VIPNiSS

Hey guys I am looking at changing the oil for the first time in my vette I just got. I am wondering what oil and weight everyone is running on their cammed vette?

psp6158

Mobil 1 0w 30

blkbrd69

Search is your friend.

Hotlanta

What is car used for? Street, Drag, Auto cross, HPDE, short trips, long trips, ext.

What low, normal and max oil temps do you see?

IMHO the 5w30 M1 does not do it with a cam. 0w40 possibly

I like Redline, Amsoil, Joe Gibbs ext.

Can always call Redline and ask.

VIPNiSS

Yes I have been searching and its all over the board but a lot of people don't specify if they are cammed or not.

Not sure as far as oil temp. I literally just got the car on Saturday and just finally learned the DIC.

My car is used purely for street, daily driving. I see other people using M1 0w-40

Rupert pupkin

5w30 or 0w30

Mark2009

Cam doesn't make any difference.

On a street only car I'd use Redline or Amsoil 5W30 or maybe 0W30, but for a daily driver the M1 0W40 should do the job for a lot less money.

Congrats on the new ride ... it's a beast, isn't it?

blkbrd69

May want to give Shawn at Lethal Racing a call for their recommendation. Enforcer cam correct? Did you get the cam card?

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/memb...al-racing.html

Ask previous owner what he was recommended.

Blackstone Labs oil analysis can tell you the weight, brand and oil condition. Plus give you a great baseline.

http://www.blackstone-labs.com/

5w30 or 0w40 is probably what you need. Still don't like the M1 5w30 with a cam, EPA killed it.

WHY TRY?

I have a cammed Z and I was previously using M1 5W-30, and made the switch to M1 0W-40 and the car seems stronger to me. I drive my car at 3 times a week, and I don't like having 35psi of oil pressure with 200F oil temps with 5W-30 so I'd recommend M1 0W-40

MyLS1Hauls

35psi oil pressure at a hot idle is totally normal. You don't need to switch to a 40wt due to that. An engine will usually make the most hp with the lightest oil, that prevents metal to metal contact. That why NASCAR qualifying engines used to run 10wt oil.

If you're driving on the street, and have an 06-10 Z, your oil temps will rarely get to 200*, and it will take forever to get above 150. Shoot, I have my oil cooler totally blocked off, and it still rarely hits 200. If it is under 240*, there is no need for a 40wt.

My cammed car has had M1 5W30 High Mileage for the last 20k. It is an API SL oil, so it hasn't had the reduction in zinc/phosphorous/zddp, like SM and SN (current standard) oils have. I'm not necessarily convinced that SN oils are lacking in protection though. Other good choices would be Redline 5W30 or Amsoil Z Rod or Sig Series 5W30. Signature Series is an API SN oil, but it is very good.

rio95

If only Zrod came in 5W30.......

MyLS1Hauls

Sorry, 10W30 for ZRod. If you're not starting it in the arctic tundra, it should be fine. The viscocity difference between a 5W30 and a 10W30 at 70*F, isn't that significant, considering most of these cars are summer only. In fact, at 100*F, ZRod 10W30 and M1 0W40 are the same viscocity.

Unreal

Zrod 10-30W here.

Stage Runner

x2..

soldier4life

x3..

ht600

I have been running Redline 5w-30 for about 5000 miles with my cam.

rabrooks

Here is some information t help or confuse you. My favorite is #7 because its high pressure rating, with high calcium, and without having to add any additives

http://540ratblog.wordpress.com/2013...-test-ranking/

I know that Mobile 1 15-50 lowers engine temps on the track compared to Mobile 5-30

franman69

I read Rats entire post and it's interesting that the more boutique oils don't test as well on his wear tests. rabrooks, what type of temp drop did you see with the M1 5W30??

rabrooks

from 5-30 to 15-50 dropped 10-15 depending on ambient temp

franman69

interesting.. I'm going to try a couple of hot days at WGI running 15W50 and see what happens..

540 RAT

CONSIDER THE BENEFITS OF USING THINNER OIL:

• Thinner oil flows quicker at cold start-up to begin lubricating critical engine components much more quickly than thicker oil can. Most engine wear takes place during cold start-up before oil flow can reach all the components. So, quicker flowing thinner oil will help reduce start-up engine wear, which is actually reducing wear overall.

• The more free flowing thinner oil at cold start-up, is also much less likely to cause the oil filter bypass to open up, compared to thicker oil. Of course if the bypass opened up, that would allow unfiltered oil to be pumped through the engine. The colder the ambient temperature, and the more rpm used when the engine is cold, the more important this becomes.

• Thinner oil also flows more at normal operating temperatures. And oil FLOW is lubrication, but oil pressure is NOT lubrication. Oil pressure is only a measurement of resistance to flow. Running thicker oil just to up the oil pressure is the wrong thing to do, because that only reduces oil flow/lubrication. Oil pressure in and of itself, is NOT what we are after.

• The more free flowing thinner oil will also drain back to the oil pan quicker than thicker oil. So, thinner oil can help maintain a higher oil level in the oil pan during operation, which keeps the oil pump pickup from possibly sucking air during braking and cornering.

• The old rule of thumb that we should have at least 10 psi for every 1,000 rpm is perfectly fine. Running thicker oil to achieve more pressure than that, will simply reduce oil flow for no good reason. It is best to run the thinnest oil we can, that will still maintain at least the rule of thumb oil pressure. And one of the benefits of running a high volume oil pump, is that it will allow us to enjoy all the benefits of running thinner oil, while still maintaining sufficient oil pressure. A high volume oil pump/thinner oil combo is preferred over running a standard volume oil pump/thicker oil combo. Because oil “flow” is our goal for ideal oiling, NOT simply high oil pressure.

• Oil flow is what carries heat away from internal engine components. Those engine components are DIRECTLY oil cooled, but only INdirectly water cooled. And better flowing thinner oil will keep critical engine components cooler because it carries heat away faster. If you run thicker oil than needed, you will drive up engine component temps. For example: Plain bearings, such as rod and main bearings are lubricated by oil flow, not by oil pressure. Oil pressure is NOT what keeps these parts separated. Oil pressure serves only to supply the oil to this interface. The parts are kept apart by the incompressible hydrodynamic liquid oil wedge that is formed as the liquid oil is pulled in between the spinning parts. As long as sufficient oil is supplied, no wear can occur. In addition to this, the flow of oil through the bearings is what cools them. Here are some comparison numbers from an 830 HP road race engine on the track:

15W50 oil = 80 psi = 265* oil sump temperature

5W20 oil = 65 psi = 240* oil sump temperature

Here you can see how the thicker oil flowed more slowly through the bearings, thus getting hotter, driving up bearing temperatures and increasing sump temperatures. And the thinner oil flowed more freely and quickly through the bearings, thus cooling and lubricating them better than thicker oil, while also reducing sump temperatures. If an engine is running hot, use a thinner oil to increase flow, increase internal component cooling, and help keep sump temperatures down. Keeping oil temps down is important to help keep oil below the threshold of thermal breakdown.

• Thinner oil will typically increase HP because of less viscous drag and reduced pumping losses, compared to thicker oils. That is why very serious Race efforts will generally use watery thin oils in their engines. But, an exception to this increase in HP would be in high rpm hydraulic lifter engines, where thinner oil can allow the lifters to malfunction at very high rpm. In everyday street vehicles, where fuel consumption is a consideration, thinner oils will also typically increase fuel economy. The majority of new cars sold in the U.S. now call for 5W20 specifically for increased fuel economy. And now Diesel trucks are increasingly calling for 5W30, also for fuel economy improvement.

• With the exception of high rpm hydraulic lifter engines, almost no engine should ever need to run oil thicker than a multi-viscosity 30 weight. The lower the first number cold viscosity rating, the better the cold flow. For example, 0W30 flows WAY better cold than 20W50. And 0W30 flows WAY better cold than straight 30wt, which is horrible for cold start-up flow and should be avoided at all cost. And the lower the second number hot viscosity rating, the better the hot flow. For example, 0W30 flows WAY better hot than 20W50.

• Thicker oil DOES NOT automatically provide better wear protection than thinner oils. Extensive “dynamic wear testing under load” of over 100 motor oils, has shown that the base oil and its additive package “as a whole”, is what determines an oil’s wear protection capability, NOT its viscosity. For example, some 5W20 oils have proven to provide OUTSTANDING wear protection, while some 15W50 oils have only been able to provide MODEST wear protection. So, do not run thicker oil under the false assumption that it can provide better wear protection for our engines.

• BOTTOM LINE: Thinner oils are better for most engine lubrication needs.

540 RAT

Mechanical Engineer

U.S. Patent Holder (Mechanical Device for Military Jet Aircraft)

Member SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers)

Member ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers)

To see my entire 130+ motor oil “Wear Protection Ranking List”, along with additional motor oil tech FACTS (with over 35,000 “views” worldwide), here’s a link:

http://540ratblog.wordpress.com/