Maintenance After Track Use

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

Sep 5, 2017 | 11:41 AM

#21

WilliamCall

Racer

Joined: Oct 2004

Posts: 432

Likes: 49

From: Southern Maryland

Quote:

Originally Posted by nikeair042

So no issues running 15W-50 year round? I do not drive it in the winter. Sits in garage on a battery tender and under car cover. Never run that weight oil before, always 5W30 but if this is better for the engine, I'll swap that out. Just wondering what the down sides are to running it year round.

Just ordered some street/daily driving brake pads. I noticed I have had a squeak ever since I got back from the track. Not sure if I abused the stock Z51 pads or not.

There's a chemical additive to 15W50 that can damage the catalytic converter, if exposed for long periods of time. Having squeaky brakes after a track event is common. I suspect it's due to the high temperature cycles.

Sep 5, 2017 | 01:07 PM

#22

PeteC7

Pro

Joined: Oct 2016

Posts: 686

Likes: 239

From: Houston TX

I believe is was phosphorus that was high in the 15W50 weight that Tadge was concerned with compared to the 5W30. I think the biggest downside is the 15W part on cold start ups if you live up north. The 50W is really needed for track driving due to the much high oil temps.

If I lived up north or if it was my daily driver I'd change back to 5W30. I don't daily drive mine, I live on the gulf coast, and I do track days in the winter so I plan to keep 15W50 in it year round. I'd suggest reading Tadge's response and then form an opinion on your specific situation.

Sep 5, 2017 | 01:19 PM

#23

C7 Pilot

Advanced

Joined: Feb 2016

Posts: 77

Likes: 14

From: Mission Viejo California

Quote:

Originally Posted by ElGreco53

It sounds like changing over to the 15w-50 for track day is cheap insurance against a claims denial should engine issues arise.

Sep 5, 2017 | 08:15 PM

#24

Bill Dearborn

Tech Contributor

Joined: Oct 1999

Posts: 41,058

Likes: 9,820

From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)

Quote:

Originally Posted by nikeair042

15W50 shouldn't be a problem for most cars even in areas where the temps get down into the single digits. If the temps drop into the minus numbers then 15W oil will start to slow the engine during cranking and probably increase warm up time. However, if you start the engine fasten your seat belt and then start driving easily that will bring oil temp up pretty quick. Remember back in the old days we switched from straight 30 weight oil to 10 weight oil for the winter. On the old 3 months/3K mile oil change interval that existed from the 60s to the 90s we used to change to 10W oil in December and back to 30W in March. When multiviscosity oils became popular we ran 10W30 all year around. I have started a car with 10 weight oil in it many times when the ambient temps were in the minus teens and 20s with no issue. Up State NY winters used to get damned cold during the later part of January to first part of February. Global Warming has pretty much nullified those yearly cold spells over the last 20 years. 15W in the winter in most of the US isn't that big of a deal.

Bill

Sep 5, 2017 | 09:14 PM

#25

VENOM ACR

Thread Starter

Burning Brakes

Joined: Jun 2017

Posts: 876

Likes: 197

From: Denver, NC

Pretty much November - March (give or take some days) the car will sit under a cover in the garage. If sitting for 4ish months with 15w50 isn't bad, then I'll just switch to that soon. As long as it's not damaging anything, I'm ok with that. Don't have to worry about cold temp start ups. I live in NC and it's garaged so not really ever getting freezing in there.

Sep 5, 2017 | 09:16 PM

#26

Gearhead Jim

Team Owner

Joined: Sep 2000

Posts: 25,019

Likes: 2,713

From: Far NW 'burbs of Chicago

St. Jude Donor '13

Quote:

Originally Posted by nikeair042

15W-50 will be noticeably thicker at startup temperatures than the approved 5W-30, so there is the possibility of more wear in that time. Even at normal running temps, it will still be thicker and possibly enough to cause additional wear then. Only GM, and maybe not even them, knows how much if any extra wear and converter "poisoning" will come from steady use of 15W-50.

More significantly, if GM can deny a warranty claim for not using 15W-50 on the track, they could also deny warranty for not using 5W-30 on the street.

You should be able to simplify the switching back & forth by just changing the oil and not the filter that probably holds less than 1/2 qt.

Last edited by Gearhead Jim; Sep 5, 2017 at 09:17 PM.

Sep 5, 2017 | 10:37 PM

#27

MitchAlsup

Le Mans Master

Joined: Aug 2000

Posts: 5,529

Likes: 1,943

From: Austin Texas

Quote:

Originally Posted by WilliamCall

ZDDP--zinc dialkyl dithio phosphate

Measures out as either Z for zinc or P for phosphorous with P being about 10% grater than Z

15W-50 oil is not allowed to have more, it is the xxW-20 and xxW-30 oils that are mandated to have less. Also note: ZDDP only became a catalytic converter problem with the engine life was increased from 100K miles to 120K miles. If your car does not burn oil than it really does not matter how high the ZDDP levels are -- it is not getting to the cats.

Flat tappet cars want 1200 ppm, real race cars typically use 1600-2000 ppm, modern engines can get buy with 600 ppm.

Reply Subscribe

Reply Share

First
Prev
2 / 2
Next
Last

Forum Jump