Best Oil for LS3
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Teching In
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From: Hereford
Best Oil for LS3 Hi
I have put a crate LS3 in a TVR griffith, its almost running. It is on dry sump and has MAST ecu but is otherwise standard
Car used for sprinting so mileage low 2000 per year and no cats
Can any one tell be what is best oil to use? I understand I should not be using synthetic for first 5000 miles! I also thought that a lot of modern oils have less wear prevention agents due to need to protect the cats. Is that true?
Many thanks
Matthew Oakley
I have put a crate LS3 in a TVR griffith, its almost running. It is on dry sump and has MAST ecu but is otherwise standard
Car used for sprinting so mileage low 2000 per year and no cats
Can any one tell be what is best oil to use? I understand I should not be using synthetic for first 5000 miles! I also thought that a lot of modern oils have less wear prevention agents due to need to protect the cats. Is that true?
Many thanks
Matthew Oakley
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From: NYC
I like Mobil 1 0W40 for all season driving. It's always on sale, easy to get and has a great additive package. Generally, I find the turbo truck oils to be best because of the better additives, but they are not on sale very often. (You can use a thicker oil if it doesn't get cold where you are. Right now it's 14 degrees here in New York.)
You are going to want to break in the motor if it is right out of the crate. I am using Joe Gibbs break in oil (got 12 quarts with my crate motor). You should run it for 45 minutes with 6 quarts of Joe Gibbs at varying rpms, but never over 4000, turn the car off, let it cool down completely then repeat. After that change replace the oil with the other 6 quarts of break in oil, and keep that for 500 miles.
To answer your question, you need oil with high ZDDP which is the wear prevention that you referred to. Motul has good lubricants, but there are others.
To answer your question, you need oil with high ZDDP which is the wear prevention that you referred to. Motul has good lubricants, but there are others.
Launching!
Joined: Jun 2009
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These motors do not need break in oils. You can use mobil one from day one. They are roller cam motors and will work just fine. I use 15-40 . Just make shure you change the oil at the first couple of hours after a new start up and 500 down the road with a filter change.
Hi
I have put a crate LS3 in a TVR griffith, its almost running. It is on dry sump and has MAST ecu but is otherwise standard
Car used for sprinting so mileage low 2000 per year and no cats
Can any one tell be what is best oil to use? I understand I should not be using synthetic for first 5000 miles! I also thought that a lot of modern oils have less wear prevention agents due to need to protect the cats. Is that true?
Many thanks
Matthew Oakley
I have put a crate LS3 in a TVR griffith, its almost running. It is on dry sump and has MAST ecu but is otherwise standard
Car used for sprinting so mileage low 2000 per year and no cats
Can any one tell be what is best oil to use? I understand I should not be using synthetic for first 5000 miles! I also thought that a lot of modern oils have less wear prevention agents due to need to protect the cats. Is that true?
Many thanks
Matthew Oakley
Otherwise, if its a normal LSx engine modded, fully built, or just a H/C set-up.......regular cheap non-synthetic oil OR the most expensive synthetic oil on the market will do the SAME thing.
As long as you keep it clean. 3,000 mile filter/oil changes. Flip a coin and use whatever brand, type of oil you please.....weight, most will work the same too, depends on climate I guess if you want to use different weights.
.
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Hi
I have put a crate LS3 in a TVR griffith, its almost running. It is on dry sump and has MAST ecu but is otherwise standard
Car used for sprinting so mileage low 2000 per year and no cats
Can any one tell be what is best oil to use? I understand I should not be using synthetic for first 5000 miles! I also thought that a lot of modern oils have less wear prevention agents due to need to protect the cats. Is that true?
Many thanks
Matthew Oakley
I have put a crate LS3 in a TVR griffith, its almost running. It is on dry sump and has MAST ecu but is otherwise standard
Car used for sprinting so mileage low 2000 per year and no cats
Can any one tell be what is best oil to use? I understand I should not be using synthetic for first 5000 miles! I also thought that a lot of modern oils have less wear prevention agents due to need to protect the cats. Is that true?
Many thanks
Matthew Oakley
FYI - the factory engines (LS7 etc aside), use a thin synthetic. Never had it accurately visco tested, but it flows like 5W20.
They do this for a good reason. Initial bedding of rings and bearings etc. Thick oil gets in the way.
If its an aftermarket crate, use what the builder recommends - as LS6427 recommends.
GM recommends 5W30 synthetic Mobil 1 for Corvettes from day 1.
As it cold flows well and handles high temps. If you are going to track it a lot, oil may get too hot for mineral without a cooler.
Quite a few TVR's getting LS engines on the continent.
Cheers.
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From: Hereford
Thank you all
Yes it was a GMPP crate engine. However Ive lost original oil putting dry sump on. I am running MAST management and will optimised for 98 octane so hopefully go well in 2200 lb car.
So either I use break in oil for few days and then Mobil 1 or Mobil 1 from the off. It will need to run in quick, certainly not over 5000miles, so perhaps better to use break in oil
Thanks again
Matthew
Yes it was a GMPP crate engine. However Ive lost original oil putting dry sump on. I am running MAST management and will optimised for 98 octane so hopefully go well in 2200 lb car.
So either I use break in oil for few days and then Mobil 1 or Mobil 1 from the off. It will need to run in quick, certainly not over 5000miles, so perhaps better to use break in oil
Thanks again
Matthew
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Thank you all
Yes it was a GMPP crate engine. However Ive lost original oil putting dry sump on. I am running MAST management and will optimised for 98 octane so hopefully go well in 2200 lb car.
So either I use break in oil for few days and then Mobil 1 or Mobil 1 from the off. It will need to run in quick, certainly not over 5000miles, so perhaps better to use break in oil
Thanks again
Matthew
Yes it was a GMPP crate engine. However Ive lost original oil putting dry sump on. I am running MAST management and will optimised for 98 octane so hopefully go well in 2200 lb car.
So either I use break in oil for few days and then Mobil 1 or Mobil 1 from the off. It will need to run in quick, certainly not over 5000miles, so perhaps better to use break in oil
Thanks again
Matthew
Just a lightweight mineral would be fine if you are going to dump it in few days. 5W30 at most. And a low vis 5W30 at that. (they vary).
LS's are designed to run thin oils initially with their tight fit pistons and bearings. Plus they shed quite a bit of metal in the early hours of operation. Both iron and Al, so getting this out along with a new filter isnt a bad move.
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From: Rockfield Kentucky
For some reason the break in on the LS3 takes a little longer than some of the previous LS engines. It could be the ring package or the profile on the cylinder wall.
In all the crate engines that I use I break them in with a Valvoline 10/30 oil.
I drain and save the synthetic that comes in the crate engines from GMPP. I save the filter as well.
On the dyno I usually switch the oil after a couple of days. In the car it's after about 1000 miles of hard runnng.
I use the same oil to break in te rings on my 440" LSX 900 Horsepower engine.
I have used Rotella, Joe Gibbs break in oil, and several other oils.
The LSA Crate engine in my 2010 Camaor still has the Valvoline 10/30 after about 30 Chassis Dyno pulls .
the LS3 has a friction coating on the skirts so with the roller cam the amount of scuff is minimal.
Just my thoughts.....
Good luck with the build. That car ought to be a blast!
Robin
In all the crate engines that I use I break them in with a Valvoline 10/30 oil.
I drain and save the synthetic that comes in the crate engines from GMPP. I save the filter as well.
On the dyno I usually switch the oil after a couple of days. In the car it's after about 1000 miles of hard runnng.
I use the same oil to break in te rings on my 440" LSX 900 Horsepower engine.
I have used Rotella, Joe Gibbs break in oil, and several other oils.
The LSA Crate engine in my 2010 Camaor still has the Valvoline 10/30 after about 30 Chassis Dyno pulls .
the LS3 has a friction coating on the skirts so with the roller cam the amount of scuff is minimal.
Just my thoughts.....
Good luck with the build. That car ought to be a blast!
Robin
