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I had a question, I wanted to get an opinion on?
Background: Customer came in today looking to use Conventional oil in an engine designed for Synthetic Oil. Customer insisted on using Conventional Oil.
I have heard using Conventional Oil in Engines Designed for Synthetic Oil can cause problems up and including clogging the Cat.
What are your opinions and Eric if possible can you do a quick tip video to explain why it is Okay or Not to use Conventional Oil in a Synthetic Engine?
-Dave L.
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now for my explanation
a full synthetic oil is formulated too have the same viscosity but it flows through the engine easier, it also has additives such as detergents and friction modifiers that may make it more slippery but it all depends on what additives the brand of oil or type of oil you are picking!
now a engine designed for a synthetic oil you should be running synthetic oil because it flows easier, lots of these new Honda engines run velocity of 0W-20 and are a very synthetic oil. you put a base oil in that engine and it may not run correctly or it could ruin the engine because it cant flow through it correctly. these engines have much finer parts and bearing clearances, Vtec, and variable valve timing and all these things you would probably want too run synthetic like the manufacturer recommends.
now as far as ruining the catalytic converter, i call BS on that one, the only way oil would be getting too the catalytic converter is if its burning oil, now GRANTED a engine will naturally use oil in very small amounts throughout its life span, some oil needs to go passed the piston rings and valve seals too lubricate the engine parts, but not too the extreme it should be coating the inside your catalytic converter. it your catalytic converter is being ruined because of oil, i would say you have bigger issues than a catalytic converter, like warn out valve seals and shot piston rings.
If you explained why not to add regular oil and he insists make sure he signs a disclaimer that you are not responsible for engine damage if it occurs.
My question is if you take for example this Honda engine designed with bearing clearances tight enough that it can run 0W-20 weight oil (which has gotta be about like water especially if synthetic), what happens when you get a metal particle in a bearing that tight?
[quote=”barneyb” post=105247]My question is if you take for example this Honda engine designed with bearing clearances tight enough that it can run 0W-20 weight oil (which has gotta be about like water especially if synthetic), what happens when you get a metal particle in a bearing that tight?[/quote]
ROTFFLMFAO!
good question, probably a spun rod bearing or at least a scored bearing.
I actually have a very good video (in my opinion) on this topic coming out on July 30, 2014. In it, I ask an oil engineer what is recommended in these circumstances. The answer, if the manufacturer calls for synthetic, use synthetic of the recommended viscosity. There’s a lot of time, money, effort, and engineering that goes into choosing an engine oil for the manufacturer. You can never go wrong by going by their recommendations.
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