vettes4fun

which is the best Mobile1 or Red Line? I have read a lot of good on both. and should I use 5w30 or 10w30. I have some what of a mid to wild engine set up.

David426

Both are excellent synthetic oils. The key is doing regular oil changes

C5-BRUCE

Both are very good oils! Unfortunately Redline is not GM approved. Not that it couldn't be, but Redline has not paid the money to obtain the GM rating. Bottom line is it might cause a potential warranty issue, although I doubt anyone can tell what oil is used after draining it out? Not without a chemical analysis?

C5-BRUCE

Sorry, I forgot to respond to your viscosity question. It's probably best to use 10-30 in the summer months and 5-30 in the winter months. But here again there might be a warranty issue as the manual, as well as the oil filler cap (on my 2000) specifies 5-30.

boosted_z06

The color and smell of redline gives it away and new GM rules on oil says the oil now has to be approved by GM and not just make claims it meets their standard plus have the Starburst label.

C5XTASY

I also have been curious about the best weight to use. I believe that the lower the first number, the quicker the oil gets to the moving parts and, therefore, the less wear on them. Of course the other side of the coin is that maybe with a 5 or 10 weight, for the first number, perhaps the oil clings a little better than 0 weight, and would be better for startup. I do know that, with engine work, the tuners kike to use 10W-40 or even 15W-50. Does anyone know why? I've also seen, on this forum, where oil company engineers only use 0W-40 in their own vehicles.
Why did you recommend 10W-30? Just curious what the reasoning was. I'm trying to learn the answers to these same questions. I believe that synthetic oil properties may change some of the thought processes from the old days. Thanks!
Ed

Ikester

Mobile 1 is officially the best. if you dont buy it your not running the best.

C5-BRUCE

You ask a question that has a very long answer. There was a time when I researched things like this, but now I simply archive emails. ... so I don't have to remember. I've been friends with Hib Halverson for a number of years, not trying to be a name dropper but when he says something about our cars/engines, I listen! Below is a short email he wrote a couple of years ago, and also discusses Redline Oil:

Red Line does not meet GM 4718M--actually, it could meet it, but Red Line
chooses not to go the substantial expense to have it certified. There are
synthetics made by smaller oil companies that, also, do not meet GM 4781.
Generally, the mass-marketed synthetics made by large oil companies do
meet the spec.

Additionally, while you won't find it on the oil cap and maybe not in the
owner's book, in the factory service manual both 10W30 and 5W30 are
viscosities recommended by GM, except for regular use in extremely cold
weather where it suggests only 5W30.

GM recommends 5W30 because its vehicles get the best gas mileage while
using it. 5W30 oil is part of how GM and other car companies meet the
CAFE requirements.

As to why a 10W30 synthetic over a 5W30? the 5W30s have more VI improvers
and less oil base stocks than do 10W30s, thus, for the ultimate in
lubrication at high temperature, the 10W30 is a better choice.

As to why Red Line instead of Mobil 1....Red Line uses ester base stocks
and M1 uses synthesized hydrocarbon base stocks. Both are good synthetic
oils but, Red Line is just a bit better and a wiser choice if the
ultimate in high-temperature lubrication is desired during aggressive use
of your Corvette. If you don't race and you don't run your car hard on a
regular basis, the expense of Red Line might not be necessary, but if you
use Mobil 1, at least use the 10W30 rather than the 5W30.

H. Halverson
Technical Writer
Content supplier to
automotive Internet and print media

gfunk

http://www.1st-in-synthetics.com/letters2.htm

sprinter

I always use Mobil 1. The deciding factor was a guy who tore down his Camaro LS1 over at LS1tech.com at 80,000miles and from the photos, it looked like it was assembled the day before... and hone marks still on the bores!

STAGED

Nothing beats experience and field reports from the public. Mobil 1 has tremendous afflilation with motorsports and various OEMs and hence lots of validation data to analyze.

John Shiels

I did 1500 ALL track miles on 10/30 Mobil. I had the oil analyized and they told me go to 2500 which I thought was good.

George8211

What differance does it make ??

Either way, you will probably throw out the oil before you've used
even 25% of it's life (just like everyone else does).

George8211

Oil isn't what wears down todays motors... its the dirt that gets in the oil. I would chalk that up to air and oil filter maintenance. Good engineering that keeps the oil where it's needed, the pump to keep up the pressure.

I haven't heard of an engine coming apart because of 'worn out' oil in years.

vettes4fun

Thanks guys! I will stay with Mobile1

darkmercury

ummmm... ROYAL PURPLE!!!!

Good stuff and it meets all the GM requirements!

FKING1

It's what I use.
Fred

diviniti

SLPRC5

I use Castrol Syntec 10W30 it has the same GM number (GM 4718M).
Also I use K&N oil filter #1007.

Mike Mercury

Sprinter;

weren't you the guy that claimed the C6 Z06 would have a Carbon Fiber front bumper" ?