Hello,
Just wonderning what types of engine oils everone is using, synthetic, or regular. What are the pros and conns of synthetic. I have been using penzoil 10w40, and have not had any trouble in my prairie 700. I run it year round here in northern BC, but it is always stored in a heatd shop.
What are your thoughts?
KVFRider

 

Amsoil is my number one choice in everything

 

I personally use Rotella nonsynthetic in everything from blown engines down to my lawn mower. Never had an oil related problem in anything.
The synthetic oils are better than most dino oils. The down side is they cost 3 to 8 times as much as a dino oil. The name of the game is cost per value. IMHO 95%+ people don't need synthetic oils. The cost per value is just not there. Most quads are going to be wrecked or sold before 5 or so years. Why put big buck oil in something that is going to be gone in 5 years or so? Besides I have 10 to 40 year + old engines that have never been torn down and they all have had nothing but Rotella in them. Just tore a 6.5 down last year. The thing had 130K on it and still had hatch marks in the bores.

About the only time I would really use a synthetic oil is if it got around 0 degrees. This is where a synthetic really shines. Some of our race engines use synthetic but not all.

There are many good oils on the market. Pick one and go riding.

 

Keep your oil changed. Dirty oil regular or not will be bad. Do what it takes to keep your warranty. Just change what ever you have before it breaks down the viscosity and get dirty.

 

If you have a wet clutch then you need to make sure the synthetic is compatible.
I was using a synthetic in my ATV but have since switched to dino oil, primarily because I change the oil frequently and it is cheaper with dino. I look at it this way, synthetic is better but, economically you need to keep it in longer, a clean dino is better than a dirty synthetic. I change oil every 300 miles. I sell the used oil for $1.00 per gallon to someone that burns it in a furnace, or I use it in my old 28 year old snowblower or my old lawnmower.
Did some reading on oil a few years back and both the synthetic and dino from Pensoil are some of the best. Next to Amsoil, Pensoil is my choice. Being tight with money I don't buy Amsoil so I generally run Pensoil in about everything I own and have for years. Had good luck so what the heck.

 

I prefer Amsoil full synthetic for my ATVs.... Generally in my vehicles I use the synthetic "blends" that are so widely taking over. Now, even if you get your oil changed at your local Ford dealer, the bulk Motorcraft oil they use is a synthetic blend. I'm not certain GM and Chrysler are doing the same but I assume they probably are. It won't be long before all oil is synthetic so some degree.

 

synthetic oils displace heat and keep parts coated better so upon start up there is no metal to metal like conventional oils i have seen temp reading differ 50 to 75 degrees cooler using synthetic. i use amsoil 0-40 in my brute and the fan only runs half as much as it used to using conventional oil. this has been my experience.

 

PENNZOIL, YUCK! how could you do that to anything you own? you might as well use caker state.

 

Pensoil uses parafin wax's in their oil. My buddy's ford leaked bad, told him to drop a quart in their regularly, the leak slowed down to almost a stop. That's how bad the stuff is. I use the kawasaki 10w-40. I won't put anything in unless it's made for ATV's since it uses a wetcluch and the transmission is fed by the same oil