What oil to run??

[z31andrew]

Hey guys, I have found a million different threads on what oil people are running in their modded SR's, but I have not landed on what oil I should run in my set up and climate. My SR has Tomei poncams, gt28 turbo, and a mild tune.

I live in so cal, the car is only driven on the track currently. I am running Redline 10w40 full synthetic at the moment, but I noticed last track day it got pretty hot and thin after jsust a few laps. I will be getting an oil cooler soon, but thought I may try and find a better oil to run. I hear alot of people run rotella t6 oil, and I've always heard great things about redline racing oil which is why I've been running it. Never had any issues on start up, and it never sees extreme temps. A plus side to the Rotella is that it is cheaper, but not a "racing" oil, but due to it being a diesel engine oil is has alot of additives to help aid in cleaning and it has high zinc levels. I know redline racing oil has high zinc levels as well, along with other racing oils but is it worth it to get those or will the Rotella do just as well?

Any input here would be great.

[e30gangsta]

20w-50 valvoline vr1

[smoked240]

Oil is oil so pick your poison and go with it. People recommend Motul or Redline for top brands. I run T6 Rotella in my WRX and plan to switch my RB over to it. So your SR is stock bottom end? I'm not sure how tight SR's are but I built my RB loose and try to run around a 5w40-15w30

Edit-I would recommend an Oil cooler if you track it. that will help a lot.

[TheRealSy90]

Amsoil Dominator 15/50.

I ran Mobil 1 15/50 in my sr for 8 years and never had any oiling problems. Sold it as a healthy running engine still. However the formulation has changed lately and it is not the same oil it used to be. For this reason I recommend the Amsoil Dominator 15/50 as it has all the high zinc content and antiwear properties that the Mobil1 used to have.

[z31andrew]

My SR is stock bottom end. I will be getting an oil cooler soon, I don't know if i will be able to get one running on the car before the next track day (Feb 18th)

So seems like you guys are recommending at least a 50 weight, I am in So Cal so I don't see extreme temps, is there a reason why I should not stick with a 40 weight? FSM states 5w30 or 10w30 is always preferable, but do you think the 50 weight will help it maintain viscosity better at the track?

So 15w50? 20w50? 15w40?

My work is a Motul dealer, and I can get Redline pretty easily, and I keep hearing good things about Amsoil as well. A coworker here recommended the Valvoline VR1, I just want what is going to treat my SR best.

[gaz_moose]

moul 300v 20-50 is what ive ran in my SR for about 10 years. what you want is a 'fully ester' oil as it wont break down when it gets hot.

[z31andrew]

Can i ask why your running a 20w50 when the FSM recommends 5w or 10w 30? I Understand it is thicker, are you running it because your SR is 10 years old or for the higher heat range properties?

[jdmgtom]

Rotella 10w30

[e30gangsta]

Can i ask why your running a 20w50 when the FSM recommends 5w or 10w 30? I Understand it is thicker, are you running it because your SR is 10 years old or for the higher heat range properties?

Because as oil heats up it thins. Also with age and high mileage its recommended to run thicker oil. It also quiets the noisy sr down.

I have seen some people have issues with oil pressure when doing a filter relocation, or oil cooler. Hence why I don't run either, but I do not track my car so there's that.

[TheRealSy90]

So seems like you guys are recommending at least a 50 weight, I am in So Cal so I don't see extreme temps, is there a reason why I should not stick with a 40 weight? FSM states 5w30 or 10w30 is always preferable, but do you think the 50 weight will help it maintain viscosity better at the track?

So 15w50? 20w50? 15w40?.

15/50 is within the recommended oil viscosity for your climate my friend. Anybody in the southwest should be running 15/50 in their sr20 imo. Hell i evn ran 15/50 in my sr20 through two Idaho winters when I lived up there out of the 8 years I had it.


From the fsm. Where I live it's between 60-120 year round.
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o107/Silvia_Convertible/Oil.jpg
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o107/Silvia_Convertible/Oil.jpg

[Kingtal0n]

stock clearances are tight. X-50w can be very thick when cold. An engine might take 50 minutes or longer for oil to reach 212-220*F. During the warm-up period, if you run the engine hard, the thick viscosity may cause oil starvation even while oil pressure appears fine. That is because pressure is not an indication of flow. The oil pump can provide a full oil pressure 50-100psi and still have trouble getting any oil through the motor when so thick. Also I am pretty sure I've seen this sort of abuse ruin an oil pump as well (very thick oil + stock oil pump + high rpm = damaged pump IMO).

So yes 50W is great for hot climates with hard racing events, while it is fully warmed up and thinned out. But if you put that @$!T in a street car and start it on a cold morning and 20 minutes later start banging off the rev limiter, it will spit a bearing. Also during cold starts the extra-thick syrup will take longer to reach rod bearing #1 which can also facilitate rod bearing wear if you cold start the engine a lot. Basically if you daily driver the car and don't drive more than 1hour+ at a time I wouldn't use the 50w stuff. The exception of course is if you open the clearances of the engine and install an oil accumulator with which to pre-oil.

Also that comment about oil relocation lines and coolers creating oil issues is completely true. If you want to run an additional length of oil lines, coolers, relocations, etc... You will also want a higher output oil pump. The stock pump is intended for the stock engine's volume/design, and adding extra lines to push oil through is like adding on more sets of engine internals to 'feed' which will result in a net loss of oil flow. Both with respect to time(takes 'longer' for oil to reach critical areas) and total height (pump head) is reduced at the far end of such a system

[derass]

Yeah, no kidding there's a million different threads.

[kyral]

I like to go up a weight than what is factory for the track, so ka's get 40 and my SR gets 50

I also like to run my engine to 200-205 degrees before I call it and I don't like my oil pressure dropping to 5 psi at those temps

rotella T6 all day and I even add some zinc additive too
rev limiter the whole time

my oil is crystal clear every oil change

[TheRealSy90]

Meh, again I ran 15/50 through two Idaho winters and didn't have any issues.


my oil is crystal clear every oil change

I wouldn't exactly consider that a good thing. Dark oil during an oil change means the oil is keeping the inside of your engine cleaner, dark oil is not bad.

[kyral]

Meh, again I ran 15/50 through two Idaho winters and didn't have any issues.



I wouldn't exactly consider that a good thing. Dark oil during an oil change means the oil is keeping the inside of your engine cleaner, dark oil is not bad.


clear oil is definitely not a bad thing

[burnsauto]

I've always run royal purple 10w40 in my sr, stock bottom end, and never had any issues. Worth noting that I also run a 19 row oil cooler with my setup. It never sat right to run any thicker than that, just considering the stock clearances, the oil pump, and the galleys were all designed around a specific oil weight. But this is internet advice, something I would never take 100%, from anyone.

Best thing you can do, talk to others at the tracks you visit. Also, trust your own gut. Do you hear valve tap? Knocking? Remove the oil pan every few races, are you finding any bearing material in the pan/oil? If this is a semi-dedicated track car, things like that should be done on the regular to make sure everyone is on the same page. I would also recommend getting some sort of oil temp gauge and monitor it religiously, seeing as you drive in a hot climate. That can help you keep track of any oil breakdown, and at what temperature it occurred at. Information like that will help point you in the right direction far more than any advice you get from us.

[jedi03]

I ran royal purple 15-40 for a year in mine, was great but cost a lot...i use mobil 1 or rotella 15-40 depending on how costs fluctuate at Walmart...my built motor had stock clearances on bearings, ran 15-40 from day one with no issues

[z31andrew]

Thanks for all the input here guys, I appreciate it. I'd rather put the best in my car than just by the cheapest oil so I'll probably stick with Redline brand oil due to it having the highest Zinc and ZDDP ratings out there, and it being a 100% ester based oil.

@burnsauto , I am starting to realize this is the case. My car is not the same as everyone elses, my climate is different, I drive it differently, etc. Since I have 10w40 in the car now I am thinking maybe try a thicker (10 or 15w50) oil until I get a cooler, then going to back to 10w40 with the cooler to see if there is a big difference. I have an oil pressure gauge but I can't install it until I get a oil block adapter, and I hope to have a temp gauge by that time too.

So am I thinking correctly to maybe run thicker oil like 15w50 until I get a cooler? Or just stay where I'm at at 10w40 and see how the cooler effects it?

[JDMS1lv1a]

I run 5w40 Rotella T6 in my s15 sr20det. Been running Rotella for the last 3 years and my SR hasn’t skipped a beat, IMO the best oil for the price if not as good as any of the top off the shelf synthetic oils

[jedi03]

the oils are "cheap" they are inexpensive, the redline is really good to ensure you get an insane amount of miles out of it...my dad and i used it on all our old restoration vehicles as the cam lobes were a lot softer and prone to wear so that helped them were significantly slower...a lot of these vehicles due to that type of oil we couldn't tell if odometer readings were correct or if they had rolled over and if they had rolled over how many times lol, its good stuff, i just change my oil often enough and allow enough cool down/warmup for it to work for me...even paid for an oil analysis last month, had almost double the recommended change time on the oil, stp 5w-20 and a quart of quaker 15-40 and viscosity tested at 5w-30 with no unusual wear, this is on my Subaru sti at 145k

[burnsauto]

Before anything else, oil temp, oil pressure, and an accurate coolant temp gauge are going to be critical before you track your car in any kind of capacity in your kind of environment. I'm not saying you have to run out and spend 600 bucks on defi gauges and a custom sick-bro gauge pod, but you need some information from your setup before you start making changes. That way you know if things are beyond the breakdown temperature of the oil. I know this is all a pain in the ass, but you'll be glad you did it.

[z31andrew]

Before anything else, oil temp, oil pressure, and an accurate coolant temp gauge are going to be critical before you track your car in any kind of capacity in your kind of environment. I'm not saying you have to run out and spend 600 bucks on defi gauges and a custom sick-bro gauge pod, but you need some information from your setup before you start making changes. That way you know if things are beyond the breakdown temperature of the oil. I know this is all a pain in the ass, but you'll be glad you did it.


This. I'm sticking with this route, staying with Redline 10w40 for now, going to get a temp gauge and pressure gauge and see what I find out. I'm going to go off hard data rather than an opinion. I really do appreciate all the input here, but the more I think about it the more it makes sense to see what MY car needs and not go off everyone else's input, as much as I want to.

[jdmgtom]

10w40 rotella

[TheRealSy90]

I'm still laughing at the guy that thinks clean/clear oil coming out during an oil change is a good thing.

[e30gangsta]

I'm still laughing at the guy that thinks clean/clear oil coming out during an oil change is a good thing.

He must change it every 100 miles if that's the case lol.

[gills]

All top tier oils will perform equally as well (Redline, Motul, Brad Penn, Amsoil, Valvoline VR1, etc.), as much as the oil people don't want you to believe that. That's straight from the mouth of a scientist who analyzes oil samples all day long at Blackstone Laboratories.

I personally run Redline Race 30WT or 40WT in my VQ35DE swapped S14 that only endurance races (24 hours total track time per weekend event) and barely burns through oil (1/2 qt per change).

My oil analysis always comes back highly favorable and the furthest I've gone so far is two events on the same batch of oil. Anti-wear additives are always all still very high and engine metals always within normal wear range. Viscosity always drops from a fresh batch of oil, but that's because of typical fuel dilution. I can probably go three events.

The only real way to tell if your oil is still performing and performing well is to get it analyzed. Top tier synthetics can sustain 300*F oil temp on track, and 250-260F (what my VQ lives at on track) all day, everyday.


And for shits and giggles, here's an analysis from a fresh batch of Redline Race 30WT that I sent in so I could have a baseline. The standard Redline oils won't have as much Molybdenum and Zinc, and more detergents for everyday normal use.

https://i.imgur.com/NbAolq5.png

[z31andrew]

Thanks @gills for that info. It seems I made a good choice sticking with Redline. I just did an oil flush last night on my SR; drained old oil, added cheap 5w30 and let it idle for about 20-25 mins, then drained that oil, changed filter and added Redline 10w40 Full synthetic. It seemed to idle smooth and quiet, although I saw my oil light flicker at first startup. The light remained lightly flickering while I let the car warm up, after it got to temp it seemed to subside although not entirely. I shut the car off, started it back up again and the light was not flickering at all. I hope I did the right thing doing the oil flush.

The reason behind me doing the flush was last track day at Grange Motor Circuit my air filter fell off, and I had to complete the lap in a very, very dusty, dirty environment.

[gills]

Did you top off your oil filter a bit with oil before screwing it on? Installing it dry causes a momentary lapse of pressurizing the system. Don't sweat it too hard though. Since the motor was just run recently there was sufficient oil film still left on bearing and friction surfaces.

If you want to be anal with oil pressure after oil changes/flushing or if the car has been sitting for awhile, or on a fresh engine build, pull your fuel pump fuse (or turn it off if you have a switch panel) and crank the engine for about 10-20 seconds so you can pressurize the system. If you have an oil pressure gauge, you can see when this happens.

Also funny story, everyone always stresses so hard about oil filtration, which is obviously very important, but I ran a KA24DE unknowingly not filtering oil for 70 hours of racing before it actually spun a bearing. 70 HOURS of oil not being filtered in a racing environment. That's like 40-50 HPDE events.

[kyral]

I'm still laughing at the guy that thinks clean/clear oil coming out during an oil change is a good thing.

Still laughing at the guy that thinks its a bad thing

[TheRealSy90]

Did you top off your oil filter a bit with oil before screwing it on?

On the sr20 the oil filter sits sideways so it's a little difficult to pre-fill the filter. However the easiest thing to do is unplug the cam angle sensor (CAS) after the oil change, crank the engine until the oil light goes out (or oil pressure gauge is reading adequate if so equipped) and then plug the CAS back in. I'll never personally recommend any SR owner start the engine with a "dry" filter after a change, always prime it first. But that's just my own prerogative and it's probably fine either way.

Still laughing at the guy that thinks its a bad thing

If it's coming out clean after being used, it is not keeping the inside of your engine very clean. It should be retaining dirt/sludge/fuel/blowby/standard internal wear material, and not leaving it all stuck inside the engine. Just my own outlook. But if it's something that's already clean, and receives frequent oil changes (race use etc) and not like a daily driver, i can see it being fairly clean each time. Again I don't know your exact application, use, or oil/filtration being used.

[z31andrew]

Did you top off your oil filter a bit with oil before screwing it on? Installing it dry causes a momentary lapse of pressurizing the system. Don't sweat it too hard though. Since the motor was just run recently there was sufficient oil film still left on bearing and friction surfaces.

If you want to be anal with oil pressure after oil changes/flushing or if the car has been sitting for awhile, or on a fresh engine build, pull your fuel pump fuse (or turn it off if you have a switch panel) and crank the engine for about 10-20 seconds so you can pressurize the system. If you have an oil pressure gauge, you can see when this happens.

Also funny story, everyone always stresses so hard about oil filtration, which is obviously very important, but I ran a KA24DE unknowingly not filtering oil for 70 hours of racing before it actually spun a bearing. 70 HOURS of oil not being filtered in a racing environment. That's like 40-50 HPDE events.

I did not prime the filter. I honestly was never aware of this little trick, after it happened I asked my brother, my manager at work and a couple of my friends and they all brought up that same question, asked if i primed it. The light has now gone away, so that must have caused that light to come on. I am not sweating it!

And for everyone else (@kyral) I ran cheap 5w30 (O'Reilly's Oil) for about 20-25 mins on my car then drained it, it came out much darker. Not necessarily BLACK, but it was dirty for sure. That was only having ran it in the car for 25 minutes idling. That little bit cleaned up a lot from what I could tell. I even did a Motul engine clean on my last oil change so my motor could not have been that dirty.

All in all, glad it did the flush. Gave me piece of mind knowing the motor is well lubed. I will hopefully be driving it this weekend to put a load on the motor, and hopefully getting my pressure installed before the track on the 18th so I can monitor the pressure in those conditions using the 10w40 Redline oil. Then hopefully getting a temp gauge soon after.

I appreciate all the input here guys! Helped me out alot and gave me great piece of mind :hsdance:

[burnsauto]

sure thing, let us know how it all works out:)

[ultimateirving]

Rotella T6

[Weksan]

I have the same mods as you pretty much and I run rotella t6. My engine is rebuilt to oem spec