Converting to AMSOIL and Breaking in a New Engine.

Critical Information That You Need to Know.

Some of the most frequent questions people ask us about Amsoil are, what is required in order to convert to Amsoil, how long do I have to wait before installing Amsoil in a new engine, and what can I expect to notice once converted to Amsoil?

Here are our answers in a detailed explanation:

Converting a vehicle to Amsoil is fairly simple, but there are a few things you need to be aware of. First, if you have a brand new vehicle we recommend that you run a short cycle of petroleum oil on a gas engine passenger car or light truck (typically a 500 miles) and approximately 10000 miles on pickup truck diesel engines such as a Dodge Cummins, GM Duramax or Ford Powerstroke Turbo Diesel before installing Amsoil. This doesn't mean that you can't install Amsoil sooner, as many OEM's install synthetics as a factory fill.

By changing the factory installed oil and filter after the first 500 miles you will also be removing the initial wear-in particulates present in the oil and filter. The reason for this is that during initial wear-in there is very high particulate contamination in the oil. These particulates consist mainly of microscopic particles of aluminum, bronze, copper, lead and iron, plus soot particles and other by-products of combustion in your oil. Your filter cannot filter out all these small particulates as many are sub-micron size and too small for the filter to trap, BUT they are also small enough to fit between your bearing and other internal clearances and cause wear. That is why we recommend to that in order to properly break-in a new engine, regardless of what your new car salesman or dealership personnel tell you, is to perform the first oil and filter change at 500 miles. Then you can convert to AMSOIL Synthetic. On a diesel engine we recommend the initial filter and oil change at 500 miles, then changed at the manufactures recommended interval. Once the engine has reached 10000 miles (or as specified in the owners manual) you can convert to AMSOIL Synthetic.

AMSOIL Engine Flush: In a new engine with less than approximately 7,500 miles it is not imperative that AMSOIL Engine Flush be used. In an engine with more than 20,000-30,000 miles and beyond, that has been using petroleum oil the entire time, we highly recommend using the AMSOIL Engine Flush. What the engine flush will do is remove the petroleum oil sludge & varnish deposits from your engine and properly prepare your engine for AMSOIL Synthetic Motor Oil. You simply pour in one can for every 5-6 quarts of sump capacity (one can is sufficient for most all passenger cars & light trucks, with the exception of diesels), and let the engine idle for about 15 to 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. If you have an extremely dirty or high mileage engine then we recommend installing a new engine oil filter prior to adding the flush so that you have full capacity of the filter available for capturing and holding the dirt particles that the flush removes. AMSOIL's Engine Flush 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 a 2-butoxyethanol, glycol ether and is essentially a very concentrated form of the detergents used in motor oil.

AMSOIL Synthetics are naturally cleansing and also high in detergents. What happens when you operate an engine on petroleum oil, the sludge and varnish deposits that occur as a result of using petroleum oil will accumulate around your pistons, rings, seals, valvetrain, etc.. 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 we will not go into detail in this discussion.. These deposits are highly detrimental to the proper function and longevity of your engine.

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 reveal an existing leak path and seal which 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. What happens is exactly as we described above. If you have a very old engine that has been running petroleum oil, and it also leaks, for example around the rear-main oil seal, then chances are it will leak more with synthetic oil. This is commonly referred to a false seal. AMSOIL Synthetic Motor Oils are recommended for use in mechanically sound engines! AMSOIL Synthetic Motor Oils also contain seal softners the help seals maintain their resiliancy. If you have a vehicle that leaks oil excessively, then repair the seal prior to converting to AMSOIL.

AMSOIL Benefits:
Once you have installed AMSOIL you will notice the following benefits: easier cold weather starting, cold weather pumpability and circulation, smoother engine performance and more horsepower, reduced exhaust emissions, superior wear protection, improved fuel economy, extended engine life, extended starter life, excellent engine cleanliness, long drain intervals, longer spark plug life, reduced engine temperatures, reduced oil consumption, excellent resistance to sludge, coke, varnish deposits (Thermal Stability), reduced/eliminated piston groove sticking, reduced/eliminated valve sticking, superior shear stability, superior resistance to viscosity increase (Volatility Resistance), superior film strength, money and time savings. You will not get any of these benefits with conventional petroleum oil.