1995 16V turbo - cam cover off

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I had to replace the gasket so I thought I'd take a photo.

17 year old Fiat 2L 16V turbo engine
119,000 miles

As far as the service history would suggest, the engine and turbo has never needed any internal repairs.

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The service history has a real mix. Manufacturers specification is Selenia 10w40.

Dealer serviced to 2005 with either Mobil super 15w40 or the odd time M1 5w50. Then had either 15w40 or 10w40 for the next 6 years or so. The last oil change was Selenia Racing 10w60 as I get it stupid cheap.

I decided to replace the big end bearings as these engne are known for letting go after 100k miles and to my horror they were in shocking condition. Sorry I don't have a photo. The condition of the bearings made me want to look more carefully at what oil I was using and led me to this site. The car is street and track driven. So what oil do you think is suitable? Most in Australia would suggest Castrol edge 10w60 or maybe M1 5w50, 15w50 etc. After a few weeks of research I think M1 0w40 would be best suited. I do a lot of short trips and a few really long trips also. M1 0w40 is stupid expensive in Australia but I can get USA imports for a reasonable price.
 
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I don't know much about this engine, but I'd use M1 15w-50 if I was in your climate. I imagine there must be someone on the board who has experience with that particular engine though.
 
I would not use M1 0w40 in this particular engine. I absolutely love M1 0w40 and am always looking to give it a plug by the way, I just don't think basically a thick 30grade will suffice in that application. M1 15w50 or even the 5w50 would work well and give you the protection you need with your style of driving.

Hope this helps!
 
Royal Purple 10w40 might suit this engine well. It comes highly recommended from the Mazdaspeed Miata owners (1.8L turbo engines).
 
Originally Posted By: chubbs1
I would not use M1 0w40 in this particular engine. I absolutely love M1 0w40 and am always looking to give it a plug by the way, I just don't think basically a thick 30grade will suffice in that application. M1 15w50 or even the 5w50 would work well and give you the protection you need with your style of driving.

Hope this helps!


The dealer used M1 5w50 so I could continue with that. It's a lot cheaper than M1 0w40 for one. I thought M1 0w40 was a step "better" than the 5w50. That is how it is marketed in Australia anyway.

The other oil I was concidering was Penrite racing 10w40. It is a heavier 40 grade but no HTHS details. I thought this maybe a little bit of an overkill. I would use Redline 10w40 if overkill/price was no issue.

http://www.penriteoil.com.au/pis_pdfs/10 TENTHS RACING OIL 10 MAR 2012.pdf
 
Ill have to install a gauge. The factory one only reads to 3 bar. It has oil temp and on the road it sits even with coolant temp.

I understand the 75 Psi at 6000 rpm rule but is it that simple? I mean If I could triple the torque of the engine at 6000 rpm does that rule still apply? I dont see the oil pressure changing but I believe it will put more force on the oil wedge. Am I going to need a more viscous oil?
 
What type of big end damage?
Give this (or a similar site) a look.
http://www.tribology.co.uk/services/investigate/pb01-0.htm

Increased pump pressure does not directly affect oil wedge thickness. Better flow can reduce bearing temperature and, obviously, improve the volume of oil available and the speed at which it arrives at the bearings during an engine start.

Assuming your bearings are suffering lubrication breakdown (most likely), I'd start looking for a (bigger) oil cooler and thicker oil. HTHS is King! (It mildly amazes me that the usual "Thin" crowd suspects ignore the bearing damage your car has suffered.)

Possible modifications to the oil delivery system include tweaking the blow-off pressure, etc.
 
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Any modifications have been made? This engine family can eat bearings like I eat popcorn and that is not a good thing for your engine.
 
Originally Posted By: supercity
Ill have to install a gauge. The factory one only reads to 3 bar. It has oil temp and on the road it sits even with coolant temp.

I understand the 75 Psi at 6000 rpm rule but is it that simple? I mean If I could triple the torque of the engine at 6000 rpm does that rule still apply? I dont see the oil pressure changing but I believe it will put more force on the oil wedge. Am I going to need a more viscous oil?

Here is a chart of temp, viscosity, and HP.
This is for specific Joe Gibbs oil, but the principles are the same for common oils.
http://www.joegibbsdriven.com/trainingcenter/learn/viscosity.html
 
Originally Posted By: supercity
Ill have to install a gauge. The factory one only reads to 3 bar. It has oil temp and on the road it sits even with coolant temp.

I understand the 75 Psi at 6000 rpm rule but is it that simple? I mean If I could triple the torque of the engine at 6000 rpm does that rule still apply? I dont see the oil pressure changing but I believe it will put more force on the oil wedge. Am I going to need a more viscous oil?

There's a 10 psi/1,000 rpm rule but I haven't heard of a 75 psi @ 6,000 rpm rule unless that is the actual spec' for your engine but I doubt it if your factory gauge is pegged at 3 bar (44 psi).
If you can dig up the OP test spec's for your engine that would be a big help. I would think there's a spec' on idle and at elevated rev's, likely in the 2,500-3,000 rpm area.
The reason this is useful, assuming you've got an unaltered factory oil pump, is that the OP gauge is an effective viscosity meter. You don't want to run an oil heavier than what still meets the OP spec's when the oil is as hot as it ever gets.
Since the recommended oil is a 40wt I'd suggest starting with M1 0W-40 and go from there. With new bearings I'm sure that this oil will be more than thick enough.
 
I reckon it to be a good choice. If you belive EOM graphics it's the choice for high temp and oil consumption and loss w/ very little detrimental fuel economy reduction and start-up protection given your climate. What OCI is normal for you? That's a clean engine!
 
Originally Posted By: supercity
WHat do you guys think about using M1 HM 10w40 in my engine rather than M1 0w40?


10W-40 HM is a good oil, but if you're not burning nor leaking, I'd stick with 0W-40, Mobil's best IMHO....
 
Originally Posted By: dave1251
Any modifications have been made? This engine family can eat bearings like I eat popcorn and that is not a good thing for your engine.


It has been a stock daily drive up to now. However I wont be using it as a daily driver anymore. I will be using it more as a club race car / weekend driver. I gave the engine a minor rebuild to make sure it was OK, bearings, seals, clutch, belts etc in prep for some more power.

As for the oil, I think a 40 grade is best to start with. Something easy to get from a large retailer like these which can usually be bought at a decent discount.

Shell Helix Ultra 5w40
Castrol Edge 5w40 (not the same as USA apparently)
Mobil 1 0w40

I am guessing they are all going to pretty much do the same job.
 
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