What oil to use?
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Guest
New member
What's been used on it before? People have had issues with higher mileage engines leaking if thinner sytnthetic oils are used after thicker dino oils were used previously.
Saying that, I use Mobil1 without problems!
Saying that! I think there's a oil guide on the forum here somewhere too. I'm a bit new, but I'm sure someone can point you in the right direction.....
Saying that, I use Mobil1 without problems!
Saying that! I think there's a oil guide on the forum here somewhere too. I'm a bit new, but I'm sure someone can point you in the right direction.....
Diver944
Active member
What car have you got Carol? [
]
Turbos need a fully synthetic oil to cope with the heat from the turbocharger. Oilman on the forum does a great price for Silkolene
Normally aspirated 944s are fine on a semi synthetic. I use Magnatec 10w40 in my S2 for the past 70k miles, changing it every 6k
]Turbos need a fully synthetic oil to cope with the heat from the turbocharger. Oilman on the forum does a great price for Silkolene
Normally aspirated 944s are fine on a semi synthetic. I use Magnatec 10w40 in my S2 for the past 70k miles, changing it every 6k
Guest
New member
There's a lot of repeating what other people have said in general particularly about synthetic oils. The fact is the a 5W40 synthetic is as thick at hight tenperatures as a 15W40 mineral and in theory it should provide better resistance to breakdown under load than a mineral. The suggestion that synthetics come with improved cleaning packages that strip out the engine uncovering leaks that were plugged with "grot" is also a popular reproduction and probab;y warrant as much interest as the fact synthetics will steal your wallet and shag your hamster when you turn your back. When you actually ask people directly about their experience they say what has been said here. That it's what other people have said. Interesting to note that Porsche only recommend synthetic oil for all models including the 944,
Guest
New member
I have Silkolene Pro S 5W40 in mine which is full synthetic ester based oil. Changed from what was in before which was crappy old BP Visco 2000 which like all these semi-synthetics are not synthetic at all. The term synthetic has been allowed by the courts to be applied to any mineral oil that has been refined by hydrocracking the mixture - not exactly sure what that means but it doesn't mean the oil molecule has been designed and manufactured de-novo and therefore it wont have the advantages that the full synthetic will bring - i.e. the resilience and purity of the solution. Anyway - my car is fine and hasn't dissolved in a pile of molten metal - it's quieter and smoother. To get a definitive answer contact the oilman from this website at Opie oils. They run a great service - next day delivery and good prices. Have a chat to Guy or Simon. Their dad has run his 928 S4 on the same oil as me for years. I changed my gearbox oil too for a full syntheitc Silkolene product.
Web site:
http://www.opieoils.co.uk/lubricants.htm
I've posted the actual recommendations for oil sent to me by Porsche on the 928uk website:
http://www.928.org.uk/mambo/content/view/104/0/
Good luck.
Web site:
http://www.opieoils.co.uk/lubricants.htm
I've posted the actual recommendations for oil sent to me by Porsche on the 928uk website:
http://www.928.org.uk/mambo/content/view/104/0/
Good luck.
Guest
New member
It is interesting that if you read the spiel about say for example Magnatec oil it says it is Synthetic based. This does not mean synthetic. Magnatec is a hydrocracked engine oil that is refined from Mineral oil. You can run most cars with no problems on it. The supposed benefit of a real synthetic is reduced oil consumption, improved fuel economy and reduced cold start engine damage which is when most of it happens. It comes down to a choice. The difficult thing with oils due to the deceptive and misleading information published about many of them is getting the correct and accurate information so that any decision can be truly informed.
Diver944
Active member
Oil discussions are one of our forum favourites just like our tyre pressures []
Martin is spot on that Magnatec is not a synthetic oil, it is mineral based, despite what Castrol print on the pack.
However the benefits of a synthetric are that it will stay in its range for longer and after much more abuse than a mineral can take.
Oilmans extensive education has taught me (I think []) that just as you cannot simply say that a synthetic is too thin for your engine, will cause leaks etc, you also cannot say that 'The supposed benefit of a real synthetic is reduced oil consumption, improved fuel economy and reduced cold start engine damage'.
They are both blanket statements that don't take into account the grade of the oil. For example a 0W30 mineral oil will be much thinner hot and cold than a 15w50 synthetic so it will improve fuel economy, increase power etc. However under heavy use it will lose its grading much quicker than the synthetic and at that point stop protecting the engine as efficiently.
If two oils are the same grade, then the synthetic will be better quality, cope with extreme heat better and retain its grade longer so yielding longer oil changes, but potentially cost a lot more to buy.
I use a synthetic 5W40 in my Turbo because of the heat, but a semi 10w40 in my normally aspirated S2
]Martin is spot on that Magnatec is not a synthetic oil, it is mineral based, despite what Castrol print on the pack.
However the benefits of a synthetric are that it will stay in its range for longer and after much more abuse than a mineral can take.
Oilmans extensive education has taught me (I think [
]) that just as you cannot simply say that a synthetic is too thin for your engine, will cause leaks etc, you also cannot say that 'The supposed benefit of a real synthetic is reduced oil consumption, improved fuel economy and reduced cold start engine damage'. They are both blanket statements that don't take into account the grade of the oil. For example a 0W30 mineral oil will be much thinner hot and cold than a 15w50 synthetic so it will improve fuel economy, increase power etc. However under heavy use it will lose its grading much quicker than the synthetic and at that point stop protecting the engine as efficiently.
If two oils are the same grade, then the synthetic will be better quality, cope with extreme heat better and retain its grade longer so yielding longer oil changes, but potentially cost a lot more to buy.
I use a synthetic 5W40 in my Turbo because of the heat, but a semi 10w40 in my normally aspirated S2
oilman
New member
Jeez, some of you are fast learners!
It's a question of cost vs quality and I suppose "how much you care"!
Synthetics (proper ones made in labs by chemists) are better by design and will give the highest levels of protection to both engine and gearbox.
Which is where we come to the point of all this. You're running Porsche's not Ford Fiestas, don't be daft and just take the view that any oil will do in your pride and joy as it won't. Sure any oil is better than no oil but using a quality product will have benefits.
This article by John Rowland, Silkolene's Chief Chemist explains it well:
Quote:
Costs of synthetics vary considerably. The most expensive are the "Ester" types originally only used in jet engines. These cost 6 to 10 times more than high quality mineral oils.
The cheapest synthetics are not really synthetic at all, from a chemists point of view. These are in fact specially refined light viscosity mineral oils known as "hydrocracked". These have some advantages over equivalent mineral oils, particularly in lower viscosity motor oils such as 5w-30 or other oils with a low "W" rating such as 5w-50 etc and they cost about 1.5 times more than good quality mineral fractions.
We use several different grades of this base oil, where appropriate. This is the "synthetic" which is always [/b]used in cheap oils that are labelled "synthetic". Yes it's a cruel world, you get what you pay for!
Now, you may ask, why are these special mineral oils called "synthetic"?
Well, it was all sorted in a legal battle that took place in the USA about ten years ago. Sound reasons (including evidence from a Nobel Prize winning chemist) were disregarded and the final ruling was that certain mineral bases that had undergone extra chemical treatments could be called "synthetic".
Needless to say, the marketing executives wet their knickers with pure delight! They realised that this meant, and still does, that the critical buzz-word "synthetic" could be printed on a can of cheap oil provided that the contents included a few percent of "hydrocracked" mineral oil, at a cost of quite literally a few pence.
So, the chemistry of "synthetics" is complex and so is the politics!
The economics are very simple. If you like the look of a smart well-marketed can with "synthetic" printed on it, fair enough, it will not cost you a lot; and now you know why this is the case.
But, if you drive a high performance car, and you intend to keep it for several years, and maybe do the odd "track day", then you need a genuine Ester/PAO (Poly Alpha Olefin) synthetic oil, such as PRO S or PRO R. This oil costs more money to buy, because it costs us a lot of money to make, very simply, you always get what you pay for![/b]
Unquote:
Hope this helps,
Cheers
Simon
It's a question of cost vs quality and I suppose "how much you care"!
Synthetics (proper ones made in labs by chemists) are better by design and will give the highest levels of protection to both engine and gearbox.
Which is where we come to the point of all this. You're running Porsche's not Ford Fiestas, don't be daft and just take the view that any oil will do in your pride and joy as it won't. Sure any oil is better than no oil but using a quality product will have benefits.
This article by John Rowland, Silkolene's Chief Chemist explains it well:
Quote:
Costs of synthetics vary considerably. The most expensive are the "Ester" types originally only used in jet engines. These cost 6 to 10 times more than high quality mineral oils.
The cheapest synthetics are not really synthetic at all, from a chemists point of view. These are in fact specially refined light viscosity mineral oils known as "hydrocracked". These have some advantages over equivalent mineral oils, particularly in lower viscosity motor oils such as 5w-30 or other oils with a low "W" rating such as 5w-50 etc and they cost about 1.5 times more than good quality mineral fractions.
We use several different grades of this base oil, where appropriate. This is the "synthetic" which is always [/b]used in cheap oils that are labelled "synthetic". Yes it's a cruel world, you get what you pay for!
Now, you may ask, why are these special mineral oils called "synthetic"?
Well, it was all sorted in a legal battle that took place in the USA about ten years ago. Sound reasons (including evidence from a Nobel Prize winning chemist) were disregarded and the final ruling was that certain mineral bases that had undergone extra chemical treatments could be called "synthetic".
Needless to say, the marketing executives wet their knickers with pure delight! They realised that this meant, and still does, that the critical buzz-word "synthetic" could be printed on a can of cheap oil provided that the contents included a few percent of "hydrocracked" mineral oil, at a cost of quite literally a few pence.
So, the chemistry of "synthetics" is complex and so is the politics!
The economics are very simple. If you like the look of a smart well-marketed can with "synthetic" printed on it, fair enough, it will not cost you a lot; and now you know why this is the case.
But, if you drive a high performance car, and you intend to keep it for several years, and maybe do the odd "track day", then you need a genuine Ester/PAO (Poly Alpha Olefin) synthetic oil, such as PRO S or PRO R. This oil costs more money to buy, because it costs us a lot of money to make, very simply, you always get what you pay for![/b]
Unquote:
Hope this helps,
Cheers
Simon
berg944
New member
I have used Valvoline synpower 5w-50 in my race bike for years with good results.
I am limited in what I can use in a bike with a wet clutch as a lot of oils have additives that make the clutch slip.
I was thinking of using it in mt Turbo but......
Is it a real synthetic ? (it does say fully synthetic on the can)
Mike
I am limited in what I can use in a bike with a wet clutch as a lot of oils have additives that make the clutch slip.
I was thinking of using it in mt Turbo but......
Is it a real synthetic ? (it does say fully synthetic on the can)
Mike
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