Mr Incredible

LS1 Thin oil test. Test 2 of 2.

Miles on oil.....3342....2316.....2486....
Miles on unit...90,068...94343...96,829..

................M1TrSUV...HavDS....Castrol.....uav g
................5w-40.......5w-30....5w-30
Element
alum............3..........2..........3........... ..4
chromium.....1..........0..........0.............1
iron...........19..........3..........4........... .15
copper........4..........2..........2..........34
lead............0..........0..........0........... ..7
tin..............0..........0..........0.......... ...2
moly............6.........142.......105........... 60
nickel..........1..........0..........0........... ..1
mang............1..........0..........0........... .2
silver..........0..........0..........0........... ..0
titanium........0..........0..........0........... ..0
potassium.....3..........0..........1............. 1
boron.........32.........28........36............. 68
silicon..........8..........4..........5.......... ...6
sodium........3..........1..........5............. 6
calcium......2503.......1628......2962.........231 0
magnes.......460........44.........19..........290
phosph......1077........547.......646..........736
zinc..........1299........689.......747.........87 9
barium........0...........0........0..........0

Visc (56-62)...73.7,,,55.8,,,,59.1
Flash >365.....445...,,435,,,,,405
Fuel <2%......<.5%,,,,,<.5,,,,<.5
Antifreeze......0.......0.......0
Water...........0.......0.......0
Insolubles.... 0.5%... 0.2%....0.3%


Blackstone Comments: Wear continued to read well below universal averages and in the proper balance. The low and steady wear trends that your 5.7L produces are a very good indicator that your engine is operated and maintained well. The oil was in good shape physically, containing no moisture, fuel, or coolant. Insolubles, (oil oxidation due to heat, use, and blow-by) were low at 0.3%, showing good oil filtration. Silicon read normally so your air filter is getting the job done, too. At 96,829 miles we have no problems to report. This is a nice engine!

My Comments: This was the final test of two of the thinnest 5w-30 oils I could find to put in my LS1. The idea was to see if the LS1 could live a normal life without GC or a 40w oil in its belly. I think it is, in fact, very do-able. Temps have been in the 90's here in Omaha, and the car is used as a daily driver. I often sit in the parking lot at work and idle while I finish my cigar before going in and it doesn't seem to have added any fuel, but there was a long drive to Rapid City and back, so I'm sure that drove any fuel away. The daily drive is anywhere from 12 to 22 miles, depending on which way I take. I have a heavy foot so the oil hasn't been babied. I don't, however, mash the gas until oil gets to op temp.

Observations: The engine revved quickly but felt/sounded thrashy. Frantic, even. It doesn't look like it did any harm, but it wasn't what I was used to. I have GC in it right now and the motor feels back to its solid and smooth self.

Thought of the day...It worked for me, but I don't live in the extremely hot South and I didn't beat on the motor like a teenager that didn't have to buy it. Your mileage may vary. Void where prohibited. Be kind, don't litter.

Thanks for your time.

Adrenaline_SS

iTrader: (4)

Great info as always, keep up the good work

dailydriver

I'm still waiting for you to try the MC (or Amsoil) 0W-20 though.

Mr Incredible

Personally, I'm allergic to Amsoil. But I'm not seeing anything stopping anyone else from trying it.

No, this was simply a test of the two thinnest 30 weight oils in a 100,000 mile, randomly chosen LS1. I think it cuts deeply into the myth that the LS1 can't live without thick oils. If nothing else, perhaps it'll make somebody actually think before they spew that old chestnut.

OBVIOUSLY, I'm not talking about anybody's 408 stroker motors...just a stock, high mileage LS1.

ae13291

iTrader: (8)

i remember when i was buying a Z28 i went and looked at one and as soon as i asked the guy what oil he uses in a 66,000 mile ls1 i walked away politley, the guy told me he uses 20W50 racing oil that was only formulated for racing!!!! i said enough said and walked away hahaha

dailydriver

Now you have me thinking about the low weight Neo oils. I don't know, sometimes the Red Line blend (4 qts.5W-30, 2 qts. 10W-40) I have in there now "feels" too thin for the summers here. But we all know what that's worth.
Why the hate for Amsoil? Just asking. Although I am an Amsoil Preferred Customer, and use their filters (air & oil) religiously, I prefer something with a little more ester base and moly added, so I understand. Just wanted to hear your reasoning.

Mr Incredible

DD, I think we could easily interchange FEELS and SOUNDS LIKE without changing our perceptions. I believe much of what makes us say the oil feels thin is because it sounds more clattery and noisy due to the lessened cushioning of the thinner oil. It reminds me of the first time I drove my Harley after having owned a CB1100F. The Harley sounded like it was disintegrating right beneath me as I drove it! Really, though, it was normal for a Harley to sound that way. I "felt" that my LS1 was more thrashy sounding with the Castrol Syntec 5w-30, and it was. It just wasn't hurting anything.

As for Amsoil, I used to be a preferred customer too. I just got over them. The things they say are special about their products aren't enough to justify any effort more than reaching over to a shelf and picking it up and putting it in my cart. I don't do extended fills and and really don't care to. I don't drive that many miles. I don't need their tranny fluids or any other fluids, either. Also, I think they are more marketing hype than substance. Especially when you take into account the increasing quality of off-the-shelf oils at a much more competitive price range.

dailydriver

AGREED!! Yes, some of those dealers over on BITOG are WWAAAAAYYYY too hard sells/"hypers"! But I do still believe in the Donaldson technology of their filters
As for the engine oils; YES, if you are not going to be getting a group 5 ester type base stock, nor any added moly/boron/etc. anyway, then why pay more than the $1.99/qt. for PennzPlatt on sale/rebate??! Being one of the best "off the shelf" oils as it is, they are practically paying you to use it at this price!!!

Mr Incredible

DD, I'm not all that sure GrV is all that great for daily wear at the price most will charge for it. And looking back at the VOA samples of Amsoil (not in depth, as they still want work from me here to give me a paycheck...imagine that) but I don't see that Amsoil uses moly or boron very much at all. And, of course, not all Amsoil is synthetic any more either. Though I did see elevated calcium/phos/znc in some of the samples.

No, I'll just buy regular old oil at a regular old price and change it at regular old intervals.

And spend the extra cash on ribs for my new smoker...

dailydriver

My post was implying my reasons for using Red Line OVER Amsoil, due to Amsoil's lack of ANY ester base/moly or boron. This is also why it's NOT worth up to 5x the cost of the sale/rebate PennzPlat I mentioned before.
I'm finding out that too high a percentage of ester base stock is not good as well (like in Motul 300V, Silkolene/Fuchs, etc.). It has to be a good balance, as in Red Line, Torco, and others.

Sharpe

iTrader: (7)

Good info.

o2man98

I am not sure where you are coming from when you state that not all AMSOIL is synthetic because they are. The XL line is the Group III and the others are PAO or a combination of PAO/Ester bases. They do also use Moly and Boron in some of the formulas. Remember, there are other elements that provide the protection that these 2 provide and some of them may not show up on a typical VOA.

Check out the UOA below. Yes, it is from a Ford but it will show some of the elements you are looking for. There was 16,000 miles on the truck and 13,300 on the oil change using AMSOIL ASL 5w-30.

vehicle----------07' Ford F150 4.6L
OIL--------------6 qt. Amsoil ASL 5W30
oil filter----------Amsoil EAO
air filter----------Factory, changed to EAA for next change
miles on oil/filter------13,300
miles on vehicle------16,000
UOA by Oil Analyzers:
iron-------------------47
chromium-------------2
lead-------------------0
copper----------------17
tin--------------------0
aluminum-------------12
nickel-----------------0
silver-----------------0
silicon----------------41
boron----------------132
sodium---------------39
magnesium------------22
calcium--------------3590
barium---------------0
phosphorus-----------815
zinc-------------------922
molybdenum-----------61
titanium---------------0
vanadium-------------0
potassium------------0
fuel------------------<1
visc40---------------n/a
visc100--------------11.14
water----------------0
soot/solids----------N/A
coolant--------------NO
change---------------YES
nitr------------------24.0
oxid-----------------18.0
TBN------------------2.42
anaysis recommendations---"NO CORRECTIVE ACTION REQUIRED, OIL IS SUITABLE FOR CONTINUED USE. RESAMPLE AT NEXT REGULAR INTERVAL

Mr Incredible

O2Man, I try whenever I can not to get into discussions of Amsoil with Amoil dealers. Many of them are just about as fervent about their oil as those snake handling church people are about their bible. It doesn't take long to see which ones are which. Frankly, that's the biggest part of what turned me off about Amsoil. I'm not saying it isn't good oil. But if you don't do extended intervals it's mighty expensive oil.

I said, "...not all Amsoil is synthetic any more..." You said, "I am not sure where you are coming from when you state that not all AMSOIL is synthetic because they are. The XL line is the Group III and the others are PAO or a combination of PAO/Ester bases. ." Other than you contradicting yourself within two sentences, I don't see any problems.

I gave a disclaimer about not doing an indepth research about VOAs, and the four or five I had time to find and look at had no moly in them. Ok, I know some do. And some don't. Now what?

o2man98

"MR INCREDIBLE" I am not the enemy, please do not think so. I completely understand when you referred to the strong beliefs of some dealers. At the same time, I hope that you are not pointing to me as one of those as I am a straight shooter when it comes to this. I take pride in a no BS approach to running my business and assisting LS1tech.

When I said, "I am not sure where you are coming from when you state that not all AMSOIL is synthetic because they are. The XL line is the Group III and the others are PAO or a combination of PAO/Ester bases. .", I figured that you were referring to AMSOIL as using conventional base stock, say I, II, and II+. As you are very aware III is considered synthetic but that is up everyones intereptation. To be honest with you, I am personally not real keen on III but I cannot argue with its results. What I do appreciate is the honesty of corporate when they plainly state the base make up of the XL line, not many other companies would do that.

This one is on me.

Mr Incredible

o2man98, I appreciate your candor, and I am most certainly not saying Amsoil=Mobil1 as far as synthetic/fake synthetic. I see how that might be mistaken in what I said, but I certainly did not mean it that way.

GrIII is outstanding oil at a reasonable price. Unless I was doing extended intervals or operating in extreme cold or heat, I don't need any more than a good, normal oil. The distance between conventional and true synthetic is getting smaller and smaller, and nothing I do currently that will justify the costs.

Been there, done that, big yawn.

Next one's on me.