Hi Tom,

It is true that synth doesn't carry heat as well as dino, but that is more a
consideration on an air cooled than a waterboxer as they depend on the oil
heavily for added cooling.  I know that there are racing engine builders
that stay with dino for this very reason.  They see problems in the bearings
from lack of heat removal.  Considering that they are getting all that they
can from those engines, it seems like more of a concern to them.  There are
plenty of listees that swear by synth.  Somewhere there has to be a balance
between heat generated by the lesser oil and the heat carried by it.  Not
very scientific, just observations.

Mark

----- Original Message -----
From: "tom ring" <taring@TARING.ORG>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, July 14, 2003 8:36 PM
Subject: Re: Oil

> My VW mechanic told me that all flat 4 VW engines should not be running a
> synthetic oil because synthetics don't carry as much heat as regular
petroleum
> based oils, and they dispose of a lot of their heat through that nice
finned
> oil pan.  I have not verified it, but this guy generally knows his stuff.
>
> That being said, I split the difference and use synthetic blend unless
it's the
> heat of summer.  And that lasts 2 or 3 weeks here in Minnesota.  ;)
>
> tom
>
> On 14 Jul 2003 at 20:21, Laurence Smith wrote:
>
> > Generally 20W50 should be used and only Mann or Mahle (spelling?)
> > filters.
> >
> > Here in Canada we get wide temperature extremes and so I run Castrol
> > synthetic 5W50.  "5" is good for really cold and "50" is good for
> > really hot.
> >
> > - Laurence
> >
> >
> > ----------------------------------------
> > Laurence Smith
> > Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
> > 90 Westy (fanumbos)
> > 87 GL / 91 Subie 2.2
> > ----------------------------------------
> >
> >
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Vanagon Mailing List
> > > [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM]On Behalf
> > > Of David Maurio
> > > Sent: Monday, July 14, 2003 8:09 PM
> > > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> > > Subject: Oil
> > >
> > >
> > > Hey list...
> > >
> > > When I bought my 85 the PO told me to use 20w30 motor oil,
> > > yet most of the
> > > posts I've seen suggest that people are using 20w50... I'm
> > > in NJ, and it
> > > get's fairly hot in the late summer months, fairly cold in
> > > the late winter
> > > months... I'm going to get the oil changed this weekend
> > > (first time since I
> > > bought it last week) Any suggestions?
> > >
> > > Thanks for all the fantastic info I've gotten so far!
> > >
> > > David / NJ
> > > Former owner of a 76 Westy (sniff, miss ya Wanda)
> > > New owner of an 85 Westy Weekender Wolfsberg
> > >
> >
>
>
> ------
> Tom Ring K0TAR, ex-WA2PHW  EN34hx
> taring@taring.org
>
> "It is better to go into a turn slow, and come out fast, than to go into a
turn fast
> and come out dead." Stirling Moss
>