M_Minnick

iTrader: (1)

What is the minimum amount of oil we can run in a drag race application before we get into trouble? I plan on trying 4 quarts of Mobil1 0-W30 next weekend, but would like some second opinions.

Mike

cruzerbobby01

I do not know what year your car is. It's not good to run ls1's low on oil. Thay have a little oil return problem.( pre 01 )

BoscoZ28

I dont think I personally would be drag racing if I was running low on oil, just me though

FastAl

What is the reason to run low on oil?

Ron@Vengeance

iTrader: (51)

FastAl, some people like to run low on oil because it reduces internal friction on the motor. Less resistance for the crank to turn. Its worth maybe 3 to 5 rwhp. Thats simply not enough to justify risking my motor. I always make sure Im completely topped off everytime I hit the track. Esp when on nitrous since the added power is already extremely hard on the bearings as well as the rest of the internals.

Patman

Why not just get an aftermarket oil pan which has a larger capacity but also has a windage tray? Do they make these for the LS1 f-body?

LS1derfull

Is there room for added capacity with stock frame and headers?

M_Minnick

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for the replies, guys. I have never read much regarding windage problems in our F-bodies. I know the LS-6 block is "windowed" to perhaps balance pressures in the crankcase, but I would still like to know what affect oil level has on HP for us.

Patman, what do you think of Mobil's new 0-W20 for use in a performance application? Do I really need a thicker oil to help counteract the higher cylinder pressures when using nitrous?

Mike

35th SS

iTrader: (2)

lesson learned for me.2 to 3 quarts low on eng. oil racing at the track.outcome ticking noise,spun #5 rod bearing.so before racing always check oil and twice a week.

Patman

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by M_Minnick:
<strong> Thanks for the replies, guys. I have never read much regarding windage problems in our F-bodies. I know the LS-6 block is "windowed" to perhaps balance pressures in the crankcase, but I would still like to know what affect oil level has on HP for us.

Patman, what do you think of Mobil's new 0-W20 for use in a performance application? Do I really need a thicker oil to help counteract the higher cylinder pressures when using nitrous?

Mike </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I would not use that oil in an LS1, if you wanted to run a thinner oil for more power, but still be safe, Redline now makes a 5w20 which has an excellent high temp high shear rating of 3.3, higher than Mobil 1 10w30 in fact! Redline's base oil is better, which makes it have better film strength.

Although for the tiny bit of power you'd gain from a thin oil, I'm not sure it's worth it. For your setup you'd do better with a 40wt oil, either Mobil 1 0w40, or Redline 10w40 or their new 5w40, or Royal Purple 10w40. Amsoil 10w30 would also be a good choice as it's almost a 10w40, it's a thicker 30wt.

Mobil 1's new 0w20 would be ok in a gently driven Honda or similar commuter car, when it's new and for the first 20-30k. But for high performance that oil just won't be up to the task. It's a fuel economy oil, plain and simple, and works best in tighter clearance engines.

Orange Krush

So U say 0-40 for us heavy N2O users correct?

Patman

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by Orange Krush:
<strong> So U say 0-40 for us heavy N2O users correct? </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I'm beginning to notice a trend in oil analysis that any LS1 (if using nitrous or not) shows better wear numbers with an oil that is in the thicker end of the 30wt to a lower 40wt, such as those oils I mentioned. This is why the trick of adding 2 qts of 15w50 Mobil 1 to 4 qts of 10w30 Mobil 1 can also work well for a lot of people. It cuts down on oil consumption, reduces piston slap, and will increase the HTHS number of the oil and give a bit more protection for hard driving.

Orange Krush

U are correct on the 15-50 being consumed less by the motor! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" />

Last year as a test for myself I ran Mobil 1 5-30 from January 1 to March 31st, in that 1500 mile period I had to add oil @ 1000 miles! (no drag racing)

April 1st to June 31st I had switched to Mobil 1 10-30, and in that 2500 mile period I had to add oil @ 1800 miles! (2 weekends of drag racing with N2O)

July 1st to September 31st I ran Mobil 1 15-50, in that 3500 mile period I added 0 oil! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Cool]" src="gr_images/icons/cool.gif" /> (3 weekends of drag racing with N2O)

October 1st to December 31st I ran Mobil 1 5-30 and in that 1500 mile period I added oil @ 800 miles! (no drag racing)

So in the hottest months of the year and with the most amount of abuse and miles I consumed less oil, using the 15-50! <img border="0" alt="[judgement]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_judge.gif" />

Viper

iTrader: (6)

Orange Krush,

For clarification, did you run 6 quarts of 15w-50 or the mix mentioned, 2 15w-50 and 4 10w-30?

And nice job of keeping a record and sharing!

Larry

iTrader: (4)

Not sure I would go with to heavy oil. Particularly if you are running a fairly high lift cam. You want to be sure you get lubrication to the valve guides. Thick oil is not going to lub them as well as thin. It just won't get past the stem seals as well. Some race engines actually leave off the stem seals to be sure they get those guides lubed good.

My guess for our engines and street use is 5w30. That is what is recommended.

Orange Krush

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by Viper:
<strong> Orange Krush,

For clarification, did you run 6 quarts of 15w-50 or the mix mentioned, 2 15w-50 and 4 10w-30?

And nice job of keeping a record and sharing! </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Viper I just used 6 quarts of the Mobil 1 15-50! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" />

Patman

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by Larry:
<strong> Not sure I would go with to heavy oil. Particularly if you are running a fairly high lift cam. You want to be sure you get lubrication to the valve guides. Thick oil is not going to lub them as well as thin. It just won't get past the stem seals as well. Some race engines actually leave off the stem seals to be sure they get those guides lubed good.

My guess for our engines and street use is 5w30. That is what is recommended. </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">For LS1s in Australia they also list that the 40wts are ok too. A lot of the oil recommendations in North America are due to fuel economy reasons. Just look at all the Fords recommending 5w20 right now for instance. While I think it's safe to run that stuff on a normal car driven gently, I wouldn't run it in a hard driven Mustang GT (although Ford expects people to)

So a little bit thicker oil in the LS1 won't hurt. Like I've said, a high 30wt or low 40wt would be just about perfect. There are studies out there which show lower wear numbers with oils that have a higher HTHS number, and generally speaking the thicker oils have better HTHS numbers.

Viper

iTrader: (6)

Patman,

Is 6 quarts of 5w-50 2 much?

Or does it depend on driving habits?

i.e. I autox 4 times a month from April to November , drag race a few times in there, as well as daily drive.

Brand new motor right now, 700 miles on it. I'm going synthetic at 1500 miles, and would appreciate your opinion for me.

Thanks.

Mike Hoffpauir

I've run 5 to 5.5 quarts with no problems. Running a car a bit low on oil is a drag racing trick that's as old as Joe Kizarre.

Patman

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by Viper:
<strong> Patman,

Is 6 quarts of 5w-50 2 much?

Or does it depend on driving habits?

i.e. I autox 4 times a month from April to November , drag race a few times in there, as well as daily drive.

Brand new motor right now, 700 miles on it. I'm going synthetic at 1500 miles, and would appreciate your opinion for me.

Thanks. </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I think the 5w50 is too thick to be used 100%, and 5w50 contains a lot of polymers to span that large viscosity gap too, and when those break down they become sludge.

With an oil that thick you are just restricting it's flow too much and creating more heat. 50wt oils are best left for all out race engines which have the larger clearances that suit them best.

If there is any doubt though, I still say that you should do an oil analysis. All the speculation stops once you see for yourself how your own oil analysis results look. They don't cost much compared to an engine, and through oil analysis you can choose the oil that works best for your own situation.