Question for Paul McBride, the General Aviation News engines expert: I would like to hear your view on the following subject: I have an O-360 Mattituck (experimental) engine installed on my RV-7A. I have been using Aeroshell W100 Plus for more than 15 years. I have been using mogas solely for more than 10 years now, so no fear of lead deposits.
This is my question: Would the use of fully synthetic (racing) oil be beneficial?
I have been using Castrol 10W-60, supposedly one of the best racing oils in Greece, in my cars for 25 years now and the engines run flawlessly for more than 200 miles each.
Thanks,
Costis Rouchotas, Athens, Greece
Answer: Our engines expert turned this question over to Ben Visser, the General Aviation News expert on aviation fuels and lubricants, who spent 33 years with Shell Oil. Here’s his advice:
“The short answer is NO. The problem is that the automotive product contains ash-type additives that are used to give the oils detergent and anti-wear properties. Since your aircraft engine usually burns some oil, the ash-type additives will build deposits in the combustions chambers. These deposits will retain heat and probably lead to pre-ignition, which usually leads to engine damage.”
Maybe Ben Visser and/or Paul McBride could chime in on the negative aspects of not using 100 Low Lead AvGas in high performance, turbocharged, and fuel injected engines.
Isn’t it true that a small amount of lead, as presently exists in 100LL, is absolutely necessary for valve seating and cooling and to prevent erosion in our modern high performance piston engines, despite the naysayers and promoters of NO LEAD gasoline?
Esoterically, everybody seems fixated on a 172 Skyhawk or similar GA aicraft flying overhead and “harming” the children from the very small quantity of lead in 100LL AvGas, when in fact, there is NO study whatsoever that I’ve EVER heard of that proves any such notion.
Moreover, when you look at ALL of the other sources of pollutant’s in the atmosphere, from every internal combustion, whether diesel or gas, combined with the tens of thousands of Jet-A burning aircraft in the high flight levels, it seems both incongruous and disingenuous to call FOUL on GA aircraft burning 100LL AvGas, not to mention pollutants from every other source known to mankind.
Call me crazy, but this whole thing about protecting the children has gone completely BONKERS! Gee, how did we survive THIS long? Do you personally know of any children harmed by 100LL AvGas? I DON’T! I rest my case.