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I've been using T6 in my track Mustang and C5Z for nearly 10 years....the 5W-40 diesel oil version. Works great in giant diesel engines putting out 600 hp and 2000 ft/lbs of torque while hauling 80k pounds in every climate. I figure a 400 hp motor won't stress the product too much.
But the reality is even the cheapest 7-11 branded convenience store motor oil will work great in our factory based LS motors....the reality is the type of oil is not the issue, it's the lack of oil that causes catastrophic failure. You can have the most expensive motor oil in the world and your motor will instantly fail if there is a lack of oil under load. Everyone is worried about oil pressure, what really matters is oil volume. Lack of oil volume shows up as no oil pressure but by the time this registers it's too late.
Thanks for clarifying t6.
I understand what you are saying about other oils and they would work find for basic street use. I certainly wouldn't run it for track but that's just me.
I've heard of folks adding Oatmeal or Cream of Wheat to their oil to really quiet down the lifters and piston slap....does a great job....can't even hear their engines run! I think I'll stick with good ole Mobil One 5W-30 that's on the oil filler cap.
Oatmeal and Cream of Wheat? Really? That's a new one on me. I've heard of sawdust in noisy rear ends, but never this. Only thing my engines ever ate were a couple of cam lobes!!!
Looking to use Castrol 0w40 as an all around track day/ daily oil? Saw temps of ~280 last event on 5w30 Castrol.
Anyone using this oil?
what castrol oil do you have in mind? castrol edge a3/b4 (467465)? that is a good, average, synthetic. base stock is pao with a hths of 3.7 (@150°c). i would not use that oil for a trackday application, however. the large spread usually makes viscosity improvers shear down fast (→loss of viscosity) and hths of 3.7 is not that great to start with either. i see no reason to run a 0w in a sporst car that very probably is garaged. also its an oil you get for $4 on sale. i dont mind paying $20 for my track oil, but maybe thats just me.
if you were asking about going from a 30 to a 40 grade, there will be absolutely no difference. remember: heating the oil by about 30°f takes you to the next lower sae grade (e.g 40→30) and kinematic viscosity is nothing the engine really sees anyway (as opposed to hths).
this is the "fluid titanium technology" variety having FeTiO3 in it (from oil-club.ru).
Last edited by romandian; Jul 5, 2022 at 09:34 AM.
Some FOLKS have rides that cannot do whim oils, specs are specs. We not in the 70's any longer.
Sorry but I'm not trying to get you to change oil brands but I'm only offering advice and my experience to the OP based on his need and not yours. OP, you will have better luck in the autocross section as most Corvette owners use the recommended factory oil.
Oatmeal and Cream of Wheat? Really? That's a new one on me. I've heard of sawdust in noisy rear ends, but never this. Only thing my engines ever ate were a couple of cam lobes!!!
the designation written on the oil cap 20 years ago refers to other standards and other tehnology. even if you were to find an sj rated 0w-30 oil, it will have a totally differen formulation, because the "ingredients" are products not available any more. what do we know about this oil back then? was it at least fully synthetic (group iv/v, pao/ester base stock)?
if the oil is used at a 100° higher temp than in "regular street conditions" (around 200°f) the viscosity has to be adjusted. maybe look at what the manufacturer recommends for track use on "track ready cars". and dont forget the factory fill and recommendations are to a large extend influenced by environmental and fuel saving considerations.
edit: oh, and please dont fall into the approval trap. the world used to be simple, e.g. sg offered better protection than then se, sh was beter still as technology advanced. not anymore. the latest (sn, sp) certifications are more concerned with economy (up to +40%, e.g. gf-5→gf-6), long life, emissions, ethanol compatibility, direct injection compatibility (lspi) etc. the best "boutique oils" often dont have the approvals, because the oil quality they offer and the newest standards are exclusive (→limits on anti wear additives/zinc).
Last edited by romandian; Jul 6, 2022 at 01:15 AM.
I think I'll stick with good ole Mobil One 5W-30 that's on the oil filler cap.
You mean the new version that's no longer the same as what GM specified, or did you hoard a bunch of the proper original before it changed?
There's always someone who acts like its insulting not to run what GM put on the cap seemingly without a clue that the blend changed, or that it was a marketing deal with Mobil.
You mean the new version that's no longer the same as what GM specified, or did you hoard a bunch of the proper original before it changed?
There's always someone who acts like its insulting not to run what GM put on the cap seemingly without a clue that the blend changed, or that it was a marketing deal with Mobil.
I think you are insinuating the "new version" is not a good as the "old version".....? Check out the most popular factory oil brand in the new, most modern super expensive sports and every day street vehicles, even if private labeled ...!
I think you are insinuating the "new version" is not a good as the "old version".....? Check out the most popular factory oil brand in the new, most modern super expensive sports and every day street vehicles, even if private labeled ...!
Whatever, it's a different oil than what is specified for the LS1 and the oil cap being marked Mobil is because Mobil more or less pays GM to have their name on the oil cap. You actually believe they chose the best oil with no regard to price? Mobil is used because it will work AND make GM the most money.
I believe the high mile oil is still a closer match to the oil spec for the LS1 if actually matching the oil to the oil spec for the engine is of concern. Otherwise, run whatever other oil spec you want but don't post insinuating insults towards others because they don't use Mobil.
For track use, I would probably run Amsoil. I know a few amateur racers and it's a rather popular oil at the track. For street use, I mostly run Euro 0W40, usually Pennzoil or Mobil when it's on sale but I've reached the point I think buying Amsoil direct might just be cheaper and shipped right to my door would be easier too.
Whatever, it's a different oil than what is specified for the LS1 and the oil cap being marked Mobil is because Mobil more or less pays GM to have their name on the oil cap. You actually believe they chose the best oil with no regard to price? Mobil is used because it will work AND make GM the most money.
I believe the high mile oil is still a closer match to the oil spec for the LS1 if actually matching the oil to the oil spec for the engine is of concern. Otherwise, run whatever other oil spec you want but don't post insinuating insults towards others because they don't use Mobil.
For track use, I would probably run Amsoil. I know a few amateur racers and it's a rather popular oil at the track. For street use, I mostly run Euro 0W40, usually Pennzoil or Mobil when it's on sale but I've reached the point I think buying Amsoil direct might just be cheaper and shipped right to my door would be easier too.
Even though I run Mobil 1 0w-40, I've never heard of anyone complaining about Amsoil quality, so I tend to agree with you. As for shipping to my door, if gasoline prices continue in the $5.50-$6.00 range, you make a good point on that, too. With the inflation and current fuel prices, I think many of us are rethinking the ways we've done things in the past, and ways we'll be doing things going forward. We've done many things through time that now seem questionable, so our ways of doing many things are changing rapidly.....
Last edited by grinder11; Jul 12, 2022 at 03:16 PM.
Getting back to the OP question, the C5 factory fill for street use is 5w-30. But the factory engineers also recommended for track use that you switch to 15w-50 (and over fill the sump by 1 quart). The reason for the switching to a heavy weight oil is of course as noted above the fact that without an oil cooler, the oil temps at the track will be appreciably high than on the street and as the oil temperatures increase the oil viscosity effectively "thins out". Oil temps at the track with a C5 without an oil cooler kit can reach as high as 280-300F or more, so that would justify the switch from the 30 to a 50 weight oil. Based on this, without the use of an oil cooler kit, I would not recommend using 0w-40 at the track in a C5. If you have an oil cooler kit, maybe you can get away with using 0w-40 at the track. But if you see oil temps above 280F, then I would stick with the engineer's recommendations of switching to 15w-50.
I find the below chart very useful. With continuous oil temperature rising above 220F you can see that you have to step up at from say a 30 to 40 weight. Keep in mind as a point of reference that with the C7 the engineers retroactively made the switch from 5w-30 to 0w-40 for general and track use with the LT1 engine. But with the (IIRC) LT4 in the Z06 and definitely with the LT5 in the ZR1, they still recommend the switch to 15w-50 for track usage.
Personally with the forged short block in my car, the engine builder set it up with slightly wider the stock bearing clearances, so I need to run 15w-50 all the time. To keep oil temperatures under control and with in the correct range, I also installed an oil cooler kit with a 200F degree thermostatically controlled bypass adapter from Improved Racing. This setup both keeps the heavier weight oil warmed up to where is needs to be when driving on the street, as well as under control at the track.
I love how "can I use THIS SPECIFIC OIL in my car" has turned into "everyone give me your generic opinions on oil."
Oil in cars is the ultimate bikeshed problem. Ask about a cam profile for a 383 designed for high RPM endurance racing best matched to 4.07 gears and mated to a sequential manual, the response is usually "ask your favorite cam manufacturer or speed shop." Ask about Castrol? Everyone comes piling out of the woodwork, often with information from 1973.
You crack me up!