Which / What Oil Should I Use? [Merged]

[Dstarperformance01]

I get people running a thicker weight for race cars or built engines, but 20w50 on a oem motor for dd is just not needed. You are increasing oil pressure, reducing mpg, and it will also take longer to warm up and cool down. I'd also recommend changing it less often. Even the cheap store brand oil will be fine after 3000 miles. Don't poor your money down the leaking oil can.

Less often? To each their own I guess.
The price of oil and filter vs any type of engine work is a drop in the bucket in my eyes.

 

[AdR]

Motor oil is up there with abortion, religion and republican or democrat...one of the few things that guys will actually go to fists over.

^^^ This is the trues statement I've read in a while. People and oil related opinions are like bellybuttons... Everybody has one.

 

[red_devil]

Changing your oil every 2000 miles isn't going to keep your engine together any more than changing it at 4000. Modern oil is pretty effective at keeping your engine lubricated and clean.

 

[Dstarperformance01]

Changing your oil every 2000 miles isn't going to keep your engine together any more than changing it at 4000. Modern oil is pretty effective at keeping your engine lubricated and clean.

It keeps it clean and will give you an insight if there are any issues to catch it early. Oil coaking on turbo cars like ours isn't uncommon and that breaks down the oil faster as well. Everyone will have their own ways of doing things!

 

[boostdawd]

Vr1 is cheaper than mobil 1.

 

[Archer Fabrications]

Damn, every 2,000 miles of DD use? Am I Crazy but I definitely don't change my oil that frequently.... I use Mobil 1 high mileage synthetic 5W30 and change it every +/-7K... I also add a little bit of lucas heavy duty oil stabilizer and engine oil stop leak just to be safe since its got 69k miles and I highly doubt the previous owners changed any seals/gaskets... the only gaskets I've replaced are the cam shaft seals, valve cover, and ones you do when changing the balancing and timing belts...

I changed mine every 750 miles on my built motor running 40psi on 6466 i wanted to make sure everything was healthy as often as possible. Always 20w50 on my built motor, may be unnecessary to change it that often but for the investment i think it's fine.

Jist dont ise a magnus billet oil filter ever, that is what killed my motor that was running perfect. The magnus's o ring is too small to grip like an oem or wix filter, and thus vibrates off

 

[Dstarperformance01]

I changed mine every 750 miles on my built motor running 40psi on 6466 i wanted to make sure everything was healthy as often as possible. Always 20w50 on my built motor, may be unnecessary to change it that often but for the investment i think it's fine.

Jist dont ise a magnus billet oil filter ever, that is what killed my motor that was running perfect. The magnus's o ring is too small to grip like an oem or wix filter, and thus vibrates off

^ gives you piece of mind and that's PRICELESS.
I've know people who have also ran 15w40 rotella too.

 

[1990TSIAWDTALON]

^ gives you piece of mind and that's PRICELESS.
I've know people who have also ran 15w40 rotella too.

Me!!!
Diesel Truck blend. Has ZDDP still in it. Not as much as it used to though.

 

[boostdawd]

I ran rotella t6 on my r1 forever. Cheap and good. Just have to replace it more frequently.

 

[J Fresh]

I changed mine every 750 miles on my built motor running 40psi on 6466 i wanted to make sure everything was healthy as often as possible. Always 20w50 on my built motor, may be unnecessary to change it that often but for the investment i think it's fine.

Jist dont ise a magnus billet oil filter ever, that is what killed my motor that was running perfect. The magnus's o ring is too small to grip like an oem or wix filter, and thus vibrates off

My car is no where near built haha I got it 100% stock and am just putting together parts for the Evo3 16G turbo I won't be anywhere near what you have anytime soon or ever probably haha

 

[Dstarperformance01]

My car is no where near built haha I got it 100% stock and am just putting together parts for the Evo3 16G turbo I won't be anywhere near what you have anytime soon or ever probably haha

Weather I pay $30 or $3,000 for something I treat them both like I paid $3k. Just the way I was raised I guess.

 

[SasaniFab]

Changing your oil every 2000 miles isn't going to keep your engine together any more than changing it at 4000. Modern oil is pretty effective at keeping your engine lubricated and clean.

The motors were built, I should of stayed that fact. Most of you Mitsubishi guys aren't buying new cranks. You generally are running wider clearances on your bearings. My setup hovers around .003 for clearance. My oil pressure is perfect.

 

[SasaniFab]

This is the beauty of motor oil, you can add or subtract a little cushion depending on your setup and climate.

 

[SasaniFab]

A good example of oil choice problems is with the ej25 that comes in the Subaru sti. My 2007 went 130k without issue while others had ringland and bearing issues. This was a HUGE problem. Most if not all the people experiencing issues were running Mobil 1 5w30 or 10w30. Most people on the forums will recommend rotella 15w40 which is designed for deisal engines? Go figure

 

[Justin Lauscher]

When I bought my 1g it had a cooked small 16g that was getting raped daily to 32psi in a bone stock 6 bolt with hardly a tune running real lean on 91 premium, spark knocking like a tank, and that's just what my cousin put it through for a year. He never changed the oil the time he had it and he only added cheap dino oil as he went. When I got the car I ran 5w40 t6 rotella for probably 6000 miles and it was great on my fresh rebuilt turbo, then I swapped to amsoil dominator 15w50 for probably ~2000 miles, performed just the same.

Moral of the story when I took the short block apart the bearings were trashed, my assumption is from the insane amounts of knock, but the engine still started and ran flawlessly.

Only thing I've herd is t6 foams up under high rpm use

 

[SasaniFab]

When I bought my 1g it had a cooked small 16g that was getting raped daily to 32psi in a bone stock 6 bolt with hardly a tune running real lean on 91 premium, spark knocking like a tank, and that's just what my cousin put it through for a year. He never changed the oil the time he had it and he only added cheap dino oil as he went. When I got the car I ran 5w40 t6 rotella for probably 6000 miles and it was great on my fresh rebuilt turbo, then I swapped to amsoil dominator 15w50 for probably ~2000 miles, performed just the same.

Moral of the story when I took the short block apart the bearings were trashed, my assumption is from the insane amounts of knock, but the engine still started and ran flawlessly.

Only thing I've herd is t6 foams up under high rpm use

I wouldn't run t6 in the 4g63..... but I doubt it would hurt anything. Correct viscosity is the key..

 

[ThunderChild]

I wouldn't run t6 in the 4g63..... but I doubt it would hurt anything. Correct viscosity is the key..

Care to elaborate? I use 5w40 rotella t6 in mine during the winter, and 20w50 vr1 in the summer, no issues for 2 yrs and 18k since the refresh, and I'm not gentle.

Most of it will come down to proper viscosity for the climate, proper oil level and good clearances.

 

[ceedawg]

Valvoline vr1 20w50 or Amsoil zrod 20w50 ftw!!! Every 3k or less oil change depending on if you use meth or E85 or have an unsealed catch can.

 

[Murdertalon]

After reading about zinc content I only run vr1 20w50, my thought process is that if it oil starves for a second or has low flow for a second while running hard what oil viscosity will provide that extra half second of protection 20w50 or 10w30? Easy the thicker oil will take longer to dissipate and will take larger gaps to lose pressure from.

 

[1990TSIAWDTALON]

Just be glad we have ROLLER cams, if they were flat tappet style then we would all have to use expensive oil with a ton of ZDDP in it to keep from flattening out our cam lobes.

 

[91talonts1]

I don't think it's been pointed out yet. But the legitimate racing oils, the ones containing high amounts of zddp like vr1 and Brad Penn, are NON DETERGENT oils.

They MUST be changed more frequently than regular passenger car motor oil unless you want some real nasty sludge developing.

I wouldn't leave a non detergent oil in for more than 1500-2000 miles or more than a month or two. This is the case with all non detergent oil regardless of your power levels or fuel type. I change mine every month which is never more than a few hundred miles.

You also don't want to use a high zddp content oil if your car is still equipped with a catalytic converter.

 

[SasaniFab]

Care to elaborate? I use 5w40 rotella t6 in mine during the winter, and 20w50 vr1 in the summer, no issues for 2 yrs and 18k since the refresh, and I'm not gentle.

Most of it will come down to proper viscosity for the climate, proper oil level and good clearances.

I wouldn't personally run the oil, does that mean it's not good? Absolutely not. We all use our cars differently. Use what works for you.....I just love the vr1 oil. Why do you change the oil in the winter?

 

[donniekak]

I wouldn't personally run the oil, does that mean it's not good? Absolutely not. We all use our cars differently. Use what works for you.....I just love the vr1 oil. Why do you change the oil in the winter?

I run rotella t6 in the winter in cold climates so my neighbors don't have to hear my car for 10 minutes before I drive to work. I also run ball bearing turbos, so the zddp level doesn't need to be crazy high. I do run vr1 20w-50 after the low temps get into the 50's.

I actually drive my car every day. I've put over 50,000 miles on my current car in 3 years, all at 30-40 psi, and including several 5,000 mile road trips.

If you have 20w-50 in the engine and just hop in and go in 15* temps you may destroy the oil pump, or explode the filter. Also a smaller than stock battery has trouble starting the car with cold thick oil.

 

[ceedawg]

I also run ball bearing turbos, so the zddp level doesn't need to be crazy high. I do run vr1 20w-50 after the low temps get into the 50's.



If you have 20w-50 in the engine and just hop in and go in 15* temps you may destroy the oil pump, or explode the filter. Also a smaller than stock battery has trouble starting the car with cold thick oil.

I agree and in the winter I would just go with a good synthetic 10w40 . Off of the 20w50.



Side not:Since the car sits I go with the amsoil Zrod with the rust inhibitors.

 

[gofer]

Those of you in the states that actually have a winter you may reconsider running 20w-XX earl in the winter months, like Donnie mentioned.

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Something else to read since this horse isn't beaten enough...

---> UOA of Rotella​

Since oil opinions are like belly buttons () I use Rotella T5 10w30 year round here in Phoenix and a WIX filter.