Can you switch from regular motor oil to full synthetic?

Can you switch from regular motor oil to synthetic? This is a common question I get from vehicle owners and customers, among many others.

Can you switch from regular motor oil to synthetic?

Yes, you can switch from regular motor oil to synthetic at any time. It is never too late or too early in a vehicle's life to convert from conventional motor oil to full synthetic. Although, in brand new vehicles, I recommend running the first 500 to 1,000 miles on the factory-fill conventional or synthetic blend oil before performing the first oil change to swap to full synthetic.

How to convert to synthetic oil - my recommendations:

Converting a vehicle to synthetic motor oil is fairly simple. However, there are a few things you need to be aware of.

Recommendations for new vehicles:

1. First, if you have a new vehicle, I recommend that you run a short cycle (typically 500-1000 miles or to your first scheduled oil change, whichever you choose) of the manufacturer's factory fill petroleum (conventional) oil on a gas engine passenger car or light truck (on diesel truck engines this value is typically longer and is usually stated in the owner's manual by the manufacturer of the vehicle and/or engine).
2. Then use an engine oil flush (like AMSOIL engine flush) to thoroughly flush out all of the conventional oil and the wear-in particulates. This step isn't completely necessary but I still recommend it.
3. Finally perform an oil change, adding full synthetic motor oil and a high-quality filter. If you choose to use engine oil flush, add the product to the engine and let the vehicle idle for 15-20 minutes, then immediately drain the oil and remove the filter.

This doesn't mean that you can't install synthetic oil sooner than 500-1000 miles (some manufacturers install synthetic oil as a factory fill). It simply means these are my recommendations based on my extensive engineering work and knowledge of this topic as well as the practicality aspect of it.

It doesn't take long to rack up 500-1000 miles on a vehicle. If you don't want to run the petroleum oil for 500-1000 miles you can drain it sooner and change to synthetic oil or you can continue to run the factory fill oil to the first scheduled oil change. It is not as big an issue as some people make it seem to be. The 500-1000 mile figure is very general. There is no set cast-in-stone mileage recommendation that you must or must not convert to synthetic oil.‍

Recommendations for used vehicles (15,000 plus miles):

In an engine with more than 15,000 miles that has been using petroleum oil the entire time, I highly recommend using the AMSOIL engine flush. The AMSOIL engine flush will remove petroleum oil sludge and varnish deposits from your engine and adequately prepare it for synthetic motor oil. You pour in one can (16 ounces) for every 5 quarts of sump capacity (one can is sufficient for almost all passenger cars & light trucks, except diesels), and let the engine idle for about 15-20 minutes, then drain the oil and remove the filter while the oil is still warm. Do not drive the vehicle with the engine flush installed.

Recommendations for high-mileage engines:

If you have an extremely contaminated or high mileage engine, I recommend installing a new engine oil filter before adding the flush so that you have full capacity of the filter available for capturing and holding the dirt particles that the flush removes.  Not all engine flushes are created equal. I use and recommend AMSOIL Engine Flush. It is a detergent-based flush with some kerosene and other petroleum distillates that act as the carrier for the flushing and cleaning agents.  The detergent used is 2-butoxyethanol, glycol ether, and is a very concentrated form of detergent used in motor oil.

Conventional Oil Contamination Problems

What happens when you operate an engine on petroleum oil is that the sludge, soot, and varnish deposits that occur as a result of using petroleum oil will accumulate around your pistons, rings, seals, valve train and other internal engine components and actually help to seal your engine.

This type of petroleum oil deposit sealing can lead to problems such as piston ring sticking, sludge deposits in valve covers and oil pans which can lead to decreased oil pump capacity output and restriction of critical oil galley passageways over an extended period of time, plus many more issues which I will not go into detail in this article.

These deposits are detrimental to the proper operation and longevity of your engine. What occurs during engine use over a period of time is that synthetic motor oils, due to their natural cleansing properties and high detergency, will clean sludge and varnish deposits out from your engine, both the highly accumulated deposits as well as the sub-micron deposits which have accumulated in the microscopic valleys of the aluminum, copper, iron, etc. engine components. Therefore, if you do not use the engine flush a premium quality synthetic motor oil will do essentially the same thing the flush does but take a longer period of time and could possibly necessitate a filter change sooner than normal.

During this time, which is greatly accelerated when using engine flush, the engine goes through a phase where these deposits are being removed or have been removed. What exists now is that these microscopic valleys in the iron, aluminum, copper, etc, are now empty. It takes some time for the molecular structure of the synthetic motor oil to fill these microscopic valleys. This can be as short as a few hundred miles or as long as a few thousand miles, depending on the internal condition of your engine. During this phase you may, or may not, notice slightly increased oil consumption but only until the uniform molecular structure of the synthetic motor oil can re-seal these microscopic valleys.  Most people do not even notice this phase, but I like to make people aware of it so they understand this process. This is perfectly normal, and the oil is doing exactly what it was engineered to do. Additionally, synthetic oil is much less volatile than petroleum oil, which will result in reduced oil consumption.

Will synthetic oil prevent optimal engine break-in?

Contrary to what many people believe, synthetic oil will not prevent your engine from properly wearing in. Even some synthetic oil manufacturers publish recommendations on when an engine can be converted to synthetic oil.

AMSOIL’s Recommendations for Synthetic Oil Conversion

Here are AMSOIL's recommendations:

"Regarding the use of AMSOIL Synthetic Motor Oils in brand new or rebuilt engines, AMSOIL synthetic motor oil can be used during break-in trouble free. In fact, vehicles such as the Dodge Viper, Chevrolet Corvette, all BMW vehicles, all Porsche vehicles, Mercedes Benz, 4 Cadillac models, Pontiac GTO, Harley Davidson Screamin Eagle motorcycles, and many others come factory-filled with synthetic oil.

However, since most new vehicles come filled with petroleum oil, it only makes good sense to change to AMSOIL at the first scheduled oil change interval. New engine components generate high levels of wear metals and can contain contaminants from assembly. By allowing the engine to operate with the petroleum oil until the first oil/filter change interval, the wear metals and contaminants are removed prior to installing AMSOIL. There are a couple primary reasons for this recommendation.

New engines or engine components generate high wear metals to begin with and generally contain debris from machining and assembly. It is more beneficial to allow these wear metals to collect in an inexpensive motor oil than to circulate throughout the crankcase for extended periods in a synthetic motor oil.

By operating the vehicle to its first drain interval with a petroleum oil, these wear metals and manufacturing debris collect in the oil and are then flushed out of the crankcase when drained. This allows for a much cleaner operating environment for the synthetic lubricant.

Within the first miles of operation, if there are any defects in the assembly or workmanship of the engine components, then they may be corrected before installing the more expensive synthetic motor oil. Occasionally, rebuilt engines may have re-machined components or materials, which can sometimes be mismatched. These problems will develop in a fairly short period of time. If excessive oil consumption or any other problem is noted, this should be corrected prior to changing to AMSOIL Synthetic Oil.

For racing applications, a synthetic motor oil can be installed right away. These engines are frequently disassembled and rebuilt under more exacting conditions and require the improved wear protection of a synthetic motor oil. Extended drains are rare due to contaminants such as fuel dilution and dirt entry are common, therefore we would recommend oil analysis to determine serviceability of the lubricant."

‍

Addressing Common Synthetic Oil Myths

Do synthetic oils cause engine seals to leak?

You may have heard the myth that synthetics cause engine seals to leak. Synthetics absolutely do not cause seals to leak, they simply may only possibly reveal an existing leak path and a seal that has failed and is in need of mechanical replacement. Either the seal lip is worn down or the seal is hardened and cracked from old age, heat and ozone. If you have an older higher mileage engine that has been running petroleum oil for its entire life, and it also leaks, for example around the rear-main oil seal, then chances are it may leak the same or possibly more with synthetic oil.

Synthetic oil is naturally cleansing and high detergent and will remove internal engine sludge and varnish deposits, but synthetic oil does not cause leaks. This is commonly referred to as a false seal. Synthetic motor oils are recommended for use in mechanically sound engines. If you have an engine that leaks oil excessively, then repair the seal prior to converting to synthetic oil. The sludge and varnish accumulation inside an engine is highly detrimental to its proper function and longevity and the minuscule "benefit" you may get from it helping to seal a faulty seal does absolutely nothing for your engine.

If you have an older engine with a faulty seal and don't want to change the seal but still want to use synthetic motor oil, then I recommend a higher viscosity, such as a 10W-40 instead of a 30-weight oil.

Conclusion

Switching from regular motor oil to synthetic oil can offer numerous benefits, from better engine protection to improved performance. By following the guidelines provided and understanding the break-in process, you can ensure a smooth transition and enjoy the advantages of synthetic oil.