What Engine Oil?

[Topper]

I've done a searhc and "Oil" throws nothing up, so...

Which Oil do you guys recommend for an oil change?

 

[kimi]

i use catrol RS in mine

take a looky over on sxoc , they did a good oil test.

 

[baynz]

the import company that im importing my s15 with is using mobil 1 motorsport, dont know if thats any good. and they are using 15w50 grade which i thout a bit odd, i thout 10w40 would be better.

 

[Kango]

I've just put Silkolene in mine (5W40). If you go to a lot of track days then 10W50 would be better. These oils are race oils. Search for a thread by Oilman on SXOC and on here.

Silkolene is a "real" esther based synthetic. If you read the big thread on SXOC you'll understand what i mean by real.

15W50 is a bit thick.

 

[slammedmind]

20w 50

 

[Kango]

Holy cow mate, that's sludge aint it

You can see the lumps LOL

 

[Nicely]

Viscosity and Viscosity Index (VI).

The proper viscosity is the single most important criteria of a lubricating oil. The basic performance of machinery is based on the viscosity of the lubricant. Viscosity is, if you like, the resistance to the flowability of the oil. The thicker an oil, the higher its viscosity. The chart on the right shows a rough guide to ambient temperatures vs oil viscosity performance in both multigrade (top half) and single grade (lower half) oils.
Multigrade oils work by having a polymer added to a light base oil which prevents the oil from thinning too much as it warms up. At low temperatures, the polymers are coiled up and allow the oil to flow as it's low number (W number) indicates. As the oil heats up, the polymers unwind into long chains which prevent the oil from thinning as much as it normally would. The result is that at 100?C, the oil has thinned only as much as it's higher rating. Think of it like this: a 10W30 oil is a 10-weight oil that will not thin more than a 30-weight oil when it gets hot.
The viscosity index of a lubricant is an empirical formula that allows the change in viscosity in the presence of heat to be calculated. This tells the user how much the oil will thin when it is subjected to heat. The higher the viscosity index, the less an oil will thin at a specified temperature. Multi-viscosity motor oils will have a viscosity index well over 100, while single viscosity motor oils and most industrial oils will have a VI of about 100 or less.
Viscosity and oil weight numbers is quite a nauseatingly detailed topic. So if you're curious about why a 15W50 oil is so-called, then put on the geek shield and pop over to the Viscosity Page.....

And courtesy of one of Oilman's posts:

The manufacturer seems to recommend a range of oils for your cars from 5w to 15w and sae 30 to 50.

Based on regular service intervals and "normal" driving however the best bet with regards to standard cars and UK weather is 10w-40 Semi or Fully Synthetic.

There are always options to consider with regards to "special requirements" if you would like to do this but you'll need further advice and.................I may have further questions for you.

Nissan 200sx (1989-93) API SF
Nissan 200sx (1995-97) API SG
Nissan 200sx (1997-99) API SH

Specs have moved on now so most oils sold today are API SJ/SL

As mentioned above, there are reasons for stepping out of the Manufacturers recommended grade but you should never go too far, 0w might not be good here nor would 60, it's just a step too far.

So, why would you want to do it?

Basically there are advantages here and they are as follows:


5w-40 instead of 10w-40

5w offers better cold start and short journey protection as it's thinner than 10w and remember this is when 70+ percent of the engine wear occurs.


10w-50 instead of 10w-40 - 15w-50 instead of 15w-40

50 offers better protection than 40 when the engine is running hot so if you're doing track days or hard driving you may want to consider this option.

A word of warning about 60 grade

Modern engines do not need a 60 grade, it's really too thick and, even hot-running engines do not need SAE 60 oil these days. (by ‘hot’ I mean 120-130C). SAE 60 is heavier than most SAE 90 gear oils. If an oil is too thick, it de-aerates slowly, leading to cavitation in the oil pump, or the bearings being fed slugs of air along with the oil.

The thickness of the oil will also have an effect on the cars performance.


Synthetic Oils instead of Mineral Oils.

It is a fact that Semi and Fully synthetic oils are better for your car, they flow better when cold and give a greater level of protection when the engine is hot.

It is a fact, not myth that complex engines such as DOHC, Turbocharged, and Supercharged when driven hard will always have a greater degree of protection from a synthetic oil.

A synthetic oil is more robust and will last longer (that's why they cost more) mineral oils need much more frequent oil changes but they are cheaper. Semi-synthetic is to some extent the "middle ground" for pennies more than a good mineral oil.


Ester Synthetic Oils against Normal Synthetic Oils

The oils that give true benefits are ester synthetics (pretty hard to come by as they are expensive to make although Silkolene still does). The reasons for their application in motorsport and the aviation sector are clear:

They assist the additive pack in a motor oil formulation because they are surface-active (electrostatically attracted to metal surfaces), so they help to reduce wear and friction.

They are fluid at very low temperatures and at high temperatures they are very chemically stable and have low volatility (don’t evaporate away).

They also help to prevent hardening and cracking of oil seals at high temperatures.

It should be said that there are three types of synthetic oils on the market and they vary in quality and price the lowest being MC/HC (Molecularly Converted/Hydrocracked) mineral oil, POA's Poly Alpha Olefins and Esters.

 

[slammedmind]

some good info there. Im sticking with the 20w50 for now, just did my first drift day and i gotta say im quite happy with the oil. The tuner that i use recommended it and more or less shat me out for using the mobil 15w 50 lol. Id never use magnatec anymore either after i saw what its done to a few starlet engines

 

[Nicely]

Plus Magnatec is semi-syth...

 

[eron]

Comments on Motul 300V Chrono 10W40?

 

[Yakozan]

Comments on Motul 300V Chrono 10W40?

Very good ester based fully synth racing oil.
I was planning on using the 300V 5W40 Power. But it was out of stock so I went with the 8100 instead.

You have alot warmer weather compared to us upp here in the north. So I think that 10W40 will be good. 5W40 should do. But i would personally use 10W40 if you're planning on doing very fast runs or track/drift/motorkhana days. especially if you're running a modded S15.
I got pretty high oil temps (100-110 degrees C) just by going 140-150km/h on the freeway for like 10 minutes or so last summer. ambient temp was about 20-25 degrees C.

But speak to a local oil guru if you want to be sure about the viscosity.
I haven't heard anyone complaint about the 300V series. Alot of guys are praising it though.
The only downside is the price, but it isn't that bad compared to Redline or the likes.

I have a neat oil cooler now so I'll stick with the 5W40. If I didn't have the cooler I would have used the 10W40 for sure.

 

[eron]

So how is 300v 5w40 better than 10w40, and when is it not good? Hot weather?

Price difference?

 

[Yakozan]

So how is 300v 5w40 better than 10w40, and when is it not good? Hot weather?

Price difference?

5W40 is thinner.
so it warms up faster, flows better but can't cope with the same temps as the 10W40.

according to opie oils in the UK. a good 5W40 oil can take up to about 120 degrees C. above that it starts to break down.

I don't know much about oils though, so I would recommend getting an answer from a proffesional

both oils would work fine I guess.
But if you're getting high temps the 10W40 is safer.
easiest way to tell what viscosity oil to use is to fit an oil temp gauge and take it from there.
i really don't have a clue on what oil-temps you get down there with the nice weather

 

[eron]

Haha..It's VERY tricky in Melbourne. We can get 1 week of 20 degrees, and another of 25, then another <15.

So I guess the 10W40 is safer...

Or I'll invest in gauges. Defi BFs are cool.

 

[Topper]

I dont do that many trackdays (although i hope to do more), looking to change to oil soon, its colder up here than down in Engerland but i dont use it much in the winter anyway (damn salt :rant.

So, do we think i should go 10w40 or 5w40?

 

[Nicely]

I'd say a 10W would be better for Oz. When we're talking lower starting temperatures, we're talking down to -5... I'd run a 5W40 in Scotland. You should think about new oil before a track session anyway...

 

[eron]

I'd say a 10W would be better for Oz. When we're talking lower starting temperatures, we're talking down to -5... I'd run a 5W40 in Scotland. You should think about new oil before a track session anyway...

The coldest weather my s15 has been is like...8 degrees celcius? Oh, do you guys use Fahrenheit? Doesn't the car perform better in cold weather?

 

[Nicely]

Nah, its just the Yanks who can't work out decimal

Runs hugely better in cold weather (especially charge temps of -7 ), however, that's not much use if the oil is like treacle when you start her up. As for 20W...