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Time for an oil change on my 2002 WS6. In the past, i used only Mobile 1 synthetic. I am hearing more and more good reviews about Royal purple. Enough to change brands. I know any good oil will add fuel economy and even add a little HP, but I hear Royal Purple is the best for this. What do you guys recommend?
I'm against all gimmicks, adding purple dye to your oil is a big one. You will get a mixed bag of reviews, from the best to the worst. If my choices are between M1 and RP, I will choose M1 every time. Don't put too much thought into a daily drivers oil, most everything nowadays can handle the situation.
If you're racing the car or similar, start reading into oil... otherwise; just run a good oil. M1, Castrol, Pennzoil, Amsoil whatever. My shop uses Castrol.
Joe Gibbs LS30. The only oil I will use from this point forward. Tons of the nations best engine builder swear by it.
Have you had any different results compared to other oils?
Not ******* it, just for 3 times the cost , am wondering if its just for peace of mind, or actually is a benefit?
Me personally after owning a 500 whp srt4, I am a big fan of Brad Penn.. I used 20/50 in that car and it was pretty amazing how clean everything was internally, and how much better/smoother the car ran.. But at $8+ / QT wasnt exactly cheap with 7 qts per oil change lol
Prior to using Joe Gibbs, I used VR1 and never had any issues with it either, but I don't mind spending a little more on oil for the piece of mind I get. It's a drop in the hat when talking about what we spend on parts. I can say the valvetrain noise is quieter after making the switch.
M1 0w40 is the only one I will use in my LS1s. Great results, great specs that seem to work well for LS engines based on UOAs, and easy to find locally.
VR1 is a great oil for flat tappet applications. I know there are people who think they need the extra ZDDP in a roller application as well, but I tend not to agree, at least not for the average street cam. Having said that, M1 0W40 already has higher ZDDP than many "regular" off-the-shelf 5/10w30s, but not as much as VR1 or other flat tappet specific oils.
Prior to using Joe Gibbs, I used VR1 and never had any issues with it either, but I don't mind spending a little more on oil for the piece of mind I get. It's a drop in the hat when talking about what we spend on parts. I can say the valvetrain noise is quieter after making the switch.
Fair enough... Spending a couple extra bucks every 3-4 months shouldnt mean anything if it gives peace of mind lol.. What does bug me , ( a little off topic ) is people who run regular ( 87 octane ) in forced induction cars, or cars where its needed to save about $4..... really?
I have a noisy valvetrain and piston slap when cold.. Is there anything I can try in the " magic in a bottle" or just deal with it..
Currently Im using mobil 1 full syn 5/30 , and a wix filter. well I haven't even done the first oil change on it yet, but this weekend will be my first one.. Any suggestions on wether 5/30, 10/30 is better for noisy valvetrains, cold starts etc? and also is it worth putting the larger oil filter on the car? I can't remember what filter in particular, but there was a few threads about it
"Talking oil" in this forum is a lot like playing Stairway to Heaven in a guitar store. You may start out with a good tone, but very quickly you'll hit a sour note or someone will completely ruin the experience.
Originally Posted by M4N14C
Oil is oil. M1 synthetic here, don't change if it works fine.
Without any special requirements, I totally agree with this. (Although, sometimes I add powdered guano from Argentinian Vampire Bats to my oil to add longevity and to keep the O2 sensors clean.)
Originally Posted by DlCE
Time for an oil change on my 2002 WS6. In the past, i used only Mobile 1 synthetic. I am hearing more and more good reviews about Royal purple. Enough to change brands. I know any good oil will add fuel economy and even add a little HP, but I hear Royal Purple is the best for this. What do you guys recommend?
So, what are you trying to achieve with this oil change? More HP, better protection for a specific part of the engine, do you want to put a sticker on your bumper to show off to the world? (Colored exhaust might be cool - I wonder if they can do that?) How do you use the car? DD? Road Racing? Drag Racing?
Some folks (above) can give you some great intel if you can share more about what you want to achieve. Otherwise, we'll all be talking about what we spend our own money on. (Because my baby is always the cutest.) If my engine hasn't blown up, my oil must be a great investment, right?
I've ran m1, RP, Pennz Plat., Pennz Ultra, in that order. M1 was a little thin for my liking. RP breaks down entirely too quick. I'm staying with Pennz for now.
[QUOTE=wssix99;18405431]"Talking oil" in this forum is a lot like playing Stairway to Heaven in a guitar store. You may start out with a good tone, but very quickly you'll hit a sour note or someone will completely ruin the experience.
So, what are you trying to achieve with this oil change? More HP, better protection for a specific part of the engine, do you want to put a sticker on your bumper to show off to the world? (Colored exhaust might be cool - I wonder if they can do that?) How do you use the car? DD? Road Racing? Drag Racing?
Lol. I like how you put that first quote.
Trust me, I do not race. (Unless someone eggs me on and it is safe to do so.) This is strictly my summer car and I baby it. I know that this car holds its' value and cheap cosmetic mods will take that away. I take extremely good care of the car. My goal is to put the best oil in that will clean, protect, increase life and even add HP. I do not believe in modding unless it is a mod with big results. (No cheap cosmetic mods, etc.) I actually prefer a sleeper. No markings what so ever so people don't know what to expect. I don't like to waste money on products that do not work. I.E. fart cans on the exaust, flashy lights, etc. I did however put nice 18 inch low profiles with a wider footprint on it. The stock wheels are just nasty. lol. This car is already a head turner without any of those things.
Here is what I have been told so far about Royal Purple. It cleans the engine better, Since it cleans it restores and even adds a little more HP, it can increase oil change times, and gives better fuel economy.
Compared to M1, it is more expensive, but reasons enough to switch. The concern I have is, does any of this hold true?
Thanks for the replies guys. All opinions are being considered. You guys are great.
Buying engine oil on the premise of adding horsepower seems slightly silly, not trying to insult you.
There are very low detergent racing oils that will do this (or at least there is *some* evidence that they do - though this is not an easy thing to prove), however these are not really oils you'd want to run on the street in a normal car as they usually need to be changed at 500 miles or less.
For the average person in the average application, I agree that generally "oil is oil", except that needed change intervals will vary with usage of synthetic vs. conventional in same-driving conditions.
Once you get into extreme conditions, things change a bit. For example, synthetic will flow much better in extremely cold conditions. Does this matter? Depends on where you live and if you use the car all year.
VR1 has been mentioned a couple of times now above. This oil is produced with a much higher ZDDP content than current ILSAC GF-3/4 or higher rated oils (ZDDP had been reduced in modern oils to protect cat converters). Are those high levels of ZDDP really needed for an LS1? No, not most, not many since every LS1 has a roller cam; perhaps with an extremely aggressive cam profile it might be beneficial, but even then it's not a must. On the other hand, this type of high ZDDP content oil pretty much IS a must for those of us with ancient engines that still use a flat tappet cam.
So, as said by wssix99, whether or not any of this matters is dependent on application parameters. If everything about what you have and what you do is "average", then most of this discussion isn't really needed at all.
Thanks for all the advise guys.
I agree with most of you, however I used to be an aircraft mechanic and a now a flight engineer. I know that Oil is not just Oil. The wrong type of oil could be catastrophic. You could get your ticket pulled just for using the incorrect Oil. Not to mention a complete engine flush and filter change. Certain types are better for seals, gaskets, and even viscosity. I have to be honest that I am a firm believer that the type of engine oil you use will impact the life and performance of a car. Same for Hydraulic fluid, gear oil and gasoline. They have all come a long way in the area of performance and quality.
For example, I would not put regular 10W30 in a GE T-56 Hercules engine because it will not withstand the extreme high temps and break down much quicker. Same said for a smaller Cherokee piper which runs a regular VW engine. Same engine as a Jetta, but more demanding with a turbo. At high altitudes, the last thing you want is for your oil light to come on.
Additionally, I would not put regular Canadian Tire brand Motomaster 10W30 oil in my car as apposed to M1 synthetic. It is just not right. It wouldn't take long before I had smoke comming out of the exaust due to the oil destroying seals and damaging the internals. This is why I always used M1, however Royal Purple I am hearing is supposed to be even better than M1. When it comes to caring for the car, I will go with the best. But as I said, this is just what I heard. I am leaning more towards using it and sticking with it if they claim all of this is true. It could make the difference of less sludge and smoother, longer performance in the long run. Not to mention a car that will last forever.
Thanks again for all your input. I will seriously take all into consideration.
There are very low detergent racing oils that will do this (or at least there is *some* evidence that they do - though this is not an easy thing to prove), however these are not really oils you'd want to run on the street in a normal car as they usually need to be changed at 500 miles or less.
For the average person in the average application, I agree that generally "oil is oil", except that needed change intervals will vary with usage of synthetic vs. conventional in same-driving conditions.
Once you get into extreme conditions, things change a bit. For example, synthetic will flow much better in extremely cold conditions. Does this matter? Depends on where you live and if you use the car all year.
VR1 has been mentioned a couple of times now above. This oil is produced with a much higher ZDDP content than current ILSAC GF-3/4 or higher rated oils (ZDDP had been reduced in modern oils to protect cat converters). Are those high levels of ZDDP really needed for an LS1? No, not most, not many since every LS1 has a roller cam; perhaps with an extremely aggressive cam profile it might be beneficial, but even then it's not a must. On the other hand, this type of high ZDDP content oil pretty much IS a must for those of us with ancient engines that still use a flat tappet cam.
So, as said by wssix99, whether or not any of this matters is dependent on application parameters. If everything about what you have and what you do is "average", then most of this discussion isn't really needed at all.
What he said^^^, and also remember that once the ZDDP level gets way up there, not only is it not needed, but it can actually become HARMFUL (and NOT just to the catcons that most on here do not have on their cars anymore), but to actual engine components (cam lobes/lifters/ring packs/etc.) due to caustic/corrosive acid formation as the compound breaks down and interacts with blow by gasses, water, fuel. etc.
Most tribologists (those who have forgot more about engine oil than most on here, AND the so-called 'respected' engine builders will EVER know!) claim that corrosive level of ZDDP is anything over ~1200-1300 ppm.
So I always make sure I stay WELL below that level, especially if I do not need it (hydraulic roller cams, street level spring pressures, etc.).
I agree with the Mobil 1 0W-40, as it is their TOP OF THE LINE street oil, with more certifications for BIG buck OEM rides than any other oil out there, AND has a high Total Base Number (this gives it great long drain capabilities/acid neutralization properties), AND high viscosity index (flows quicker at cold engine and ambient temp start ups/resists thinning at high heat levels) to boot!!
On top of this it is on the shelf at every China Mart for between $22.87 and $25.17 for the 5 quart jug!!!!
IF one lives in a cold climate, they can thin this stuff out a little with 2-3 quarts of a top notch 0W-20 synthetic oil (i.e.; Mobil 1 0W-20 EP, Sustina 0W-20, Toyota Genuine Motor Oil 0W-20, or Mazda Genuine Motor Oil with high moly 0W-20).
I usually use a 60/40 percent mix (60% M1 0W-40, and 40% of one of the above mentioned 0W-20s), depending on how cold the winter turns out to be.
Last edited by dailydriver; Sep 3, 2014 at 05:21 PM.
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Mobile 1 or Royal Purple? 
