Engine Oil

[icingdeath88]

I have been lurking NASIOC a bit lately, and I keep coming across Shell Rotella T6 5w40 as a recommendation. Any thoughts on whether it might be good in an EG33?

[Huskymaniac]

http://motoroilbible.com/data-comparisons-combined.pdf

Are you after an oil that won't be too thick at lower temps (due to the tight engine passages) but will still hold up to Florida heat? If so, 5W40 might be a good idea. It looks like Redline is the best choice but it is probably much more expensive. However, with that HTHS number, I would feel comfortable going to a much longer OCI and especially if you go with the Bosch Premium oversized oil filter. If going with extended OCIs you might also want to switch to an AC Delco air filter which rated out as the best at filtration. That will help keep crap out of your engine.

Redline, Amsoil and Mobil 1 are consistently rated the highest.

[LetItSnow]

T6 5W40 here.

[icingdeath88]

Originally Posted by Huskymaniac

http://motoroilbible.com/data-comparisons-combined.pdf

Are you after an oil that won't be too thick at lower temps (due to the tight engine passages) but will still hold up to Florida heat? If so, 5W40 might be a good idea. It looks like Redline is the best choice but it is probably much more expensive. However, with that HTHS number, I would feel comfortable going to a much longer OCI and especially if you go with the Bosch Premium oversized oil filter. If going with extended OCIs you might also want to switch to an AC Delco air filter which rated out as the best at filtration. That will help keep crap out of your engine.

Redline, Amsoil and Mobil 1 are consistently rated the highest.

Actually that's not what makes me interested in that particular oil, but it does make me think that I could get away with using it, even if it might be on the thick side. You've posted that document before, but I'm not really sure what any of the stats really mean, since the only one that's explained is the HTHS one. The Redline I'm sure is good but pricey, but I have seen a lot of posts and people that specifically recommend not using the Mobil 1. So I'm not entirely sure what to think. I have been using the bigger filters for some time, and I'm not really interested in a longer OCI, I mainly just want the engines to work well and last as long as possible.

My 6-speed car sees high revs quite a bit, and sustained 3500+ revs on highway trips as well (doing 70-80). So I'd like to make sure it's good to handle that.

[icingdeath88]

Originally Posted by LetItSnow

T6 5W40 here.

Yes, Mr blueprinted motor. But should I use it in a stock motor with stock clearances?

[1986nate]

Originally Posted by icingdeath88

Yes, Mr blueprinted motor. But should I use it in a stock motor with stock clearances?

Keep in mind, his is still a stock longblock with somewhere in the neighboorhood getting close to 200k miles. His just happens to have a big air compressor afixed to his.

I've been pondering the Rotella as well as I know the WRX and STI guys seem to love it.

[LetItSnow]

Originally Posted by 1986nate

Keep in mind, his is still a stock longblock with somewhere in the neighboorhood getting close to 200k miles. His just happens to have a big air compressor afixed to his.

There's nothing special about the internals of my car's engine. Everything between and including the valve covers is just as casual as any EG33.

The above, below, and behind are a little different, of course.

[Huskymaniac]

Originally Posted by icingdeath88

Actually that's not what makes me interested in that particular oil, but it does make me think that I could get away with using it, even if it might be on the thick side. You've posted that document before, but I'm not really sure what any of the stats really mean, since the only one that's explained is the HTHS one. The Redline I'm sure is good but pricey, but I have seen a lot of posts and people that specifically recommend not using the Mobil 1. So I'm not entirely sure what to think. I have been using the bigger filters for some time, and I'm not really interested in a longer OCI, I mainly just want the engines to work well and last as long as possible.

My 6-speed car sees high revs quite a bit, and sustained 3500+ revs on highway trips as well (doing 70-80). So I'd like to make sure it's good to handle that.

It is a tough call then. For short OCIs, I personally wouldn't go with Redline or Amsoil because of the cost but I can be cheap sometimes. On the other hand, if you are concerned with an oil standing up to abuse of some form (hard driving, high RPMs, etc.) then Redline is the best followed by Amsoil.

As far as Mobil 1 is concerned, it has always been a highly regarded oil. I have never heard a good reason as to why people think it is flawed other than correlation to an engine failure which does not equal causation. Now, it is true that all synthetics, M1 included used to be much thinner. For engines that need thicker oils, that could have been a problem. But that is in the past now and is no longer the case. I would choose M1 over Rotella but Rotella is a decent oil too. Rotella is made by SOPUS which does not have as god a reputation as XOM, in general. Ironically, my mechanic now carries both M1 and Rotella. He used to just carry Rotella but now offers both.

Whatever way you go, 5W40 synthetic is probably a good idea in Florida. What is your OCI now? What oil filter and what air filter are you using? I can post an air filter study to support the change to AC Delco. If you go with a high efficiency air filter and oil filter along with an oil with high HTHS, you really should be able to extend your oil changes and offset that extra cost.

[Conn SVX]

I use Shell Rotella in the blue jug $18.00 a gallon at Wally World ( if this is the same stuff you speak of ) in my motorcycle and it is far better than any other oil I have used . Since the trany and engine share the same oil , the bike shifts very smooth.

[icingdeath88]

Originally Posted by LetItSnow

There's nothing special about the internals of my car's engine. Everything between and including the valve covers is just as casual as any EG33.

The above, below, and behind are a little different, of course.

Really? I thought that engine was built for lower compression? Well that's cool anyway.

I think I'm going to give the rotella a try on the next oil change.

The oil filter I've been using is a bigger (porsche 944) sized wix one. I have a bunch of them in a box and I've been changing them every oil change.

The air filter is currently a K&N reusable one. I am waiting on a certain intake to be made, then I'll be switching to whatever cone filter comes with it. The AC Delco one, I'll use in my black car. Are they sold at autozone/advance? Perhaps under a different brand name?

[Huskymaniac]

Originally Posted by icingdeath88

Really? I thought that engine was built for lower compression? Well that's cool anyway.

I think I'm going to give the rotella a try on the next oil change.

The oil filter I've been using is a bigger (porsche 944) sized wix one. I have a bunch of them in a box and I've been changing them every oil change.

The air filter is currently a K&N reusable one. I am waiting on a certain intake to be made, then I'll be switching to whatever cone filter comes with it. The AC Delco one, I'll use in my black car. Are they sold at autozone/advance? Perhaps under a different brand name?

I got my filter off of Amazon (A975C). I would be more concerned about the dirt that K&N filter is letting into your engine, and it getting trapped in the engine oil, than the oil you are using. Did you see the oil and air filter studies I posted some time ago?

[Conn SVX]

They trap less air and also less dirt . You can't do both. Let in more air and not let in more dirt. I ran a 273 dodge Dart GT back in the day with no air cleaner . ( sounded mean when the 4 barrel kicked in ). BUT after only 60,000 miles I rebuilt the motor and when I went to push the pistons out the pistons flew out of the motor. The bore was bigger and the rings were shot . No compression.

[icingdeath88]

Originally Posted by Huskymaniac

I got my filter off of Amazon (A975C). I would be more concerned about the dirt that K&N filter is letting into your engine, and it getting trapped in the engine oil, than the oil you are using. Did you see the oil and air filter studies I posted some time ago?

Haha, I just ordered one from there. I did see them, but the K&N filters weren't discussed at the time. Honestly, having looked at the actual filter, it seemed to do a fine job. But the blue car, I'm going to be building an engine for soon, so I'm not terribly concerned. The black car can be a little short of breath if it means that it will last longer.

[LetItSnow]

Originally Posted by Huskymaniac

I got my filter off of Amazon (A975C). I would be more concerned about the dirt that K&N filter is letting into your engine, and it getting trapped in the engine oil, than the oil you are using. Did you see the oil and air filter studies I posted some time ago?

I did, and I did some math to find out how much dirt that actually is. It's not enough to talk about.

Legitimate question: Have you ever found a quarter pound of dirt in your airbox?

[Huskymaniac]

Originally Posted by LetItSnow

I did, and I did some math to find out how much dirt that actually is. It's not enough to talk about.

Legitimate question: Have you ever found a quarter pound of dirt in your airbox?

The thing is, it doesn't take a quarter pound of dirt to do significant damage and especially over a long period of time.

On the subject of air flow, the restriction caused by a high quality filter like the AC Delco is insignificant compared to other sources of air restriction. Moving to a filter like the K&N makes little difference to HP so why even take the chance of letting more dirt into the engine?

People have done an oil analysis after switching to the K&N as well as other filters like it and they found a spike in silica in the oil. It isn't worth the HP unless you are racing and every HP counts. And even then, I think most racing teams assume that there will be very little dust kicked up and into the engine during a race.