Lets talk Oil + Filters

[BlackZenkiS14]

I am running a rebuilt black top SR20DET, making roughly 400whp. For 9 years, I have run Mobil1 10w30 oil and M1 filters...without fail, on a few different stock block SR's. But now that I have just finished building a new engine, I am wondering if there is something better I should be running. I am considering moving to a Purolater PureONE filter, and heavier Mobil1 15w50 oil, or Redline or Amsoil of suitable weight.

The car is a street car that gets regular track use. I do probably a drift event every month, or PDX/AutoX/Drag racing. But it gets street driven probably 4 days a week during the season.

What are you guys running? and what do you reccomend for a moderate squirrels SR with regular street fun and track use? I would like to put this up for discussion, and actual experience and knowledge would be appreciated!

[jr_ss]

If you want to stay with Mobil 1, their synthetics are very good. Amsoil and the German Castrol are also up there on the top of the list. I was just doing some research on this the other day, I'll see if I can find the link I was reading.

The Purolator filters are one of the best on the market. I've been using them strictly on all of my vehicles for the last 3-4years when available.

Your climate plays a large role in appropriate weights you should be running. It's hot all the time down here, so I have 5w-40 in my motor. I may change weights once I get the damn thing tuned and running though. I have full syn T6 Rotella in my motor.

[jamg]

rotella T6 and pureone.

[AS240]

rotella syn 5w40 (T6) with Amsoil filters.

[WERDdabuilder]

Rotella 15-40 w/pureone here(sr and only DD)

[TwelveAM]

I am running a rebuilt black top SR20DET, making roughly 400whp. For 9 years, I have run Mobil1 10w30 oil and M1 filters...without fail, on a few different stock block SR's. But now that I have just finished building a new engine, I am wondering if there is something better I should be running. I am considering moving to a Purolater PureONE filter, and heavier Mobil1 15w50 oil, or Redline or Amsoil of suitable weight.

What are you guys running? and what do you reccomend for a moderate squirrels SR with regular street fun and track use? I would like to put this up for discussion, and actual experience and knowledge would be appreciated!

Can't say I've experienced driving a track car, but the 15w50 should be a suitable weight. RRE recommended that exact weight on Mobil 1 back when I had my Evo also pushing 400hp.

I didn't like the way Mobil 1 would make my lifters sound when idling/warming up in the Evo. I ended up switching to OEM filters with synthetic Rotella T6 5-40. I can honestly say my car's idling was a lot smoother and with the amount of cleaning detergents Rotella has, it had began cleaning up some sludge it had build up inside the head the 2nd time the head was opened compared to when it was opened for the 1st time to swap out the valves. (2 weeks after - hence Mobil 1 was all I was running before).

And when I had an SR in my previous 240s, I would use the OEM filters with the conventional 15-40 Rotella. I ended up switching on over to Purolator PureONE filters from the comparison of oil filters I read, not to mention the oversized Purolator oil filter making oil filter changes easier to reach (if, you don't have an oil filter relocator).

Sorry if my response is pretty vague but, sharing my experience.

[blackrms13]

If you want to stay with Mobil 1, their synthetics are very good. Amsoil and the German Castrol are also up there on the top of the list. I was just doing some research on this the other day, I'll see if I can find the link I was reading.

I RARELY hear people say good thing about mobil 1

[Croustibat]

If your oil pressure is right where nissans tells you it should be when hot, do NOT put heavier oil in there... if you dont get enough oil pressure, use thicker oil, if you get too much (yeeeeees there is an upper limit, which most 15w50 and 10w60 users don't know about), use thinner ... Also, the higher the cold to hot thickness rating is, the faster the oil wears. Finally, from a performance point of view, you want the thinnest oil that you can get away with.

I dont understand why suddenly you want to move 2 grades thicker, cold and hot ... it makes absolutely no sense. Did you relocate from the north pole to a desert ? Because that is the only logical reason to do that.

What does make sense though, is if you need oil thicker than a 10w50 in that engine to be in specs, unless you race all day long in the desert, you need a new oil pump. And if you get too high oil temperatures, before adding an oil cooler that WILL impede flow more, get a new oil pump too.

Because whatever increase in pressure you get from thicker oil is also a decrease in flow. And trying to compensate a worn pump that cant flow enough to create pressure by using thicker oil will just finish off your engine faster.

I used to think the old way "not in the window, run thicker", which led me to making expensive oil change every 2000 miles (hello 10w60 users) and have my oil temp go through the roof every time i pressed on a bit too long on twisty roads. I was near the minimum recommended by nissan.
Then i changed my oil pump. Oil temps never go north of 110°C even on a hot day, on a track event. I do use thinner 10w50 and am on the high side of the pressure window (i'll try 5w40 went i run out of that oil). The oil viscosity has only started to degrade after approx 5000 miles. Best "lubricating and cooling upgrade" i ever made - with that big coolant radiator. I don't need an oil cooler either, i have the stock oil to engine coolant system.

TL;DR:
download FSM, check your oil pressure is in the window, change oil thickness accordingly IF it needs a change. For reference points, unless you drive in an area where weather reaches 40°C+ all the time, if you need a 10W60 or a 15W50 oil to stay in that window, it means something is wrong with your oiling system; most of the time it is a worn oil pump, so change it. and while you are at it, clean those cam oil sprayers, i'd say this is the worst (and maybe the only) design flaw on that engine; they clog with time and cooked oil, and then kill the whole head.

Anyway a 10w40 should be way enough to enter and stay in the window, if your oiling system is in a good shape. Consider 5w50 if the lifters accept it (when a bit worn, they dont like 5w oil and make tappet noise sometimes) if you are running more than 105°C oil temp, 10w50 if the lifters don't like the 5w.

5w30 is good for cold places or drag runs on somewhat cold engines, but on the thin side for hot weather and tracking imho.

[BlackZenkiS14]

Thanks for the info! I have actually installed a brand new OEM oil pump when I rebuilt the motor.

I'll probably look into a 10w40 or 5w40 weight oil.

Does everyone really seem to love the Rotella T6 stuff that much?

[Tom N]

Pure one filter and Brad Penn oil.
Mobile one used to be a decent oil years ago. It's not anymore.

[spooled240]

I've used mobile 1 10w40 high mileage and purolator pureone oil filters for years without any problems.

I don't track my car nearly as much as the OP does, but I have had the turbo glowing orange on occasion drifting, etc. Daily driving in the socal summer heat with A/C and an air/oil cooled turbo has also put the oil to the test.

I never had an oil cooler, but I'm planning on installing one soon as it really prolongs the life of the oil which in turn extends the life of the motor, turbo, etc.

[ultimateirving]

rotella t6, love the oil and its fair priced. I also run e85 and i like the added protection the rotella has since its designed for diesels.
5w-40 has done fine for me here in phoenix for the last 3 summers

[Croustibat]

I've used mobile 1 10w40 high mileage and purolator pureone oil filters for years without any problems.

I don't track my car nearly as much as the OP does, but daily driving in the socal summer heat with A/C and an air/oil cooled turbo puts the oil to the test. I never had an oil cooler, but I'm planning on installing one soon as it really prolongs the life of the oil which in turn extends the life of the motor, turbo, etc.

A roller bearing turbo would be better in prolonging the oil life though (and it will spool better for the same size, or get more power with a bigger one). The less oil you send there, the less it gets teared down. No quantity of oil cooling will protect the oil from a turbo, it will cool it better before it goes back in, but still, the oil gets so much heat there...

Just saying, if you were looking for excuses to upgrade (no, i don't have one to sell) :D

[jr_ss]

I RARELY hear people say good thing about mobil 1

Pure one filter and Brad Penn oil.
Mobile one used to be a decent oil years ago. It's not anymore.

Mobil one syntethic is still a very good oil and can be researched. Perhaps you guys are referring to conventional motor oil?

[Tom N]

Mobile one synthetic is a completely different oil than it was years ago.
FP tested a bunch of oils and what a brand new turbo shaft looked like after a short time with mobile one synthic was horrible.
I'm sure it's fine for everyday grocery getters but you would catch me with that in any performance turbo motor. Hell I use Walmart oil in my truck and it has 322k miles on it. Doesn't mean I would put it on my Talon or 240.
In a turbo motor you should use a turbo high in zinc.

If anyone cares to read it http://store.forcedperformance.net/merchant2/graphics/subaru_oil/Forced%20Performance%20Recommendations%20for%20Mot or%20Oil.pdf

[[email protected]]

Motul 300V or Torco SR5R the weight will depend on your clearances.

[Primo's Silvia]

I use to run castrol full synthetic 10w-30 with oem filter on my daily stock ka , and noticed weird oil pressure reading for a while on my autometer oil pressure guage. Noticing after an oil change their was aluminum or cast iron specs in my oil. I had a magnetic drain plug and none of it stuck to it so i was assuming it was from the head beeing tht is aluminum i belive? , rebuilt the oil pump and have been running rottella T6 and runs smoother then ever still flushing out some flakes but it runs great.
So i dnt know if it was jus old oil pump going out or castrol destroying my oil pump but im sticking to rotella T6 best Bang for you buck!

So i am still confused about the situation ima b doing a oil change this weekend hopefully theres no more specs in the oil.

[spooled240]

A roller bearing turbo would be better in prolonging the oil life though (and it will spool better for the same size, or get more power with a bigger one). The less oil you send there, the less it gets teared down. No quantity of oil cooling will protect the oil from a turbo, it will cool it better before it goes back in, but still, the oil gets so much heat there...

Just saying, if you were looking for excuses to upgrade (no, i don't have one to sell) :D

Yeah I heard the ball bearing turbos don't last as long though, so there is a bit of a trade off there..

Mobile one synthetic is a completely different oil than it was years ago.
FP tested a bunch of oils and what a brand new turbo shaft looked like after a short time with mobile one synthic was horrible.
I'm sure it's fine for everyday grocery getters but you would catch me with that in any performance turbo motor. Hell I use Walmart oil in my truck and it has 322k miles on it. Doesn't mean I would put it on my Talon or 240.
In a turbo motor you should use a turbo high in zinc.

If anyone cares to read it http://store.forcedperformance.net/merchant2/graphics/subaru_oil/Forced%20Performance%20Recommendations%20for%20Mot or%20Oil.pdf

Interesting, but I'd like to see more testing on this. Maybe the turbo experienced premature wear from the small bit of napa oil that was still in the motor from the previous two oil changes. The turbo is spinning so fast I bet that even the slightest bit of subpar oil can cause damage.

[rc1honda]

I am also wondering what type of oil to use. I have a rebuilt motor that's breaking in right now. About to make the switch over to synthetic pretty soon.

I have some m1 0w-40 I was going to use. Seems that's the oil the OEMs use on their performance models like the GTR and the 911 turbo.

I'm so scared of fucking up my engine that I have been trying to find the best oil. Seems like Rotella t6 5w-40 is universally well regarded and that the next jump up is redline or amsoil.

[BlackZenkiS14]

Here is what I went with:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/t1.0-9/10380317_10154222047695043_5813423929989939136_n.j pg

[KoukiMonsta]

Regardless of oil.

Pure one on errrrthang.

[waxball88]

here is what i went with:


hey


he likes what i like

[the-rusty-240]

10w30 royal purple. Oem nissan filter.

[jr_ss]

Here is what I went with:

Fantastic choice. Exactly what I run in my car.

Pure One filters are the best on the market right now. I've been using them on everything I own for 5years.

[BlackZenkiS14]

I was strictly M1 and M1 filters, but I figured since I just rebuilt a fresh new motor might as well explore better options!

[cured13]

Are you guys running Rotella T6 with cats
and what about that falling apart Purolator filters scare.
Does any of you open your Pure One filter after oil change?

[Flipnirish]

Amsoil 10w-30 signature series with amsoil filter