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best oil for built engine?

3902 Views 33 Replies 19 Participants Last post by  95wagon
5w30- 5w40- 10w30- 10w40? non synth. or semi or full? or other?

just a random question thanks
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ask your builder....your motor "may" have been built with wider bearing clearances so 10-40 or 20-50....but you would have to ask your builder. Stock clearances 5-30.
I use dino and change oil frequently. Others like the synthetics
what was stated to use was 10w40 non syn. just wondering what (other then personal preference) what you guys would use in your engines that are non syn. i heard Quaker state was good?
Went 4 years long on a track/ street car goin 10.0's 9.90's on qauker state!!
Why not use the brand/weight oil the engine-builder recommended?
Why not use the brand/weight oil the engine-builder recommended?
no by all means i will be using a 10w40 what they recommended for it, i just wanted brands to see what you guys use. he didn't recommend any specific brand (i should have rephrased the question to specific 10w40 brands) but i thought i would get suggestions on what you guys use for oil on power motors.
Motul 300v was recommended to me by my engine builder...
If I felt like shelling out more cash I'd use Red Line, best bang for the buck IMHO is Mobil 1 Extended Protection. I don't get as nerdy with oil as the people over at bobistheoilguy.com but most off the shelf synthetics are really a refined dino oil, not actually synthetic. Regular Mobil 1 is a group 3 oil M1EP is group 4 and doesn't cost much more. It's really all splitting hairs if you don't have a brand preference just get the cheapest oil you're comfortable with. Yes I run synthetic in everything due to longer service life and it makes me feel just a little more special.
royal purple.
no by all means i will be using a 10w40 what they recommended for it, i just wanted brands to see what you guys use. .
"I" use Castrol 10-40 conventional. I get the 5 qt jug at Walmart and use WIX filters

My $.02 is castrol, Valvoline, Quacker, etc are all good oils.
I look for the API (American Petroleum Institute) "star burst" symbol on the bottle. As long as it has that symbol, I shop for the cheapest price in the grade I need. I've run engines well over 100k miles on Wal Mart oil. The only exceptions are if/when I use a synthetic (in which case I shop for the cheapest synthetic I can find, so long as it is API rated), or when I need a special oil like Delvac or Rotella (IE when doing a diesel or if I'm running a flat-tappet cam on a low-mile engine and feel the additive package might help breakin).
I also second the Wal Mart brand Super Tech that I use in all my cars but thats cuz I'm cheap.
But the best oil that "nobody" knows about except EVERY Nascar team, is Schaeffers http://www.schaefferoil.com/engine_oils.html

Nab
5w50

I also second the Wal Mart brand Super Tech that I use in all my cars but thats cuz I'm cheap.
But the best oil that "nobody" knows about except EVERY Nascar team, is Schaeffers http://www.schaefferoil.com/engine_oils.html

Nab
Interesting weight: 5w50



Supreme 9000™ 5W-50 Racing Oil

Supreme 9000™ Racing Oil SAE 5W-50 is a premium quality, full synthetic heavy-duty multi-grade engine oil that is specially
formulated to reduce friction and wear, increase engine efficiency, provide fuel economy benefits and extend engine life in all types of gasoline
engines and diesel powered passenger cars including those that are turbocharged or supercharged.

Supreme 9000™ Racing Oil SAE 5W-50 is blended from a unique combination of polyalphaolefin (PAO) synthetic base fluids and severely hydrocracked
synthetic base fluids. This unique combination provides Supreme 9000™ Racing Oil SAE 5W-50 with many advantages.

Faster Cold Weather Starts

#9001 Supreme 9000™ SAE 5W-50 provides faster cold cranking and engine startability than engine oils that are formulated using conventional
base oils at low temperatures. It flows rapidly at low temperatures thus providing the optimum protection that an engine needs at low temperature startup.

Reduced Engine Wear
Supreme 9000™ Racing Oil SAE 5W-50 contains a highly advanced proprietary performance additive package and shear stability viscosity index improver
along with two proven friction modifiers: Micron Moly®and Penetro®. These two friction modifiers plate the surfaces to prevent metal-to-metal contact
resulting in:

  • Increased fuel economy.
  • A low coefficient of friction.
  • Significantly less bearing, ring, piston,
  • cylinder and valve train wear.
  • Increased engine efficiency.
  • Increased engine life.
  • Less down time.
  • Reduced maintenance costs.
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5w40 M1

I use Mobil 1 5w40 with Mobil 1 filter. Couple of years ago Advance Auto had a promo case of M1 (6quarts) + M1 filter for $27.

I have about 8 cases and filters.

Very good oil and weight that meets the European requirements for BMW, Audi and MB.
Interesting weight: 5w50



Supreme 9000™ 5W-50 Racing Oil

Supreme 9000™ Racing Oil SAE 5W-50 is a premium quality, full synthetic heavy-duty multi-grade engine oil that is specially
formulated to reduce friction and wear, increase engine efficiency, provide fuel economy benefits and extend engine life in all types of gasoline
engines and diesel powered passenger cars including those that are turbocharged or supercharged.

Supreme 9000™ Racing Oil SAE 5W-50 is blended from a unique combination of polyalphaolefin (PAO) synthetic base fluids and severely hydrocracked
synthetic base fluids. This unique combination provides Supreme 9000™ Racing Oil SAE 5W-50 with many advantages.

Faster Cold Weather Starts

#9001 Supreme 9000™ SAE 5W-50 provides faster cold cranking and engine startability than engine oils that are formulated using conventional
base oils at low temperatures. It flows rapidly at low temperatures thus providing the optimum protection that an engine needs at low temperature startup.

Reduced Engine Wear
Supreme 9000™ Racing Oil SAE 5W-50 contains a highly advanced proprietary performance additive package and shear stability viscosity index improver
along with two proven friction modifiers: Micron Moly®and Penetro®. These two friction modifiers plate the surfaces to prevent metal-to-metal contact
resulting in:

  • Increased fuel economy.
  • A low coefficient of friction.
  • Significantly less bearing, ring, piston,
  • cylinder and valve train wear.
  • Increased engine efficiency.
  • Increased engine life.
  • Less down time.
  • Reduced maintenance costs.
Zinc is what makes a good racing oil from any of the companies that make motor oil. Lucus Oil is another brand no one talks about other then the racers that use it. It's better stuff than most. As your HP goes up you need more weight. So 50 to even 70 is not that crazy of a oil weight. Rule of thumb is good stuff is going to cost $18 a quart and up. But cheaping out on your oil will cost you far more than the $18 a quart in engine damage, even if its just bearing.

I took apart a LT to upgrade that had been using Mobil 1 syn that had 140,000 miles on it. I kid you not, the bearings looked like new and the only wear was the cylinder walls. I told the guy we should have never taken that enigne apart but it was a great document to how good syn oils are. Syn oils are all I use in anything I have because of what I have seen in that LT engine and others.

But thats in engines making huge power numbers or turning 8000 plus RPM's and you don't need that in ones making 600HP or less. So the best oil is the high dollar true racing stuff. But 95% on here really don't need it and it would be a waste of your money. Just put a good syn oil of your liking and you will do just fine:)
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If you REALLY want to do some research about what lubricants are best, bitog.com will keep you busy for a while ;)
no by all means i will be using a 10w40 what they recommended for it, i just wanted brands to see what you guys use. he didn't recommend any specific brand (i should have rephrased the question to specific 10w40 brands) but i thought i would get suggestions on what you guys use for oil on power motors.
I have a 96 Caprice b4u/ LT1 (bought new) that I've been religious and changing the oil every 2,000 miles. however the last time I happen to watch the mechanic changing the oil and he was using 10w40. I believe the recommended oil from GM is 5W30. I'm not sure if that's to improve fuel economy or not. When questioned he said older engines should use heavier oil I have a feeling he didn't have 5W30. the car has 146k . Should I accept his advice or find a new mechanic? he's been trustworthy otherwise. It doesn't burn any oil. Thanks hockey John
10 year thread revival thanks hockey john

Also holy **** 2,000 miles? Why on earth would you do that? Also yes find a new mechanic with 5W-30 or just make him use 5W-30. I don't buy into that garbage.
Hocky..

Your mechanic is right to some degree about older engines but yeah likely may have just had 10-40 available. But considering you have diligently changed oil every 2k mi and assuming you have not raced the motor alot...continuing with 5-30 is fine. With that said 10-40 will not present any issues and is often done in cars that are driven in hot climates during summer and return to 5-30 in winter..

You can always send an oil sample to Blackstone labs and they will return a detailed report on condition of oil and what deposits are in it. If a higher than normal level of material that is what bearings are made of is detected that indicates bearing wear. Going to a higher viscosity oil is often done then as the gap is wider so a thicker oil is used. It certainly won't prevent any further wear but is a bridge to extending motor life.

Many built motors have slighter wider than stock bearing clearances in in those motors builders will spec a 20-50 weight oil based on the wider bearing clearance.
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