OIL!

[AB'sLs1]

Hey guys i was just wondering what kind of oil you guys would recommend? its a slightly modded ls1 and i live in P.A. it doesnt get below 10% and it doesnt go higher then 100%. any opinions would be nice the oil change is coming soon.

[emoFTW]

well im gonna tell u this before anybody else does SEARCH. it wouldve really helped u out, and wouldve answered all the questions for u.

but anyways... its mainly preference, but a lot of people do like to run synthetic fluid. I personally run mobile1 or amsoil, but mostly mobile1 because its cheaper than amsoil, and i also use a mobile1 oil filter.

[AB'sLs1]

thanks i viewed a sticky on this site but it didnt help me. i think im really just trying to figure out what oil weight i should use?

[emoFTW]

well i use the oem weight of 5w-30, but in cold times like these i have been always told to use 10w-30. well thats what i do at least

[AB'sLs1]

alright thanks cuz when i read the sicky the guys where useing o-30 and just oil weights that i didnt even know existed

[Wesman]

I reccommend any quality brand name synthetic oil.

Valvoline Synpower, Mobil 1, Castrol Syntec, Amsoil, ect. are all excellent and will provide you engine with much higher protection than regular oil can offer.

[Wesman]

well i use the oem weight of 5w-30, but in cold times like these i have been always told to use 10w-30. well thats what i do at least

Actually its the opposite

Preferably ou want to use 10W-30 in the summer, when its warmer, and 5W-30 in the winter. The first number indicates the cold viscosity of the oil, so you want to have a less viscous oil in the winter on startup, so the oil circulates through the motor to critical parts more quickly. In the summer, the numerically higher 10W-30 prevents the oil from becomming to thin when its hot.

However, both oils are (W) rated (10W-30), so both can safely be used in winter time, thats what the "W" actually means.

If you're running synthetic, thats even better. I just run Mobil 1 EP 10W-30 year round

[BJDahlke]

Use Gibbs Racing Oil, It's the best! $125 a case though

[AB'sLs1]

thanks wesman that was really helpful information anyother info u can give me would be much appreciated. i read the oil junkies sticky and some of that stuff was beyond way to indepth for me i know little when it comes to oil

[Wesman]

thanks wesman that was really helpful information anyother info u can give me would be much appreciated. i read the oil junkies sticky and some of that stuff was beyond way to indepth for me i know little when it comes to oil

No prob.

Like I said, basically the first number indicates the cold viscosity, the "W" means its suitable for winter use, and the second number indicates the oil's viscosity when its hot.

So a 5W-40 oil will be a viscosity of a 5 weight oil when its cold, and as the engine reaches operating temperature, it will act like an oil with a viscosity rating of 30 when it becomes hot. This provides cold start protection as well as good oil pressure and hydrodynamic lubrication when the engine is at operating temperatures.

Higher viscosity ranges can only be achieved with synthetic oils, so if you see an oil with a range of 0W-30, 0W-40, or 5W-40, ect., you can be sure its a synthetic based oil.

Synthetic provides much better protection at all operating temps and under all conditions, its also flows much better when cold (Mobil 1 will pour out of the bottle at -57 degrees F) and it won't break down from higher temps like regular oil will. It also provides less friction for rotating parts, meaning less wear, especially on startup, more power, and better fuel economy. Basically you can't go wrong with a good synthetic oil

[AB'sLs1]

alright so if we would take 0w-30 that would have a really thin cold start up? cant that be to thin?

[TransAm11973]

its not that the oil is any "thinner" it just doesnt "harden" as much as it gets colder so it flows better on cod starts...but you need to do your research on the 0w-30 b/c they usually tend to shear a bit more than the 5w and 10w-30......personally I use Amsoil everything oil, filter, etc.....Amsoil 5w-30 full synth in winter and 10w-30 full synth in winter.........i just did an amsoil engine flush and intake manifold etc foam about 1500 miles ago....along with oil flushing after that.......so far the oil is as clear as it was when I put it in.......

[AB'sLs1]

hey thanks for the info also what do u guys think of that engine restoration stuff you can buy in a tube at advanced auto? it says it "restores" your engine and idk how much i believe that and i wanna know what some of you guys have to say about that stuff

[blue02Z]

its not that the oil is any "thinner" it just doesnt "harden" as much as it gets colder so it flows better on cod starts...but you need to do your research on the 0w-30 b/c they usually tend to shear a bit more than the 5w and 10w-30......personally I use Amsoil everything oil, filter, etc.....Amsoil 5w-30 full synth in winter and 10w-30 full synth in winter.........i just did an amsoil engine flush and intake manifold etc foam about 1500 miles ago....along with oil flushing after that.......so far the oil is as clear as it was when I put it in.......

@ harden!!!


you can run 0-30 all year, 5-30 all year, 10-30 all year. if i am not mistaken it has to do with pour points. you'll prolly never reach a temp where you're at that your oil wont pour. wait till good ole sarge gets in here to straighten us out.

also if you dont want to order amsoil just go get some pennz platinum at wally world. cheap and good stuff

[TransAm11973]

@ harden!!!


you can run 0-30 all year, 5-30 all year, 10-30 all year. if i am not mistaken it has to do with pour points. you'll prolly never reach a temp where you're at that your oil wont pour. wait till good ole sarge gets in here to straighten us out.

also if you dont want to order amsoil just go get some pennz platinum at wally world. cheap and good stuff

well thats why "harden" is in quotes....its not the literal meaning of harden.......0w-30 will move in the engine easier than a 10w-30 at cold temps....this is due to the flow rate of the specific oil at a certain temp....go to the amsoil website each oil has all the numbers there for you to see shearing, pour points, etc...0w-30 will get to your engine parts faster than a 10w-30 in cold weather, but like i said 0w seems to shear a bit more than 5w or 10w does according to the test numbers

[CompSyn]

There is still some confusion about motor oil viscosity at various temperatures. For example, a 5W-30 motor oil does not mean that the oil will have a viscosity of 5 when it is cold.

5W does not represent viscosity directly.

5W is just a rating, an SAE rating.

The hotter the motor oil gets, the thinner the viscosity gets.

This means the cooler the motor oil gets, the thicker the viscosity gets.

See illustration below:

Motor Oil Viscosity at Temperature

Amsoil 10W-30 100% Synthetic

Oil Temp:___Cooler <----104F------212F--------302F------>Hotter
Oil Viscosity: Thicker <-----62--------10.7--------3.2---------->Thinner

Amsoil 5W-30 100% Synthetic

Oil Temp:___Cooler <---104F-----212F------- 302F-------->Hotter
Oil Viscosity: Thicker <----59-------10.7---------3.2--------->Thinner

Amsoil 0W-30 100% Synthetic

Oil Temp:___Cooler <----104F---------212F---------302F--->Hotter
Oil Viscosity: Thicker<-----56.6---------10.3-----------3.2--->Thinner


Note: 212F is motor oil operating temperature (note to be misconstrued with engine coolant temperature)

Notice how all three oils used in this example have the SAME viscosity at a temperature of 212F or higher.

Let’s imagine it’s a warm 90 Degree summer day and you’re out driving around. Your motor oil operating temperature is where it should be, 212F. In this condition your motor oil will have the SAME viscosity whether it is a 0W-30, 5W-30, or 10W-30 motor oil.

Notice how all three oils used in this example have a thicker viscosity at temperatures under 212F.

10W-30 has a Viscosity of 62 at 104 Degrees Fahrenheit
5W-30 has a Viscosity of 59 at 104 Degrees Fahrenheit
0W-30 has a Viscosity of 56.6 at 104 Degrees Fahrenheit

Since we know that motor oils thicken as they cool, the oils used in this example will be much thicker at temperatures under 104 Degrees Fahrenheit.

Since the oil manufactures don’t give us the actual numbers, we can only speculate at what the actual viscosities will be at any given temperature under 104 Degrees Fahrenheit.

For a rough estimate at what these oils could look like at 59 Degrees Fahrenheit, I used THIS viscosity calculator to come up with the numbers below.

10W-30 has a Viscosity of 205 at 59 Degrees Fahrenheit
5W-30 has a Viscosity of 186 at 59 Degrees Fahrenheit
0W-30 has a Viscosity of 179 at 59 Degrees Fahrenheit

Using the same calculator lets get a rough estimate of what the same motor oils might look like at 32 Degrees Fahrenheit.

10W-30 has a Viscosity of 523 at 32 Degrees Fahrenheit
5W-30 has a Viscosity of 458 at 32 Degrees Fahrenheit
0W-30 has a Viscosity of 441 at 32 Degrees Fahrenheit

Question: It’s a cold 32 Degree winter morning and you go out to start your car. What oil viscosity would you want in your cars oil pan? 523? 458? Or 441?

Yes! You are correct. That is some thick oil when it is cold. Is it any wonder they say 90% of engine wear happens at cold engine start-up?

When the motor oil is this thick it cannot be pumped as well. Oil pressure will be very high. The oil pump will go into by-pass mode and dump oil back into the oil pan. The engine oil galleys are starved of motor oil. The valve-train is noisy.

Knowing the design motor oil operating viscosity is around 10, I think I’d go with the oil that has a viscosity of 441 because I know it will take less time to thin down to the operating oil viscosity of 10. That means the 0W is the better choice when it is cold outside.

Remember on the warm 90 degree summer day, the 0W-30 had the same viscosity as the 5W-30 and 10W-30.

Just for fun let’s get an estimation of what the oil viscosity will be at the pour point. The motor oil pour point is the very cold temperature at which the oil changes state from a solid and turns to a liquid.

10W-30 pour point = (-)58 Degrees Fahrenheit
5W-30 pour point = (-)58 Degrees Fahrenheit
0W-30 pour point = (-)60 Degrees Fahrenheit

10W-30 Viscosity at pour point temperature of -58 Degrees Fahrenheit = 103,594
5W-30 Viscosity at pour point temperature of -58 Degrees Fahrenheit = 69,671
0W-30 Viscosity at pour point temperature of -60 Degrees Fahrenheit = 80,090


Amsoil 10W-30 100% Synthetic

Oil Temp:____(-)58F--------------------302F------------------->Hotter
Oil Viscosity: 103,594(est)----------------3.2------------------->Thinner

Amsoil 5W-30 100% Synthetic

Oil Temp:_____(-)58F------ --------------302F------------------->Hotter
Oil Viscosity: 69,671(est)-----------------3.2-------------------->Thinner

Amsoil 0W-30 100% Synthetic

Oil Temp:_____(-)60F--------------------302F-------------------->Hotter
Oil Viscosity: 80,090(est)-----------------3.2--------------------->Thinner

See how the motor oil starts out thick and unpourable at very cold temperatures and then thins out to a single digit viscosity at 302F

Read more on motor oil performance variables at this LS1.com thread, Base Oils & Lubricant Performance

[rbob93]

Use Pennzoil Platinum 10W-30 & a quality filter year round.....life CAN be simple

[Tyler_LS1]

I run Amsoil in both the truck and car, and have had great results i also use either their filter or the K&N filter.

[SS02]

I reccommend any quality brand name synthetic oil.

Valvoline Synpower, Mobil 1, Castrol Syntec, Amsoil, ect. are all excellent and will provide you engine with much higher protection than regular oil can offer.

That is also my view. Any SYNTEC... is better then not!!!!!!!!!!!
Here is link for U.
http://www.blackstone-labs.com/which_oil_to_use_.html

[mark21742]

well i use the oem weight of 5w-30, but in cold times like these i have been always told to use 10w-30. well thats what i do at least

+1 I agree I live in southern PA, and ran 5-30w moble 1, just changed my last week. now I'm running castrol sytec 10-30w.
where in PA are you? in just out of Greencastle