3k is way too short an interval unless you are in extreme conditions.

 

I've never heard of anyone damaging their engine from changing to synthetic oil early.

Any 10W30 grade oil will work fine. These oils have to pass certain standards anyways. I'm running Castrol Syntec but mainly because I can get a jug for really cheap. It also reduced oil consumption on my old AP1. I used to change my oil every 3-3.5k miles but figured it was a waste of resources for a daily driver. I follow the oil life gauge now and change it when it hits 15%.

 

You will be fine to switch right now. I would go with Amsoil, if you're going full synthetic. Pair it up with one of the Amsoil Ea filters, too. Great stuff. If you're going to track or drive very aggressively, I would just go with synthetic.

Personally, I have seen bad UOA and wear test results from Mobil1. Could have been an isolated incident, I don't know. But I am not going to use M1 again. I have seen good results from Penn Platinum and Valvoline Synthetic, though.

I would strongly recommend doing a UOA (Used Oil Analysis) at places like Blackstone Labs. I send in a sample at 3k, 5k and 7k miles. They will tell you if your oil needs changing and if it is doing it's job.