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Old Oct 9, 2012 | 03:33 PM
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Default valve train, engine oil grade gurus

The valvetrain in my car is noisy like everyones else, and amplified by long tubes. From 91 degrees>180 gegrees the engine is somewhat quiet when running 0w40. After 180-235 degrees the engine valvetrain noise was real loud.

i decided to try 15w50 Mobil one. One reason is texas temps, second was the possibility of quieting the valvetrain down. It takes a lot longer to get to 230-5 degrees but now the valve train after 180 degrees is louder than with the 0w40.

High volume oil pump.

any ideas?
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Old Oct 9, 2012 | 04:48 PM
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First of all, my valvetrain is perfectly quiet, so I'm not sure to what you are referring.

Second, I'm not sure that I understand why you are using the heavy 40 and 50 weight oils. Does your complaint persist with the recommended 5w30?

My aforementioned quiet valvetrain has always been fed Mobil 1 5w30 and I am also located in the Houston area.

As an aside, you may find the tutorial on the relationships between temperature & viscosity as well as pressure & flow, which is located on the "Bob Is The oil Guy" site, to be of interest.
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Old Oct 9, 2012 | 04:54 PM
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Originally Posted by Tron Z
First of all, my valvetrain is perfectly quiet, so I'm not sure to what you are referring.

Second, I'm not sure that I understand why you are using the heavy 40 and 50 weight oils. Does your complaint persist with the recommended 5w30?

My aforementioned quiet valvetrain has always been fed Mobil 1 5w30 and I am also located in the Houston area.

As an aside, you may find the tutorial on the relationships between temperature & viscosity as well as pressure & flow, which is located on the "Bob Is The oil Guy" site, to be of interest.
.....and what modifications have been done to your engine?
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Old Oct 9, 2012 | 05:02 PM
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I love these threads...

My only contribution to this thread is to say that, IMHO, if all you're doing is driving your stock vette normally on the street there's no need to deviate from factory recommended weight.
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Old Oct 9, 2012 | 05:03 PM
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That was my question. My 00 has new heads, TSP 228R cam, and PRC dual springs. the install was done by lashway motorsports and they had to custom order pushrods to make sure that they got the right length. that being said, noisy.
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Old Oct 9, 2012 | 05:10 PM
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Yup same with mine especially after the LT install. The valve train is noisy in these cars but when you add LT's they amplify. I was also wondering what can be done to quiet them down.
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Old Oct 9, 2012 | 05:26 PM
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Mine got noisier with headers, noisier still with the cam and then the FAST really made it louder. The stock GM parts did a pretty effective job of muffling any internal noise. My car is not as quiet as stock, but there are no sounds that indicate a mechanical issue.

If you have something wrong with the car, then it might be of concern. 50W oil is pretty thick for a stock bottom end. Have you considered a 30W that is closer to the upper end of the range?
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Old Oct 9, 2012 | 05:36 PM
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Without a doubt, the LTs will resonate and magnify valvetrain noises, while conventional exhaust manifolds tend to muffle these noises. Let's face it, they make one hell of a racket and they are not for everyone.

Noisy headers are normal, typical and characteristic and are not indicitive of a valvetrain issue. It is not clear to me, however, if the OP is concerned about noises emanating from his primary tubes, or from his valve covers.
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Old Oct 9, 2012 | 05:45 PM
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15-50 is suggested for supercharged engines. dont drag but definately play hard. just didnt make any sense why it would get louder after going to the heavier weight at the same temps as 5w30, 0w40. engine oil pressure is fine.

and yes it is stroked not stock, but not a heavy cam, and runs fine.

ill just live with it. the noise is from the underside from the exhaust/headers. no knocking, just valvetrain ticking.

Last edited by dadsturn; Oct 9, 2012 at 05:48 PM.
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Old Oct 9, 2012 | 05:48 PM
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Originally Posted by dadsturn
15-50 is suggested for supercharged engines.
Holy mackerel......I'm using the wrong oil
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Old Oct 9, 2012 | 05:55 PM
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Originally Posted by lucky131969
Holy mackerel......I'm using the wrong oil
Too funny!!!

I don't have a PhD in Internet Engineering, but common sense would suggest that if the engine got noisier with 50 weight oil, then that oil just might be a little too viscous to properly lubricate the engine. Listen to your engine. It's trying to tell you something.
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