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View Full Version : What Engine Oil Weight to Run?



bssybeep
09-19-2007, 10:00 AM
When I had my Miata, I remember doing a bunch of research into what types and weights of engine oil was the best for my engine. Bottom line was the 0-40, 5-30, were ideal because they were thin enough to give the most protection during the worst time for engine wear: initial start up and running while cold. Basically those weights started flowing quicker than the heavier weights.

I realize my Turbo'd Evo is a different beast, but I'm running Mobil 1 5-30 currently, to provide (I think) better cold start protection. I live in California, where the temp averages 55 - 95 most of the time.

Opinions? since the Evo is Turbo'd and has wider clearances, am I damaging my engine running 5-30? I'm considering moving to 10-30, just not sure.

panem
09-19-2007, 10:28 AM
10-30 is what a lot of ppl will say man.

whtrice
09-19-2007, 10:35 AM
+1

Kings Fan
09-19-2007, 10:41 AM
10w-30 should cover the temps we see in CA

bssybeep
09-19-2007, 02:22 PM
I checked with Speed Element and they said they usually use 5-30 at their shop. But a lot of customers also use 10-30. So, basically, I don't think it matters either way.

gOt BoOsT
09-19-2007, 02:55 PM
5w will flow more readily @ low tempatures versus a 10w

gOt BoOsT
09-19-2007, 02:59 PM
anyone know what the "W" in the 5w-30 means??

Lurk
09-19-2007, 03:01 PM
10w30 for the street. If you going to be tracking often, I would use a higher viscosity oil.

kinetics
09-19-2007, 03:03 PM
i believe the W is the weight and the second # is viscosity
just let your car sit there for a minute or so during cold starts and
drive like a granny for the first few miles and you should be good!
someone with better knowledge correct me if i'm wrong :lol:

Unowned
09-19-2007, 03:33 PM
I run 10-40 all the time in my Evo since i like to track the car

gOt BoOsT
09-19-2007, 03:37 PM
"w" stands for winter

esco
09-19-2007, 03:52 PM
i believe the W is the weight and the second # is viscosity
just let your car sit there for a minute or so during cold starts and
drive like a granny for the first few miles and you should be good!
someone with better knowledge correct me if i'm wrong :lol:


you are correct.

turbotiger
09-19-2007, 03:55 PM
Wow, so much disinformation regarding oils.
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question164.htm
10w-30 is a multi-weight oil. 10 is the viscosity when cold, and 30 is the viscosity at operating temperature

BOOSTX2
09-19-2007, 03:58 PM
/\ +1 Turbotiger hits the nail on the head...;)

bssybeep
09-19-2007, 04:06 PM
"Wow, so much disinformation regarding oils.
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question164.htm
10w-30 is a multi-weight oil. 10 is the viscosity when cold, and 30 is the viscosity at operating temperature"

So, a 5w-30 oil should provide the same protection when hot as a 10w-30.Â* But, provide better protection during cold starts because of the better flow characteristics when cold.

esco
09-19-2007, 04:10 PM
its really odd 2 profiles posted nearly the same response. I CALL B.S.!

Unowned
09-19-2007, 04:14 PM
its really odd 2 profiles posted nearly the same response. I CALL B.S.!


he forgot the Quote part like what I did

earlyapex aka jack ass
09-19-2007, 04:27 PM
anyone know what the "W" in the 5w-30 means??


W is for low temp, aka "winter" in 5w-30 the 5w is what viscosity the oil is when it's cold. 30 is what viscosity the oil will be up to it's highest temp rating.

I run a mix of 10w-30 and 20w50 in my evo that sees a bit of track time and alot of hard dyno and road miles.

bssybeep
09-19-2007, 07:16 PM
Bryan,
Do you run that mix (10w-30, 20w-50) because of the miles on your car or just the hard driving? I'm thinking 5w-30 is good for all-around daily driving with no track use as the "5w" protects your engine on cold starts and the "30" protects the engine at operating temps. Even if the car is driven hard occasionally (some 4k-6k shifts on a roll), is 10w-30 to 20w-50 really necessary for the Evo? Do the looser clearances of a turbo engine require a thicker oil?

nightwalker
09-19-2007, 08:42 PM
Any of you guys know if Mobil still makes 0w40? Using 5w30 right now cause I live in the snowy mountains.

steevo8
09-19-2007, 08:58 PM
what about for track duty? 10-30?

bssybeep
09-19-2007, 09:40 PM
Unless I hear otherwise, I like 5w-30 Mobil 1 because I commute a very short distance (~10 miles) so my evo is barely warmed up by the time I get to work. So, the 5W gives my Evo the extra cold running protection for the short drives.

Nightwalker: Mobil 1 0w-40 I believe is still available, just hard to find. Doing a Google search awhile back I found a few sites that carried Mobil 1 0w-40.

atlvalet
09-23-2007, 10:20 PM
Any of you guys know if Mobil still makes 0w40? Using 5w30 right now cause I live in the snowy mountains.

Motul makes a darn good 0W-40. Thinking about switching to that myself. About twice as much as Mobil 1.

in-n-out-310
09-27-2007, 02:14 PM
http://www.redlineoil.com/img/productImages/5.jpg

Best choice for engines that typically run high oil temperature or for engines in daily-driven vehicles regularly operated in hot weather. Great for medium and heavy duty gasoline engines in trucks. Best choice for high-performance engines that see street/strip or track activity. Features a thicker oil film at operating temperature than a petro-based 20W-50