Best oil weight for ls1?
01-07-2010, 10:26 AM
#21
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The temperature range the oil is exposed to in most vehicles can be wide, ranging from cold temperatures in the winter before the vehicle is started up to hot operating temperatures when the vehicle is fully warmed up in hot summer weather. A specific oil will have high viscosity when cold and a lower viscosity at the engine's operating temperature. The difference in viscosities for most single-grade oil is too large between the extremes of temperature. To bring the difference in viscosities closer together, special polymer additives called viscosity index improvers, or VIIs are added to the oil. These additives are used to make the oil a multi-grade motor oil, however it is possible to have a multi-grade oil without the use of VIIs. The idea is to cause the multi-grade oil to have the viscosity of the base grade when cold and the viscosity of the second grade when hot. This enables one type of oil to be generally used all year. In fact, when multi-grades were initially developed, they were frequently described as all-season oil. The viscosity of a multi-grade oil still varies logarithmically with temperature, but the slope representing the change is lessened. This slope representing the change with temperature depends on the nature and amount of the additives to the base oil.
The SAE designation for multi-grade oils includes two viscosity grades; for example, 10W-30 designates a common multi-grade oil. The two numbers used are individually defined by SAE J300 for single-grade oils. Therefore, an oil labeled as 10W-30 must pass the SAE J300 viscosity grade requirement for both 10W and 30, and all limitations placed on the viscosity grades (for example, a 10W-30 oil must fail the J300 requirements at 5W). Also, if an oil does not contain any VIIs, and can pass as a multi-grade, that oil can be labeled with either of the two SAE viscosity grades. For example, a very simple multi-grade oil that can be easily made with modern baseoils without any VII is a 20W-20. This oil can be labeled as 20W-20, 20W, or 20. Note, if any VIIs are used however, then that oil cannot be labeled as a single grade.
The real-world ability of an oil to crank or pump when cold is potentially diminished soon after it is put into service. The motor oil grade and viscosity to be used in a given vehicle is specified by the manufacturer of the vehicle (although some modern European cars now have no viscosity requirement), but can vary from country to country when climatic or fuel efficiency constraints come into play.
The SAE designation for multi-grade oils includes two viscosity grades; for example, 10W-30 designates a common multi-grade oil. The two numbers used are individually defined by SAE J300 for single-grade oils. Therefore, an oil labeled as 10W-30 must pass the SAE J300 viscosity grade requirement for both 10W and 30, and all limitations placed on the viscosity grades (for example, a 10W-30 oil must fail the J300 requirements at 5W). Also, if an oil does not contain any VIIs, and can pass as a multi-grade, that oil can be labeled with either of the two SAE viscosity grades. For example, a very simple multi-grade oil that can be easily made with modern baseoils without any VII is a 20W-20. This oil can be labeled as 20W-20, 20W, or 20. Note, if any VIIs are used however, then that oil cannot be labeled as a single grade.
The real-world ability of an oil to crank or pump when cold is potentially diminished soon after it is put into service. The motor oil grade and viscosity to be used in a given vehicle is specified by the manufacturer of the vehicle (although some modern European cars now have no viscosity requirement), but can vary from country to country when climatic or fuel efficiency constraints come into play.
01-12-2010, 12:50 PM
#26
Recomendations for subzero temps (-30 on the extreme end here, but we have had several -10~-20 days recently). It hits over 100 here during the summer so just trying to cover all basis....I'm running 5w-30 right now and the LS1 doesn't sound that great when I first fire the thing up in this weather.
Thanks!
Thanks!
01-12-2010, 02:15 PM
#29
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it's not thicker, it pours like 0 weight in cold weather and can protect like a 40 wieght oil. it's really thin, this is the oil that comes stock in audi's VW's and mercedes etc... (i know oil is more complicated than this explanation, just wasnted to say that is isn't overly thick oil, but still protects in higher temperatures)
Last edited by thatguy383; 01-12-2010 at 02:20 PM. Reason: so i dont get schooled
01-12-2010, 04:05 PM
#30
it's not thicker, it pours like 0 weight in cold weather and can protect like a 40 wieght oil. it's really thin, this is the oil that comes stock in audi's VW's and mercedes etc... (i know oil is more complicated than this explanation, just wasnted to say that is isn't overly thick oil, but still protects in higher temperatures)
01-12-2010, 05:16 PM
#33
What's the difference? 5W-30 M1 was the factory recommended fill when the LS1 was in the Corvette. Why would it be any different in your f-body or GTO? If you install p/n 12555685 it'll say so right on your oil fill cap, and it just looks cool.
01-15-2010, 11:23 PM
#34
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Yup. oil choices are MAJOR personal preference. IMO if you have the cash and time. try a couple different oils. see if you notice a difference or like one more than the other.
01-16-2010, 01:39 PM
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Inside my valve covers after 126,000 hard high revving miles using M1 oil! I couldn't ask for more! I have done many heads/cam installs and i have seen many cars with 30,000 miles and up look way way worse then this.
01-19-2010, 09:41 AM
#37
Not sure what the temp range is but I would imagine a 0w-30 would be worse than a 5w-30 for cold condistions. From what I've read you want the first number(5w or 10w) to be a heavier weight for cold startups. If the area you live in has extreme cold weather then this would be much better for your car. On my car the 5w-30 made my valvetrain too noisy when I did heads/cam so I switched to a thicker oil and is much better now. Hope this helps!!
01-19-2010, 01:30 PM
#38
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Not sure what the temp range is but I would imagine a 0w-30 would be worse than a 5w-30 for cold condistions. From what I've read you want the first number(5w or 10w) to be a heavier weight for cold startups. If the area you live in has extreme cold weather then this would be much better for your car. On my car the 5w-30 made my valvetrain too noisy when I did heads/cam so I switched to a thicker oil and is much better now. Hope this helps!!
- reason i can say this, i live damn near in canada, if you have the wrong oil when it's 40 below, your vehicle does not start. boom. *and it doesnt get to the internals as fast if it's too thick when it's started, -if your from texas i spose you can use whatever you want and not have consequences, unless it's too thin in the summer...
01-19-2010, 01:52 PM
#39
my mistake. I said it backwards. The 0w-30 would be better for your needs. I am used to hotter climates. You want your oil to lubricate all the important parts as quickly as possible and avoid dry startups. Oil flows quicker with a lower 0w viscocity.
Sorry for confusion.
Sorry for confusion.
