Les

I'll be due for an oil change in the spring, and shortly after that I'm planning to do a day at the track- road course track. What I'm hoping to find is an oil that will protect at the track and still be usable for normal driving after that. FYI, I have the Lingenfelter extra capacity tank that increases my capacity from 8 to 11 quarts.

I'm an Amsoil preferred customer, so my pricing for their line is good. A few months ago I talked to one of their techs about what he recommended for the track and he said their Signature 5W/30 was very robust and that was his recommendation. That's my normal street oil but I didn't expect him to recommend it for the track. A buddy who tracks his C6Z disagreed with the advice.

So, from those who track, I'm looking for something that fits my needs if there is such a thing. I like Amsoil but I'm willing to consider other brands- the Mobil ! Euro spec 0W/40 seems to come up a lot. Thoughts? Thanks!

Dan_the_C5_Man

My compromise setup (exactly what you are asking for) is 50% M1 0w 40 and 50% M1 15w 50.

I'm quite confident you'll receive other opinions on this topic.

no0one718

I like Joe Gibbs Driven LS30, Brad Penn, VR1, or Amsoil. The VR1 is the only auto parts store oil I would put in an LS7, or any high quality, high performance engine for that matter.

What it all boils down to is the oil's tendency to break down under heat, and the zinc content. A lot of people say things like "Run Mobil 1, because it's the best...it's what ferrari uses!" Not realizing the big box brand's 5w-30 blend of today is a lot different then it was 10+ years ago..

I run the same oil on the street and the track, run high quality oil 24/7/365. No need for special oil for high performance driving.

Charles Gerughty

Like you, I use Amsoil's Signature 5W/30. 24 track days in 2017 with no issues.

Whis9

Amsoil Dominator 15W-50

juanvaldez

Just run the Mobil 1 15w50.

simnova6

What's the difference between amsoil and Mobil 1?

_BlueZ06_

I have used Joe Gibbs LS30 for the past few years without issue. No temperature issues (2008 oil cooler system).

AzDave47

Mobil 1 0W-40 is good for both street and track. M1 5W-30 not good above 260* oil temp which you will see ~280* if the car is driven to it's capability. the 0W-40 is good over 300*.

Les

Thanks to all for the replies. All info is being considered and any new info is welcome. I figured there would be a variety of recommendations and I haven't been disappointed. Sorry for not getting back sooner but my avatar car project has consumed my spare time lately.

Chuck, have you been able to monitor your oil temps on track days? I'm wondering how high they go and also if you see any difference in oil pressure vs. street use.

What prompted you to choose that weight?
That's what I've gathered about the Mobil 1 0W/40. It's definitely in the running.

AzDave47

M1 0W-40 works for most all street applications/temps and is good for the track. M1 5W-30 is not sold in Europe as it doesn't meet European designation as synthetic. Euro delivery Corvettes get M1 0W-40 as the factory fill and as oil for Euro Chevy dealer service. Stock my C6 Z06 saw 285* oil temps on the track with the OEM air/oil cooler. Your ZR1 has the water oil cooler, but newer C6 Z06's with that cooler also see very high oil temps on the track when driven well.

GM recommend M1 15W-50 for the track, but says change back to M1 5W-30 for the street. M1 15W-50 would be too thick for startup in very cold temps, less than 0-20*F.

Les

Thanks Dave, good info. I actually have a 2008 Z06- JSB like yours. The only change that might help oil temps is the Lingenfelter tank. I figure those extra 3 quarts of oil could keep temps down by a few degrees but not enough to be significant. The coldest temps the car sees at start up would be in the 40s, absolute worst case. Mostly 50s and up, even during winter because my garage is well insulated.

C2Racer

Motul 5w-30 is in mine now and can do both but will probably go up to 10w-40 for Texas heat. My engine builder did a bunch of oil analysis work and came up with Motul or Amsoil for just the purpose you are looking for. I think Joe Gibbs is comparable as the machine shop I use swears by it. That's my list.

Steve

Whis9

I would not recommend Mobil 1 in anything, it has been well documented over the years. LG motorsports did a good post on this, cant find it right now. I run 15-50 because it holds up under the heat and abuse. I run almost 13.5 quarts of oil, so I dont switch back and forth weights, its just too costly. Mostly my car is track days, but does see some weekend trips or cars and coffee every now and then. Not the exact article I was looking for but, has some info https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...exas-heat.html

Mordeth

It ultimately depends on the oil temps you see on the track. This should determine the oil weight you use and is the most important bit of information you need to consider. Do you know what temps you see at the track? Without this data point a proper conclusion cannot be drawn.

Good rule of thumb is as follows: Less than 260 degrees use 30 weight. Less than 280 degrees use 40 weight. Greater than 280 degrees use 50 weight and start looking for a better oil cooler. This is determined by analyzing the shear viscosity of each weight at very high temps and the additive package (ZDDP).

And while I don't feel there are truly any "best of all worlds/conditions" oil, if you are committed to not changing oil type between street and track I would run Euro M1 0w40 or Amsoil Premium Protection 10w40, and then monitor your temps. Both of these are a good compromise oil. I use and have used both in street (180-200 degrees with cold start-ups) and track environments (275 degrees) and am satisfied with the results. I regularly send in samples to Blackstone, monitor my temps very closely and I cut open my filters at each change for inspection. You should though shorten the interval of oil changes and always ensure oil is up to temp before hammering it (at least 160 degrees). My motor is out of my car right now and upon close inspection of the bottom end all of my bearings looked perfectly fine using both of the above oils in street/track scenarios. (pistons on the other hand were another story)

One other note: Oil discussions commonly degrade into an almost religious fanaticism towards oil preference. Everyone has their "super secret" oil that protects under all conditions, never breaks down, was recommended by "XXXXXX" (who is "clearly" never wrong) and saves babies from burning buildings (and every other oil will obviously kill your engine dead). Fact is, most of the oils already listed here work reasonably well and you should choose an oil based on your intended usage, range of operating temp, interval of changes, bearing clearances and preference.

C2Racer

We run M1 in all of our vintage race cars with no issues. Now there is a big difference in tolerances so 15w-50 in those motors. FYI I run M1 0w-40 in my 02 911 with 140K miles as originally recommended and even after Porsche took that oil off there approved list. No oil related issues.

Steve

Les

Again, thanks to all.

I appreciate the link. It took awhile to get through it all but it was worth it.
Thanks Anthony. Yeah, a lot of oil threads get pretty nasty but this one has stayed civil.

I actually use the Amsoil Premium Protection 10W/40 in one of my other toys, which has a solid flat tappet cam. The only reason I haven't considered it for the Z06 is the high zinc level- I can't find that stat for some reason. *Edit* I found it- 1378 ppm. Anyway, my concern is that it could hurt the cats. Your thoughts?

So, what's up with the pistons in your LS7? Factory pistons still or had you already replaced them? Best of luck getting that handled and being ready for track season.

corvettenutz

redline 5w30

Mordeth

Heya Les,

M1 0w40 has 1100ppm zinc, which is also much higher than what the EPA/API-SN wants for extending cat life (800ppm). M1 15w50 has 1300 ppm zinc. Perhaps in 100-200k miles your cat efficiency will be reduced by 10%. Not a big deal and I am guessing you will never see those miles anyhow. So I wouldn't worry about it at all and would run the better antiwear/detergent package and higher weight of M1 0w40 or Amsoil 10w40. The Amsoil 10w40 has almost the same high temp shear rating as M1 15w50 but does so with lower viscosity (better for cold starts).

I chewed up a ring land on my LS7. Surprised it actually lasted as long as it did, considering the number of track hours/duty cycle on the motor. I pulled her out and stuffed in new forged slugs, new bearings etc and a bunch of other things "while I was in there", and just put the motor back into the car literally yesterday. I will have to send you some pics.

70T/A400

Monitor oil pressure and oil temperature during the track events and daily driving.

In the new cars GM recommends 15W50 oils for track days and then switching out to 5w30 oils for daily driving. If the temperature goes up the oil pressure will go down. Both are important. If the 15W50 oil is used for daily driving the risk is the oil is too thick for cold starts and it will drive higher oil pressures. The 5W30 oil risk for track days is it will thin out and the resulting oil pressure will be low.