Redline 15w40 '94 MX6 V6 Track Weekend Oil

[Ryan Dillin]

The car is a 1994 Mazda MX6 with the 2.5L V6. The engine is the original stock engine with 125k miles, only bolt on modifications. It's used primarily as an autocross and track day car. The oil is 4 quarts Redline 20w50 and 2q Redline 5w30 to achieve ~15w40 mix. Oil filter is a Napa Gold P/N 1324 from a '93 Corvette ZR1. (stock is a 1356) Same fitment, larger body.

Total driving on the oil included the 60mile round trip to and from the track, and then a total of 2h 40min of track time on the full 4.5mile road course at Miller Motorsports Park. This was one in several sessions of 20-30min each. Ambient temps were 70degF. Most of the track is spent between 5000-7500 rpm with the occasional visit just shy of 8000. Top speeds 120+mph.

From what I can tell it seems pretty darn good! 125k mile motor flogged at the track over two days, and it has been autocrossed aggressively for the last 20k miles. I'm happy to see no high wear metals.

What does everybody else think?

Ryan

 

[hate2work]

Numbers are nice, but how much time is on this oil? Just the one day of driving on the track, plus back and forth?

BTW, the mix you achieved was 12.5W - 40.

 

[buster]

Looks great but [censored] Labs advice on changing the oil was dumb. Metals are extremely low and the oil did not need to be changed out.

 

[bulwnkl]

Just curious (can't see the image from here): What are you looking to achieve by blending your own 15W40 instead of using Red Line's 15W40 or their 10W40?

 

[Ryan Dillin]

hate2work, total track time was 2h 40m plus a 60mile round trip to the track. How is it a 12.5w? ((20w*4)+(5w*2))/6 = 15? Is there something at work here I don't understand? 'Cause that's entirely possible

bulwkle, During the hotter months over ~90deg I run straight 20w50 Redline for the track, cooler months I thin it down with 5w30. Below 90deg I run 1qt, below 70 I run two quarts. I have absolutely no data to support this decision other than the logic that higher temps bring higher coolant and oil temps, thus I want a little thicker oil for more protection due to heat, and I thin it down as the ambient temps drop. I'm on the factory radiator, no auxiliary oil cooler so I figure a little extra protection under track conditions won't hurt

FWIW For AutoCross and street use I run Mobil1 EP 10w30, that'll be the next UOA

Ryan

 

[bulwnkl]

Cool, just wondering.

Not that familiar with Mazda's 2.5. Ever tried Red Line's 10w30 on the track? Or their 5w40 or 10w40?

 

[FZ1]

Interesting. Thanks,man.

 

[hate2work]

Sorry, Ryan, I thought you had posted that you mixed 2 quarts of 20w-50 and 2 quarts of 5w-30.

In fact, I think your car only holds 4.1 quarts, how did you get 6 quarts into it?

 

[Ryan Dillin]

Hate2work, I have read that spec as well, Mitchell lits is as 4.2q with filter...Yet every 2.5 V6 powered car I've owned (there have been several) take 5q to put the oil at the full mark after running them. Can't explain why

On this car I run a filter from a '93 Corvette ZR-1, same fitment, but a much larger body that holds just over 1/2quart of oil. 6qts puts the oil level ~ 1/8" over the full mark. I've been running the car and it's predecessor like this for four years now, theory being that the little extra oil will help to keep the sump submerged under hard cornering. Again, no empirical date to support this decision, but it certainly hasn't hurt anything

bulwnkl, I definitely won't be running 5w40 anytime soon, as they've drastically reduced the amount of moly:
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/redline-5w-40.95724/

But their 10w40 appears to have a lot in it as well as the rest of the product line, so I'll likely use that on the next temperate track day. Thanks for the tip

Ryan