What is the best Oil.

[FZ1inNH]

Re: How to do an oil change

Nice job on the write-up and pics BD! Awesome!

I never thought of the tinfoil trick either but now I know!

I have a couple tips myself if you don't mind. For those that buy the (insert brand/weight here) oil by the gallon... Here's how I manage it. Often it is tough to see the level on the side of the bottle, so, rather than guess, buy a 4 cup (1 US QT) measuring cup at the dollar store (because you're not putting it in the kitchen afterward!). When you open the gallon, pour one quart into the clean measuring cup. Take the remaining three quarts in the bottle and go fill your bike after you've drained, plugged and replaced the filter.

Now, you have an empty gallon jug so pour the fresh QT back into the jug and cap it. Take a sharpie and write the numbers 1, 2 and 3 on the jug with a large GOOD OIL in plain sight. Circle the number 1. The next time, buy another gallon of the same and repeat and circle the number 2. The THIRD gallon you buy and repeat this process, you now have two oil changes ready. Circle the number 3 and use this for the forth oil change. Properly discard the "marked" gallon jug, then start using the unmarked jug for the next round.

Next, you know the flexible, bendable straws? Well, VIP Discount Auto (and I'm sure other stores) sells these in a larger version that screws onto your quart oil bottles. They extend and flex into any position. Spend a buck and get one. Cut the bottom off any empty quart oil bottle and screw this onto the neck. This is now your funnel to keep with your 4 cup measure. You can even mod this to attach a hanger that will hang on your bike (you choose the spot to hang from) and you can fill the bike without having to hold a funnel, just pour! If you do not understand, I can take a pic of what I threw together.

Hope this helps along with the great BD write-up!

 

[FzPilot]

Re: How to do an oil change

Great post!!! :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

 

[Tailgate]

Re: what type/brand of oil do you use?

Anybody for morphing this thread into an abortion debate?

 

[goran21220]

when should i switch to synthetic oil?

I have a 08 with 2000 miles on it,i see a lot of members here are recomending synthetic.Is it too early to switch since the engine is still breaking in?

 

[wrightme43]

Re: when should i switch to synthetic oil?

no its not to early.

See porshe and corvette and many others who use mobil one synth as the factory fill.
The whole synth is to slick is bonkers in my opinion. If that were the case, corvette would not use it.

 

[FZ1inNH]

Re: when should i switch to synthetic oil?

You're more than ready. Go ahead and do it now.

 

[Rocky529]

Re: when should i switch to synthetic oil?

I just did my first oil change and switched over (600 miles).

 

[reiobard]

Re: when should i switch to synthetic oil?

i will be switching at my 3000 mile mark. I think that you would be fine to go for it.

 

[hunterfz6]

Re: when should i switch to synthetic oil?

I was told to use semi synth at my first oil change, which was the 600 mile one, then on the next interval, use full synth. Which i'm going to do. only a bit over 2k on the OD so I have some time to save up 50 bucks for it. Crap aint cheap.

 

[CanadianFZ6]

Re: when should i switch to synthetic oil?

Corvettes roll off the assembly line with mobil 1 synthetic in their crank case. I switched at 138km... I have 4000km now... It's a myth that engines won't break in properly if you use synthetic oil too soon....

 

[FZ1inNH]

Re: when should i switch to synthetic oil?

Corvettes roll off the assembly line with mobil 1 synthetic in their crank case. I switched at 138km... I have 4000km now... It's a myth that engines won't break in properly if you use synthetic oil too soon....

I would have to disagree to an extent with this blanket statement. I agree that Corvette, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Viper all use Mobil 1, yes. All but the Corvette will not disclose what oil they dyno the engine on prior to installing though which could be mineral based but we don't know. Corvette states Mobil 1 for dyno and forever. But they all have a much higher standard in optimizing cylinder walls and ring packages than the average manufacturer. Those that do not recommend a synthetic breakin have less quality spec on the cut and cross-hatch of a cylinder wall along with (likely) lower grade rings and higher tolerances. They all recommend a mineral based oil to break-in then switch to synthetic. Because synthetic is slicker, these lesser standards are likely to cause glazing rather than proper cut and finish and the only way to fix glazing is to tear down, cut, cross-hatch and new rings.

To say this is safe for all engines may be misleading to the masses. Personally, I'd recommend members follow the manufacturer's recommendations to a degree regarding oil then change after the break-in period. :thumbup:

Most of my information comes from years of reading Road & Track technical docs and their forums.

 

[wrightme43]

Re: when should i switch to synthetic oil?

Myth:You should break in your engine with conventional oil, then switch to a synthetic oil like Mobil 1.Reality:
You can start using Mobil 1 in new vehicles at any time, even in brand new vehicles. In fact, Mobil 1 is original equipment (it is installed at the factory) in: Mobil 1 is factory fill in:

• Acura RDX
• Aston Martin
• All Bentley Vehicles
• All Cadillac Vehicles
• Chevrolet Corvette C6 and Z06
• Chevrolet TrailBlazer SS
• Chrysler 300C SRT-8
• Cobalt SS S/C Coupe
• Dodge Caliber SRT-4, Charger SRT-8, and Magnum SRT-8
• Jeep Cherokee SRT-8
• Mercedes-Benz AMG Vehicles
• Mercedes SLR
• Mitsubishi Evolution
• Pontiac Solstice GXP
• All Porsche Vehicles
• Saturn Ion Red Line and Saturn Sky Red Line
• Viper SRT-10

One of the myths surrounding synthetic oils is that new engines require a break-in period with conventional oil. The fact is, current engine manufacturing technology does not require this break-in period. As indicated by the decisions of the engineers who design the high-performance cars listed above, Mobil 1 can be used starting the day you drive the car off the showroom floor.

 

[FZ1inNH]

Re: when should i switch to synthetic oil?

Wrightme43, while true, I defer back to the fact these are cars built with higher standards and tolerances. What's good for a Corvette certainly can't be compared to a Kia or Hyundai and maybe not even the FZ6.

The internet is chock full of why, should and shouldn't. Why my post? More for warranty relationship... stick with what the manufacturer asks to be safe. It certainly won't do any harm for the break-in period.

 

[HavBlue]

Re: when should i switch to synthetic oil?

Myth:You should break in your engine with conventional oil, then switch to a synthetic oil like Mobil 1.Reality:
You can start using Mobil 1 in new vehicles at any time, even in brand new vehicles. In fact, Mobil 1 is original equipment (it is installed at the factory) in: Mobil 1 is factory fill in:

• Acura RDX
• Aston Martin
• All Bentley Vehicles
• All Cadillac Vehicles
• Chevrolet Corvette C6 and Z06
• Chevrolet TrailBlazer SS
• Chrysler 300C SRT-8
• Cobalt SS S/C Coupe
• Dodge Caliber SRT-4, Charger SRT-8, and Magnum SRT-8
• Jeep Cherokee SRT-8
• Mercedes-Benz AMG Vehicles
• Mercedes SLR
• Mitsubishi Evolution
• Pontiac Solstice GXP
• All Porsche Vehicles
• Saturn Ion Red Line and Saturn Sky Red Line
• Viper SRT-10

One of the myths surrounding synthetic oils is that new engines require a break-in period with conventional oil. The fact is, current engine manufacturing technology does not require this break-in period. As indicated by the decisions of the engineers who design the high-performance cars listed above, Mobil 1 can be used starting the day you drive the car off the showroom floor.

This to me is beyond the reality of it all. I switched the FZ6 at 290 miles and have had great improvements in shifting and overall engine noise (quieter). I run Mobil 1 15W50 and to be honest the only thing I don't run this oil in is the 2 strokes. I even use it in the primary on the Sporty.

In days of old manufacturing technologies and cylinder coatings hadn't even been thought of yet nor had rpm's of 14,000. Today, with the high tech coatings, advanced manufacturing technologies, lubricants with flash points above 400 degrees and shear strengths almost off the charts the only thing you may find by switching over to a quality synthetic is your engine simply won't wear out anywhere near as fast. I have a 98 Jeep with a 4 liter 6 cylinder than has over 200,000 miles on it now and it is still running so well it can achieve the EPA fuel mileage estimates established for it 10 years ago. I change the oil in that Jeep every 10,000 miles and have since it was new.

I will however say you should never have an oil related failure due to running standard oil but in the long run that engine may not last the test of time near as well.

 

[wrightme43]

Re: when should i switch to synthetic oil?

LOL yep totally agree a kia is not built as well as a acura or AMG. LOL

Korean tech vs. German tech? LOL


Its just a myth that synth causes damage to new engines. It keeps being presented, so people keep refuteing it.

It cant cause cyl. wall glazing on a properly assembled motor. If the cyl walls glaze it was not a good motor to begin with.

Mobil refutes it. If it was going to cause problems, I promise mobil would not open themselves up to lawsuits. They sell conv. and synth. If it had a shred of truth to it, Mobil would recommend Conv. for x miles, semi synth x miles, then full synth to engine failure.

Serioulsy its just not true. I know its been said a bunch by a bunch of people but its not true.

 

[wolfc70]

Re: when should i switch to synthetic oil?

You can switch at anytime. My cousin switched at like 300 miles to synthetic (German Castrol) on his 2006 Hyundai Sonata with the 3.3l v6. He now has 40k on it and no issues what so ever.
How you break it in has more to do with it than oil, any wear point will wear no matter what oil you use. If the cylinders glazed, it has more to do with abuse than what type of oil is in the crank case.
Redline is the only oil manufacturer that recommends to switch after break in.

 

[GConn]

Re: when should i switch to synthetic oil?

It's prolly all BS. Just run whatever oil you want I say. Here is what I posted on the other board on a similar discussion

You'll never get a 100% corret answer on this issue. This is an issue difficult for the consumer to prove what's right or wrong. Just read the never ending debates on internet forums and create your own opinion, the one that convinces you the most.

The article that convinced me of using petroleum based oil (for the first few thousand miles at least) was issued in a greek magazine back in 2004. Amongst the 7 pages of usefull info, it said that ACCORDING TO CASTROL people doing a research, (name given Peter Brett) forgive my english - this is a direct traslation from Greek:

They had discovered that synthetic oil does affect the break-in of the engine. "Synthetic oils actively prevent the process of stabilisation of surfaces , not only because they are placed between the friction surfaces.
There is no doubt that the use of synthetic oil affects breaking in of an engine.
This means that with the use of synthetic oil will never be completely broken in. I would even recommend that you wouldn't use synthetic oils up to 10,000 miles, if we are talking for normal use. Untill then it's better you use a cheaper oil- but recognisable brand"

And another one:

How do they account for brand new bikes that see nothing but synthetic oil from the first start? At worst your bike may take longer to break in. I use synthetic at the first oil change.

I don't have a clue. It's castrol man, why wouldn't they want us to buy their expensive one rather than the cheap?

I do hear some people say that this is because the manufacturers feel (with synthetic) safer against failure due to people's stupidity (ie running the bike full on before it's in temperature), not longlivety of the engine. Maybe it's true, maybe its MAJOR BS

The point being, noone can really tell the difference whether the bike is FULLY broken in or not. So, who cares? Most of the bikes will probably be totalled before the engine shows any fatigue anws

 

[GConn]

Re: when should i switch to synthetic oil?

Plus I think (correct me if I am wrong) that when we say "semi" synthetic we mean 85-90% synthetic. So, again, I really can't see the difference...

 

[HavBlue]

Re: when should i switch to synthetic oil?

It's prolly all BS. Just run whatever oil you want I say. Here is what I posted on the other board on a similar discussion

You'll never get a 100% corret answer on this issue. This is an issue difficult for the consumer to prove what's right or wrong. Just read the never ending debates on internet forums and create your own opinion, the one that convinces you the most.

The article that convinced me of using petroleum based oil (for the first few thousand miles at least) was issued in a greek magazine back in 2004. Amongst the 7 pages of usefull info, it said that ACCORDING TO CASTROL people doing a research, (name given Peter Brett) forgive my english - this is a direct traslation from Greek:

They had discovered that synthetic oil does affect the break-in of the engine. "Synthetic oils actively prevent the process of stabilisation of surfaces , not only because they are placed between the friction surfaces.
There is no doubt that the use of synthetic oil affects breaking in of an engine.
This means that with the use of synthetic oil will never be completely broken in. I would even recommend that you wouldn't use synthetic oils up to 10,000 miles, if we are talking for normal use. Untill then it's better you use a cheaper oil- but recognisable brand"

And another one:



I don't have a clue. It's castrol man, why wouldn't they want us to buy their expensive one rather than the cheap?

I do hear some people say that this is because the manufacturers feel (with synthetic) safer against failure due to people's stupidity (ie running the bike full on before it's in temperature), not longlivety of the engine. Maybe it's true, maybe its MAJOR BS

The point being, noone can really tell the difference whether the bike is FULLY broken in or not. So, who cares? Most of the bikes will probably be totalled before the engine shows any fatigue anws

First, in reference to the last paragraph, I care and a lot. The first few hundred miles of a new engine's life have a major impact on how strongly that engine will perform, how much oil it will consume and how long it will last. The main purpose of break-in is to seat the compression rings to the cylinder walls. We are talking about the physical mating of the engine's piston rings to it's corresponding cylinder wall. That is to say, we want to physically wear the new piston rings into the cylinder wall until a compatible seal between the two is achieved. Now, there are a couple of methods to achieve this. The standard method is to follow the manufacturers suggested break-in procedures. For me personally, I don't have the time to wait and after having built more than a few engines in my time, I want it all right from the start. So, in an effort to speed things up I can either fined a dyno or hit the road and find a long straight stretch with no traffic where I can do some acceleration, deceleration runs under load at roughly 80% of the suggested redline. This will seat the rings real quick and beyond this I can ride the bike or drive the cage as I see fit.

Conventional oils will not now or anytime in the future perform as well as a synthetic. It will never achieve the wear characteristics, flash point, shear strength or relative lack of viscosity breakdown. This isn't to say the conventional oil won't allow an engine to live life to the fullest, only to say the engine will for all practical purposes live longer and more efficiently with a quality synthetic oil. This fact alone is why many manufacturers are using it right from the start. It's there dime as they will never achieve their 100,000 mile drivetrain warranty without them and they're not looking to spend a dime more than they have to to get the job done.

 

[wolfc70]

Re: when should i switch to synthetic oil?

First, in reference to the last paragraph, I care and a lot. The first few hundred miles of a new engine's life have a major impact on how strongly that engine will perform, how much oil it will consume and how long it will last. The main purpose of break-in is to seat the compression rings to the cylinder walls. We are talking about the physical mating of the engine's piston rings to it's corresponding cylinder wall. That is to say, we want to physically wear the new piston rings into the cylinder wall until a compatible seal between the two is achieved. Now, there are a couple of methods to achieve this. The standard method is to follow the manufacturers suggested break-in procedures. For me personally, I don't have the time to wait and after having built more than a few engines in my time, I want it all right from the start. So, in an effort to speed things up I can either fined a dyno or hit the road and find a long straight stretch with no traffic where I can do some acceleration, deceleration runs under load at roughly 80% of the suggested redline. This will seat the rings real quick and beyond this I can ride the bike or drive the cage as I see fit.

Conventional oils will not now or anytime in the future perform as well as a synthetic. It will never achieve the wear characteristics, flash point, shear strength or relative lack of viscosity breakdown. This isn't to say the conventional oil won't allow an engine to live life to the fullest, only to say the engine will for all practical purposes live longer and more efficiently with a quality synthetic oil. This fact alone is why many manufacturers are using it right from the start. It's there dime as they will never achieve their 100,000 mile drivetrain warranty without them and they're not looking to spend a dime more than they have to to get the job done.

Yup, what he said. I could not have stated that better!:thumbup: