Engine Oil

[DMC7492]

I was in a discussion with some local gear heads about oil and all of us concluded none of us knew what we were talking about. And as the oil companies change their blends on a constant schedule to meet emissions and who knows what else...
So I did what any wise man would do and GOOGLED it. Well we all know what happens next... hours of reading to get more confused...

I did come across this websites in which the author actually sounds like he was once in the same situation of confusion and took it into his own hands and developed a test unit and actually tested numerous oils and additives. His reports are relatively current and updated in April of 2017. Long and detailed but you can jump through the long areas. Here you all can review the data.. Let me know what you think of this report.


https://540ratblog.wordpress.com/2013/06/20/motor-oil-wear-test-ranking/

[rickscobra]

Use synthetic, change often, and stop worrying. Oil is by far the cheapest part of building and owning these cars. So now explain to me the down side of using synthetic.

[Ray]

Great site with some pretty good info:

https://bobistheoilguy.com/

Ray

[icky]

I have used rotella T6 for years and have had no problems. I would rather use cheaper oil and change more frequently than using a more expensive oil and changing less often, especially if you're running your engine hard. I'd like some feedback on that from others still...

[Bob_n_Cincy]

I have used rotella T6 for years and have had no problems. I would rather use cheaper oil and change more frequently than using a more expensive oil and changing less often, especially if you're running your engine hard. I'd like some feedback on that from others still...

Icky,
I'm right there with you using T6. It was recommended by TIC (Turn In Concepts)
Back in November, I was at SEMA and had a talk with one of the Chemist that worked on Rotella for Shell. I don't remember all the technical stuff he mentioned. But he did say to stick with the T6 0w-40 for track day Subaru turbo application.

A lot of people say the T6 is for diesel engines. They are correct based on the label.
Recently Shell has released T6 5w-30 and labeled it Multi-vehicle (gas or diesel)
http://rotella.shell.com/products/shell-rotella-t6-multi-vehicle-5w-30-full-synthetic-heavy-duty.html

http://rotella.shell.com/products/t6-full-synthetic/_jcr_content/par/textimage_1335213348.stream/1388525673850/2c4570ceb0dcc96c0e045d7d6f3c7796f77a84ed6a3d6752bb 50d245468c48b2/rotella-t6-brochure.pdf

[Canadian818]

I use Valvoline 20w50 "Racing" oil in both my car and bike. It can be bought at Walmart and many auto parts stores for fairly cheap. I too read a lot about oil at one point, and came to the conclusion that using a good conventional oil and changing more often makes more sense than running synthetic for longer. Not saying it's the best option, just the route I'm taking.

[flynntuna]

I too use retella t6. Change it every 5k miles just because the math is easy to remember. ;)q

[redfogo]

I too use brotella(Rotella T6) + a RX8 oil filter! Its affordable and offers great protection for the price. Run it in all my cars. There was talk about a formula change. People freaked out about it but only oil test I found on bobs oil guy shows it to be the same.

[icky]

I normally change it out every 1500 to 2000 miles as well as before and after a race day. Also another thing rarely mentioned is checking oil level every time you fill up with fuel, most Subaru rod knocks and engine failure come from low oil.... I had a built motor with wide ring gaps and neglected to check my levels for a few tanks and got a rod knock, filled it back up without rebuilding because I was cheap and it was mild, week later a rod made an appearance through my block..... expensive learning experience, sad face emoji

[flynntuna]

Has anyone have experience with this oil treatment ... Extreme green oil treatment.

http://xgglobal.com/science/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fk0GDsmgSsY

[alv69]

I too use 20w 50 Valvoline racing oil because it contains zinc which is needed with flat tappet cams.

[Sgt.Gator]

20w 50 Valvoline Racing in the race cars for race season.

0w 40 Mobil 1 Euro Spec in all my daily drivers year round and in the race cars for the hibernation season. Available at WalMart in 5 qt jugs for $25, $22 on sale.

[Bob Cowan]

Over the last 2-3 decades, I have done a ton of reading and research on motor oil. The problem - especially since Al Gore invented the internet - is that there's a lot of misinformation available. True science is hard to come by. And some of the true science that is available is incomplete. For example, the data posted by the OP is really interesting, and provides information about initial wear. But it does not provides information on longevity. The 0W-20 Quaker State tested out great in the PSI. But it lost 14% when it got a little hot. And there's no testing done after 5,000 miles of use in a daily driver. Not faulting the tester for that, who can do that on 20-30 different oils? The information is good, but very limited.

There's also a lot of confusion about viscosity and what that means. Some people say, "I always use 20w-50 oil in my engine because I race it once in a while". Well, if your engine is not built for that, it's not a good idea. Especially if you live in the frozen north.

http://www.racingtheexocet.com/?page_id=702

The other big question is, "Petroleum? Or Synthetic?" Depends on your goals of course. Keep in mind that there are only 5 synthetic motor oils on the market today: Royal Purple, Redline, Amsoil, Schaeffer, and Miller. Note that Mobile 1 is not on that list.

http://www.racingtheexocet.com/?page_id=691

Mobile 1 Euro Spec is a fairly new product around here. I like the looks of it, and I think I might try it in my Harley the next time. I'll collect a UOA after 4-5K miles and see how it does.

[Sgt.Gator]

Then you throw in Blackstone Labs July 2017 Newsletter that says it doesn't make a bit of difference in general. and they even focus on the Subaru EJ in their tables:
https://www.blackstone-labs.com/Newsletters/Gas-Diesel/July-1-2017.php

[lance corsi]

I'm using Amsoil 5-30 full synthetic. For clearances recommended by Subaru, anything heavier wouldn't flow correctly. Synthetic because of the intense heat that the turbo bearings live in.