RE: Synthetic oil heat transfer capacity?

["Ken Ross" <Kdross@domain.elided>]

Julyan:

Everyone I have ever spoken with has indicated that their car always runs
cooler with synthetic oil.  This is true regardless of brand and liquid/air
cooled.

Ken Ross


- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-alfa@domain.elided [mailto:owner-alfa@domain.elided]On Behalf Of
Julyan Cartwright
Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2000 2:37 PM
To: alfa-digest@domain.elided
Subject: Synthetic oil heat transfer capacity?

Hi all,
        A technical question for the oil experts among you: is the
thermal conductivity of synethetic oils better than or worse than that
of mineral oils? I ask because I had always assumed - or been told, I
can't remember which - that synthetics conduct heat better than mineral
oils. However, I have recently read that a respected VW Beetle engine
builder does not recommend using synthetics in aircooled engines as
'most synthetic oils do not absorb heat well'
[see http://www.johnmaherracing.co.uk/technotes_oil.htm].
If this is so, I should not be running my Karmann Ghia on Mobil 1! Don't
Porsche 911's run on synthetic oil?
        I also run my Alfa Spider on Mobil 1, and it seems very happy
on that diet, but in the Alfa's case it has a whacking great finned sump
directly in the air stream below the car, and I've never seen it
overheat even in 40 plus degree summer days; the Karmann Gnia doesn't even
have a temperature gauge, so I'm really not sure what it's doing...

 Julyan Cartwright
`67 Seat 850 [need to sell this - too many cars]
`70 VW Karmann Ghia [a beautiful design, though it's no sport car]
`71 Fiat 850 Sport Coupe [now needs a complete restoration]
`77 Alfa Spider 2000 [no need to comment on this one..]
`86 Lancia Y10 Turbo [new toy]

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