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Synthetic Oil [merged]

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DrunkenMime249

Probationary Member
28
0
Jul 16, 2002
Henrdon, Northern_VA
All synthetic oil threads are merged here.i'm trying to buy a 1g dsm turbo awd (as i'm sure most of you know by now from my recent ramblings in other threads). Most of the ones i've been looking at are bone stock for the most part except repairs and i have a feeling all are running on regular oil.

my question is when i finally buy one should i run regular, full sythetic, or somwhere in between (i am planning on running full synthetic).

also, if the car is running regular and i want to switch to full synthetic, i've heard it can be damaging to switch all at once. or is that just a fable? it makes sense and i was planning on slowly uprading the oil quality everytime i changed it until it was running full synthetic. is that the wrong thing to do?
 
Originally posted by igs
Look, stop the madness. I'm not saying "thicker is better" but get your facts straight. The only reason car companies started recommending oils like 5W-30 is to meet gas mileage requirements. By the time your engine wears out the warranty will already be up and you will have to buy a new car, another plus for the car companies. Turbo engines are in a totally different ballpark. If you are even thinking about 5W-30, or God forbid something thinner, you are an idiot.

This isn't 1970. Maybe an old and tired 5.0 ford engine with loose bearing tolerences from the factory and poor build quality needs a heavier oil to fill the gap, but not a modern engine.

The 4G63(T) motor is a modern engine.

1999-2001 Corba's run 0W-20. Anyone want to chime in on that?

Runb 15W-50 if you are pounding on your car every day at full ( 25psi ) boost and its 125F outside. If not, then run 10W-30 at most. Our engines are very well built, therefore the tolerences are also tight ( factory thrust bearing is 0.007, which is tight ). What were doing here is mixing old school V8 myths with modern heresay, which leads to people running weird and wrong setups.

Happy oiling,

-Groomz
 
Originally posted by paranoidTSi
How do you figure this? that oil is WAY too heavy for a street car. This is like putting syrup on the turbos bearings it going to be HARD for those bearings to work effectively let alone travel through the feedlines. That weight won't travel very well period. In cooler weather you are likely to have that type of oil cook nicely onto the bearings.

Take the turbo out of the equation, you have premature wear on your oil pump since it now has to work harder to move the molasses thrown into the engine.

15W-50 is used for race cars, REAL race cars.

Unless on a typical day its 200 degrees outside don't use it, you'll be sorry in about a year after using it.

Mitsubishi knows best, it calls for 5W-30 in the manual, and 10W-30 for warmer weather, the most I would go is 10W-40.


I think you are paranoid. I've always run 20W-50. It cuts down on the amount of oil these damm things use. Winter or summer. In the winter, you just have to be sure to let it warm up a little before taxing the motor. That takes all of 10 minutes or less.

As for premature wear and oil pumps going out........ I've clicked off 80K in my 91GS with 20W-50. No issues. And with 132K on it now the compression is still at 189psi across all four. My daily driver (90 GSX)..... I've clicked off 50K in the past two years running purely 20W-50.

The list just goes on....
 
my manual says 10w-30 and thats what ive always heard is best on this site, thats all the proof i need to know that anything thicker=:thumbdown
 
Originally posted by clownface
my manual says 10w-30 and thats what ive always heard is best on this site, thats all the proof i need to know that anything thicker=:thumbdown

Read your manual again.
 
Originally posted by igs
Read your manual again.
Yeh. My guess is that he did that. This is the Talon 95 owner's manual:
 

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Originally posted by Defiant
Yeh. My guess is that he did that. This is the Talon 95 owner's manual:

Are you sure that's for the turbo engine? ;)
 
WHY ARE SOME OF YOU CALLING 15W-50 MOLASSIS???
Gimme a f'n break, no way in HELL is it that thick, your giving people the wrong impression with that.

It becomes molassis when it gets hot. Think about it.
I've used a 5-50, 10-50 or 15-50 before. Can't remember the lower viscosity but I can tell you this my turbo did NOT like it. After an oil change I spooled atleast ATLEAST 200-400 rpms sooner. And yes it was a fully synthetic oil. Stick with what factory calls for.
 
All I know is that right now I have Castrol GTX 10W-30 with a little bit of 5W-30 (leaking from somewhere so I had to add, had no more 10W). Next oil change I'm putting Mobil 1 10W-30.
 
Originally posted by Groomz
This isn't 1970. Maybe an old and tired 5.0 ford engine with loose bearing tolerences from the factory and poor build quality needs a heavier oil to fill the gap, but not a modern engine.

The 4G63(T) motor is a modern engine.

1999-2001 Corba's run 0W-20. Anyone want to chime in on that?

Runb 15W-50 if you are pounding on your car every day at full ( 25psi ) boost and its 125F outside. If not, then run 10W-30 at most. Our engines are very well built, therefore the tolerences are also tight ( factory thrust bearing is 0.007, which is tight ). What were doing here is mixing old school V8 myths with modern heresay, which leads to people running weird and wrong setups.

Happy oiling,

-Groomz

I just got done selling my 2003 Cobra. It came stock with 5w-20. If you switched viscosities, Ford voided the warranty. Rumor had it that Ford had to use the 5W-20 in instead of the 5W-30 to pass the gas mileage requirements. I'm not sure about the 2001 and 1999 Cobras, but I'm pretty sure they didn't come with 0W-20.
 
Originally posted by Nerfherder
I just got done selling my 2003 Cobra. It came stock with 5w-20. If you switched viscosities, Ford voided the warranty. Rumor had it that Ford had to use the 5W-20 in instead of the 5W-30 to pass the gas mileage requirements. I'm not sure about the 2001 and 1999 Cobras, but I'm pretty sure they didn't come with 0W-20.

I could be wrong, but when I looked at the fill cap for an '01 Cobra ( non supercharged ) it said on big white letters: " 0W-20 ". I guess that means oil viscosity, but who knows. From what I've read, the lower weight oils aid in emissions and other things, but I don't have the complete SAE handbook memorized, so I'll let defiant step in on that one.

My completely stock 95 Tsi runs noticably better on 10W-30 dino oil over 15W-50 Mobile. This is on 100F+ summer heat also.

Happy oiling,

-Groomz
 
Originally posted by Groomz
I could be wrong, but when I looked at the fill cap for an '01 Cobra ( non supercharged ) it said on big white letters: " 0W-20 ". I guess that means oil viscosity, but who knows. From what I've read, the lower weight oils aid in emissions and other things, but I don't have the complete SAE handbook memorized, so I'll let defiant step in on that one.
Only since I was invited, I'll say that my readings have put the value of lower viscosity oils on reduced bearing friction (reduced shear resistance in the oil itself), which would have a small but apparent effect on power output, fuel economy, and exhaust emissions.
 
Originally posted by Defiant
Only since I was invited, I'll say that my readings have put the value of lower viscosity oils on reduced bearing friction (reduced shear resistance in the oil itself), which would have a small but apparent effect on power output, fuel economy, and exhaust emissions.

Many thanks for the information.

-Groomz
 
I run Mobil 1 10w30 in the colder months and 15w50 in the summer months. My car has 165k mi on it. Another reason is that the engine gets soo hot. And a thought on the "4g63 is a modern motor" and "thats what the owner manual calls for. Youre right. But how many people keep there car stock? Not many. Running stock turbos? More but still not many. So that is why I choose to run 15w50. :thumb:
 
Originally posted by nined2tsi
I run Mobil 1 10w30 in the colder months and 15w50 in the summer months. My car has 165k mi on it. Another reason is that the engine gets soo hot. And a thought on the "4g63 is a modern motor" and "thats what the owner manual calls for. Youre right. But how many people keep there car stock? Not many. Running stock turbos? More but still not many. So that is why I choose to run 15w50. :thumb:

Your reasoning escapes me. The type of oil that the manufacturer specifies is based on bearing tolerences and driving conditions. Changint turbo's or adding an exhaust does not change what type of oil is needed. If your car is making more power, get an oil cooler. Running hotter, get an aluminum radiator and improve airflow. These backyard shortcuts like heavy weight oil is a throwback to 1955. Get with the times people.

-Groomz
 
I'm just throwing in my experience. I use Mobil1 10W-30. I have driven my car almost 20K now on 10W-30 and I haven't had problems yet...
 
The instructor of my machining class has had visits form Hendrix Motorsports on several occasions. It seems as though race motors are built with slightly higher bearing clearances and run with higher weight oil as well as a dry sump system. If they used thinner oil, it wouldn't give enough protection. I would think that as your clearances increase, the higher weight oil would give you better protection when the oil heats up. It doesn't make that much difference when cold because most oils have a viscosity rating of 30 or 40 for warmer temps. The more important rating would be the 1st number because that is the viscosity when it gets hot.

It is my opinion that 5 or 10 weight oil is great for a new engine and should be used. What happens to the engine as it starts to get some mile on it, though? Don't the bearing clearances increase as the material wears? I think engines with higher miles could benefit from higher weight. 15w40(15w50 that is probably too viscous when cold) or 20w40 would probably be a better choice for engines with worn cranks and bearings.

I am building an engine now, the crank has 90k on it. The journals are right in the middle of the factory specs, so rather than grind it down to the next size, I am just going to run thicker oil(probably 15-40) to make sure I get good pressure and protection.

I am not an oil expert and I am not saying that everyone should use a certain type of oil, I am just saying that different viscosities have their purpose. Just my $.02
 
Originally posted by 92redman
It doesn't make that much difference when cold because most oils have a viscosity rating of 30 or 40 for warmer temps. The more important rating would be the 1st number because that is the viscosity when it gets hot.
The W is for "Winter"- it's the characteristics of the oil at 0°F: a 5W-rated oil will have the same viscosity at 0° as a normal 5-weight oil at 0°.

"Base stocks can be classified in any of eight viscosities ranging from SAE 5W (low) to SAE 50 (high) The W after the number, as in SAE 5W, SAE 10W, SAE 15W, and SAE 20W, means the oil is rated for flow at 0 degrees F (for winter use). Without the W, as in SAE 20, SAE 30, SAE 40, and SAE 50, the ratings are measured at 210 degrees F. Multi-viscosity oils, which are denoted by SAE ratings such as SAE 20W50, have been compounded to act like a 20W oil at 0 degrees F and like a 50 weight oil at 210 degrees F."

http://www.corax.org/hotwater/oil/Oil-3.html
 
Woops, I didn't catch that, but nothing slips by you Defiant. Good catch.

Still, my thoughts stay the same. Higher weights have their place on worn engines. Simple as that. If you are using 10w40 in the summer and have oil consumption problems, then why not try 15w40, it will give better protection when cold but same viscosity when up to operating temp so you shouldn't have spoolup problems or lifter tick.
I guess the point I was trying to make, to answer the original question, 15w50 is probably too thick but 15w40 would be acceptable in the summer.
 
Originally posted by 92redman
Woops, I didn't catch that, but nothing slips by you Defiant. Good catch.

Still, my thoughts stay the same. Higher weights have their place on worn engines. Simple as that. If you are using 10w40 in the summer and have oil consumption problems, then why not try 15w40, it will give better protection when cold but same viscosity when up to operating temp so you shouldn't have spoolup problems or lifter tick.
I guess the point I was trying to make, to answer the original question, 15w50 is probably too thick but 15w40 would be acceptable in the summer.

10W-40 or 15W-40 is acceptable weight, but the 15W-50 I would agree is too thick. I have no consumption problems on my car, so I run factory spec oil. I also don't leak. I would not go past 15W-40 though. That would be the limit.
 
I just bought a 91 eclipse with a newly rebuilt motor(40 miles on it). Just wanted some opinions on what type of oil would be best for it.
 
i have read that on a new engine, you should run regular oil for the first 500 miles or so to let the engine break in. putting synthetic in the engine now would probably be a bad idea, i would say wait at least 1000 miles, then flush the motor and then run synthetic.. hope that helped!
 
Run regular 10W-30 dino oil for 500 miles. Change it and the filter. Run dino oil for another 1000-1500 miles and change it again with whatever you want. Synthetic or dino oil. It doesn't matter, they both protect at a level beyond what the engine needs.

-Groomz
 
i ran 1500 miles with dino oil, ran the next 1500 miles with castrol syntec blend, then put mobil 1 full synthetic in.
 
Good deal. I'll def do that. Got any ideas on the best way to break the engine in. My friend told me that as soon as i get it i should run it pretty hard going from 0-60 with it pretty much floored like 3 times and that will help the rings seat. Is that true or is there a better way?
 
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