Synthetic Oil

[kenscomet]

Hi, My question is when is it ok to switch over to a Synthetic Oil? We have a 05 with about 6.000 miles and it's a gas MH.

[kenscomet]

Hi, My question is when is it ok to switch over to a Synthetic Oil? We have a 05 with about 6.000 miles and it's a gas MH.

[DriVer]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by kenscomet:
... My question is when is it ok to switch over to a Synthetic Oil?... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>kenscomet, What I hear all the time during Workhorse seminars is that you should allow the engine to clock up about ~13,000 miles before you consider switching over. You may also want to write and ask one of our sponsors, "Blackstone Labs" when they would recommend the switch over.

[FrontRangeRVer]

I've had a Chevrolet Service Manager and a Regional Chevrolet Rep tell me that you can change over at any time, and that the "wait till the engine is broken in" is a wives tale on the 8.1 liter engine. Many many vehicles come off the line with synthetic oil in from the factory.

We changed ours over at 5K, and haven't looked back.

[DriVer]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by FrontRangeRVer:
I've had a Chevrolet Service Manager and a Regional Chevrolet Rep tell me that you can change over at any time, and that the "wait till the engine is broken in" is a wives tale .... Many many vehicles come off the line with synthetic oil in from the factory.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>FRRVer, Which only raises the question that if that statement is indeed fact, does GM deliver the 8.1L engine in their Medium Duty Truck line with synthetic motor oil pre-installed from the factory? Perhaps more relevant is do we see synthetic oil delieverd in the 6.0L engine in the GM/WCC Class C chassis as well as built entirely by GM?

The WCC National Service Director, Alan Stegitch comes from GM and I will pretty much accept his opinion in this matter. If there are any questions, follow the directives in the owner's manual. GM now gives us a 5 year 100,000 limited warranty and this is all possible using dinosaur oil.

I'm a BIG synthetic oil fan. Waiting for a year and a number of thousand miles before changing over is not unreasonable given that we have owned ours for 5 and have over 60K miles at the moment.

[FrontRangeRVer]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by DriVer:
Which only raises the question that if that statement is indeed fact, does GM deliver the 8.1L engine in their Medium Duty Truck line with synthetic motor oil pre-installed from the factory? Perhaps more relevant is do we see synthetic oil delieverd in the 6.0L engine in the GM/WCC Class C chassis as well as built entirely by GM?

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Here is the reason....Synthetic oil costs more.

There is no where in the Workhorse Chassis Guide/Owners manual that states you can't immediately change over to synthetic oil...just that it's an approved oil.

Workhorse doesn't manufacture the engine...GM does, and there isn't one GM Director that I have talked to that says you have to wait "13,000 miles" on the 8.1 liter GM engine.

[max49]

Seems to be 'whatever floats your boat'
Mercruiser and Volvo both use the same GM engines. Mercruiser come with dino and Volvo comes with synthetic (Volvos own brand, Hmmmm)
I have heard from top engine builders to use Dino for break in tho.
Irregarless, if your engine burns oil they're not going rebuild under warranty unless it's spewing blue smoke.
I still use 15W40 dino diesel oil but I've been eyeballing that 5W40 diesel synthetic lately. I don't know why tho, the internals of the engine will probably outlast the rest of the MH.

[DriVer]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by FrontRangeRVer:
Here is the reason....Synthetic oil costs more. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>FRRVer, We spend more money for our vehicles than those that are delivered out of Bowling Green which do come with synthetic oil. I don't think that's the exact reason and I don't see GM going broke if they supplied a limited number of HD engines with synthetic motor oil.

For the average Workhorse owner the benefit of synthetic oil is unquestioned and the cost is surely not a factor. Protecting a multi-thousand dollar engine with the best lubricating fluids is a great idea in my opinion. Workhorse has provided guidance and when asked I don't mind at all sharing what Workhorse's recommendation is in this matter.

The GM guys that you spoke to aside from being employees have no dog in the fight regarding a product that is delivered to, used in a motorhome chassis and initially warrantied by Workhorse. They have their opinion and we must surely allow Workhorse to have theirs since there isn't a BIG bowtie on the front of our motorhomes.

[roy goble]

I changed mine over at 2800 miles. It would use a quart every 1500 miles up to about 30K and now uses a quart at about 3000miles. I change mine at every 3000 miles or as close as possible. My father was a mechanic and taught us that you can not change the oil to often.

[TAN]

I changed to synthetc oil with my first oil change at 2500 miles. I now have 26000 miles on the 8.1. I allways wondered if I did the right thing.

[speed racer]

The engines that come from the factory with synthetic oil are built to a much higher standard than a truck[corvette,bmw,cadilac and so on]. Synthetic oil is a very good lubricant and does not allow hardly any wear in the engine. An engine that has a break in period should use coventional oil for that period of time befor switching synthetic. My drag race engines had no breakin period so they got syn.from the start. My MH 8.1 has 16000 miles on it and now uses no oil between 3000 mile changes so now I am ready to change to synthetic.

[Joe Gilbert]

I changed to Mobil 1 @ 4500 miles (1st oil change) and my 8.1 has never used oil. My yearly trip from NH to Florida, via Utah is over 5000 miles and I never need to add oil. I guess my oil consumption is about as good as it gets.

[dieselclacker]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Joe Gilbert:
I changed to Mobil 1 @ 4500 miles (1st oil change) and my 8.1 has never used oil. My yearly trip from NH to Florida, via Utah is over 5000 miles and I never need to add oil. I guess my oil consumption is about as good as it gets. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>



Sounds like your 8.1 is the exception rather than the rule when it comes to oil consumption Joe. Not a bad thing at all!!!

Florida from NH via Utah, wow!! Lets see, gas is about $3.69 a gal here this week,


Dieselclacker

[Photog]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by dieselclacker:
Sounds like your 8.1 is the exception rather than the rule when it comes to oil consumption Joe. Not a bad thing at all!!!Dieselclacker </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I guess I am in the exception column with Joe. I'm at 25,000 miles have not needed to add oil between oil changes. I don't remember when I switched to Mobile 1. I think I have between 15 and 20 thousand miles using it.