<VV> synthetic oil

[Mark Durham]

Ken, synthetic oils are manufactured into longer strands of a slippery
compound that does not break down as quickly as the molecular strands
of Dino oil do. Synthetic oils also do not break down under higher heat
loads. Dino oil gets thicker as it ages, synthetic stays close to the
same Viscosity.

While not necessary, the properties of synthetic oil make it ideal for
air cooled engines like the Corvair, but many Dino oils do as well
under normal oil change intervals.

How often you need to change oil is more dependent on the condition of
the motor and how it is driven than oil type. If you are not out on the
highway enough to keep the oil hot when you do drive it, then
combustion by products will built up and cause corrosion on internal
engine parts.

I drive my car 2ks mile a year. I have considered a full synthetic, but
I found a very good Dino oil with the zddp, valvoline VR 1 racing oil,
that is SL rated, and comes in close to the top in oil slipperyness
shear tests and I change it out every fall. It still is nice and clean
but I want to prevent corrosion from oil contamination. Also remember
that when you do an oil change you only change out 4.5 of 6 quarts in
the engine, the rest is in the oil cooler and assy case. So changing
the oil when it is cleaner is a benefit for those engines that sit a
lot.

When I bought the car, it had been driven maybe 100 miles a year for a
decade. I took off the top cover to change the fan bearing and found
the cam covered with tiny rust spots, and three lobes starting to show
excessive wear. It so happened it was the forward three, which were
immersed in oil all the time when the engine is not running. The rest
were still ok. So babying the engine by not driving it is not the
answer.
I have used Amsoil in newer cars up to 25k miles with no issues, but
the car was driven almost daily year around.

Read Richard Widman's corvair oil article.

Mark Durham
Sent from my Windows Phone
From: Ken Clark
Sent: 3/23/2013 8:52
To: virtualvairs at corvair.org
Subject: <VV> synthetic oil
One thing I've been curious about and maybe someone out there can
enlighten me and that is the source of synthetic oil.  What is it made
of and is there one kind better than another.  I've seen several on
the market.  I've change my cars to Mobil 1, and so far no problems
and how often would you change it if you only drive a couple thousand
miles a year?   Ken Clark
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