Oil wt for summer driven LS1?

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Hey guys,

I have an LS1 powered f body that gets driven only in the summer months and was wondering if I should finally steer away from GC and move to something else?

There is no real reason that I am debating on moving from GC, just wanted to try and see if there is something different out there.

I know that the LS1's enjoy the thicker oils. Would a 5W40 be something to look at?
 
I would say if your car likes GC, you can try going with M1 0w-40. I usually recommend GC to people who like M1 0w-40 though FYI. M1 HM 5w-30 is also a solid choice. If you want 5w40, go with Rotella T6, it is loaded with goodies. This also depends on your OCI. How often do you change your oil?
 
Patman who is a moderator on this site has a Corvette with the LS1 IIRC and his GC summer/winter UOAs are excellent. I see no reason to steer away.

On the other hand, Esso and Petro Canada make some nice 0w-30 and 0w-40 HDEOs that can be had for around 60% of the retail price of M1 and GC. If I had your trans am, those would be good candidates for replacing GC while knowing you are getting a first rate oil.
 
Id stick with what you are running. GC is at the light end of the 40 weight scale as it is. If it has worked well so far, you might as well carry on with it.
 
You can look at a 5W-40 but don't run it in you TA.
If you don't track your car you don't need anything heavier than a typical 5W-30 like M1, PP or PU. GC while a fine oil is even heavier than necessary for a LS1.
 
Any of the current, top grade 0W-40s (Mobil 1, Red Line, Amsoil, etc.) would be PLENTY thick enough for our powerplants.

I've tried both Red Line and Amsoil 5W-40s, and personally found them to be a little too thick (even in the dead of a hotter summer than you will ever see) for these engines (stock/unbuilt bottom end clearances at least).
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As MANY on here will tell you, the 0W-xxes help keep wear and tear to a minimum on startup, even if it is 105*F outside, due to their higher viscosity indexes.
 
Originally Posted By: Jim 5
Patman who is a moderator on this site has a Corvette with the LS1 IIRC and his GC summer/winter UOAs are excellent. I see no reason to steer away.



Actually, I haven't run GC in my Corvette since 2007. After that I ran 6 intervals with Pennzoil Platinum 5w30 and I'm on my third interval with Ultra 5w30 right now. All three oils performed very similar in my UOAs, so I think the LS1 does well on quite a few different oils and it doesn't need to be that thick of an oil either (unless you plan on doing a lot of track driving)
 
Originally Posted By: CATERHAM
If you don't track your car you don't need anything heavier than a typical 5W-30 like M1, PP or PU.


^^^In north Ontar I OH (as Gordie says in the song "Cabaret"
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) at least.
 
Originally Posted By: Jim 5
Patman who is a moderator on this site has a Corvette with the LS1 IIRC and his GC summer/winter UOAs are excellent. I see no reason to steer away.
On the other hand, Esso and Petro Canada make some nice 0w-30 and 0w-40 HDEOs that can be had for around 60% of the retail price of M1 and GC. If I had your trans am, those would be good candidates for replacing GC while knowing you are getting a first rate oil.

Patman has been running PP and most recently PU 5W-30 in his Vette for the past couple of years.

Thanks for bringing up PC. Their Supreme 0W-30 is also a good choice meeting all the current GM dexos spec's and with a HTHSV of 3.2cP is somewhat heavier than the 5W-30's I've mentioned plus it has a higher 177 VI making it a much better winter choice to GC (VI 167).
 
IIRC, the Vette says M1 5W-30 on the cap. You could probably run that even on light track days. Its got a HUGE sump too!

Bob Bondurant uses M1 15W-50 in their C4 corvettes, and M1 5W-30 in the newer ones when they flog it. Something to do with an oil cooler.

I would seek a 1991-1995 ZR1 405HP engine. Maybe put M1 15W-50 in that, as the Arizona performance driving school does.

EDIT: I see you are talking about the T/A WS6. Tell me, how does that thing run? Times, feel, handling, power, Any mods? How is it!

Thats "The Corvette motor" for sure!
 
Originally Posted By: buster
The oil it comes with. M1 5w30.


The f body LS1s never came with Mobil 1 as a factory fill.

Yes, the C5 Vettes did, and yes it was the same EXACT engine (save for the lack of an EGR system, better exhaust manifolds/system, and sump capacity), so you are at least partially correct on it being a factory fill.
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Originally Posted By: dailydriver
Originally Posted By: buster
The oil it comes with. M1 5w30.


The f body LS1s never came with Mobil 1 as a factory fill.

Yes, the C5 Vettes did, and yes it was the same EXACT engine (save for the lack of an EGR system, better exhaust manifolds/system, and sump capacity), so you are at least partially correct on it being a factory fill.
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Oh ok, thanks for correcting me.

You can use any oil meeting the GM 4718M spec. PP/PU would be good too.
 
Originally Posted By: CATERHAM
You can stick with GC, but most of us are saying any lighter 5W-30 syn' would also be more than fine.


Basically +1

GC would be good for tracking the car heavily?
 
Originally Posted By: buster
Originally Posted By: dailydriver
buster said:
The oil it comes with. M1 5w30.


The f body LS1s never came with Mobil 1 as a factory fill.

Yes, the C5 Vettes did, and yes it was the same EXACT engine (save for the lack of an EGR system, better exhaust manifolds/system, and sump capacity), so you are at least partially correct on it being a factory fill.
wink.gif




You might want to double check your sources. LS1 Camaros and Firebirds did come with M1 5W-30 as the FF in the last couple of years, according to Scott Settlemire, one of the GM F-body leads. I'm not sure about the earlier years.
 
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