2ZZ-GE (TOYOTA MR2) track use (10h), meguin super leichtlauf 0w40, 3400km total

[ivanb28]

Hi guys!

After creating this thread (https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/t...ving-engine-used-on-track-days-2zz-ge.382212/) which has some info about this UOA, here are the results of it:
For those who won't read it, here's a quick resume:
-2zz-ge engine (8250 rpm limit) used on track frequently.
-a bit more than 6L oil capacity, baffled sump + oil cooler
-3400km total in 6 months.
-had an oil consumption of around 1.3l so i had to refill during this time, not all at once.
-10 hour use on three different track days, two of them were 4 hours open pitline each (around 100 laps total), the last one were three 30' rounds, about 36 laps total on a shorter track, here's an example of the use it's been through:


and here's the UOA:

what do you guys think? this engine has around 146.000km but cant confirm since it's not the original one my car came with. i've done around 20.000km in two years with it, and a total of 12 track days, always using this oil.

 

[edyvw]

Keep using it. However, for exhaustive track use, I would go track oil, preferably in 10W40 grade, something like Motul 10W40 300V.

 

[ivanb28]

Keep using it. However, for exhaustive track use, I would go track oil, preferably in 10W40 grade, something like Motul 10W40 300V.

What do you see that would make you suggest switching to 300v? Just in case?
I know an engine is expensive, but 300v oil changes are as well hahah, considering the oil consumption and oil capacity, I’d need around 7.x liters for each OCI, which would be roughly 160€. That’s just… too much. I’d rather try to find cheaper alternatives and replace them earlier and verify with UOA what’s going on.

 

[edyvw]

What do you see that would make you suggest switching to 300v? Just in case?
I know an engine is expensive, but 300v oil changes are as well hahah, considering the oil consumption and oil capacity, I’d need around 7.x liters for each OCI, which would be roughly 160€. That’s just… too much. I’d rather try to find cheaper alternatives and replace them earlier and verify with UOA what’s going on.

Did you check ROWE racing?
If price is an issue, I would go Mobil1 0W40, Shell Helix Ultra 5W40 etc.

 

[ivanb28]

Did you check ROWE racing?
If price is an issue, I would go Mobil1 0W40, Shell Helix Ultra 5W40 etc.

Haven’t looked into them honestly. Any recommendation?
As we talked about on the initial post some time ago, I had bought 3 cans of shell helix ultra 5w40 to try since I got them dirt cheap (22€ each 5l can). These will be on next UOA

 

[fantastic]

Looks like fun for your car there. Try different oils in your budget to see what might work. Vid was fun to watch.

 

[ProbeGT]

For track use, I'd go up to xW50, highest ZDDP oil you can find, to avoid high cam lobe wear. I switched to 0W40 for street driving.

Thread 'Toyota 2ZZ-GE intake cam wear, car #2'

Mar 10, 2025

In late 2021 I discovered a wiped intake camshaft on one of my 2ZZ-GE equipped Pontiac Vibe GTs. https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/t...intake-cam-wear-bad-oil-or-bad-filter.348741/ . I replaced the intake camshaft and 4 rocker arms and adjusted valve lash. After extensive research, I concluded that the root cause was inadequate ZDDP content in API 5W-30 oils used (SM, SN, SP). The car calls for 5w-30 API SL.

FFWD to now, I'm doing the same job on my other Vibe GT. This intake camshaft is again wiped although it's not quite as bad as it was on car #1. This car...

• ProbeGT
• Replies: 24
• Forum: Passenger Car Motor Oil (PCMO) - Gasoline Vehicles

• 
• 

Thread 'Toyota 2ZZ-GE intake cam wear - bad oil or bad filter?'

Dec 7, 2021

I removed the valve cover to replace the gasket on my Toyota 2ZZ-GE VVTL-i engine and got a nasty surprise. The high cams on the intake camshaft are wiped. All the low cams on the intake and all the cams on the exhaust camshaft are fine - totally smooth to touch. The car is a daily driver, 40/60 hwy/city.

I had inspected the intake camshaft about 40,000 miles ago and it was OK. Very little wear, barely noticeable. Nothing like now. Wondering what could've caused this. Here's my oil change history since I last inspected it, most recent first:

Oil

Filter

...

• ProbeGT
• Replies: 88
• Forum: Passenger Car Motor Oil (PCMO) - Gasoline Vehicles

• 
• 
• 

 

[ivanb28]

For track use, I'd go up to xW50, highest ZDDP oil you can find, to avoid high cam lobe wear. I switched to 0W40 for street driving.

Thread 'Toyota 2ZZ-GE intake cam wear, car #2'

Mar 10, 2025

In late 2021 I discovered a wiped intake camshaft on one of my 2ZZ-GE equipped Pontiac Vibe GTs. https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/t...intake-cam-wear-bad-oil-or-bad-filter.348741/ . I replaced the intake camshaft and 4 rocker arms and adjusted valve lash. After extensive research, I concluded that the root cause was inadequate ZDDP content in API 5W-30 oils used (SM, SN, SP). The car calls for 5w-30 API SL.

FFWD to now, I'm doing the same job on my other Vibe GT. This intake camshaft is again wiped although it's not quite as bad as it was on car #1. This car...

• ProbeGT
• Replies: 24
• Forum: Passenger Car Motor Oil (PCMO) - Gasoline Vehicles

• 
• 

Thread 'Toyota 2ZZ-GE intake cam wear - bad oil or bad filter?'

Dec 7, 2021

I removed the valve cover to replace the gasket on my Toyota 2ZZ-GE VVTL-i engine and got a nasty surprise. The high cams on the intake camshaft are wiped. All the low cams on the intake and all the cams on the exhaust camshaft are fine - totally smooth to touch. The car is a daily driver, 40/60 hwy/city.

I had inspected the intake camshaft about 40,000 miles ago and it was OK. Very little wear, barely noticeable. Nothing like now. Wondering what could've caused this. Here's my oil change history since I last inspected it, most recent first:

Oil

Filter

...

• ProbeGT
• Replies: 88
• Forum: Passenger Car Motor Oil (PCMO) - Gasoline Vehicles

• 
• 
• 

hi!
i had the same issue with my engine, before installing it on the car i saw the intake cam was wiped as well. i did my research and came to the conclusion that it was just a bad batch of intake cams, because its wear doesn't correlate to the rest of the engine (exhaust cam, cylinder walls, rod bearings...). i've read on lotus forums that this issue has occurred on low mileage "babied" lotus units, so i'd totally ditch the low zddp argument on this case.
anyways, just to be safe, i left the intake cam clearances on the loose side (0.20mm), since some of them were pretty tight (less than 0.08mm).

 

[ProbeGT]

hi!
i had the same issue with my engine, before installing it on the car i saw the intake cam was wiped as well. i did my research and came to the conclusion that it was just a bad batch of intake cams, because its wear doesn't correlate to the rest of the engine (exhaust cam, cylinder walls, rod bearings...). i've read on lotus forums that this issue has occurred on low mileage "babied" lotus units, so i'd totally ditch the low zddp argument on this case.
anyways, just to be safe, i left the intake cam clearances on the loose side (0.20mm), since some of them were pretty tight (less than 0.08mm).

It's not due to a "bad batch" of intake cams. All intake cams from all years of production are equally affected. My cars were made in 2003 and 2004, both had the intake cam wiped. One car had tight valve lash but the other car had perfectly good clearances (0.13mm) and the intake cam was still wiped.

As you correctly poiint out, only the intake cam is affected, never the exhaust cam or bearings or cylinder walls or anything else. So logically, the problem is with with insufficient intake cam lubrication at high RPM that leads to the cam and rocker arms wiping:

We know for a fact that if you go into lift on the 2ZZ often using off-the shelf 5W-30 with stock intake cam, stock rocker arms, stock oil pump and stock valve cover with stock valve lash, the intake cam shaft is guaranteed to wipe over time. To prevent it from happening again after replacement, the solution is to modify one or more of the parameters.

1. Switch to higher viscosity oil. Did that, I switched to 0W-40. Some 2ZZ owners run 5W-50 or even xW-60.
2. Switch to oil with much higher ZDDP. Did that.
3. Modify valve cover/oil tubing to distribute more oil on intake cam.
4. Increase valve lash. I set valve lash to 0.16mm (recommended is 0.08-0.18mm).
5. Upgrade oil pump and oil pan

According to reports from forums, doing all 5 of the above solves the problem even in cars that are regularly run on track. Doing a few of these may help mitigate or slow the problem from reocurring. I did #1, #2 and #4 on both my cars. Doing #3 and #5 is not practical for me, it requires more work that I'm prepared to put into it. I would only consider doing those if was planning track use, which I'm not. For everyday driving, I drew the line at #1,#2 and #4.