Oil "expected usage" question

Status
Not open for further replies.
Assuming my oil temps would be around 240F, the Rotella T5 10w30 would be 8.77cSt @ 240F. That is the specification for a 20 grade oil. But also the oil is synthetic blend which makes me uneasy. Thoughts on it?
 
Or what do you guys think about Pennzoil Ultra 10w30. It has an HTHS of 3.3 and has a viscosity of 7.8cST at 240F
 
RT5 and PU are both very good oils. Don't worry about their lower viscosities at 240F. They are still 30-weight oils because they meet the required viscosity spec at 212F, not 240F. If you want to scare yourself, calculate the viscosity of a 20-weight at 240F.
 
No strong runner can really be flogged much on public roads. It just won't happen. I have flailed around on private property a few times, but still was unable to keep my foot in it for any length of time sufficient to generate the kind of temps being fretted over here.

In just minutes at Homestead I was running 290 plus temps! Duration is the key.

Normally the autocrosser simply does not run long enough of a lap to do any real heating, and the courses are too tight to use full throttle much in a powerful car.

I'd want to make sure my car had a full on baffled pan (mine does) for the autocross before I'd worry much about the oil!
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: A_Harman
If you want to scare yourself, calculate the viscosity of a 20-weight at 240F.


I did lol, thats why im switching to a 30 grade for autocross season. Pennzoil Ultra 10w30 goes to 7.8cST @ 240F would that be safe? RT5 10w30 goes to 8.8cST @ 240F. Which would you chose? My car is spec'd for a 20 grade.
 
I think the PU would work fine. It's a worthwhile step up from a 20-weight. Do you have an oil temp gauge in your car? If so, you can use that to find out how hot your oil actually is when you are autocrossing and use the information to fine-tune your oil selection.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: A_Harman
I think the Pennzoil Ultra would work fine. It's a worthwhile step up from a 20-weight. Do you have an oil temp gauge in your car? If so, you can use that to find out how hot your oil actually is when you are autocrossing and use the information to fine-tune your oil selection.


I wish i did lol. I plan on running the Pennzoil Ultra 10w30 for 3k in the car during autocross. If i did Redline 5w-20 oil, i would run it 5k. Considering Redline 5w-20 has the same HTHS (3.3) as Pennzoil Ultra 10w30, yet maintains the spec'd 20 grade viscosity AND It would only cost me $10 more over 10000 miles to run Redline. Ill prob just do that. Thoughts?
 
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
No strong runner can really be flogged much on public roads. It just won't happen. I have flailed around on private property a few times, but still was unable to keep my foot in it for any length of time sufficient to generate the kind of temps being fretted over here.

In just minutes at Homestead I was running 290 plus temps! Duration is the key.

Normally the autocrosser simply does not run long enough of a lap to do any real heating, and the courses are too tight to use full throttle much in a powerful car.

I'd want to make sure my car had a full on baffled pan (mine does) for the autocross before I'd worry much about the oil!


Ever been to Saskatchewan. Think 2 lanes per side,flat,very few turns and nothing but open road.
The first time I used a 20 grade in my mustang it was Mobil 1. I drove that car to within seconds of blowing up spraying through a 15 pound bottle of nitrous. My poor ill 2v didn't sound very good after an hour of pounding on the prairie highways.
The oil was so hot it was sizzling on the dipstick.the whole engine sounded clackety. Put German castrol in it after that run. The Mobil lasted an hour under my foot.
Nice and quiet with the GC in it. Spit a plug about 10000kms later.
I've got a 3 gauge pillar mount and an oil temp and pressure gauge to go in it. We will see how hot I can get 4 cams.
The point I was trying to make is you don't need a track to heat up oil.
 
^^^And a great point! Sounds like my fellow SRT8 owner who runs the "Coke" highway up there in the frozen North near you.

He runs his stock srt a solid 175 all the way down that road for like 10 miles at a pop.

But that is a gross exception, and far from typical.
 
Originally Posted By: Clevy
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
No strong runner can really be flogged much on public roads. It just won't happen. I have flailed around on private property a few times, but still was unable to keep my foot in it for any length of time sufficient to generate the kind of temps being fretted over here.

In just minutes at Homestead I was running 290 plus temps! Duration is the key.

Normally the autocrosser simply does not run long enough of a lap to do any real heating, and the courses are too tight to use full throttle much in a powerful car.

I'd want to make sure my car had a full on baffled pan (mine does) for the autocross before I'd worry much about the oil!


Ever been to Saskatchewan. Think 2 lanes per side,flat,very few turns and nothing but open road.
The first time I used a 20 grade in my mustang it was Mobil 1. I drove that car to within seconds of blowing up spraying through a 15 pound bottle of nitrous. My poor ill 2v didn't sound very good after an hour of pounding on the prairie highways.
The oil was so hot it was sizzling on the dipstick.the whole engine sounded clackety. Put German castrol in it after that run. The Mobil lasted an hour under my foot.
Nice and quiet with the GC in it. Spit a plug about 10000kms later.
I've got a 3 gauge pillar mount and an oil temp and pressure gauge to go in it. We will see how hot I can get 4 cams.
The point I was trying to make is you don't need a track to heat up oil.


So what do you suggest. Pennzoil 10w30 or Redline 5w-20. The car is not on spray
smile.gif
just bolt-ons
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: randomhero439
Originally Posted By: A_Harman
I think the Pennzoil Ultra would work fine. It's a worthwhile step up from a 20-weight. Do you have an oil temp gauge in your car? If so, you can use that to find out how hot your oil actually is when you are autocrossing and use the information to fine-tune your oil selection.


I wish i did lol. I plan on running the Pennzoil Ultra 10w30 for 3k in the car during autocross. If i did Redline 5w-20 oil, i would run it 5k. Considering Redline 5w-20 has the same HTHS (3.3) as Pennzoil Ultra 10w30, yet maintains the spec'd 20 grade viscosity AND It would only cost me $10 more over 10000 miles to run Redline. Ill prob just do that. Thoughts?


Yes, Red Line 5w20 would provide the same film thickness as Pennzoil Ultra owing to the same HTHS. Redline would have more antiwear additives. I've been running OCI's of ~8000 miles on Red Line 5w30 in my Camaro.
 
Seriously, I'd get a cheap infra red thermometer at harbor freight and shoot the oil pan to determine a temp before I decided anything.

You simply must know the oil temps before you can make an informed decision.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom