Synthetic oil or normal

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frank80, Aug 25, 9:11am
Local supplier here had trouble keeping up with the demand.
Lot of converts from Mob 1.
The petrol 5W-30 synthetic ZIC performs better after 7000km (city driving) at change time than replacement new oil did.
Also tried in 5W-30 synthetic used in both Ford and Suzuki small 4s similar result.

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mrcat1, Aug 25, 2:51pm
Get a oil sample done and then see how it stacks up, it could be cheap and nasty for all you know.
frank80, Aug 26, 8:54am
Never used cheap and nasty oil.
The variation in quality in well known brands is common.
50 years driving small vehicle and motorcycle plus repairing same is an advantage.
Lubrication deficiency or any aspect of fall off in performance is second knowledge with driving small engine vehicles.
Strangely enough some recent stress testing of oils by independent persons have confirmed with mechanical engineering data what many people already know.
mrcat1, Aug 26, 1:04pm
So how do YOU know that this ZIC oil isn't cheap and nasty without oil sampling?
Guys like you make me laugh, just because you have worked on some gear over the ages doesn't mean the oil you use is any good.
I use Caterpillar gear, Caterpillar filters, Caterpillar oil and yet to comply with the warranty I also have to oil sample and Caterpillar knows very well where their oil comes from.
Its cheap piece of mind knowing exactly how the oil's are working within a machine.
frank80, Aug 26, 2:23pm
Really,I would not be using it if it was no good.
Not out to promote any brand but there are some dodgy branded oils out there.They give the game away as soon as you start up and drive.
One current well known 5W-30 synthetic has an API rating of SL which was discontinued in 2003 yet the factory technical data say's it is the same as SN which is recommended for petrol vehicles built 2011 and later.
Never been involved with heavy diesel gear,no doubt quality base grade oil and appropriate additives are essential.
Plenty of oil research material and testing data available out there which is challenged on some points.
mrcat1, Aug 26, 5:36pm
So how do YOU know that its any good?
How do you tell by starting up a vehicle and driving it that the oil is no good?
franc123, Aug 26, 6:04pm
Sorry but statements like 'performs better' have to be backed with lab analysis of the oil, even then things like filtration of both the oil and air are also factors in how an oil 'performs'. It has no credibility otherwise.
frank80, Aug 27, 10:20am
Experience.
mrcat1, Aug 27, 10:29am
What a load of cr@p, in other words you have no idea and its what ever is cheap at the time and how much you believe the advertising hype.
stornello, Aug 27, 10:36am
Probably because it is an ACEA A3/B4 oil and won't meet the US API SN spec because of too much zinc. It is a better oil than an SN oil. for certain applications. I'd much prefer A3/B4 over just an SN.
frank80, Aug 27, 10:44am
Really'if you have to revert to oil sample sample testing to confirm vehicle is measurably traveling faster and quieter than before its time to give up driving.All other aspect of vehicle remain unchanged.
mrcat1, Aug 27, 10:52am
So how do you measure that its driving faster? Cars have a fixed gear ratio so will always do the same speed for the engine RPM's regardless of what oil is in the engine, or do you take it out in the dead of night on a straight piece of road and floor it till it redlines and if its going faster than you tried with the previous oil then its a good oil?
frank80, Aug 27, 10:52am
Never bought cheap oil or believed in advertising.
Just put it down to mechanical aptitude and 50 years of working on motorcycle and cars you have probably never heard of.
frank80, Aug 27, 10:55am
Never heard of CVT.
mrcat1, Aug 27, 10:59am
Working on cars and motorcycles that you think I have never heard off but more than likely I have heard off and quite possibly used doesn't give you some magical powers of deduction as to what a particular oil is doing in a certain compartment, if that was the case oil companies and machinery manufacturers wouldn't be setting up million dollar oil labs to sample oils to know what's actually happening to it in a compartment, they would have the likes of you as a oil whisperer telling them which is the good snake oil and which isnt.
mrcat1, Aug 27, 11:02am
Not every vehicle has a Continuous Variable Transmission and is not a reliable way to determine how a oil is performing in a engine, there would be so many variables to that experiment that you may as well just use a witch doctor.
movnon, Sep 7, 4:24am
A real happy ending!
mrfxit, Sep 7, 4:54am
Just for the hell of it, heres something I noticed.

88 Surf 2.4T turbo.
Recommended oil grade is 15/40 mineral
Tried some 15/50 semi syn oil & the Surf noticeably worked harder on steep hills.
Slightly quieter engine but worked harder to gain speed.

Tried a 15/40 semi syn & was better performance etc but chewed more oil on trips.

Yep back to mineral (cheap) 15/40 oil as intended.

To be fair, it's the only engine I have ever noticed that happening with different grade oils.
mrfxit, Sep 7, 5:01am
What I don't get with modern attitudes is concerning classic cars.
There seems to be an attitude that you need to run 20/50 in English engines that were OEM designed for 30/40 mineral oils.
Personally I would just run a modern 15/40 or preferably 20/40 (lighter oil = change more often).
Can't afford these days to be constantly rebuilding engines anyway so drive sensibly & the lighter grade won't matter.
mrfxit, Sep 7, 5:04am
Yep fair enough & theres a lot of cash involved in those engines etc.
mrfxit, Sep 7, 5:05am
Is there a proven independent unbiased oil testing company that tested every brand that release's it's results to the public.
next-to-normal, Oct 3, 10:10am
well i bought some top up packs from ZIC of 15/40 full syn diesel oil, and they still have free post, and i got 2 one litre packs for $10 each delivered,(were $20 each) i find the oil works good, mind you i have i got a litre of moreys in it