Don O.

This has been probally done before but I need to get a straight answer. I have a cammed up 03 ZO6 which i am taking to Sebring for some fun. I run Mobil-1 5w-30 on the street. What do do recommend for the track both brand and weight and who does the half a quart or one quart extra or no extra oil at all?

Thanks,

Don

AU N EGL

5-w30 is fine for occational track use. Just change it right after the event, Dont let the oil get above 25-260* which in most cases is the max

Now if your car is a track only car, then 10-w40 to 15-w50 oils.
add a FULL extra quart to help in those high speed sebring sweeping corners.

Good Luck and have fun

ghoffman

I don't ever use thicker oils. I run Royal Purple #21 Synthetic racing (like a 5x30) in my C6Z all year.

VetteDrmr

M1 10w-30 year round, running 1 qt. over. I don't bother removing the extra after the day is done, either (if it doesn't cause a problem at 6k rpm, why would it at 1500?).

HTH, and have a good one,
Mike

John Shiels

Now you have all different opinions. I have run 10/30 Mobil 1 and went to 15/50 this year. No need to change oil after every event at all in my opinion. I had my oil tested when it had 1500 miles on it. The said it would be fine for 2500 miles. All my miles are track only and hard. The temps don't go over 250 on the oil so it may vary of you run your oil to 300. Get it tested and you know for sure. They also tell you how you engine is wearing. Mine had exceptionally low wear. 30 bucks and you know what you engine and oil is doing. I use Blackstone Labs.

Bob 33

I, too, have heard many opinions about oils and temp tolerance. I run Mobil 1 5/30 for street and periodic track events, but recently installed a Dewitt combo rad/oc to keep temps down, since I often get 305 degrees after 10-12 min on the track. However impressive the properties of Mobil 1, it does seem that lower temps are better than very high ones. This being said, I was told by some of the test folks at GM who developed the C5 that they ran 340 degree oil temp all of the time, without problems, and would be more concerned with high transmission than oil temps. Go figure?

Bob 33

hisvett

I'm going to open a can of organic mulch and ask some of you top dogs to read a bit of this link. I know it's novel but it does seem to hold some water. I haven't changed my mind and gone to the thiner oil.....yet, but I am thinking about it.


http://63.240.161.99/motoroil

Let me know what you think.

larryfs

you can run the oil temp right up to 320 F no problem at all.
GM designs it that way, and only then will the warning message come on.

This is the first I heard of 340, but I believe mobile 1 can handle it.
especially since the GM design point must have some tolerance, and some saftey factor.

but if it's your first time out, highly unlikely you'll be using the motor to it's potential.

John Shiels

340 they are crazy what temp is the motor? In NASCAR they like 197 I heard and another winning racer here tells me he is at 207 and would like to be slighty lower. Ever do a dyno run and watch temps affect power? My car before coolers seemed to just drop off as it got hot in power. Ask GM if they will warranty my motor if I run it at the track at 340

Ojustracing

The issue with the Mobil one is that it rather quickly sheers down to 20weight oil. Unless you do Oil analysis on your motor you really dont know what is going on. I personally run Kendall oil 5/40. I had the Mobil one tested also and the wear number were about 3 times worse with Mobil 1 under the same conditons.

But with that said most will never have an issue. So to each his own.

John

John Shiels

Key is test why guess!

Bob 33

I voted with my wallet and bought an oil cooler. I, too, was surprised by the 340 figure (actually, "should be ok if not over 330-340, temps we regularly saw in testing") and I am just passing it along. Folks on this Forum will be familiar with the source of this info, but I won't mention the name without permission. I was just as surprised by this person's comment that he would be more worried about tranny temps and installing a cooler there. The only place I get tranny overheat warnings is at WG. My slow driving on the track may be preserving my motor and drive train!

Bob 33

John Shiels

Those test folks don't have to worry if their motor pops

John Shiels

read some will read it all

silverz06vette

Sorry but I have to call on the mobil 1 breaking down.

Look at this thread about my old 01 Z06. go to post #19 in that thread for the oil ananysis on 5w-30. 5-7k miles and 2-3 trackdays, they tell me I could of ran it more.

Sidney004

I agree that oil analysis is an important tool in finding an optimal oil and viscosity for an engine. I use www.dysonanalysis.com for interpretation. Terry Dyson is an excellent tribologist. As for my 2 cents worth, I think Mobil 1 5W-30 or Redline 10w-30 is an excellent starting point to get a baseline oil analysis and tweak it from there. I have settled on Redline 10w-40 on a 66K mile LT1 after interpreting my oil analysis thru Terry Dyson. I have reduced my wear metals and oil temps(from 305F to 295F under similar conditions) by switching from 10w-30 to 10w-40 Redline.

VetteDrmr

I would expect them to be measuring that temperature right at the bearings (being test folk and all). Regardless of "viscosity breakdown" between brands (there's a useless argument ), oil viscosity is proportional to temperature. Bearing oil temps have to be significantly higher than that measured at the filter (which is close to where the LS-1 temp sensor is).

As JS and others have mentioned, get your oil analyzed if you're concerned about it. Blackstone charges $20 and gives you great info. Helped me find a small coolant leak through an intake manifold gasket on my old '96 Crown Vic (yes, I'm brand-tolerant ). Got the problem fixed before metal wear counts started heading north.

HTH, and have a good one,
Mike

gonzalezfj

John, consider this: GM Powertrain Division could have set the oil high-temp alarm in the Vette at whatever value they wanted. After considerable thought (we would hope) they chose 320 degrees. It follows that they have confidence that no engine damage will occur below this value.

Can anyone point out any flaws on the above?

Frank Gonzalez

Ojustracing

Just because Chevy say's they recomend mobil one doenst mean that its is the 100% best oil for the aplication. You can move around to differnet brand/weight of oil and get better wear numbers!!! PERIOD!!! Less wear number mean better engine life.

As you can see most people that have taking the time to have there oil checked dont run mobil 1 5-30. To everyone that know what Im talking about. I think everyone should use GC 0-30

John

Sidney004

He is right. German Castrol 0W-30 has been showing outstanding results in LSX engines(and everything else!)