I used to run mineral oil for the first couple of oil changes (10,000 miles) before switching to synthetic oil.
My oldest son attended the Motorcycle Mechanics Institute a few years ago & passed on what he learned about breaking engines in to his dad.
I realize now that an engine broken-in properly can have the mineral oil used for break-in drained immediately afterwards and begin running synthetics. The rings should be seated after the first running of the motor. For practical purposes, I would recommend 500 miles on mineral oil, drain it & begin using synthetic.
Have you ever noticed how break-in oil drains out with a green color? That's the metal left behind from machining. Don't leave that oil in long. (Motorcycle trans oil also takes on a green color due to the wet clutch)
Marlin, my mother lives in Escalon, I'm familiar with your area.
George
In school we used to study oils such as ashless, non detergent, and detergent. Are these listed on automotive oils?
Gary,
I've been out of town, logged onto a friends computer this AM, sorry I haven't responded sooner.
Ash content is still a measured "spec" for motor oil, but it is not listed on the bottle. Ash content may be specified in the ILSAC or API oil rating systems. In general ash content is better than in decades past, the high ash content oils run around 1% I think. The oils with high ash content, by the way, are Valvoline, Halvoline, Shell.
Detergent content is not advertised either, although most oils have "detergent" or additives that take the place of detergent. Modern oils have an extensive additive package. The exception is the oil you mix in gasoline for 2 cycle engines, that oil contains no detergents, and may say "non-detergent" on the label.
George
I've been out of town, logged onto a friends computer this AM, sorry I haven't responded sooner.
Ash content is still a measured "spec" for motor oil, but it is not listed on the bottle. Ash content may be specified in the ILSAC or API oil rating systems. In general ash content is better than in decades past, the high ash content oils run around 1% I think. The oils with high ash content, by the way, are Valvoline, Halvoline, Shell.
Detergent content is not advertised either, although most oils have "detergent" or additives that take the place of detergent. Modern oils have an extensive additive package. The exception is the oil you mix in gasoline for 2 cycle engines, that oil contains no detergents, and may say "non-detergent" on the label.
George
The bigest thing we were taught in college was you could go from detergent to non-detergent but NOT non-detergent to detergent. Detergent will break up deposits otherwise undisturbed by non detergent. The problem being most automotive oils do not put on their detergent qualities. I would gather from this that all have some detergent qualities but differ some what based on the type of additives used. For this reason it is important to pick one oil and stick with it as a different oil can cause problems down the road. This is not to say one oil is better than another, just that swapping oils can caause problems.