I am currently running mobil 1 in my trans am right now but a friend of mine recommended valvoline race oil . He says the mobil 1 is too thin for what i do with the car. It is a every weekend car i race. No internal mods. My question is , is he right? Should i switch to a thicker oil being a every weekend raced car? Any thoughts are appreciated!

 

Too thin is a load of bs. There are guys here running 0w30 mobil 1 and they aren't having problems. I would stick to any type of synthetic you want and just use the factory reccomended weight. I have heard that german castrol shows very good results in LS based engines so you might try that.

 

Yeah i was just wondering because i wasnt sure about it. He heard a lifter tapping slightly and said that about the oil so i figured i would get some opinions. Ive ran full synthetic mobil 1 10w 30 in it since i bought the car a year ago.

 

how many miles on the car.prostock cars run 30w.you could have a leaky exhaust gasket .

 

It has 112k but i was under the car all day today and it is super clean underneath. I didnt see any signs of any kind of leaks .

 

Mobil 1 tends to run on the thin side of their ratings, but if you step up to a M1 0W40 (that's what I use), you'll get similar viscosity as the "thicker" w30 oils.

 

Would 0w40 be good while running 100 shot of nitrous?

 

I been running castrol syntec 5W-40 and then just switched to syntec 5W-30. I have no problems at all. No oil pressure problems, ticking, or oil consumption.

There are people that love and swear by mobil 1 and there are some that dont like it. From doing searches and all, it seems like the people who have had oil consumption issues or ticking were running mobil 1.

 

Yea it does tend to burn just a little bit of oil. But i check it every other day though to keep it up. It usually burns half a quart every two weeks is that bad or normal?

 

I use Valvoline Synpower in 5w-30 weight and it works well in my LS motor.

 

i switched over to moble 1 last oil change and now i have a ticking some where in the bottom end. i might switch back to a blend next oil change. wish i never converted my car over to synthetic.

 

Switching to synthetic oil won't cause a noise in the lower end. Synthetic oil lubricates better than regular oil so you have another problem.

That's not normal but oil is a lot cheaper than a rebuild.

 

From what I've read a thinner vecosity oil improves performance. A lot of new engines now require 5w20......because the tolerances in the engine are tighter......which creates more power. The thinner oil has to get in between the smaller spaces to prevent metal to metal contact. The main problem with thinner oil is "dry starting" after the engine sits for long periods between starts...it drains back down to the pan faster. You can always add a touch in before a perlonged period since you last started it.

Synthedics are usually thinner but are slippery......and adhere to the metal well. They leave a micrscopic film to provide better protection.

 

Synthetic oil stays thinner in cold weather, but has the same viscosity as regular oil at operating temperature. It also has smaller molecules than regular oil, so that's why it lubricates better.

 

I guess im just going to stick with the m1 if i have problems , well ... ill just have to throw a 6.0 in it. I seem to be finding those cheap.

 

The main thing with oil is to change it when you should....if you have noise issues you could always step up to a slightly higher weight oil.

 

If you run it hard during the week, use nitrous, and live in the south, I don't see why you couldn't run a 40w if you want. It won't kill anything, and it may help during periods of high torque application.

Don't use a racing oil. The additive pack is not meant for street use.

Keeping your motor in the high rpm range more than you would in normal driving (because of the power and noise being so addictive) can cause oil consumption.

As for oil brand, don't worry about it as long as you change your oil regularly. 3k mile intervals for a hard-use engine would be sufficient. Any name brand would work. Oil is not a majic elixer, it's just oil. Cheap oil is still oil. Expensive oils have better additive packages to clean better, lube better, reduce acids, and stay in grade better. Different oils for different uses, but it's still just oil.

If you don't feel you know enough to make the proper choice, then learn more until you can.

I recommend http://www.bobistheoilguy.com

 

i use m1 but as has been said many times theres many different choices and most are adequate.

 

You certainly dont need overpriced race oil...A good synthetic should be just fine, ive used them all and am running mobile 1 extended performance now but usually go w/ whats on sale.

 

As stated above, don't overthink the situation. Buy whichever oil you prefer and change it on time and you won't have any problems. Oil quality really isn't an issue so long as you change it on time.