I'm a Oil Junkie

[Sarge]

I used 0-30 before the stroker motor...when we had the LS1 in it...it performed well...but had a tick higher wear metals in the UOA's....nothing big though....with the stroker I use Royal Purple 10-40...cuz it is great oil and I get it free from NAPA (thank you sponsors)....you said you had a LPE Stroker motor and I am familiar with their bearing clearances/tolerances and recommend a 20-50 weight oil.....dont confuse a Head/Cammed LS1 with a LPE 383 Stroker motor...I know it is all confusing and folks keep waiting for the "best oil" and "best weight" of oil and it aint ever gonna come....you have to tune your oil just like you do your A/F....

[tonyjnjz]

ahhhhhh yes..thank u for clearing that up for me.....is that a bad thing there bearing clearances are wider and therefore need a thicker motor oil? Sooo much to learn.....its a good thing i get to play on this site all day at work and absorb as much as possible

[Sarge]

No...various motors utilize various bearings and components for varying purposes....having crank bearings at .0001 or .0003 doesnt make one better or worse than the other...

[02z28ls1]

http://www.chevron.com/products/prod.../docs/ebot.pdf Here's an interesting document that helps explain some of what is going on with motor oils recently -if anyone's interested. If it gives you a headache just skip down to the last paragraph where it gets summed up. Realizing that there is some controversy on PAO's and Group 3 oils , but this helps explain some of what's going on. It's interesting what they have to say about the evolution of motor oils.

[Sarge]

Good read and good post man. Yup...Dino oils are on par (so close you would never tell the difference in a motor) to synthetics due the new generations of Group II and Group III basestocks. Add the fact these now superior basestocks are much cheaper than PAO basestocks and voila! You now see Group III basestocks in Mobil1 and others. What does all this mean? It means the high cost of synthetics is getting really really really tough to justify over Dino oil. If not impossible.

[Banshee1967]

If anyone is interested, There is a guy on Ebay selling Mobil 1 M-107 filters by the case of 6 at $39. The M-107's sell here for $10.99 so if the shipping is decent, may be worth a look.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...MakeTrack=true

[2000M6SS]

So what would be the best bet for a stock internal LS1 with 76k DD but wrung out occasionally (few/several times a week but for just a gear or two usually)? Best bet for the dollar?

Also, currently best make of oil filter? Again, for the dollar.



I just bought the car (00' SS M6) recently and am very new to paying attention to oil like this.

Did go ahead and pay the big bucks for Royal Purp. XPR 10w40, RP Synchromax, and RP 85w140 gear oil. It is all waiting to go in finally this weekend. Oh, also splurged for an Amsoil Ea064 oil filter, and their air filter. I've never ever spent this much for fluids before, but I really like the new car and figured I'd see what all the hype was about finally. Again, all hopefully going in this coming weekend. But, I am looking for cheaper alternatives (a compromise) as I don't know that I'll be able to afford the RP engine oil each time or that expensive of an oil filter. Maybe, but would sure like to not feel the need.


Like the sounds of the Amsoil oils, but again.......dollars like the RP.

[Sarge]

So what would be the best bet for a stock internal LS1 with 76k DD but wrung out occasionally (few/several times a week but for just a gear or two usually)? Best bet for the dollar?

Also, currently best make of oil filter? Again, for the dollar.



I just bought the car (00' SS M6) recently and am very new to paying attention to oil like this.

Did go ahead and pay the big bucks for Royal Purp. XPR 10w40, RP Synchromax, and RP 85w140 gear oil. It is all waiting to go in finally this weekend. Oh, also splurged for an Amsoil Ea064 oil filter, and their air filter. I've never ever spent this much for fluids before, but I really like the new car and figured I'd see what all the hype was about finally. Again, all hopefully going in this coming weekend. But, I am looking for cheaper alternatives (a compromise) as I don't know that I'll be able to afford the RP engine oil each time or that expensive of an oil filter. Maybe, but would sure like to not feel the need.


Like the sounds of the Amsoil oils, but again.......dollars like the RP.

If your changing your oil every 3-5K or 6 months then Castrol GTX and AC Delco filters will provide you with all you will ever need. I'd utilize Lube Control or Auto RX to this mix and your golden man.
A good synthetic (whatever that is anymore) and bang for the buck is hands down Pennzoil Platinum.....$3.99 a quart and on par with RedLine/RP/Amsoil for half the price. Outstanding add packs. Also VP is selling really great synthetics (100% Ester Synthetic) for around $3-$4 bucks a quart and I really like the UOA/VOA of that stuff.....great value in PP or VP. Here is the VP 5-30 Synthetic....as you can see it is $44 a case plus shipping.....not bad at all.....let the price wars begin!!!!!
http://www.vpracingfuels.com/RS530.html
LubeControl http://www.lubecontrol.com/
AutoRX http://www.auto-rx.com/index.html
The real "trick" to superior lubrication isn't the oil but a clean engine. I highly recommend Lube Control or AutoRX to anybody and everybody regardless of what brand of oil or molecular makeup one is utilizing.

[2000M6SS]

Thanks much for the links Sarge, interesting products/info.

Think I'll give the Auto RX a try.

One thing I found interesting about the Auto RX was its supposed ability to stop oil leaks (rear main). Wonder (curious) about that as my LS1 has some rear main leakage with 76k on it, and unfortunately so does a 5000 mile fresh stout 351 windsor I have in a Bronco. I'm thinking the rear main leaks between the two are likely for two different reasons on my vehicles. Thinking on my LS1 it would be normal seal wear due to mileage and then on my Windsor maybe improper seal installation or surface finish, but....... and neither seem to be too bad.

So, after a quick browse of the Auto RX site it would seem I should use dino oil in both my vehicles if I'm useing the RX. Any thoughts on that with the RX?

Also, I know its been asked, but I never seem to be clear on the viscosity requirements. I've honestly always had a tendency to run 20W50 in my oldschool muscle cars that I've owned and really anything else. I'm in AZ, but do go to the mountains where it gets down to 0 F on occasion in the winter. Did 20W50 on the LS1 on my first change simply from habit, then didn't leave it in very long and went to 10W40 Syn. Blend GTX.

Really really would appreciate some input on the viscosity I should be useing for both of my vehicles, and year round or seasonal, or change if I know I'm going to be going up north???? Really always felt like I might be off on the always 20W50 thing in the past, and I realize the LS1's from reading apparently have tighter bearing clearances hence my quick switch to 10W40. Feels like we are finally going to be feeling winter here in AZ shortly so that adds to my interest.

[2000M6SS]

Did a little more reading via google search.

Sounds like with my LS1 and the mileage I should likely stay with a 40 weight. The question being on the 0, 10, or 15W.

Then on my Windsor since it has looser bearing clearances should likely stay with a 50 weight, and again the question just being on the cold startup W viscosity.

Wonder if I got that right at all.

[Sarge]

Thanks much for the links Sarge, interesting products/info.

Think I'll give the Auto RX a try.

One thing I found interesting about the Auto RX was its supposed ability to stop oil leaks (rear main). Wonder (curious) about that as my LS1 has some rear main leakage with 76k on it, and unfortunately so does a 5000 mile fresh stout 351 windsor I have in a Bronco. I'm thinking the rear main leaks between the two are likely for two different reasons on my vehicles. Thinking on my LS1 it would be normal seal wear due to mileage and then on my Windsor maybe improper seal installation or surface finish, but....... and neither seem to be too bad.

So, after a quick browse of the Auto RX site it would seem I should use dino oil in both my vehicles if I'm useing the RX. Any thoughts on that with the RX?

Also, I know its been asked, but I never seem to be clear on the viscosity requirements. I've honestly always had a tendency to run 20W50 in my oldschool muscle cars that I've owned and really anything else. I'm in AZ, but do go to the mountains where it gets down to 0 F on occasion in the winter. Did 20W50 on the LS1 on my first change simply from habit, then didn't leave it in very long and went to 10W40 Syn. Blend GTX.

Really really would appreciate some input on the viscosity I should be useing for both of my vehicles, and year round or seasonal, or change if I know I'm going to be going up north???? Really always felt like I might be off on the always 20W50 thing in the past, and I realize the LS1's from reading apparently have tighter bearing clearances hence my quick switch to 10W40. Feels like we are finally going to be feeling winter here in AZ shortly so that adds to my interest.

The 351 will do well with a 20-50 or a 10-40 either one...the LS1 I'd keep a 10-40 in it for sure. AutoRX cleans with dino oil ( I use Castrol GTX 10-40) as the synthetics keep the AUTO RX from reaching the affected or dirty areas to clean them due the add packs found in most synthetics "suspend" the Auto RX.....after the clean and rinse phases you can go back to synthetics if you wish no problems...

[2000M6SS]

Cool, thanks a bunch Sarge.

Another thing I was wondering about was if the 0W's and 5W's etc. are going to help with lubrication on startup then why wouldn't a person always in my case want to run like an 0W40 or 5W40???? If such an animal exists in a decent oil. Wouldn't that be the best protection all around? If viscosity was everything that is.

[Sarge]

Well many brands utilize poor viscosity enhancers that allow thinning of the oil after a short time ( Mobil1)......but yes.....a 5w or 0w reaches critical parts quicker on start up where 90% of your wear occurs......I like Castrol 0-30 or Amsoil 0-30 for the 30 weights....or Pennzoil Platinum 5-40 (hard to find but I ordered 2 cases) Royal Purple is also very good at start up in the 10-40 or 30 weights.........Dino oils like Castrol GTX 5-30 or 10-40 is also excellent for start up flow.....
Your after the thinnest oil you can get away with and still manage wear....see film thickness at op temps.....

[2000M6SS]

Any domestic source for Mainlube 175 Synthetic SAE 10w60 ????

If there is I bet thats not cheap. On the surface sounds like good stuff though. To me, at my oil knowledge level anyways.

[blue02Z]

holy shit, i read this entire thread and i have learned an ass load. thank you, and hats off to Sarge as you are a smart feller. i run amsoil 0-30 now but i think i'm gonna run a little auto rx with the castrol 10-40 and then go back with amsoil and maybe some valvoline oil treatment. and hey Sarge, what do you think about amsoil filters

[Sarge]

Amsoil filters are excellent. Great flow with great filtration. If your gonna do a Auto RX run...then do it right....change the oil and filter. Use Castrol GTX oil....pour the whole bottle of Auto RX in. Run it 1500 miles. Change the oil and filter. This time use Pennzoil Platinum 10-30 or 5-30 for the rinse phase. Run it 2000 miles. Now go back to your regular oil and filter.
A clean engine is an amazing thing. Ring Packs get cleaned up and compression goes up. Seals and such are cleaned up. I've seen leakers and oil burners stop after the clean/rinse phase. Stuff is just excellent with no solvents. I aint smart....just ask my wife.

[blue02Z]

well thanks again Sarge. you are the man, i think i'm gonna auto rx all my vehicles.

[blue02Z]

hey sarge, on the subject of filters, what about delco, k&n , mobile 1, bosch and such.

[Secret Formula]

Hey all, Just bought 6 qt's of Mobil 1 5W-30, and a Mobil 1 filter. I wanted to try Royal Purple, but autozone dosent carry it I guess.

[GatorSS]

You want a real 100% synthetic....killer oil....less than $5 bucks? Here it is.....deal of the century.....
http://www.vpracingfuels.com/RS530.html

Thanks for the tip, Sarge. I just ordered a case.