Nick_R_23

Real world experience would be building engines for off-road applications on a weekly basis that turn over 8000 RPM (for more than just 13 seconds ) and see truly abusive conditions in both extreme heat and cold. These engines when used in cross country race applications are held at WOT (not varying throttle. Wide open throttle) for much longer than 8 hours at a time. These engines are assembled, broken in, and ran on synthetic oil, and have never had an oil related failure. With the availability of synthetics today, there is not a conventional oil on this planet I would trust to use for the engines I build.

Taxman20

iTrader: (11)

What pat of RACE engine in a STOCK CAR did you not understand? Stock car engines see the most abuse of ANY race engine. And we turn them 8k for far more than 13 seconds. Wide open is easy on an engine because its really just spinning nearly free, its the pull to max rpm that kills them because of the high torque and then the fast deceleration. I'm done here. LOL.

OP, listen to who you want to. I and others have tried.

Nick_R_23

I came from stock car racing. I won't argue about what sees the most abuse, as any race engine will be pushed much past what it was intended to factory. The point is using the tech we have available today to best minimize and prevent failures and extend longevity. Recommending conventional oils when we have synthetic oils that overcome many shortcomings of inferior, older oil, doesn't make sense. I understand working from experience, Taxman, but I guarantee your engine failure was not a result of running synthetic oil and I would bet money you could not replicate that failure on your current engine just from switching to synthetic. Synthetic oil simply does not sporadically cause engine failure, whether in stock or race form. Neither does it cause rings not to seat, seals to leak, or any other unfounded BS that always gets tossed around when synthetic oil is brought up. In fact, synthetic oil has now recently been found to help rings seat faster than with conventional oil.

To answer the OPs question, yes, you can use synthetic oil to break in your engine with no ill effects. Breaking in with and continuing to run synthetic oil throughout the life of your engine are the best way to insure longevity and protection of your engine.

94_C/1500

I've never dealt with building dozens upon dozens of engines for racing nor are the engines in my vehicles anywhere close to pushing the limits. But what can synthetics do that regular oil can't? I'm not talking the best top shelf synthetic to the dollar store brand conventional. But let's compare say Royal Purple and Mobil 1 to Brad Penn and Cenpeco. I'm not talking some lab based test results that didn't even involve an engine like you can find on the Internet, but real world results. The truth is you won't ever see a difference. I can tell you Cenpeco and Brad Penn are probably the best conventional, and they are cheaper than your top of the line synthetics. I do not work for either company, I do sell their products at work but I also sell about every major brand as well. Best for the money is all I can say.

On a side note, as a construction worker driving abused trucks, to a mechanic, to a parts salesman, and as car enthusiast the only oil related failure I've seen was from a clogged oil filter. The filter probably had 50,000 miles. You can watch the bypass valve open when you looked at the gauge. The owner still didn't change it and probably 300 miles later the engine locked up. I've seen engines strained, not just going full throttle on a track but I've also pulled and hauled (and witnessed crazier stuff) with no oil related issues on truck way past their oil change interval, let alone the best oil in them. My opinion is, use what you feel is best. Most people go for our store brand and call it good. Almost every shop around uses our house brand oil for oil changes. Except for on high mileage engines that use the oil faster, I've never heard of single complaint about it. We sell probably 15-50 gallons a day of that stuff. So use whatever you want. I use Wolfs head in my wife's car and Brad Penn in my truck. If I ever get my Jeeps back on the road they'll use Brad Penn. I did use Royal Purple but its just too much money.

Nick_R_23

Synthetics will provide your engine with better protection against wear, mainly. It doesn't break down quickly like conventional will. This is why you've seen recommended oil change intervals on OEMs jump from about 3,000 miles to 15,000 miles since synthetics have been introduced, and also why most engines have no problem turning 200-300,000 miles when a decade ago this was uncommon. It is also better suited for extreme temps, hot or cold. I also get to tear down and inspect any engine that comes in for warranty work, and I will say that it's very impressive the difference in wear on parts synthetics have made. Bearings, wear surfaces, pistons, cylinder walls, chains, etc all show very minimal wear even with higher hours/miles. This is granted proper maintainence has been performed.

black06g85

iTrader: (6)

I build my own motors for my cars (been quite a few over the years) I always break in for regular dino oil warm up to operating temp, drain, change filter. fill with new dino juice. run for about 250-500 miles. and switch to synthetic... most are still running to this day 10-15 years later. mind you mostly street cars, but they do get raced from time to time.

2xLS1

iTrader: (25)

.....

Launch

gametech

iTrader: (1)

With anything better than 1980's or earlier Quaker State, any break-in oil will do. The days of paraffin based gunk clogging your engine are long gone, and the myth of synthetic oil preventing proper ring seal are hopefully soon to follow. The only reason to use different oil for break-in is the reality that a cheaper oil makes more sense for the low mileage changes you should do on initial run-in.

Taxman20

iTrader: (11)

So.... what we have here is a failure to communicate. LOL.. Ok seriously, you will see different responses from many people. I agree, in a street only car, sure synthetic works fine. You get more miles between oil changes too. Although I wouldn't do a break in with it. I also gave my opinion on actual results of different oils. And for the way my engines are used, I have been let down by synthetic. Our machine shops agree with everything I have stated.

Again, this is a question where you will really never get your question answered in a manner that helps you. You will just have to do what you think is best. Good luck with the new engine.