Oil Recommendation Request

[tjberry_1]

New to the site, though I've browsed quite a bit on many an occasion. I'm sure you're all sick of oil recommendation requests, but any help is appreciated.

Car:
2000 Acura Integra GSR
Stock B18C1 1.8L VTEC Engine, 5 spd manual trans.
Currently at 123k miles.
Engine was rebuilt at 100k miles using factory OEM parts due to the somewhat typical (on these engines) oil past the rings.
I purchased the car from the original owner about 2 months ago, and the rebuild was done under his ownership.

Current Oil/Filter:
"German" Castrol Full Syn 0W30, with a NAPA Gold. Reading here turned me on to the 0W oils, and my last car (2005 Subaru STi) performed/sounded/felt SIGNIFICANTLY better on this GC than on several different weights of Mobil 1 oils I tried in it. I ran GC in the STi for 5k mile intervals, and was planning on doing the same with this car.

Climate:
Arizona, so mostly hot (but its finally cooling off here now!)

Driving:
Daily Driving... Each way includes about 5 miles/15 minutes of stop & go getting to the freeway, and then about 20 miles/20 minutes of highway driving on the freeway. While DD'ing, I do not redline the car everywhere, but I do like to get out of my own way. So you could say my driving style is moderately aggressive, I suppose.

Autocrossing... I autocross fairly regularly. I've taken this car once so far and plan to do so about once a month. While not anywhere near the abuse of track driving, the car does see very high rpm and throttle inputs for extended periods of time (compared to DD'ing) while autocrossing.

Problems with the car:
Rough Idle - I have a very slightly rough idle, hot or cold. It does not hunt, and it idles about where it should be (800 rpm or so) once its warmed up, but still rough. I've replaced everything in the ignition system, so it's something else. I'm hoping its buildup in the engine/fuel injectors/something...

Oil Consumption - I'm using some oil. I dont see any smoke ever, nor any drops on my garage floor. I'm still working on tracking the exact rate, but I'm going to estimate about 1 qt every 1000 miles. I do see some seepage around my oil pan, but there's no way that much is leaking out of there without any drops on my floor... it has to be using it. I'm hoping for whatever reason, carbon buildup on the pistons/rings is hurting the seal of one or more of my combustion chambers.

Ugly Pistons - Looking through the spark plug holes, I can see black deposits on my pistons. I want to clean this up in the hopes that it may be causing some of my problems.

Oil darkens quickly - I've got about 1000 miles on my current GC fill, and the oil on the dipstick is significantly darker than it ever got on my STi even after 5k miles. I know every engine is different, so I'm thinking this GC may just not be right for this car.

Other than these problems, the car runs great. Power is there, revs quickly, although I wouldnt mind quieting it down a bit... since changing to the GC, it seems slightly louder compared to whatever the previous owner had in it.


So...
What oil would you recommend?

I'm very maintenance-conscious, and am not opposed to changing oil more/less often then my usual 5k, changing weights or brands, or anything else if it will help the performance/longevity/cleanliness/etc of the engine. I am a big fan of synthetics due to my usage of the car and because i view it as cheap insurance against whatever...

I'm thinking about trying the Pennzoil Ultra for its cleaning abilities in a 5W30. Hopefully the slightly thicker 30 weight oil will help with the consumption and the cleaning abilities will clean things up internally. If not, I'm not opposed to running like an AutoRX or MMO or the like to clean things up... which I may do anyway.

Thoughts?


Thanks in advance.

 

[oggb]

Rotella T6 5w-40. Cheap, easy to find, great oil, etc.

Isn't GC *almost* a 40-weight oil anyhow? And seafoam through the intake tract/brake booster/etc. might be the easiest way to fix the dirty pistons if that's what you're after. [I'd research this first, not sure if it's a good idea for a high-compression engine].

Just buy something that isn't energy conserving and call it a day. Most (all?) HDEOs, most high mileage oils, etc. Energy conserving oils are for the birds.

 

[bepperb]

Your plan sounds great if you're willing to pay for the GC every 1000 miles.

 

[Camu Mahubah]

What is the coldest temperature you will see?

 

[MrMeeks]

Syn. oil may not be what this engine 'likes'.Be certain you have a working thermostat.I prefer a 180 degree stat. in all engines gas or diesel.These cars probably require Japanese plugs to run their best and check your plug wire resistance with and ohmmeter.Measure the battery voltage with an accurate voltmeter with the engine off then get another reading with the engine running. The voltage should be more than 14 volts dc with the engine running.Hope this helps.

 

[tjberry_1]

Thanks for the replies.

Interesting, I've never considered Rotella oils for a non-diesel engine. Looking at the Shell site on it though, it states Energy Conserving...
Rotella T6 5W40

...or am I reading it wrong?

You've piqued my interest in Rotella now ...thanks again.

Anyone else?

 

[tjberry_1]

Thermostat was replaced with OEM during the rebuild according to the paperwork. The temp idiot gauge stays constant, the fan cycles normally, and I have no overheating problems in the AZ extended summer...

I've replaced the plugs with OEM NGK Plats with NKG wires. I want to say it was a slight improvement but its probably placebo effect.

I hadnt thought about checking the actual voltage of the battery. I had Autozone hook up to it last time I was there, and according to whatever they check, it was ok. But actual voltage may not be a bad idea. Thanks.

On oil... Have people here seen better engine performance with dinos vs synthetics of the same weight? I wouldnt think so but anything could happen I suppose...

 

[tjberry_1]

Coldest temp? It never gets below 40 here and that's first thing in the morning for maybe a few weeks in the dead of winter. The majority of my driving is between 80 deg and 110 deg.

 

[tjberry_1]

@bepperb
I'm not willing to do that. I want to get rid of the consumption, and I'm thinking the GC is not the way to go. And its expensive so I'm all for getting rid of it if something cheaper will work better for me. No fanboys here ;-)

 

[MrMeeks]

My Ford truck stopped it's oil use after I added 'RESTORE' oil additive.This worked for me . I like quaker state 10w-40 in warm weather.

 

[gathermewool]

the oil consumption could be anything from the PO's poor maintenance to improperly seated rings to not honing the walls to an old, gunked up PCV valve - does this car have a PCV check valve and was it changed/cleaned during the rebuild, if so.

A stuck ring(s) might be able to be cleaned up and the PCV, if you have one and it is indeed old and gunked up, can be cleaned or replaced.

I'd say forget the color and run a few short, 5kmi, intervals like you're doing and keep track of consumption. IMO, it's better to stick with one oil, get a baseline on everything, then switch if necessary.

As far as the deposits, do you see them on every piston or just one? Does this engine call for premium? Did the PO mod it, maybe tuning it poorly to the point where it was either dumping too much fuel? Might be a faulty injector or injectors. Try running a cleaner like Redline SI-1 (S eye- 1,) Gumout W/ Regane or Techron over a tank or two.

 

[BrianEM]

MrMeeks, with all due respect, you drive a Ford truck, the OP drives an Acura Integra...big, big difference there. Your experiences are all well and good, but it should be noted that these aren't necessarily a good idea for the Integra.

tjberry, if your engine was rebuilt 23k miles ago and is already consuming 1qt per 1k miles, then either something wasn't done/done the right way during the rebuild, or you have a different issue. Common areas for oil loss on our engines are valve guide seals (commonly over-looked!), piston rings, valve cover gaskets (outer gasket as well as spark plug hole gaskets), oil pan gasket, and improperly-tightened oil filter (happened to me once before). Also, as gathermewool mentioned, it's a good idea to check the PCV valve and replace if necessary. They're really cheap, of course, so if in doubt, just replace it.

If you don't have a record of it already, I'd look into which parts were replaced during the rebuild and act accordingly, instead of picking an oil that might help band-aid the oil consumption issue. Also, choosing an oil that's cheap to replace as you burn it is kind of silly, IMO, if you're interested in picking the right oil for the engine. There's a big difference between looking for the right oil and looking for the right oil that's cheap.

I, for one, have always been willing to choose the right oils for my circumstances even if it meant I had to spend a bit more on higher quality oils for my engines (old B18B1 and current JDM B18C-R), and my oil analyses have always reflected that.

 

[oggb]

Rotella T6 is a very good oil for very cheap - lots more anti-wear additives than almost any passenger car oil. If it holds up in a diesel semi's engine a passenger car won't give it any trouble at all.

Also, there are no Xw-40 "energy conserving" oils AFAIK. Rotella T6 is "energy saving" according to Shell but is not an "energy conserving" oil.

If you want to stick with a 30-wt oil for whatever reason most high-mileage oils offer a more robust additive package (more anti-wear additives, seal conditioners, etc.).

 

[silvert4r]

I had a Civic back in the day with one of these Integra B series motors. I ran 10w30 or 10w40 year round and it helped to keep the consumption in check.

In regards to your rough idle, try cleaning the IAC valve, a common problem with these engines. Simple job you can do yourself with simple hand tools and brake cleaner, there's a good tutorial online if you search google.

 

[d00df00d]

Originally Posted By: BrianEM
tjberry, if your engine was rebuilt 23k miles ago and is already consuming 1qt per 1k miles, then either something wasn't done/done the right way during the rebuild, or you have a different issue.

...

If you don't have a record of it already, I'd look into which parts were replaced during the rebuild and act accordingly, instead of picking an oil that might help band-aid the oil consumption issue.

Big +1.

Always check for fixable hardware problems first, then pick your oil.

 

[tjberry_1]

Originally Posted By: gathermewool
the oil consumption could be anything from the PO's poor maintenance to improperly seated rings to not honing the walls to an old, gunked up PCV valve - does this car have a PCV check valve and was it changed/cleaned during the rebuild, if so.

A stuck ring(s) might be able to be cleaned up and the PCV, if you have one and it is indeed old and gunked up, can be cleaned or replaced.

I'd say forget the color and run a few short, 5kmi, intervals like you're doing and keep track of consumption. IMO, it's better to stick with one oil, get a baseline on everything, then switch if necessary.

As far as the deposits, do you see them on every piston or just one? Does this engine call for premium? Did the PO mod it, maybe tuning it poorly to the point where it was either dumping too much fuel? Might be a faulty injector or injectors. Try running a cleaner like Redline SI-1 (S eye- 1,) Gumout W/ Regane or Techron over a tank or two.


The PO seemed very maintenance-conscious as well... an inch-thick folder of records came with the car. However he seemed to have the oil changed at a variety of different places, with a variety of different oils.

No record of PCV replacement, but I did pull it out and check it. It rattles a bit when shaken, although not as much as I thought it would. I chocked it up to the fact that honda PCVs are plastic, so the rattle isnt quite as loud as with a metal PCV. But they are pretty dang cheap so I may as well replace it to check it off the list.

Deposits appear to be on every piston. I will look closer today just to make sure I wasnt seeing things.

To my knowledge, the PO did not mod the engine at all other than a K&N panel air filter which it still has. I was thinking about the injectors as well, and a good cleaner was on my list. Thanks for the recommendations... where can these be found to purchase?

Thanks again.

 

[tjberry_1]

Originally Posted By: BrianEM
tjberry, if your engine was rebuilt 23k miles ago and is already consuming 1qt per 1k miles, then either something wasn't done/done the right way during the rebuild, or you have a different issue. Common areas for oil loss on our engines are valve guide seals (commonly over-looked!), piston rings, valve cover gaskets (outer gasket as well as spark plug hole gaskets), oil pan gasket, and improperly-tightened oil filter (happened to me once before). Also, as gathermewool mentioned, it's a good idea to check the PCV valve and replace if necessary. They're really cheap, of course, so if in doubt, just replace it.

I agree completely. I'm trying to rule out the "different issue"... fuel, valve seal, etc as you mentioned.
I've replaced the valve cover gasket and the spark plug hole gaskets, so I know those are ok.
PCV is now on my list to replace, though it does rattle a bit when checked.

Originally Posted By: BrianEM
If you don't have a record of it already, I'd look into which parts were replaced during the rebuild and act accordingly, instead of picking an oil that might help band-aid the oil consumption issue. Also, choosing an oil that's cheap to replace as you burn it is kind of silly, IMO, if you're interested in picking the right oil for the engine. There's a big difference between looking for the right oil and looking for the right oil that's cheap.

I, for one, have always been willing to choose the right oils for my circumstances even if it meant I had to spend a bit more on higher quality oils for my engines (old B18B1 and current JDM B18C-R), and my oil analyses have always reflected that.


Definitely not trying to band-aid, and money is not a factor with oil for me... I want what is best for my engine/situation. If it happens to be cheaper, great. More expensive? So be it.

 

[tjberry_1]

Originally Posted By: silvert4r
I had a Civic back in the day with one of these Integra B series motors. I ran 10w30 or 10w40 year round and it helped to keep the consumption in check.

In regards to your rough idle, try cleaning the IAC valve, a common problem with these engines. Simple job you can do yourself with simple hand tools and brake cleaner, there's a good tutorial online if you search google.


I cleaned the IACV with no change. And really not a lot of dirty cleaner came out when I did it, so I think it was fairly clean already.

 

[synthetic_crazy]

Pennzoil Ultra 5w-30 would be a solid choice.

to BITOG!

 

[addyguy]

I would add a quart of MMO (Marvel Mystery Oil) to a fill of oil for at least 1k miles, a couple of time, to see if it helps clean out any stuff, and potentially free-up the rings.

If that doesn't not help at all, I would try the restore additive, like someone else suggested. In your climate, I would run a 15W-40 HDEO to cut consumption, and reduce top-off cost.

As for the piston deposits, put a good amount of MMO in the gas tank with a fill-up, and do a 'water-de-carboning' procedure, with at least a quart of water - how to's are in threads in the 'oil/gas additive section', and you can also find them on YouTube.