Honda CR-Z Oil Viscosity for Hypermiling and Track
- Thread starter HX520W
- Start date
- Status
Originally Posted By: CELICA_XX
Originally Posted By: Leonardo629
I'd be more worried about the CVT not holding up to the task.
That was my thought.
I wouldn't be aggressively driving any Honda/Acura without a clutch pedal.
Some people have successfully turbocharged and supercharged CR-Zs that have the CVT. Even HKS Japan has a supercharger kit for the CVT that will bring the car up to 170hp combined. I'm not too worried about the CVT because my brother isn't ever going to make any drastic changes to the power output of the engine. From here on out the main upgrades are going to be chassis stiffening, weight reduction, and HPD or similar suspension.
Originally Posted By: Leonardo629
I'd be more worried about the CVT not holding up to the task.
That was my thought.
I wouldn't be aggressively driving any Honda/Acura without a clutch pedal.
Some people have successfully turbocharged and supercharged CR-Zs that have the CVT. Even HKS Japan has a supercharger kit for the CVT that will bring the car up to 170hp combined. I'm not too worried about the CVT because my brother isn't ever going to make any drastic changes to the power output of the engine. From here on out the main upgrades are going to be chassis stiffening, weight reduction, and HPD or similar suspension.
Sorry, but I don't know a whole lot about installing aftermarket gauges. Where should I be looking on the engine to place oil temperature and pressure sensors? It seems like using an oil filter sandwich plate would be easiest, but I don't know how accurate the readings would be from that location.
I'm worried about the oil temp at a constant 6100 rpm... if the oil temp can be controlled to 250°F or under, the 0w-20 will do, but above that the temperature in the big end bearings might exceed 150°C, and the oil viscosity will drop below the HTHS viscosiy of the oil.
So get an oil with higher HTHS in that case.
If the engine during hypermiling operation stays below 2000RPM, there might even be a benefit to going to a slightly thicker oil. While you will get more viscous drag in the bearings, you could get reduced boundary/mixed/elastohydrodynamic lubrication in the piston/liner assembly, and a higher percentage of full hydrodynamic lubrication resulting in an efficiency gain.
The really thin oils shine most in the mid of the rpm range, not at the low end.
So get an oil with higher HTHS in that case.
If the engine during hypermiling operation stays below 2000RPM, there might even be a benefit to going to a slightly thicker oil. While you will get more viscous drag in the bearings, you could get reduced boundary/mixed/elastohydrodynamic lubrication in the piston/liner assembly, and a higher percentage of full hydrodynamic lubrication resulting in an efficiency gain.
The really thin oils shine most in the mid of the rpm range, not at the low end.
Thanks for all the recommendations and insight so far.
I tweeted Honda customer service asking specifically about oil viscosity while driving the car on a track, and I got three direct messages back as follows.
"Thank you for your interest. We only recommend using Honda genuine fluid which is based on our original specifications."
"Due to your application, we would not be able to recommend any other fluids besides our own."
"We recommend consulting with racing experts."
Understandably, Honda doesn't want to recommend anything other than what is listed in the owner's manual in case there are future warranty issues. So, I'll just treat everyone who responds as a "racing expert" and carry on.
I tweeted Honda customer service asking specifically about oil viscosity while driving the car on a track, and I got three direct messages back as follows.
"Thank you for your interest. We only recommend using Honda genuine fluid which is based on our original specifications."
"Due to your application, we would not be able to recommend any other fluids besides our own."
"We recommend consulting with racing experts."
Understandably, Honda doesn't want to recommend anything other than what is listed in the owner's manual in case there are future warranty issues. So, I'll just treat everyone who responds as a "racing expert" and carry on.
Looks like warranty expired already...I guess it's time for cough cough high lift cams cough cough....
Because the car currently has no way to measure oil temperature or pressure, it was filled with M1 AFE 0W-30.
The car was driven on track this past weekend. The original plan was to drive in two 20 minute sessions, but one thing led to another and it ended up being driven in nine 20 minute sessions and one 40 minute session. The car did great except for the braking system which burned through two sets of front brake pads and boiled the brake fluid at the end of the final session.
Other than replacing the brake rotors, pads, and fluid, is there anything else the car might need? The CVT fluid has less than 7,000 miles on it and the oil has 220 minutes and somewhere around 200 miles of track use on it.
The next update should have dyno numbers.
Thanks for the help.
The car was driven on track this past weekend. The original plan was to drive in two 20 minute sessions, but one thing led to another and it ended up being driven in nine 20 minute sessions and one 40 minute session. The car did great except for the braking system which burned through two sets of front brake pads and boiled the brake fluid at the end of the final session.
Other than replacing the brake rotors, pads, and fluid, is there anything else the car might need? The CVT fluid has less than 7,000 miles on it and the oil has 220 minutes and somewhere around 200 miles of track use on it.
The next update should have dyno numbers.
Thanks for the help.
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
Thanks for the update!
I know I'm bringing this thread back from the dead, but I said that I would provide dyno numbers when I had them.
The car has a GE8 intake manifold, HKS cat-back exhaust with a T1R header and mid-pipe, ported and polished intake runners, 270 cc Accord V6 fuel injectors, and the stock air filter and air intake. The engine was filled with Castrol Edge High mileage 10W-30 and the CVTF was changed before the dyno in preparation for the upcoming season.
Keep in mind that the dyno numbers are at the wheel. Honda claims that the engine produces a combined 122 hp at 6000 rpm and 123 lb-ft of torque at 1000-2000 rpm. I'm not sure why the dyno operator didn't let the engine rev up to 6000 rpm or higher. The hp was still climbing.
The car has a GE8 intake manifold, HKS cat-back exhaust with a T1R header and mid-pipe, ported and polished intake runners, 270 cc Accord V6 fuel injectors, and the stock air filter and air intake. The engine was filled with Castrol Edge High mileage 10W-30 and the CVTF was changed before the dyno in preparation for the upcoming season.
Keep in mind that the dyno numbers are at the wheel. Honda claims that the engine produces a combined 122 hp at 6000 rpm and 123 lb-ft of torque at 1000-2000 rpm. I'm not sure why the dyno operator didn't let the engine rev up to 6000 rpm or higher. The hp was still climbing.
Originally Posted By: Kuato
Thanks...I'm curious what the "curl" is on all three at 4900-5100 rpm?
We were told that you see those "curls" when a torque converter locks. However, Honda CVTs use clutches instead of torque converters. So, while I'm not exactly sure what caused it, it's likely an artifact from something the transmission was doing.
Thanks...I'm curious what the "curl" is on all three at 4900-5100 rpm?
We were told that you see those "curls" when a torque converter locks. However, Honda CVTs use clutches instead of torque converters. So, while I'm not exactly sure what caused it, it's likely an artifact from something the transmission was doing.
- Status
Similar threads
