Stingraye

I just finshed readin through the 10w30 Vs 10w40 thread, and it raised some questions in my head, and unfortunately didn't answer them. The engine specs are listed below, I just finised gettin it rebuilt all over, so i'm runnin standard valvoline oil in it for the initial 500 MI break it, (since i know it's not good to run synthetic on a break in) and after the 500 initial miles i'm going to switch to either mobil 1 syn, or valvoline syn (i've always used valvoline durablend, but I want the really good stuff now). I'd always run 10w30 durablen before I spun a rod bearing (winter and summer), but I never really looked into anything much more. So I'm curious to know what you guys would think would be the best weight to use, I saw a lot of you run 5w30, or 15w50, what's the differences between each, and how'd u decide what to use, cuz I wanna use something that will benefit me the most. Thanks.

hydric

i would run straight 30 over the winter...

but thats "me"

Stingraye

Well, I'm actually interested in see what you guys think would be the best oil for use in MY engine, and why, as apposed to what you use in your own engine, just because I know that there are things to consider which can change benefits of oil. Such as you may need a different type of oil in a TPI 305, as apposed to my carb'ed 350 pushing around 430 Hp. Thanks.

Gumby

Problem no matter what board or email list you are on, the oil topic is the most dreaded.

Personal opinion along with lots of conflicting tech data and snake oils turns subject into a pissing contest that gets post, edited, locked or deleted.


My self, I run 20-50w year round.

Ill deal with some start up wear for the add protection when I'm red lining it down the road.

I run 20-50 in everything all year round.

Its a personal choice that I bet atleast 5 people will have a problem with.

Stingraye

Cool, I also did forget to mention that i'm running a melling stock pump, with the mr. gasget high pressure spring and the gm 3/4" pickup tube. I'm leaning towards the mobil 1 15/50, but what other thoughts do u guys have. What would I notice start up wear wise with that oil?

Sitting Bull

They just had one of the top NASCAR engine builders on SpeedTV and he said that virtually any Mobil 1 synthetic, regardless of weight, works perfectly in their engines. They even use 0 weight from time to time and found absolutely no wear on the bearings after a race.

That means no matter how hot your engine may get, wherever you may live, you won't hurt it if you use Mobile 1.

So there you go

kfoley

I'd suggest a synthetic 10w30 in the summer and 5w30 in winter. That's what I use, never had a problem yet...

ede

i don't think it really matters as long as you're not running something like gear oil or any straight weight oils in the 40 or 50 range. i wouldn't run 30w in the winter or cold weather. you can read more at www.bobistheoilguy.com

mystikkal_69

iTrader: (2)

i do the same thing. i run Valvoline 20-50 Racing all time. when i do beat on the engine, i really beat on in hard. lots of consecutive races non stop for a a few hours at a time. engine has lasted me so far......

Gumby

That is some good oil. Back in the day when I had a 2nd gen aro. I worked 3rd's at Super America. They carried the 20-50 racing oil and matching filters.

That car was beat and beat and beat, took every bit of it and kept on going.

I could stop traffic at 4 way intersection cause no one could see through all the smoke, burn the tire at 100mph as long and as far as I wanted, doing really about 35. Man I beat that car.

Got pissed off at it cause the water pump went and sold it.
That was the dumbest part of that cars life.

zippy

i would have to agree with the mobil 1. i recomend 5w30 for any cold temps and 10w30 for anything above around 30. 15w50 works fine, but really isn't needed unless your specificly racing and oil temps are going to be high. for conventional oil, i like 10w30, 5w30 (cold weather only), and 15w40.

86BirdSE

Any good brand-name 10W30 is the ticket unless it gets below 20*F on a consistent basis or above 90*F on a consistent basis.

I'd go closer to like 5,000 miles or more before switching to synthetic, just to be sure. The dino-juice won't kill it.

I personally run Texaco Havoline or Chevron (blue bottle in wal-mart) because both are darn close to a buck-a-quart, and seem to have the best additive package for what I've researched. I also use the Wal-Mart brand filters...ST-5 is the number. They're the same thing inside as the STP ones and the Car-Driver ones. at Target/Auto-Zone and are a steal at 1.97/each. Cross reference one for a 1988 Chevy Van.

When she's broken in, then change it over to Amsoil or Mobil 1 10W30, year round and don't worry about messing with changing weights with the extremes. The synthetic will work just fine. Also, stick with the Wal-Mart filters, as I said before, they are darn good filters, and are a steal at the price.

my84firebird

oh boy, i can hear the flood gates opening now..........

BadBlue91RS

I run 20w50 Castrol full synthetic all the time. Being in louisiana with a high mileage car, it's kinda nessacery. Summers are hotter than hell, and winters are never that cold. It also saves that little bit of smoke on start-up.

hydric

wal mart has filters? lol

i wouldn't use a wal-mart brand thing to throw at a puddle of cow pee let alone use on my car...

(flood gates are open)

92RSFivePointSlow

Since your engine is fresh you don't need to drag it with heavy weight oils, you'd be best off using a good 5w-30 synthetic, even though 5w syn. is overkill for most of the lower 49 states. If you won't use walmart synthetic oil(quakerstate) try synthetic Shell Rotella 5w-40. It comes in a gallon bottle and is pretty inexpensive. It's diesel rated and it's got some real good "running in crap" properties.

86BirdSE

It never fails, does it? Stingraye asked an intelligent question about oil changes and someone has to make a pointless comment about cow **** that's totally off topic, lending nothing to the conversation at hand....

Anyway, Champion Labs makes the filters used by Wal-Mart. They also make filters under the name Lee, Lee Maxi, STP and some AC Delco applications (not for our cars though). Granted, they're not the absolute best, they're darn good for break in and typical street driving (which SHOULD be done while breaking in a motor).

When you get over the break in period, there ARE better filters, but for my research and mileage I put on, I see no need to pay $5 for the same thing I can get for $1.97.

scottland

break in your motor for the first few thousand miles with a 10w30 Vavloline or the like, this should give all the machined surfaces of the motor time to "settle in" then switch to a full synthetic with a GOOD oil filter such as a K&N.

Its your BRAND new engine, do what you like with it.

but i just bought the same motor, GM 350HO about 5 months w/ a XE268, and im at about 3k miles and just switched to Mobol 1 full synthetic and k&n oil filters.

if you want a 10page tech document i have proving to usefullness of synthetic oil, let me know i'll send it to you, its quite informative.

as for the viscotiy rating.

the W stands for winter viscocity or the oils resistance to flow @ 0 degrees C

so 5W will be easier for the oil pump to pump in colder temps

10W will be alittle harder for the oil pump to pump in colder temps

but a 5W-30 has more additives than a 10W-30 so if you live in a warmer climate, run a 10W-30 year round, or atleast run 10W in the summer. if you live somwhere where it gets cold, go with a 5W-30 in the winter.

Stingraye

Yeah, The engine had 6K on it before it spun a bearing (Why I so desperately want to run a good good oil in it), and i've got valvoline in it right now, ran it with fresh 10-30 for the dyno breakin, have some fresh valvoline 10-30 for the 500 MI breakin, and then i' think i'll just go do 10-30 mobil-1 after that. Could you send me that stuff on the synthetic info?? E-mail's stingraye@aol.com Thanks guys.

scottland

i sent it over, and good choice your motor will thank you. if you've ever seen an engine that has run on synthetic all its life torn apart, it almost looks brand new inside.

firbird

I don’t know about you but I want a better filter when i break in my motor for i will get all the break in debris out of the circulation of the oil instead of getting a very cheep filter during a very important part of your engines life.... just me maybe

mystikkal_69

iTrader: (2)

use the delco PF1218 it's a damn good non synthetic filter.

i use it when breaking in engines and doing normal oil changes.