Redline 10w40 in new 2003 Civic

[satterfi]

After thinking about it, it would be better to drain the pan (2.9 qt) and refill every now and then. Maybe I'll do that every 6 months. I pretty sure D4 met the spec the Honda manual called out. I'll double check.

Clearances for the most part are about the same in this car as my VTR1000 motorcycle with a notable expection for the camshaft to holder oil clearance. Its .002-.0035in for the car and .0008-.0019in for the bike.

When I have time I'll post all the numbers.

quote:

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Originally posted by JohnBrowning:
Satterfi, I see no problem with your propsal so long as D4 meets the requirments. I was thinking that Dex III was the prefered(alternative) fluid and redline has that spec. as well. I thought that D4 was for raceing/high heat but I could be wrong. As far as oil weigts go if your climate is warm most of the year and for the next 6 months I see no problem. I am woundering though why you are changeing such small quanitys of fluid so frequently.
I know my Mothers Tundra does not have a servicable transmission filter. It has a steel screen that back flush's into a type of trap and it requires a drain and refill every 18,000 miles. You simply pull the plug 5 quarts of fluid drains out 5 go back in.

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[jason07-1zzfe]

But the bike is air cooled correct? So I'm assuming the bike will run higher oil temps, hence the thicker oil.

 

[Bror Jace]

satterfi, you know I'm a Red Line supporter but even I would question some of your choices. It's not so much a simple question of better or worse fluids but some of the properties (coefficient of friction, pumpability, water absorption, etc ...) needed in a fluid are specific to Honda applications.

No way I’d use 10W40 in that 2003 Civic. Even their 10W30 is very thick (I used it in my ’95 Civic with over 100K miles on it but had better results with the 5W30). I suggest their 5W30 or 5W20.

Honda power steering fluid is different from all other types. Look at the labels of the various aftermarket brands in automotive stores. They caution not to use them in a Honda. I wouldn't use anything but the genuine stuff in a Civic.

As for ATFs, Honda trannies are notoriously finicky. Some people seem to have luck with Red Line and other synthetic fluids but I'd be hesitant to try such a pricey experiment. Still, if you do, I'm awfully curious to see how yours likes this stuff.

Consider e-mailing Dave Granquist at Red Line with your application and proposed fluid choices and see if he has some of the same caveats we do.

--- Bror Jace

 

[JohnBrowning]

bror jace and Tooslick made good points about 10W40 being a bit thicker then most 40wts. I too often recomend that people start with 10W30 Redline unless they are going to be raceing or do alot of driveing in 95+ degree weather. Tooslick was right about Redline not shearing. I have used 10W40 Redline and liked it alot but you might want consider 10W30. When I was tuning imports and and off roading down south we had to contend with temps as high as 120 F so 10W40 and 20W50 Redline and 15W50 M1 was what we used. I do not think that you will have any problems with the thicker oil but in this case I doubt you will gain much if anything with it over a 10W30 or 5W40 as Redline just does not shear.

 

[TooSlick]

Satterfi,

You are comparing apples to oranges when making analogies between the car and the bike. The bike calls for 10w-40 because it runs very high oil temps and the transmission gears tend to shear most oils like crazy. Just take a look at the recent Honda bike analysis and you'll see what I mean. Neither situation exists in the car engine and I wouldn't expect Redline to shear much if at all in this application.

I'd run the Redline 5w-30 in this application, but certainly not the 10w-40. All the heavier oil will do in this case is make the engine run hotter and cost you performance at high rpms. It will also reduce your fuel efficiency by about 2%. What you want in this type of engine is a low viscosity oil that circulates rapidly and aids in cooling. I have factory installed oil temp and oil pressure gauges on my Audi 100, and have run everything from a 0w-30 to 20w-50 synthetic. The thinner oils run 10F-15F cooler and so there really isn't as much difference in oil pressure between the 0w-30 and 20w-50 as you'd expect. Cooler oil also helps to extend seal and gasket life, which is one reason why 75w-90 synthetic gear lubes have become so popular with OTR truck fleet owners.

If I was recommending an Amsoil product for this application, it would be either their 0w-30 or 5w-30. I do think a 30wt is preferred over the 5w-20 or even 0w-20 that honda now recommends for their engines - particularly so in this case since you live in a hot climate. In terms of wear protection, I'm sure the 10w-40 will do fine, but you will get better performance with the 5w-30.

Feel free to ask Terry Dyson about this ... I believe he'll tell you the same thing. When it comes to very high quality synlubes, thicker isn't necessarily better.

TooSlick
Dixie Synthetics

 

[Steve S]

I agree with John Browning , 100% right on the button.