Hello everyone,
By way of introduction, I'm nearing completion on a restoration of a 1989 BMW E30 M3 I've been working on gradually for over 5 years.
The motor is the car's original S14 2.3L 4-cylinder, and was professionally rebuilt by a shop well known for specializing in these classic BMW motors.
I joined the forum to solicit your input on the best startup oil. Im fairly certain I'm going with a straight 30 weight non-detergent oil as recommended by my builder, but I'm not certain which brand has the best formulation.
I've read various posts on here and other sites (particularly Engine Builder and a huge startup oil test on a Corvette forum) about the pros and cons of viscosity modifiers, detergents, zinc, etc.
Links to articles I've focused on:
https://www.enginebuildermag.com/2014/10/break-in-oils-and-assembly-lube-needs/
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forum...t-data-on-9-different-break-in-oils.html
However, I'm not an engineer so I thought I'd get more input on the technical side.
Right now I have a jug of Lucas' 30w break in oil, but the analysis in the Corvette forum says it has too much zinc, to the point where it starts to cause damage. This sounded suspect to me, but again - I'm not an engineer.
Redline's 30W Racing Oil did well in the Corvette forum test, but it doesn't seem to be a true 30W. Looks like it's a 10w30, and I'm unsure if the viscosity modifiers could present a problem. Overall I've had excellent experiences with Redline, in fact every other fluid in the car is redline (ok, Motul for Brakes, and Redline doesn't make washer fluid)
So basically, I don't have the expertise to make a definitive call and when you spend more on the motor build than you did on the car, you tend to sweat the small stuff.
So, any thoughts? Happy to provide additional information if helpful
Thanks!
By way of introduction, I'm nearing completion on a restoration of a 1989 BMW E30 M3 I've been working on gradually for over 5 years.
The motor is the car's original S14 2.3L 4-cylinder, and was professionally rebuilt by a shop well known for specializing in these classic BMW motors.
I joined the forum to solicit your input on the best startup oil. Im fairly certain I'm going with a straight 30 weight non-detergent oil as recommended by my builder, but I'm not certain which brand has the best formulation.
I've read various posts on here and other sites (particularly Engine Builder and a huge startup oil test on a Corvette forum) about the pros and cons of viscosity modifiers, detergents, zinc, etc.
Links to articles I've focused on:
https://www.enginebuildermag.com/2014/10/break-in-oils-and-assembly-lube-needs/
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forum...t-data-on-9-different-break-in-oils.html
However, I'm not an engineer so I thought I'd get more input on the technical side.
Right now I have a jug of Lucas' 30w break in oil, but the analysis in the Corvette forum says it has too much zinc, to the point where it starts to cause damage. This sounded suspect to me, but again - I'm not an engineer.
Redline's 30W Racing Oil did well in the Corvette forum test, but it doesn't seem to be a true 30W. Looks like it's a 10w30, and I'm unsure if the viscosity modifiers could present a problem. Overall I've had excellent experiences with Redline, in fact every other fluid in the car is redline (ok, Motul for Brakes, and Redline doesn't make washer fluid)
So basically, I don't have the expertise to make a definitive call and when you spend more on the motor build than you did on the car, you tend to sweat the small stuff.
So, any thoughts? Happy to provide additional information if helpful
Thanks!