I am considering changing from conventional motor oil to synthetic motor oil in my 2006 V8 Sport. I have 100K on it. I have read that I need to change it fairly quick after the 1st synthetic cycle, because synthetic "cleans" the dirt and particles from the engine. My question is what is the recommended mileage to change the 1st cycle? Do I need to do 2 quick cycles or is 1 enough to fully convert to synthetic? Do I even need 1 quick cycle or can I go 7500-10000 miles on the 1st synthetic change? What oil should I be using? Sorry to ramble, and thanks for the help:hatsoff:
Changing to Synthetic
- Thread starter kclancy00
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echo4tango
New member
the most important thing to remember about changing over to synthetic after dino is to CHANGE THE FILTER AFTER THE FIRST MONTH!!
dont skimp on a cheap filter either get a wix or K&N and change after the first 1000 miles or 1 st month
dont skimp on a cheap filter either get a wix or K&N and change after the first 1000 miles or 1 st month
KB084RUNNER
New member
I would never go 7500 to 10k on any oil. I run pennzoil platinum 5000-6000 miles in my wifes past 2 Lexus V6 engines to 150-160,000 miles. UOA reports show below average wear metals all the way. The engines no doubt would go way over 200k. Oil is cheap.
RonMAIDEN
Super Moderator
With synthetic I've never gone less than 7500 miles with a little over 8000 being the norm and as I've said before it's about the time the oil is in the engine rather than miles and I change mine about every 10 months even if I only put 3000 miles on the synthetic.
I've been running M1 for about 70,000 miles and just had a compression check a little over a year ago and the Toyota tech was surprised by the numbers and they indicated very little blow-by especially for an engine that's now over 12 years old and has about 165k on it.
I've been running M1 for about 70,000 miles and just had a compression check a little over a year ago and the Toyota tech was surprised by the numbers and they indicated very little blow-by especially for an engine that's now over 12 years old and has about 165k on it.
KB084RUNNER
New member
Yeah, I have had a lot of people tell me that but I am still in warranty and don't want to void it. Plus I get QHP or Pennzoil Platinum on sale for $10 for a 5 qt jug (after rebate) and Mobil1 is rarely on sale. So, 20 QHP oil changes cost me $300 while 13 Mobil1 oil changes cost over $350. So, it is actually less expensive to follow the manufacturers oil change interval with a less expensive synthetic oil. Quaker State closed out the QTorquepower for $9/5 qt jug so it really costs me less than $300 for 100,000 miles for synthetic oil changes.
Ricky B
New member
So this is definitely necessary? That's good info to know then cuz we're going to synthetic M-1 today and I wanna make sure my son takes an extra filter and oil with him on his drive home from Hell-A to Wisconsin.......
echo4tango
New member
take it off really fast and put the new one on really fast. the oil is stored in the oil pan and the oil filter in on the engine. the only oil that will spill out is the small amount in the filter and the little that is in the engine block..but less than a quart.
the new synthetic oil will start to clean and dislodge any sludge that is in the engine and will get trapped by the filter. if the filter gets plugged it will go into bypass and then you will be recirculating the sludge back into the engine.
the new synthetic oil will start to clean and dislodge any sludge that is in the engine and will get trapped by the filter. if the filter gets plugged it will go into bypass and then you will be recirculating the sludge back into the engine.
OrdnanceMarine
New member
As long as there's little to no sludge in the engine presently (shouldn't be if you covered 100,000 miles in 5 years and were changing the oil per Toyota's recommendations) then you should be fine to make the change without causing any problems. I wouldn't try and go for any record-length oil changes on this first run but would just take it to the length you normally go.
Even this might be overkill as my friend, who totally neglects his '98 Tacoma with 170k mi by doing things like leaving it idling for 10+ minutes while we hit the hardware store so the AC keeps it cool (does that kind of thing all of the time) and goes way over 10k miles on dealer bulk oil and then I switch him to Pennzoil Platinum since he's prone to forget about oil changes and he decides to use the cheapest Fram oil filter and *thought* he'd get around to changing that filter after a few thousand miles but manages to forget until I mention it a year later and he checks the odometer and it's been 14k (might have been 17k, I don't have the oil analysis in front of me right now). We did another oil analysis and the oil showed remarkably low amounts of wear and a high TBN though insolubles in the oil were at the maximum that Blackstone likes to see.
Believing the advice you see on the internet you'd come to the conclusion that his engine should have blown up in a Hollywood-style fireball by now. I'm not advocating treating your car like this, but his doesn't seem to be ready to retire.
Even this might be overkill as my friend, who totally neglects his '98 Tacoma with 170k mi by doing things like leaving it idling for 10+ minutes while we hit the hardware store so the AC keeps it cool (does that kind of thing all of the time) and goes way over 10k miles on dealer bulk oil and then I switch him to Pennzoil Platinum since he's prone to forget about oil changes and he decides to use the cheapest Fram oil filter and *thought* he'd get around to changing that filter after a few thousand miles but manages to forget until I mention it a year later and he checks the odometer and it's been 14k (might have been 17k, I don't have the oil analysis in front of me right now). We did another oil analysis and the oil showed remarkably low amounts of wear and a high TBN though insolubles in the oil were at the maximum that Blackstone likes to see.
Believing the advice you see on the internet you'd come to the conclusion that his engine should have blown up in a Hollywood-style fireball by now. I'm not advocating treating your car like this, but his doesn't seem to be ready to retire.
etc.
Member
Like always, I suggest a cycle of Auto RX, then switch to synthetic 
Its $23ish dollars. I'm thankfully not battling sludge, but I did have a little varish on my cam journals 2232 miles ago. Now, not so much.
The oil that came out when I replaced the filter, was not nasty but you can tell its doing its job
Its $23ish dollars. I'm thankfully not battling sludge, but I did have a little varish on my cam journals 2232 miles ago. Now, not so much.
The oil that came out when I replaced the filter, was not nasty but you can tell its doing its job
OrdnanceMarine
New member
Where in the world are you still able to find Pennzoil Platinum for $10/5qt? It's been almost two years since those deals went away. The best deals I can find now is a 5qt + K&N or Mobil 1 filter for $30 at Autozone. Fortunately I did hit those rebates when they were around and cleaned the shelf at Wal-Mart when they had a close out at $2.40/qt. My strategic petroleum reserve is still well-stocked
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OrdnanceMarine
New member
Another thought: I'd probably do a few used oil analyses (UOAs) working up to 10,000 miles (perhaps beyond?) before I'd just assume that you can run this time/distance safely. I've seen UOAs of the same make and model with the oil coming back shot at say 5k on one example and still doing just find after 10k on another vehicle. Driving habits and the operating environment really have a significant effect on how long your oil will last. If you aren't interested in plunking down the cash for a 2-3 UOAs (can sometimes be had for as cheap as $10 if you have a local outfit that services big engines, or up to $30 for Blackstone with TBN, or $100+ if you find it worth the job that Dyson does) then err on the side of caution and follow the factory recommendation. In all but the worst conditions this ought to be adequate.
echo4tango
New member
Honestly-if you have done regular maintenance along the way seafoam or any other engine "cleaner" is not needed.
OrdnanceMarine
New member
I want to echo this statement! These cleaners can be harsh on your engine so unless you actually have a problem that could affect performance they are generally a bad idea. With a few exceptions, these products are most effective as making your wallet lighter and at worst, they can accelerate engine wear during their use.
OrdnanceMarine
New member
I got him to send me the used oil analyses. See the thread I started with information on said Tacoma:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/maintenance/81859-conventional-synthetic-used-oil-analyses-tacoma.html
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/maintenance/81859-conventional-synthetic-used-oil-analyses-tacoma.html
