Old Chestnut - OIL!!!!
Discussion
The LS1 was designed to run on the thinner stuff so the 0w and 5W are the best for this engine. I notice a definite loss of power if euro spec 10W40 Mobil 1 is used - which shows up in 1/4 mile times.
Make sure you stick with a fully synthetic oil though, don't swap to a dinosaur oil as that will have detrimental effects in the medium to long term. I've found that Keith Besci of Eurovettes (keef@eurovettes.com) can lay his hands on US spec Mobil 1 pretty quickly.
Make sure you stick with a fully synthetic oil though, don't swap to a dinosaur oil as that will have detrimental effects in the medium to long term. I've found that Keith Besci of Eurovettes (keef@eurovettes.com) can lay his hands on US spec Mobil 1 pretty quickly.
I went down this road when changing the oil in my LT1.
What you have to remember when you are talking about the LT1/LT4 and LT5 is how far oil has advanced over the last few (even 5) yrs.
Yes 5W-40 was recommended in the early to late 90's, but better protection is available now and as stated in a previous post, well suited to the UK climate.
What you have to remember when you are talking about the LT1/LT4 and LT5 is how far oil has advanced over the last few (even 5) yrs.
Yes 5W-40 was recommended in the early to late 90's, but better protection is available now and as stated in a previous post, well suited to the UK climate.
When I bought my LT1 (abouit 5 years ago) I remember having great difficulty getting 5w30 though it seems to be everywhere now.
Still tricky to get 5w30 Mobil 1, I found Eurovettes to be the most reliable source.
Strangely Callaway specify Mobil 1 15w50 for my engine (available in Halfords! and Burton Racing near me). I have been tempted to try something lighter as this sounds like it might be a real drag on the engine. However I always think there must be a reason a manufacturer specifies a weight. Don't want to find out the expensive way...
Still tricky to get 5w30 Mobil 1, I found Eurovettes to be the most reliable source.
Strangely Callaway specify Mobil 1 15w50 for my engine (available in Halfords! and Burton Racing near me). I have been tempted to try something lighter as this sounds like it might be a real drag on the engine. However I always think there must be a reason a manufacturer specifies a weight. Don't want to find out the expensive way...
I expect Callaway recommended the 50 weight oil so that it survived the intense heat generated by the turbochargers. I used a 40 in my Renault 5 GT Turbo once and it showed signs of serious degradation by the time 3,000 miles were up, I quickly changed back to 50 and stuck with it after that.
So a Renault 5 turbo uses 50w too? Dare I say it on this forum but they were quite an impressive car in their day. I didn't have one but a friend did and it felt a lot more rapid than even the figures suggest. He also had loads of trouble with it and rated it as "for someone who likes to pay out all the time (on repairs)".
I guess the 50 weight is for the benefit of the turbos then? A ctually my car runs cool (including the oil temp) though who knows what temp the turbos run at?
With the availability of 5w30 almost everywhere though, it begs the question: what's more important, the grade or the quality? I reckon quality first.
I bet the old vette will spin up nice and quick from cold with a lighter oil!
I guess the 50 weight is for the benefit of the turbos then? A ctually my car runs cool (including the oil temp) though who knows what temp the turbos run at?
With the availability of 5w30 almost everywhere though, it begs the question: what's more important, the grade or the quality? I reckon quality first.
I bet the old vette will spin up nice and quick from cold with a lighter oil!
I'd really check with a turbocharging expert before using a thinner oil, especially in summer. BoostedLS1 posts on this forum a bit, perhaps you could track him down and see what he says ?
At the risk of hijacking this thread... The R5 GT Turbo was a really quick car that was ideally suited to the back roads I used to drive it on. It was really lightweight which gave it a great power/weight ratio. The performance differential between that and the average family car was so different it was startling. The same sort of leap between a 'vette and the warm hatches of today.
I really enjoyed that machine then as it was such a leap forward compared to my Fiesta. Now when I look at them they seem so 80s and backward ! Nothing went wrong when I did the maintenance. The only problems I had with that car were caused by the official garage's mechanics - I got so angry with their lies and incompetence once I dumped one of their mechanics on the western side of Poole and let him find his own way back to Bournemouth. I had to return to the garage (now closed down) for recall notices and the service manager would coincidentally take a week's holiday to avoid
!
At the risk of hijacking this thread... The R5 GT Turbo was a really quick car that was ideally suited to the back roads I used to drive it on. It was really lightweight which gave it a great power/weight ratio. The performance differential between that and the average family car was so different it was startling. The same sort of leap between a 'vette and the warm hatches of today.
I really enjoyed that machine then as it was such a leap forward compared to my Fiesta. Now when I look at them they seem so 80s and backward ! Nothing went wrong when I did the maintenance. The only problems I had with that car were caused by the official garage's mechanics - I got so angry with their lies and incompetence once I dumped one of their mechanics on the western side of Poole and let him find his own way back to Bournemouth. I had to return to the garage (now closed down) for recall notices and the service manager would coincidentally take a week's holiday to avoid
! If you go to the Mobil USA site you will deduce that the 0w40 is specially formulated to meet certain EU standards as well as the USA standards. I have used 0w40 in my 2001 since new and after 40K it is still going!!
This is the only Mobil 1 oil I have ever seen here until the other week when I saw a tri-synthetic 15w50 described as being for motorsport, on the shelfs in Halfords.
My view is that as long as I use a top spec oil and change it and filter at the aporpriate time thats OK. I don't do 175mph all the time!
This is the only Mobil 1 oil I have ever seen here until the other week when I saw a tri-synthetic 15w50 described as being for motorsport, on the shelfs in Halfords.
My view is that as long as I use a top spec oil and change it and filter at the aporpriate time thats OK. I don't do 175mph all the time!
Apologies for "digging up" this old-ish post, but I can confirm that Eurovettes are still good for Mobil 1 (I'm after 10W-30).
Additionally - and I'll report back - I'm getting some redline oil to try out; dearer than the Mobil 1, but let's see. They are trying to get established in the UK market, and are keen (as everybody is
) to get into the American enthusiast market, so I got a decent deal on the oil....
The redline is in stock in the uk, so may be a decent (if not a little pricier) alternative to the Mobil1.
Additionally - and I'll report back - I'm getting some redline oil to try out; dearer than the Mobil 1, but let's see. They are trying to get established in the UK market, and are keen (as everybody is
) to get into the American enthusiast market, so I got a decent deal on the oil.... The redline is in stock in the uk, so may be a decent (if not a little pricier) alternative to the Mobil1.
Yes, both Redline and Amsoil both have very good reputations, many think they are superior to Mobil 1 and will argue their case till the cows come home. I think you may only really see a benefit in extreme situations though, e.g. track use. They're a bit on the expensive side to obtain in the UK too.
Having a clear-out at home I found a Mobil 1 leaflet picked up in USA last year. It lists a number of different grades available and the most relevant points are,
"Every viscosity provides exceptional performance. If you find selecting the right viscosity is sometimes confusing [!] you can follow the guidelines in this pamphlet."
"0W-40 Protection Formula....provides maximum protection, even during extended use driving. The best selling grade of Mobil 1 offers outstanding all round protection for modern engines including high tech multi-valve or turbo-charged engines."
"0W-30 Fuel Economy Formula....delivers the best fuel economy in the Mobil 1 line. The 0W label means quicker cold starts and faster protection when your engine needs it [presumably applies to 0W-40 as well then]. Yields enhanced protection due to its low friction formula. Protects engines during high-temperature, high-stress situatuions."
Fuel economy seems to be the main difference they mention with the 30.
"Every viscosity provides exceptional performance. If you find selecting the right viscosity is sometimes confusing [!] you can follow the guidelines in this pamphlet."
"0W-40 Protection Formula....provides maximum protection, even during extended use driving. The best selling grade of Mobil 1 offers outstanding all round protection for modern engines including high tech multi-valve or turbo-charged engines."
"0W-30 Fuel Economy Formula....delivers the best fuel economy in the Mobil 1 line. The 0W label means quicker cold starts and faster protection when your engine needs it [presumably applies to 0W-40 as well then]. Yields enhanced protection due to its low friction formula. Protects engines during high-temperature, high-stress situatuions."
Fuel economy seems to be the main difference they mention with the 30.
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