Any V8 guys switch to synthetic and notice a change in engine sounds?
A while back I switched to synthetic oil in my V8 and lately I've been noticing an increase in noises – like I can hear the internal components ticking and rattling. In the mornings it also seems that it takes longer for oil to reach the head. For a good 2-3 seconds it sounds like there's a pissed-off midget with a hammer inside trying to get out.
It's a change from the silky smooth purr of the V8 before I switched to synthetic. Thoughts?
Synthetic and the V8
Moderator: volvite
What oil filter are you running? It sounds like your filter is not working correctly like the drain back valve is not working right. Personally I would switch filter brands and make sure the one you pick has a silicon anti drain back valve (look at the filter opening the filter gasket inside the filter will be orange in color) I would also try a different brand of synthetic oil. Don't get so worked up on oil brand I run low cost Shell full synthetic and I buy it cheep there are better synthetic oils out there but I don't let my oil go longer then 7,000 miles and the Shell oil I run is more then up to that task. Over the years I have seen some oils that seem to make more noise after an oil change then others. Try a different brand oil and filter and avoid quick lube places they like to use cheep oil filters. If you don't live where it gets real cold you will see little benefit to synthetic oil over a quality Dino oil if you keep your oil change no more than 7,000 miles. My father always gets over 300,000 miles out of every car he owns running cheep Dino oil. A high quality non synthetic Dino oil like (PYB) Pennzoil Yellow Bottle seems to be a real quiet oil it's low cost on sale and many people report that there engine runs real quiet running it. The real advantage to synthetic oil is the oil has more reserve capacity so you can extend your oil change interval. Synthetics also have better cold flow properties so if you live in a deep freeze area it will pump to critical parts better. Keep in mind any quality synthetic or non synthetic oil changed at a descent change interval and that V8 you have will outlast the rest of your truck probably three times over. It's extremely rare to have an oil related failure.
This is excellent info, thanks!
I usually get a full synthetic change every 3500 miles at the Firestone down the road. I like the VW 502 spec oil they use (Kendall) but I've honestly never considered the filter quality. I think I'm going to change my own oil this weekend and see if there's a difference. Any recommendations on a high-quality filter?
I usually get a full synthetic change every 3500 miles at the Firestone down the road. I like the VW 502 spec oil they use (Kendall) but I've honestly never considered the filter quality. I think I'm going to change my own oil this weekend and see if there's a difference. Any recommendations on a high-quality filter?
The best or one of the best filters on the market is the Fram Ultra it has two layers of synthetic fiber for filtration backed by a metal screen for support, metal end caps, silicon anti drain back valve, and a solid can. It also filters down to real small particles. Off hand I can't recall how small but it is on there web site. I have run many Fram Ultra filters for two oil changs on my Toyota 4Runner for up to 14,000 miles and I have cut them open and they always look great. I also put just under 200,000 miles on that V6 and it ran great when I sold it. The Napa Gold is a real good filter although the drain back valve on some models is not silicon. The factory Nissan filter is a quality unit although I can not find any info on how small it filters down to particle wise. Stay away from Purolator for the time being they are having quality control issues right now.
The Kendall synthetic oil is a quality oil I have several friends that use it and have for years.
The Kendall synthetic oil is a quality oil I have several friends that use it and have for years.
Just one more thing 3,500 miles on a synthetic oil is a waste. If you are going to change your oil that often then just run a quality conventional oil. My advice to you is run your synthetic oil for 6,000 miles the take an oil sample and send it off to a lab to have it tested and the lab can tell you what kind of shape the oil is in and if you should run it longer. Oil analysis cost around $30-35.00. I use Blackstone labs if you go to there web site they will send you a test kit for free and several if you ask nice.. Lol.. Also pay the extra few $$ to get the TBN on your oil sample that stands for the Total Base Number. All oils have a TBN it is a number given to an oil based on the amount of additives in the oil so if your oil starts out with a TBN of 7.8 when new at 6,000 miles of use it may be 2.2 so it still has active additives left and the lab may say you could run your oil for say 8,500 miles without issue. I hope this helps.. For more info go to Bobistheoilguy.com
Agree 1,000%. Even with conventional oil, the manual calls for 7,500 mile intervals for normal use. I've tested out at 10k miles with synthetic and it's still WELL within spec. The V8 seems to respond similarly well. A coworker who has an Armada with over 140k miles and he drops it at the dealer every 7k miles for book service. I'm sure they're using regular oil too.Kestral wrote:Just one more thing 3,500 miles on a synthetic oil is a waste.
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