*No internal combustion engine… well, true, but several internal/external combustion ones, not that they use oil in that respect, though the many internal fuel pumps may use some.
*Not the safest ride… again true, but RTFM applies–engineers heavily advised them not to launch when the temps were colder than recommended outside. NASA went ahead anyway. Not sure how the accidents that occurred could have been prevented by using a different lubricant.
*1970s technology… True, but the basic ICE is much older tech than that. Not that 70s tech was that bad… 60s tech got us to the moon, a feat that hasn’t been duplicated yet. You can put a modern synthetic (or dino oil for that matter) in a 70s motor and it’ll be plenty happy with it. If you put a 70s motor oil in a modern engine, it won’t be happy for too long. (unless maybe you change it every 1,000 miles like in the old days)
*Bicycles are hardly a demanding application. In the 19th century they probably lubed them with bear grease if they had it. Did they have lithium grease in the 1800s?
I Date Back To The Old-Fashioned Straight-Weight Motor Oil. I’d Have To Be Sure And Change From SAE 30 To SAE 20 Every Fall And Then Back Again Every Spring.
People were reluctant to use the “new” multi-grade conventional oils when they first made the scene. Complaints ranged from not being proven to be better and more costly, etcetera.
Now, hardly anyone uses other than multi-grade oils like the ones we know as 5w30, 10w30, etcetera. I’d be returning to “the good old days” if I didn’t choose 5w30 Synthetic for use all year long in our cars, switching back and forth. That’s one nostalgia trip I don’t miss. (See explanation in my previous post).
I know change is sometimes difficult for some people (It is for me ,too. I carry a cell phone, but don’t use it.), but I think we’re in another of those periods of change from old-fashioned conventional oil (with its limitations and not recommended by some manufacturers in all situatons). I hear the same comments about not proven to be better and too expensive, etcetera.
We’re transitioning to modern synthetic motor oil, approved for all purposes in my cars and those of many, many others. I am thankful that the technology is available today at a very reasonable price. The convnience and peace of mind are worth every penny.
You Guys Remember The Big 1996 Taxi Cab Fleet Motor Oil Test, " The surprising truth about motor oils ," Done By Consumer Reports ?
Here is a quote from the Consumer Reports test / article: "One distinction: According to the laboratory tests, Mobil 1 and Pennzoil Performax synthetics flow exceptionally easily at low temperatures - a condition our taxi tests didn’t simulate effectively. They also had the highest viscosity under high-temperature, high-stress conditions, when a thick oil protects the engine. Thus, these oils may be a good choice for hard driving in extreme temperatures. "
That’s a good point. I do recommend synthetic oil and expensive filters for my friend who neglects his cars, but I would still rather use conventional oil and change it on time than use synthetic oil and extend the oil change intervals. My vehicles last longer than my friend’s vehicles, although I admit there are also other factors at work.
I’m VERY VERY skeptical of Consumer Reports testing…In the past they did some very shoddy testing and had to revise their tests or write an apology. I’m not saying they’re wrong in here…just that they’ve been wrong in the past and I’m now very skeptical of their tests.
The synthetic vs. petroleum debate is redundant. The real issues are “you get what you pay for” and “not all synthetics are the same”. The over used clich? “Full Synthetic” has a margin of truth only because legally there could be as little as 10% synthetic in an oil. An oil analysis is convincing when it tells me that the synthetic I’m using does not need replacing after 5,000 or 8,000 miles or six months whichever comes first. Admittedly, an oil analysis on an engine with less than 10 or 14 quarts is not cost effective but truckers do it all the time and save themselves a ton of maintenance.
When you see cars plugged in at a hotel in the prairies’ below zero temps, and a car with synthetics, guess which one will be ready to go when the ignition is turned?