Please and give an explanation as to why, if you know. I'm using 15w30 in my lightly modified and boosted TT. I don't know why, id like to know differences and recommendations, that's the point of this thread! Elie.
i read in the service manual w30 oils in our zeds are only recommended for cold climates/melbourne winters.. according to melbourne's summer temps, w30 is too thin. w50 oil is recommended for ~15-45C+ ambient temps.
Just from word of mouth (i'm not a scientist or a mechanic): 10w-40 for a good engine 10w/20w-50 for an engine that's had a hard life many of us would probably do well with the second (remember how old our cars/engines are?)
It depends on ambient air temps and the temps your oil is exposed to. The higher the hot temps, the higher the viscosity (2nd number) you require, and the colder the ambient air temp, the lower the first number. Nissan recommend a number of oils for my Z34 - I have attached a copy of the owners handbook. Basically, we should be using 10W40, 10W50, 15W40 or 15W50 in our summer, and maybe 10W30 in our winter. On the surface of it, 154W30 "might" be a bit light in full summer, but the real issue is "how hot is your oil". The Z34 is noted for putting a lot of heat into the oil as the pressures in valve actuation gear (VVEL is variable cam timing and variable valve lift) give rise to oil temps over 130 DegC in even modestly aggressive driving in full summer heat, and I had the ECU put my Z34 into limp-home mode after less than 3 laps at Sandown in October last year (ambent temps in very low 20's). I have since fitted an oil cooler and and a sump extender to get more oil into the system and can now manage a 8-10 lap session in mid-30's without a problem. I also use a 15W50 MOTUL competition oil for track work, and 10W40 for daily driving. So, the key issue for this thread is "how hot does your oil really get" because that will tell you whether 30-weight is good enough (or not). I'd suggest that the turbo;s will certainly put a lot of heat into the oil, and that the Z32 TT will be at leasty as hard on oil from a temp persepctive and the later model Z I have when it is on the track. We also have a Z32 TT slick-top in the family and it runs a race-spec 15W50 at all times, but this is a stripped dedicated track car (that now needs quite a lot of maintenance for which budget is "pending"). So, to answer your question .... 1. 15W30 should be fine for Melb winter ... 10W30 would also be OK IMHO 2. I'd consider 10W40 or 5W50 for the summer and if the car is going to get a spanking 3. I'd also consider a oil temp gauge so you know for sure exactly what oil temps the engine is seeing, to be safe. RB I can;t see how to include an attachement, so I'll post this and then see how I have add an attachment
Easiest way matey is to look at the remember this, and the rating oil is meant for AMBIENT temp's outside First number is cold (for when you just start the car) thinner will protect the car the best, 2nd set of numbers is the warm temp (for when your car is at optimum operating temp) so if its no more than 40 degree's outside you dont need anymore than a 40 grade So basically the easiest way is what is the minimum temp outside? 10 maybe it hits lowest? and what is the max? That's why 10w40 is really good in most cases unless its peak summer in a heatwave you dont really need a 50 grade (or unless your at the track)
Excellent Yellow thanks man I never new they were temperature indications!!! Ok so for summer I'll run a 15w40 and winter a 5w20/30
That is not even close to accurate. Viscosity is a measure of how much time it takes a set vloume of oil to flow through a particular size orrifice, nothing to do with ambient temps at all. I do not recommend running any less than a 10W40 on an average 300zx, and 15W50 on a high km car. These engines should be making a minimum of 10psi per 1000rpm and not drop below 15psi when hot.
This is what Yellow was talking about. CLICKY Yes the grades are viscosity and not ambient temps but as a rough guide to serve one's memory, I'd say it'd work. Unless you've just had a rebuild, I'd only be running something like 15W40 anyway. It makes more sense to just run the heavier oil if you're in doubt than the lighter oil. I've always put my faith in this. It's not the most flash nor the cheapest oil, but for around $30, it's good oil!
I didn't say it meant ambient temp but you can go off this due to it is relevant to how you choose what viscosity you need to run like the manual says I just said its an easy way to remember how to choose what grade to run. Exactly like Cam pasted (cheers Cam) and if you wanna know the real tech info URHYNS : http://www.upmpg.com/tech_articles/motoroil_viscosity As you'll see what I said is relevant its just heaps easier to remember it that way
castrol edge 10w60. i've read lots of good things about running a group IV synthetic and a 10w60. yes i don't run a VG anymore but its still relevant.
I use Castrol Edge Sport 10w60 This is gonna sound weird, but I actually noticed a difference in the 'feel' of the car after I put this oil in (for the better)... but then it was my first oil change in my first car, so it could be normal lol
http://www.300zx-twinturbo.com/cgi-bin/manual.cgi?list=ma&dir=&config=&refresh=&slide=11&cycle=off&scale=0&design=default&total=33 Interesting to read and there hasn't been any update for a while. I have my NOturbo Zed running 5W50 Shell Synthetic, as l don't drive her every day l was hoping it would quieten down the lifter tick quicker. I find its now noisier than l remember with the old oil. (Don't know what grade the old oil was) [YT]http://youtu.be/su8VY1TpcxE[/YT] http://youtu.be/su8VY1TpcxE Is anyone else running this 5W50 synthetic?
That same old contraversial question once again? This subject has been covered so many times - lol There is more contraversy and opinion on this subject than any other except best colour of a Z and one's underpants, but thankfully the science generally doesnt differ too much once thrown in, as generally once the nitty gritty comes down to it, the science says, that we should all wear white underpants as they are far cheaper, cooler to wear and can be bleached once the shit hits the fan (or we literally hit the skids). :br: So lets review the accepted scientific facts to start with before reccommending any oils first to give an insight into the bigger picture: 1. The oil guide for Z's was written by japanese that live in freezing cold japan with a new motor, so the reccommended manufacturers oil specifications do not reflect hotter temperatures here unlike the manufacturers oil guide which does has some variable in it to account for hotter temps but they refer to new motors. 2. The best oils that have international uncontested independant scientific engineering proof to back them up (knock, sheer, ball testing etc) were AMSOL (1st) and Mobil 1 (2nd) but these are difficult to get and have limited viscosity ranges although the ranges are generally suited to the VG30DETT, other high quality oils that rate high and are more commonly accessible in Australia are Mosul and Royal Purple. Having said that, generally speaking any oil that meets SAE API specs will do the job and so brand names of oils are generally inconsequential, based on opinion and irrelevant if you change your oil regularly. 3. Oils should be changed at 5,000klm or earlier if the oil has become dark or dirty and if the car has seen adverse conditions such as dusty roads or track work. The oil filter should always be changed at the same time and having magnetic sump bolts and magnetic oil filters offer distinctive motor wear protection by trapping abrasive metal particles and taking them out of the circulation. Ideally temperatures in the motor should remain constant for oils and so TT motor should ideally have a oil cooler present to prevent high excess temperatures when constantly boosting high (for this reason TT's are fitted automatically with one unless it has been coverted). 3. Synthetics are superior oils as they generally have many additives that protect the engine like suspension agents that trap the dirt, anti-coagulates that prevent sludge etc etc/ Like wise blended oils (part synth) are better than mineral based oils for the same reason. 4. It is estimated that up to 70 % of wear occurs in the motor during startup, this huge variable effects the viscosity of oil that you should have dramatically. I.e a motor that has many short stops will require an oil with a lower viscosity than a motor that travels long journeys occasionally with a higher viscosity. So temperature alone does not determine the viscosity of the oil that you require, it also depends on the way you drive (short stops or long drives) and how you drive the vehicle (do you race or cruise). It is therefore impossible for anyone to reccommend an oil specification to someone else without knowing, where you live,what temperatures you face, what type of motor you have, what type of fuel you use, what condition the motor, valves and turbo's are in, what modifications are present, what distances you drive, what the frequency of use is, how you drive and what colour underpants you have. So how many people on this forum have reccommended a type of oil for you to use = the number or people that know the colour of your underpants I guess by now you are suggesting that only you will know all of these variables and be able to calculate what type of oil you need. I think A2Z is on very much on track with his approximate general guide but given the variables involved I would expand his reccommendation slightly to: I do not recommend running any less than a 5W30 full no name synthetic oil for a new brand new motor in constant minus conditions that drives the car for about 10 klms around 10 times a day and gives it full boost, lots of "stick" and wears red underpants. I would reccommend running a 10W30/40 full no name synthetic oil for a stock TT motor in good condition that lives in temperatures of 0 - 40c, drives one to three times per day and travels around 40 klms each time and gives it the odd boot to clean the valves, but generally cruises and wears white underpants (sounds like me ) I would reccommend running 15w40/50 full no name synthetic oil on a stage 2 TT motor with 80,00klm - 180,000 klm in good condition that lives with temperatures of 10 - 40c drives once a day for 100klm and drives quick and fast but not excessive or at full boost and wears black underpants I would reccommend running 20W 50/60/70++ full brand name synthetic oil like amsol, mobil 1, mosul or royal purple for a stage 3 TT motor with 100,000klms + in fair/ worn condition that lives with temperatures of 18 - 50c travels 5 times a day but doesnt let the motor cool down between uses and drives 15 - 200klms per trip and gives it the "stick" and goes as fast the legal limit allows (whilst the fuzz are watching him) and wears no underpants at all Oils aint oils - soul! Another rant here Regards Jamie :br:
Well l didn't intend on opening an old wound Jamie How was my question controversial? I was just asking if anyone was using Shell 5W50 (which wasn't around when the thread was last replied in.) I decided to use it because it had a 5W which the previous contributors (a2zed and others with the rough guide) seem to recommended low number for cold starts and it has 50 which would exceed the high temp requirements. It is also a full synthetic. All good so far But the engine is noticeably noisier than it was when the old oil (20W40) garage 44gallon drum stock. I just realised the oil has been in the car for 1000km.
wrong impression perhaps given there? Iddavid: Sorry Mate, wrong impression given there perhaps Was not referring to you at all or indeed anyone in this thread! Was referring to the fact that this subject (oil) is/has always been contraversial as personal opinions often with great passion often find there way into a thread that asks about "OIL types and reccommendations" and horns inevitably lock as a result and it is all based on what grandma said or what they used in there billycart rather than use/ involve any premise of science- lol There have been lots of threads which have had these infiltrations occur albeit maybe not the last one you refer to Sorry again if I gave any wrong impression there that I was directing at you or anyone in this thread - as I was'nt Cheers Jamie :zlove:
