not worry about aftermarket products at all. The engine’s standard filters will be adequate.
FILTER MAGNETS
Although the use of magnets to collect iron particles from engine oil seems simple, merely placing the magnet in the oil pan does not provide sufficient effect. Because of the characteristics of motor oil, metallic particles in moving oil will not be attracted by the magnet unless there is direct contact with the magnet surface. When oil is stationary, only the particles immediately surrounding the magnet are attracted. A magnet placed in the differential gear box will have more opportunity to attract metallic particles. In automatic transmission fluid, iron particles are assimilated more efficiently if the magnet is placed near the oil cooler intake rather than merely placing it on the oil pan. There is an existing device designed to remove particles from automatic transmission fluid. Oil coolers are usually installed only large vehicles or high performance cars.
Oil_Filters_with_Bandit_2000a.jpg (5669 bytes)
Oil Filters with Bandit
Magnet Units Installed
The route that engine oil takes through an oil filter is the ideal location for a particle-attracting magnet.
oil017.jpg (6312 bytes)
Detail of ferrous metal wear particles attracted
to the inside of the oil filter housing by the Exterior Magnets
Magnets with alternating opposing poles of the magnet (N=North and S=South) are most effective in particle removal. The "new" SynLubeâ„¢ TwinMagnetsâ„¢ are of such a construction
twinOF.jpg (2451 bytes)
Fnl Oil Filter with
TwinMagnet attached
Unfortunately many marketers make unsubstantiated as well as ridiculous claims about Magnets:
bullet The magnetic forces stabilize the oil molecules
bullet The longer the exposure to the magnetic field, the more effective the acquisition of metallic particles becomes.
bullet Increases fuel mileage
bullet Reduces oil consumption
bullet Reduces Emissions
bullet Increases Engine power
Well, all above claims are FALSE and IMPOSSIBLE, the only thing that magnets are good for is the removal of ferrous i.e. magnetic particles.
The only additional benefit is derived chemically but ONLY in a low quality lubricants.
This can in turn extend the service life of a lubricant with ineffective or marginal anti-oxidants.
Here is how it works:
Sub-micronic finely distributed iron particles act as a co-catalysts in oxidation of petroleum molecules
Removal of these fine iron particles from oil circulation, reduces the oxidation rate and therefore extends lubricant service life.
No special "MAGNETIC MAGIC" performed here, just a simple chemical reality!
WHEN TO CHANGE
When is the right time to change oil and filters? Engine builders publish recommended intervals, often using charts that factor in conditions and mileage or hours. You will never go wrong if you adhere to these recommendations faithfully, or change oil even more often. It might also make you feel better that you’re regularly replacing "dirty" oil with clean, and that’s how things should be done.
Record Breaker
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,750
Likes: 0
RE: Synthetic Oil Expensive ?
as for synthetic the inital cost is higher but the overall equals out. some pics of how a filter works and an oil system.
[IMG]local://upfiles/8070/7EDE02207BC948859C1B644CD520999A.gif[/IMG]
[IMG]local://upfiles/8070/EBC68AE2FCAB4675A088F01E0772209E.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]local://upfiles/8070/7EDE02207BC948859C1B644CD520999A.gif[/IMG]
[IMG]local://upfiles/8070/EBC68AE2FCAB4675A088F01E0772209E.jpg[/IMG]
Captain
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 642
Likes: 0
From:
RE: Synthetic Oil Expensive ?
Though synthetics can have superior lube and high-temp qualities, "extended oil changes" is a myth. Two issues with oil in engines is contaminants and breakdown of the additive package. Neither of these is mediated by the base being "natural" or synthetic.
Hence, the bottom line is, use nonsynthetic (cheaper) if it will encourage more frequent changes. You do not do your engine any great service using a synthetic that you leave in too long.
Btw, I use synthetics in some of my vehicles and not others, depending on usage. For example, vehicles that set for long periods unused can benefit from diesel-rated oils because they have more anti-oxidants than oils rated for use with catalytic converters.
And, this is not from me proselytizing, but from several petroleum engineers who specialize in automotive oils.
Use any oil longer than the manufacturer's recommendation at your own risk and don't complain if you have a warranty claim rejected when your oil is sent to the lab.
All the best.
Hence, the bottom line is, use nonsynthetic (cheaper) if it will encourage more frequent changes. You do not do your engine any great service using a synthetic that you leave in too long.
Btw, I use synthetics in some of my vehicles and not others, depending on usage. For example, vehicles that set for long periods unused can benefit from diesel-rated oils because they have more anti-oxidants than oils rated for use with catalytic converters.
And, this is not from me proselytizing, but from several petroleum engineers who specialize in automotive oils.
Use any oil longer than the manufacturer's recommendation at your own risk and don't complain if you have a warranty claim rejected when your oil is sent to the lab.
All the best.
Trending Topics
Admin formally known as 94rt10ohio
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 9,025
Likes: 3
From: Curtice, OH
RE: Synthetic Oil Expensive ?
Using all synthetics can make a difference in HP, all be it minimal but it does happen. HP TV, I think it was HP TV, did a show where they did a base line then put in Synthetic fluids (Royal Purpule products I think) in every possible application. Gained over 5HP. Yes minimal and you have ongoing cost, but it is a perk.
Professional
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 102
Likes: 0
From:
RE: Synthetic Oil Expensive ?
Syntetic engine oil is cheap in comparison to a new engine. I've run nothing but synthetic since new, I have 5300 hours on my engine, change oil every 4000 kilometers and it doesn't burn a drop.