Synthentic Blend to Full Synthetic?

[Remotecellphone]

The BS Big Bend is currently using synthetic blend (not sure if the other trims are the same). Is there a benefit to switching over to full synthetic? What do you guys plan on doing?

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[retiredguy]

The BS Big Bend is currently using synthetic blend (not sure if the other trims are the same). Is there a benefit to switching over to full synthetic? What do you guys plan on doing?

I have run my other Fords( Escape and Ecosport), on synthetic blends without any issues. I may do the same with my BS.

 

[Timsvtgen1]

The Motorcraft synthetic blend is very good oil , according to oil analysis. The oil itself is made by Conoco Phillips. Anything under 7500 miles per oil change would be fine w it.

 

[Osco]

Synthetic blends are almost all only 10 to 20 percent syn and the rest is roach/dinosaur oil.
Why is full syn better?
The molecules of fossil oil are all different sizes but all round in shape.
Synthetic oil molecules are all the same size and more important are all very small. They are engineered that way.
Why is this better?
Roach oil:
Picture a given size bag of marbles holding 80 to 90 marbles and only 10 to twenty OO' buck shot and bb's.
They are fewer and don't fit as close to each other. Many empty spaces of variable sizes.
FULL synthetic :
Picture that same bag holding 1,000, 2,000 or more tiny #8 bird shot size molecules all very close together.
In both oils the additive package runs about 7 percent and when thats used up the oil is no longer doing its job.
It's main job is heat transfer...
With full synthetic you get far more oil molecules between every bearing surface working very closely together transferring heat with far less vacant spots to generate heat.
heat is the enemy of the additive package.
Our science and knowledge advance, our oil has also.
I want my engines on the good stuff.
So why do they offer blends if synthetic is so much better?

Because it's cheap, and sounds good to people that don't understand the science.
Plus pretend you make cars or refrigerators or washer and dryers.
If you engineer them to last 20 or 30 years or 500,000 miles you will sell far less.
The refrigerator comment:
The motors in all our home appliances used to run forever on ball bearings. Now they are on bushings to wear out faster so you can buy another, sooner.

In the engine break in thread I speak of my engines over the years and how much I drove professionally.
400,000 to 500,000 miles was a normal service life for my various vehicles. Never an engine issue.
That is what FULL synthetic can do..

 

[Osco]

The Motorcraft synthetic blend is very good oil , according to oil analysis. The oil itself is made by Conoco Phillips. Anything under 7500 miles per oil change would be fine w it.

And with a good FULL synthetic anything under 15,000 miles will be just as good. With far better heat transfer and more oil where it needs to be at start up...

 

[Osco]

A study, 15 years ago.
Two vehicles same V-6 same car same use. Full time courior. Several hundred miles a day, city and hiway
One on regular oil one on synthetic.
At 4,000 miles the additive package was used up in the dinosaur oil there by marking the end of the roach oils service life.
The additive package in the Full synthetic oil did not deplete until 16,000 miles.
There is so much data out there on this subject.
I run full synthetic and change at 10,000 miles.
That additive package is the anti corrosion, scrubbers, carbon encapsulated that let the oil itself do the one single job it's suppose to do above all else and that's heat transfer.

 

[Timsvtgen1]

A study, 15 years ago.
Two vehicles same V-6 same car same use. Full time courior. Several hundred miles a daycity and hiway
One on regular oil on on synthetic.
At 4,000 miles the additive package was used up in the dinosaur oil there by marking the end of the roach oils service life.
The additive package in the Full synthetic oil did not deplete until 16,000 miles.
There is so much data out there on this subject.
I run full synthetic and change at 10,000 miles.
That additive package is the anti corrosion, scrubbers, carbon encapsulated that let the oil itself do the one single job it's suppose to do above all else and that's heat transfer.

Was that a true synthentic or a hydro cracked dino base oil?

 

[Osco]

Was that a true synthentic or a hydro cracked dino base oil?

I don't remember, think it was Mobil 1
Never heard of hydro c dino..
School me if you have the time

 

[Timsvtgen1]

I don't remember, think it was Mobil 1
Never heard of hydro c dino..
School me if you have the time

Not to really school you so much but to add more to your knowledge. Just like you were talking about the synthetic blend being used because it's cheap and sounds good 'Synthetic' oil takes the same kind of hostages with IT'S marketing as well. There was a court case in 1997 ( Castrol vs Mobil ) it came down to what is a synthetic oil. Synthetic oil sold today have base stocks, these base stocks are the base oil the final product is largely based on with the only exceptions being the additive packages and such. These oils consist of Groups I,II,III all of which are Roach/Dino oil with III being the most popular in all the brands of "FULL SYNTHETIC", and very few are type IV and V ( THE ACTUAL ( man made) SYNTHETIC base) . Most oils marketed as synthetic in the USA are Dino oil that is refined and hydrocracked in a lab which makes the oils molecules uniform; with only a fraction of synthetics being a man made group IV,V synthetic that are man engineered that way from the get go. All of them work great in tests, the Group IV and V generally -but not always- test better. That all being said, Castrol used hydrocracked dino oil, Mobil used group IV actual synthetic base. Mobil got mad that castrol was marketing their refined Dino oil as a "synthetic". Mobil was marketing their oil as synthetic as well. Castol won, and now only in the USA do we have the majority of Full synthetic oils that are really mostly dino oil and some synthetic, synthetics.

That's not to say that they are bad. I use Synthetic too usually but that shouldn't steer someone else away from using semi synthetics EVEN if they want to get super high mileage out of their engine. The key is interval. I don't like running anything direct injected and turbo any longer than 5-6k on an oil change because of Fuel dilution in the oil . Over the time of 15K miles, you can get as much as 3-5% fuel in your motor oil . If you went to the Ford dealer, got the Works oil change, tire rotation etc.. it comes with Motorcraft Synthetic blend for around 39.95. If you wanted to get that same service but with a Motorcraft Synthetic (which is Hydrocracked Group III dino oil btw) It will set you back almost 90.00. Assuming you care about fuel diloution, you could run them at the same 5,000 mile intervial and come out fiscally in better shape and your engine wouldn't necessarily know the difference.

 

[Bdub]

@Timsvtgen1 thanks for all of the detailed info. My wife’s Sport will only be seeing about 6k miles a year, probably considered “rough service” maintenance wise so I’ll be looking at 2 oil changes a year. In this instance, what’s your preference on full synthetic vs blend?

 

[Timsvtgen1]

@Timsvtgen1 thanks for all of the detailed info. My wife’s Sport will only be seeing about 6k miles a year, probably considered “rough service” maintenance wise so I’ll be looking at 2 oil changes a year. In this instance, what’s your preference on full synthetic vs blend?
[/QUOTE

@Timsvtgen1 thanks for all of the detailed info. My wife’s Sport will only be seeing about 6k miles a year, probably considered “rough service” maintenance wise so I’ll be looking at 2 oil changes a year. In this instance, what’s your preference on full synthetic vs blend?

If it were anything other than rough service or if the rough service was just dusty road driving, I would go with syn blend and not look back. But if your rough service includes long idling times, and any towing or taxing the engine ( lots of high heat cycles) or primarily city driving I would def go with the benefits of a full syn .

 

[Osco]

Very Interesting, thanks Tim
Direct Injection and Modern Turbo's are new to me. This Bronco Sport is my very first DI and Turbo engine.

I had 12 years In class five tractor trailers, Turbo's in those diesels were very different.

 

[Excape]

I used Motorcraft 5W-20 Synthetic Blend in my 2006 Escape to 266,000 miles before selling it. I had a few Blackstone analysis performed that indicated almost non-existent wear. My OCI with this oil was 5,000 miles.

I will likely purchase the Big Bend trim, which means I will get the 1.5L Triple with the wet timing belt.
Wet timing belts are oil-chemistry sensitive. These belts are an industry rarity and there are many unknowns about their longevity. Ford Europe had some issues with them in 2007-2008 and actually switched back to a chain on a particular engine at one point.

Apparently, Ford is confident enough to use the BIO (belt-in-oil) for the 1.5L. Since oil contamination has traditionally been a contributing factor for belt failure, I would use whatever oil Ford has specified for this engine and change no later than Ford's recommended interval, despite what any oil manufacturer indicates. This engine, while it may turn out to be a masterpiece, is an oddball in many ways, I would definitely not deviate from Ford's guidance.

 

[BigB'sBrono21]

I have always switched my cars to full synthetic after the first couple of break-in oil changes. I use the synthetic blend on the first change because it's a little cheaper and I change it quicker. On all my new cars, the first oil change usually 500-1000 miles (change oil and filter), then again at 3k miles (change oil and filter). at 6k I change the oil and filter, but switch it over to full synthetic. I always use Motorcraft filters. I have been using this method since the 90s and have never had any engine issues. I can open my oil cap and look in the engine and they are as clean today as when I purchased them. Might be a little excessive to some, but it has worked for me and I'll stick to it. I change oil at 10k intervals in my commuter car and around 8k ish on the other cars. Knock on wood I have had good luck with this process and these intervals.

 

[Timsvtgen1]

I have always switched my cars to full synthetic after the first couple of break-in oil changes. I use the synthetic blend on the first change because it's a little cheaper and I change it quicker. On all my new cars, the first oil change usually 500-1000 miles (change oil and filter), then again at 3k miles (change oil and filter). at 6k I change the oil and filter, but switch it over to full synthetic. I always use Motorcraft filters. I have been using this method since the 90s and have never had any engine issues. I can open my oil cap and look in the engine and they are as clean today as when I purchased them. Might be a little excessive to some, but it has worked for me and I'll stick to it. I change oil at 10k intervals in my commuter car and around 8k ish on the other cars. Knock on wood I have had good luck with this process and these intervals.

Yeah, that first oil change is a little cringy sometimes with all that metal flake.

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