from full synthetic back to Victory oil ???

[BeoBob]

So Pop, what kinda oil are you running in that nice and shiny CCT?

[Oldman47]

Mixing lubricants is a very bad idea. I am now retired but once worked in an industry that uses lots of greases as lubricants. Many top quality lubricant greases were available from various manufacturers to satisfy our needs but a consistent theme with all of them was that if you used one grease, you absolutely must remove all previous lubricant before any change. Some greases were known to work OK together, but others were well known to form hard, non-functional deposits, rather than a lubricating environment if any at all were mixed. That does not mean that you can't change lubricants but it does mean that unless the mix has been tested, you had better make sure that all of the potentially incompatible lubricant has been removed. Some greases that were inadvertently mixed actually formed very hard, almost rock-like compounds unless the prior lubricant was thoroughly cleaned from the device. Oils may be a bit more forgiving than greases but I would avoid anything aside from identical oils under most circumstances unless the combination has been tested and found safe to use. After all, what is your engine worth against the cost of an oil change?

[handyhoward]

It may be a truism for greases... BUT there is no evidence that mixing oils is a bad thing.

[Oldman47]

Handyhoward, I sort of agree with you in that each of us must make use of what we truly know as facts. I know in detail the conflicts that changes in greases can have and you know, you do don't you, that I cannot apply that information to lubricating oils.
If that is not true and you have not actually researched conflicts among oils, I suggest that you should not try to contradict what I have put up as something to consider when changing oil brands and specs.
This is not really a challenge to you but just a concern that I have if I try to switch around among oil brands and characteristics. Stated oil characteristics never take into account the result of changes from another oil, unless they specifically state that they do so. That is my specific point of view. I have no doubt that some oils are better than others. My concern is that going to a new oil that has not been tested for conflicts with previous oils is a good way to get into trouble, even if the new oil is far better for the engine once it is the only oil in that engine.
With the greases that I am familiar with, the new grease was far better than the previous grease, but unless every drop of the previous grease was removed mechanically, the new grease caused all kinds of real world problems because of the residue in the device. Who needs that kind of problem with an engine? This does not in any way conflict with my prior post but gives additional support to what I said. Unless a specific combination of oils has been tested, do not mix them at all. You do so at your own peril.

[handyhoward]

Hey OLDMAN47... common sense and 50 years of motorcycle, car, pickup, 18 wheeler driving and maintenance qualifies as evidence that switching up oil has no harmful effect on engines as long as the OEM specifications are met. OEM specifications for a lubricating oil normally include viscosity at operating or ambient temperature, additive requirements, base oil type and even special considerations for different environmental conditions. Grease specifications, on the other hand, often lack the detail necessary to make a proper selection, leaving it up to the lubrication engineer to create the specification.

[saddlebag]

Originally Posted by Oldman47

Handyhoward, I sort of agree with you in that each of us must make use of what we truly know as facts. I know in detail the conflicts that changes in greases can have and you know, you do don't you, that I cannot apply that information to lubricating oils.
If that is not true and you have not actually researched conflicts among oils, I suggest that you should not try to contradict what I have put up as something to consider when changing oil brands and specs.
This is not really a challenge to you but just a concern that I have if I try to switch around among oil brands and characteristics. Stated oil characteristics never take into account the result of changes from another oil, unless they specifically state that they do so. That is my specific point of view. I have no doubt that some oils are better than others. My concern is that going to a new oil that has not been tested for conflicts with previous oils is a good way to get into trouble, even if the new oil is far better for the engine once it is the only oil in that engine.
With the greases that I am familiar with, the new grease was far better than the previous grease, but unless every drop of the previous grease was removed mechanically, the new grease caused all kinds of real world problems because of the residue in the device. Who needs that kind of problem with an engine? This does not in any way conflict with my prior post but gives additional support to what I said. Unless a specific combination of oils has been tested, do not mix them at all. You do so at your own peril.

Greases use many types of bases i.e. Petrol, Lithium, Moly B etc. It stands to reason that mixing different chemicals of that sort could have an undesirable chemical consequences.

Contrary to popular misconception, the molecules which make up PAO and many other synthetic oils originate in crude oil. [1]

They all use the same chemicals in their protective packages, though the amounts in each recipe are an ancient Chinese secret.

As someone else said, if mixing various oil types were a big deal, the mfg would surely caution against it somewhere as they do with brake fluids.

[1] - http://www.zddplus.com/TechBrief10%2...e%20Stocks.pdf

[wesdalton]

I just thought I would chime in. A few years ago I purchased a new Dodge truck with a cummins diesel. The same oil arguments always came up on that forum as this one. I decided I would try to get the question answered from a Cummins service tech. I emailed the cummins factory service, and his reply to me was that it is MORE important to run the specified oil as per the requirements specified, but to avoid as much as possible changing the brand of the oil you used. I wish I had saved his email, but he went into quite a bit of detail on why cummins suggested that. I have stayed with the same oil in the cummins, (mobile full synthetic for diesels), change it every 15K miles and now have 400,000. + miles on the engine. No engine related problems at all. I wish I could say the same about the dodge portion of the truck. I have only used Vic oil in my XC, and am happy with the results.

[slickvic]

I just changed the oil in my vic hoping that new oil will quiet her down a bit. just some internal engine noises that everyone says is normal except for the few that dont have it. Rode to Daytona and not a noticeable difference. Spoke to the amsoil guys and you know the sales pitch there. Pop explained it pretty good. Well I have been using Royal Purple in my other bikes and there was a notoceble difference. Vtx 1300 shifts like butter and the cooling fan does'nt run nearly as much.

I think i'm gonna make the switch but I sure would love to hear from any one that did it with Royal or Amsoil.

I wont argue this age old beaten to death subject but I will tell you that because of "some" of todays formulations. Victory oil (pancake syrup) being one of them, It's not a good idea to mix oils. If you like what you use keep it in there. If I make the change it will likely be permanent. Hey Pop, listen to gramps. Royal Purple

[slickvic]

Oh yeah, Amsoil and royal purple guys need not only apply. I'm looking for imput on FULL SYN MOTORCYCLE OIL. Not car oil and truck oil. Give me a break

[CrossRoads]

Originally Posted by slickvic

Oh yeah, Amsoil and royal purple guys need not only apply. I'm looking for imput on FULL SYN MOTORCYCLE OIL. Not car oil and truck oil. Give me a break

Someone's getting ready to type the difference between gas and diesel engine... I can see it!