Hey,

I need to change my oil, I think I would like to go with Synthetic. I have been using regular oil in the past. Here is my questions. Is it OK to swap one to the other and will it be OK to swap the tranny fluid to Synthetic also?

I am using Dino oil in the tranny. I know others like synthetic. I am pleased with Royal Purple. My motor was using oil. I started using this oil and a short while later, the consumption slowed considerably. I think it also runs a little cooler. They claim the oil has some healing properties. I suspect I had a stuck ring on 1 or more pistons.

Sythetic is good stuff, but it's expensive. If your engine doesn't leak or burn oil, it's probably a good investment. If it does, then you have to consider how much money you can afford to have leak out or burn away...

I personally do not feel that the synthetic oils really let you go for extra distances between oil changes, so I would still be changing them every 3000 miles. Others may have other opinions. But that, and the fact that my car leaks oil, are the reasons that I stick with regular non-synthetic oil.

Oh, and don't use Red Line oil in your gearbox. Some synthetics may be OK there, but not Red Line. I've got $$$$ experience to that effect... I prefer Swepco for the transmission, which isn't cheap, but was very specifically recommended to me by a number of very knowledgeable people I trust.

--DD

I put in a new engine last winter,I use Royal purple,( as per Jakes recomendation)
and Swepco in the rebuilt tranny. Our cars are thirty yrs. old ,take advantage of all the modern tec. we can./ My 2 cents Dave

Synthetic cleans all the crap out of your motor. You can really tell when you dissasemble an engine run on synthetic- no black gunk crusted everywhere.

Ken

I use synthetics exclusivily *with turbo motors* and have been rewarded with outstanding turbo longevity as a result. 160K & still running fine when I got rid of it and 135k in my current DD.

I run Dino oil in my 914-6.....it ain't blowed up yet.

If your engine leaks, it will leak more with synthetic. For a fresh broken in engine, or a very tight engine that doesn't leak it's the best choice, but it's a waste of money for anything else.

Absolutely true in my case. Minor leaks really opened up, and the usual 1/2 quart overfill was a definate no-no. Even though I've gone back to Castrol, I still have PR tube leaks that were ignorable until I started M-1. BUT, that leaking may have been from age and use and would have hapened anyway. I use it (synth) in my other cars, but change the oil really too frequently in the 914 to benefit from extended mileage claims.

What is the half quart overfill?

Are you putting in 4 qts instead of 3.5?