Thoughts on synthetic blend vs full synthetic engine oil?

[ListedGuru]

I am starting to think about my first oil change on my new GT which I will be having done at the Ford dealerships Quick Lane oil change place where I have went for many years with my other cars. I would do it myself but unfortunately I don't have the setup to change oil here at the house. Anyway I'm curious what the thoughts here are on using the synthetic blend (Motorcraft) vs the Motorcraft full synthetic? With what ever I end up choosing I plan to have it changed around 5,000 miles as that's what I've done in the past and it has worked out well (they also rotate the tires at that interval as well).

Honestly I'm not that educated on oil so I figured I would ask what the pros and cons are in the synthetic blend vs full synthetic debate? My wife has a '23 Ford Escape Hybrid which specifically calls for full synthetic so that's what it gets. I see the Mustang doesn't call for full synthetic so thus my question as to what benefits I may gain by going full synthetic? Looking forward to input from Mustang owner's who have used both grades of oil and their thoughts.

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[Ryunker]

Here it goes, both are decent oils.

Blend, is old fashioned oil with 4 to 11% synthetic added.
Full synthetic, well its full synthetic.

Full synthetic costs more, and yes it has benefits. #1 benefit for me is blend and conventional oils get thick in cold Temps, engines rotate slower in cold weather. When using full synthetic this does not happen.

Oil change intervals, 5,000 miles in my opinion is too long. Oils can go many miles and still be ok, but the filters... When they get dirty, the filter element gets bypassed and all the filtered out crap now gets circulated all thru your motor.

It all depends on how long you keep cars. 5 to 6 years, well it really does not matter-any of this conversation, just ride and get a new one.

If your focus is on longevity of your car in your fleet, go full synthetic at 3k intervals, ya know doing tire rotations then to would be fine, with exception that front and rear tires/wheels might not be the same size. I know the DH are different, so no rotations here, just ready to buy shit tons of tires.

 

[Crew4991]

I've never used anything other than full synthetic oil.
I also do my own oil changes so I pick the exact oil and filter that the manual says to use.

 

[roadpilot]

Blend is mostly conventional. With that, I just posted a 'full synthetic over conventional oils' post the other day:

Coyote Oil Viscosity in High Temp Climates ? | Page 5 | Mustang7G - 2024+ S650 Mustang Forum (Dark Horse, GT, EcoBoost, GT500, GT350, Mach 1)

Just did my first oil change @ 1,600 miles the other day. I went with Mobile 1 Full Synthetic 5W-30 Extended Performance and a Mobile 1 M1-212A filter.

 

[Mustang1987]

Changed mine at around 1000 miles and used 5w30 Pennzoil full synthetic.

 

[ListedGuru]

Here it goes, both are decent oils.

Blend, is old fashioned oil with 4 to 11% synthetic added.
Full synthetic, well its full synthetic.

Full synthetic costs more, and yes it has benefits. #1 benefit for me is blend and conventional oils get thick in cold Temps, engines rotate slower in cold weather. When using full synthetic this does not happen.

Oil change intervals, 5,000 miles in my opinion is too long. Oils can go many miles and still be ok, but the filters... When they get dirty, the filter element gets bypassed and all the filtered out crap now gets circulated all thru your motor.

It all depends on how long you keep cars. 5 to 6 years, well it really does not matter-any of this conversation, just ride and get a new one.

If your focus is on longevity of your car in your fleet, go full synthetic at 3k intervals, ya know doing tire rotations then to would be fine, with exception that front and rear tires/wheels might not be the same size. I know the DH are different, so no rotations here, just ready to buy shit tons of tires.

So your saying that blend gets thick in cold temps so that is a benefit? Just trying to understand how the blend getting thick which synthetic not getting thick in cold weather is a benefit?

 

[roadpilot]

You do not want your motor oil getting thick in colder temps. You need oil to flow. That's why the owner's manual recommends moving to a thinner viscosity if you expect to operate in lower temperatures.

Beyond that, changing out a quality full synthetic motor oil under normal driving conditions at only 3,000 miles is absolutely ludicrous. You're doing nothing more than emptying your wallet.

What you REALLY need to do is, after an oil change, have a sample analyzed by someone like Blackstone Laboratories. They provide the collection kits for free, including the postage to get yoru oil sample to them.

Post-analysis, they provide a full report of what they found in the oil, what that means (e.g, how the engine is wearing/operating, what problems might be present, etc.), and a recommendation of how often you should wait for until your next oil change. Each analysis provides you with new and updated info and recommendation based on what's happened since the last analysis. Well worth the money.

 

[Skye]

Whatever you decide, follow the prescribed maintenance schedule, always using materials and parts that meet or exceed Ford's guidelines. Further, be consistent in the product (oil) used.

While you can change oil brands occasionally over time, any one oil change does not remove all the oil. It takes two to three changes to really complete the transition. Changing to the flavor of the month leads to an engine with a blend of multiple oils, the Owner missing out on the key benefits of any one used.

I prefer full synthetics for a few reasons.

- Can be designed to a specific purpose (high mileage, performance, etc.)

- Are highly-detergent

- Provide greater wear protection (visualize clean mini-bearings, all the same size)

- They work better in demanding and extreme environments (high temp, high stress)

- Don't break down as easily as dino oils, can often support extended oil changes (if seeking that)

If you want the best performance from the engine and/or intend on keeping the car for the long-term, synthetics should be preferred. The additional cost is slight considering the benefits over dino or blends. While dino-based oils work fine, they're available because of easy access (pumped from the ground in mass quantities with some later refinement) not necessarily because they are the right tool for the right job.

 

[ListedGuru]

Blend is mostly conventional. With that, I just posted a 'full synthetic over conventional oils' post the other day:

Coyote Oil Viscosity in High Temp Climates ? | Page 5 | Mustang7G - 2024+ S650 Mustang Forum (Dark Horse, GT, EcoBoost, GT500, GT350, Mach 1)

Just did my first oil change @ 1,600 miles the other day. I went with Mobile 1 Full Synthetic 5W-30 Extended Performance and a Mobile 1 M1-212A filter.

Curious when you plan on doing your second oil change? I have around 1150 miles currently on my GT and am ticking of changing the oil 2x between now and 5K miles and then I plan on going around 5K miles in between changes from then on. I'm leaning towards going full synthetic but I wonder if it's worth having the first change done with blend and then switching to full synthetic after that? The reason being say I have the initial change done around 2K and then change it again around 5K it seems kind of wasteful to spend the extra cash on full synthetic for only around 3k miles of usage.

I just figured having the oil changed 2x in the first 5k miles seems reasonable to get the junk flushed out but maybe changing it 2x in 5k miles isn't necessary? I know I've read that some folks just get their first oil change done around 5K (or longer) but I'm not sure I want to stretch it out that far, lol.

 

[roadpilot]

Curious when you plan on doing your second oil change?

When I get the report back from Blackstone Labs, I will answer your question. No sooner than 11K at the minimum, most likely.

I have around 1150 miles currently on my GT and am ticking of changing the oil 2x between now and 5K miles and then I plan on going around 5K miles in between changes from then on.

You're wasting your money doing that, throwing away perfectly good oil. Provided you get the initial factory/break-in oil out, unless and until you get an oil analysis, follow the IOLM system in the car. You're looking at your next change no sooner than 10K miles.

I'm leaning towards going full synthetic but I wonder if it's worth having the first change done with blend and then switching to full synthetic after that?

Just go full synthetic now. It will help get the what's in there out sooner, and there's no benefit to using a hybrid blend first, as that's most conventional oil, anyways.

The reason being say I have the initial change done around 2K and then change it again around 5K it seems kind of wasteful to spend the extra cash on full synthetic for only around 3k miles of usage.

Under normal driving conditions, there's absolutely no reason to change your oil (after the first change ) any sooner that what the IOLM tells you OR what your oil analysis recommends.

I just figured having the oil changed 2x in the first 5k miles seems reasonable to get the junk flushed out but maybe changing it 2x in 5k miles isn't necessary? I know I've read that some folks just get their first oil change done around 5K (or longer) but I'm not sure I want to stretch it out that far, lol.

I've owned a bunch of F150s with 5.0L Coyotes in them. TBH, from day one, I've followed the IOLM and changed the oil roughly every 10K miles. I've never had an oil related problem. Never.

 

[Skye]

I did my first change at about 1,250 miles / 2,000 km and have been following the Ford Oil Life Monitor since.

At the initial oil change, I had an oil analysis done. The results showed high copper and silicon, which is normal for Ford engines and their first change. The silicon primarily stems from the assembly process at the plant. The copper, metals passivation. Both normal. All wear metals were well within range. No fuel or coolant contamination.

At the following oil change, I also had an analysis done. This is where the flushing effect could be seen. The copper and silicone levels had gone down. Many of the designed properties of the oil I selected could be seen increasing. Again, all results nominal. Blackstone advised by about the third oil change, everything should be stable to the properties of the engine and oil I was using.

If you'd like to do an analysis, as a baseline, you can order a free kit from Blackstone. You pay for the analysis when the sample is sent in.

https://www.blackstone-labs.com/

I don't have a reason to deviate from Ford's OLM. Some like setting the function aside and follow their own schedule. While I do believe in doing the first change early, I don't see a benefit to deviating any further than that.

If the car is later modified, tracked or sees more severe duty, refer to the Owners Manual.

 

[ListedGuru]

I did my first change at about 1,250 miles / 2,000 km and have been following the Ford Oil Life Monitor since.

At the initial oil change, I had an oil analysis done. The results showed high copper and silicon, which is normal for Ford engines and their first change. The silicon primarily stems from the assembly process at the plant. The copper, metals passivation. Both normal. All wear metals were well within range. No fuel or coolant contamination.

At the following oil change, I also had an analysis done. This is where the flushing effect could be seen. The copper and silicone levels had gone down. Many of the designed properties of the oil I selected could be seen increasing. Again, all results nominal. Blackstone advised by about the third oil change, everything should be stable to the properties of the engine and oil I was using.

If you'd like to do an analysis, as a baseline, you can order a free kit from Blackstone. You pay for the analysis when the sample is sent in.

https://www.blackstone-labs.com/

I don't have a reason to deviate from Ford's OLM. Some like setting the function aside and follow their own schedule. While I do believe in doing the first change early, I don't see a benefit to deviating any further than that.

If the car is later modified, tracked or sees more severe duty, refer to the Owners Manual.

Curious at what mileage you did your second oil change? Also as I'm having the quick lane at the dealership change my oil I'll have to see if they would collect a sample of the oil for me to send away for analysis.

 

[Wiley Marmot]

What @roadpilot and @Skye said.

 

[Ryunker]

Curious when you plan on doing your second oil change? I have around 1150 miles currently on my GT and am ticking of changing the oil 2x between now and 5K miles and then I plan on going around 5K miles in between changes from then on. I'm leaning towards going full synthetic but I wonder if it's worth having the first change done with blend and then switching to full synthetic after that? The reason being say I have the initial change done around 2K and then change it again around 5K it seems kind of wasteful to spend the extra cash on full synthetic for only around 3k miles of usage.

I just figured having the oil changed 2x in the first 5k miles seems reasonable to get the junk flushed out but maybe changing it 2x in 5k miles isn't necessary? I know I've read that some folks just get their first oil change done around 5K (or longer) but I'm not sure I want to stretch it out that far, lol.

I chose to do my first one at 1k, second one at 3k and so far both synthetic Motorcraft. Next one will be at 6k and be maintaining 3k intervals for the next 300,000 miles.

So your saying that blend gets thick in cold temps so that is a benefit? Just trying to understand how the blend getting thick which synthetic not getting thick in cold weather is a benefit?

Thick oil is bad, that is my first reason for full synthetic. It flows even in cold winter days.

I keep my vehicles for crazy amounts of time and miles. I have found from personal experiences fresh fluids prolong vehicles life.

2010 F150 430k miles no engine work aside from tune ups and fluids
2008 Escape 245k no engine work at all
2006 Pacifica 190k, had to do a timing chain... Meh, its a Chrysler.
2013 mustang 3.7l never an issue


And life goes on. My opinions are based strictly on my own experiences. The choice is always yours.

 

[roadpilot]

Curious at what mileage you did your second oil change? Also as I'm having the quick lane at the dealership change my oil I'll have to see if they would collect a sample of the oil for me to send away for analysis.

Bring the sample collection kit with you. Tell them you want it from the middle of the drain after a few quarts have drained. Meaning, don't collect it ad SOON as it starts to come out and don't wait until the end.

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