Oil recommendations for a new LS3 in an old car?

[9C1_guy]

I'm sure this has been asked before, but searching for "LS3" doesn't work...

I'm putting a new LS3 in my 1987 Caprice. This engine has never had oil in it before, so I can start with anything I want. Looking for recommendations/suggestions.

1. What kind of vehicle you have

1987 Caprice w/ a new 6.2L LS3 and 6L80e transmission. (0 miles on both)

2. What your owner's manual says -- not just viscosity, but certifications (look for acronyms like API SM, ILSAC GF-4, etc.) and change intervals as well

"Look for and use only oil that meets GM Standard GM4718M." I believe this means 5w-30, but the manual doesn't specify.

3. Where you live

Southern California. It rarely even gets into the 40s here, so cold is not a concern.

4. How you drive (easy? hard? fast? slow?)

Pretty tame, most of the time. But there's a reason I'm putting in an LS3 instead of something cheaper...I do plan to romp on it every now and again.

5. What your daily drive is like (short trips? long trips? city? highway?)

~20 miles, about half back roads and half freeway.

6. Whether your car has any known problems

Tons of little ones -- it's 25 years old, but none related to the powertrain since that's going to be brand new.


I'd prefer full synthetic oil and plan to go 10k miles between oil changes after break-in. Also planning to use Mobil M1 filters if that matters. My main question is around the viscosity -- should I stick with 5w-30 or use something different that's more suitable for warmer climates where it never freezes and rarely gets cold?

Thanks!

 

[dave1251]

A synthetic 5W30 should be fine for this engine. Does it have a oil cooler?

 

[bandz7]

The recommendation is 5W-30. M1, PP, QSUD or PU would be a fine choice.

 

[wolf_06]

Castrol gtx, my father had a caprice, 1990, it was the original engine tho, not the same as yours, but we had the car 13 years, close to 400k km, no smoke, no oil burning, no valve noise. Castrol served us very well in that kimd of car.

 

[wolf_06]

Originally Posted By: wolf_06
Castrol gtx, my father had a caprice, 1990, it was the original engine tho, not the same as yours, but we had the car 13 years, close to 400k km, no smoke, no oil burning, no valve noise. Castrol served us very well in that kimd of car.
oci at 5000km, and i was hard on the engime most of the time.

 

[addyguy]

Originally Posted By: wolf_06
Castrol gtx, my father had a caprice, 1990, it was the original engine tho, not the same as yours, but we had the car 13 years, close to 400k km, no smoke, no oil burning, no valve noise. Castrol served us very well in that kimd of car.


...but he's using a brand new, all-aluminum. high-HP engine in it - not even close to the original engine!

 

[wolf_06]

Yeah i know, but still, if you want short oci, a good dino would do the job, like castrol i would say.

 

[wolf_06]

I think 5w30 would be great, its got better vi thatn 10w30 i think....

 

[Chris142]

Roller cam?

 

[yonyon]

I think that if you go to pretty much any GM dealership and ask them for a bottle of 4718M oil they'll bring you Mobil 1 5W-30. If nothing else, it's a safe bet that it's good enough for the application and not too pricey. It may or may not be the best choice, but its the easy answer.

 

[volk06]

Originally Posted By: wolf_06
I think 5w30 would be great, its got better vi thatn 10w30 i think....


In this instance vi does not mean much by itself. Hths is much more important.

 

[Turk]

Originally Posted By: bandz7
The recommendation is 5W-30. M1, PP, QSUD or PU would be a fine choice.


Yep, that or Amsoil HDD 5w-30 for stoutness.

 

[Stu_Rock]

I'm going to hijack the thread, which should be OK because the answers above for high-quality 5W-30 are sufficient.

Tell us more about the swap. Were there any issues getting the 6L80 in there? What controls it? What PCM are you using? What axle ratio do you have (or plan to use)?

This exact swap is something I'd like to do at some point. I need to find the car first.

 

[TooManyWheels]

Originally Posted By: addyguy
...but he's using a brand new, all-aluminum. high-HP engine in it - not even close to the original engine!


Addyguy - would you say the quality of posts on this site is deteriorating?

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: addyguy
...but he's using a brand new, all-aluminum. high-HP engine in it - not even close to the original engine!


Agreed. The factory recommended oil may be ideal, but then again, it might not be. One needs to know what was normally specified for this engine. I would assume a dexos1 oil would be more suitable than whatever was called for in the original manual, but even that may not be true.

 

[9C1_guy]

Thanks for all the replies, everyone. To answer some of the questions answered:

Originally Posted By: dave1251
Does it have a oil cooler?


Yes, it does.



Originally Posted By: Stu_Rock
Tell us more about the swap.

I live in SoCal, as stated, so I have to deal with CA emissions. Consequently, the swap (which is starting tomorrow -- not complete yet), will be using an E-Rod Crate engine. That's basically a 2010 Camaro engine, with the supporting smog equipment (cats, smog-legal tune, etc.). This is intended to be my DD, and I wanted the best fuel economy I could reasonably expect out of a V8, so I went with a 6L80 instead of the (easier and cheaper) 4L80. Truth be told, I also wanted the lower first gear and higher OD for highway cruising, so it wasn't all about the fuel economy.


Originally Posted By: Stu_Rock
Were there any issues getting the 6L80 in there?

TBD. At the very minimum, we're going to need a BFH to massage the transmission tunnel a bit. Worst case, we have to do surgery on the tunnel to make it wider. The overall length of the 6L80 is roughly the same as the current 700R4, but it's fatter at the driveshaft end, so we'll see how it fits.

Originally Posted By: Stu_Rock
What controls it?

TBD, but most likely a dedicated TCM. The E-Rod supposedly has a standalone ECM that cannot be used to control the transmission, unlike "regular" LS3 ECMs. This is by design since many folks want to keep their old, non-computer-controlled tranny.

Originally Posted By: Stu_Rock
What axle ratio do you have (or plan to use)?

Currently 3.42s, with no plans to change. I'm not looking for a drag car. Just something that's fun to drive and can surprise a few folks here and there off the line.


And, to finish up back on topic, I'm leaning towards Pennzoil Ultra 5w-30 and Mobil 1 M1 filters. Thanks again for all the help.

 

[dave1251]

Originally Posted By: Garak
Originally Posted By: addyguy
...but he's using a brand new, all-aluminum. high-HP engine in it - not even close to the original engine!


Agreed. The factory recommended oil may be ideal, but then again, it might not be. One needs to know what was normally specified for this engine. I would assume a dexos1 oil would be more suitable than whatever was called for in the original manual, but even that may not be true.


For a LS3 it was originally GM4718 then of course the recommendation changed during GM's DEXOS money grab into just DEXOS-1. Factory Fill was Mobil 1 5W30, so any name brand synthetic off the self should be fine in 5W30.

 

[dave1251]

PU 5W30 sounds like a very good choice.

 

[Stu_Rock]

Originally Posted By: 9C1_guy
I live in SoCal, as stated, so I have to deal with CA emissions. Consequently, the swap (which is starting tomorrow -- not complete yet), will be using an E-Rod Crate engine.
Cool--I'm sure that setup will breeze through the referee process.
Originally Posted By: 9C1_guy
At the very minimum, we're going to need a BFH to massage the transmission tunnel a bit. Worst case, we have to do surgery on the tunnel to make it wider. The overall length of the 6L80 is roughly the same as the current 700R4, but it's fatter at the driveshaft end, so we'll see how it fits.
That reminds me what I was worried about. I saw a 6L80 next to a 4L60-E a couple years ago but all that I remember was thinking that tight swaps are going to be difficult.
Originally Posted By: 9c1_guy
Originally Posted By: Stu_Rock
What axle ratio do you have (or plan to use)?
Currently 3.42s, with no plans to change.
The 6L80's 1st gear is really low, so 3.42 might feel too short (if such a thing can exist). G8 GXPs used 3.27 while GTs used 2.93. I look forward to hearing how it works out. In my imaginary build, I was going as tall as 2.93, for 65 MPH at 1500 RPM in 6th gear. I look forward to hearing how 3.42 goes.

Keep us updated, or if you have a build thread somewhere point us to it.