Street/Track Corvette LS7 - New Motor !

[Dirty_Howie]

Originally Posted By: Ben99GT
buster beat me to it

And a 50/50 mix of Red Line 0W-30/0W-40 gets my vote.

Mixing seems like a small PITA. What is it about either by them selves that is not ideal in your mind?

DH

 

[Dirty_Howie]

Originally Posted By: CATERHAM
If you don't mind the higher cost of RL, the 0W-30 and 0W-40 blend is about as good as it is going to get.

A cheaper alternative is still M1 0W-40 and if you want something a bit lighter simply substitute a quart of M1 0W-20 (or better still the EOM made Toyota 0W-20) and that will drop the HTHSV to that of the RL 50/50 blend.

If you're okay with blends, that opens the door to fine tuning your oil viscosity based on oil pressure which ia what I do. If you choose M1 0W-40, I'd use it straight initially leaving room in the sump to add a quart of top up oil. If your OP is still higher than necessary with the oil as hot as it ever gets then add a quart of 0W-20. If the OP is lower than you would like add a quart of M1 0W-50 racing oil, or 5W-50 or 15W-50. If the OP is just where you want it just top up with another quart of 0W-40.


The kind of adjustments you are suggesting will not be practical for me. Keep in mind that when I am the track (once a month), I need to add oil after each session. This can be 4 times a day and the underlying cumulative oil weight will be constantly changing. A 50/50 mix could be workable but would need to be clearly advantageous over the static weighted oil of choice (whatever that turns out to be).

Thanks!

DH

 

[Dirty_Howie]

Originally Posted By: dailydriver
Originally Posted By: Dirty_Howie
I'm not sure about taking the cats out. This was recommended by Sidney also. So I guess running the Redline is going to cause them to fail for sure???

I need some one to tell my why Redline is better than Mobil1 0w40. Is it becuase its an esther? Obviously more ZDDP. And the Moly is super high compared to other oils.DH


I know what you mean by the "looking forward to the drive every day", as I feel the same way about my 'lowly' (but much modded for handling) f body.

Life is just a little too short to "save" any car for picture perfect weather by relegating it to 'garage queen' status.
I even put four good winter tires (mounted on the stock alloys) on mine and drive it when the white stuff is on the ground, something you basically do not have to worry about.

I use Red Line, and open track my car ~4 times a year, drive it VERY hard on deserted roads very late at night (after complete warmup, of course), and use it daily (albeit not as many daily miles as you), and I still have the OEM style cats on the car.
I replaced the stock catcons NOT because they were clogged, or not functioning, or setting SES lights/codes, but because I wanted at least slightly better flowing exhaust (larger catcon into/out of pipes and internals than stock) without going to illegal 200 cell, metal matrix catcons, at which point one may as well go to long tube headers with MM catcons right at the collector.
Eventually, I will go to 304 stainless 'shortie' headers (with ALL of the OEM emissions hookups intact) into the stock replacement, 49 state, Magnaflow catcons.

So, NO, using Red Line oils will NOT "guarantee" that your catcons "must" fail!

Yes, basically the only things that make Red Line "better than" (if one MUST use that terminology) M1 0W-40 are; possibly (NO ONE knows for sure!

) a higher group 5 content, possibly "better" quality VIIs to get the viscosity spread, and definitely a 'stouter' add pack (but NOT by leaps and bounds, except for the soluble moly content).
Oh, and YES CATERHAM, the RL 0W-40 has a higher VI than the Mobil 1 0W-40.

Thanks ..... driving is fun !!!!

And thanks for trying to answer my question.

Where do you guys buy Redline? Only available online it seems. And it looks like its a couple dollars more than Mobil ......

DH

 

[sidney004]

Originally Posted By: dailydriver


So, NO, using Red Line oils will NOT "guarantee" that your catcons "must" fail!

I agree that using a high ZDDP oil will not in and of itself kill the cats but in my costly experience when you factor in that at full throttle, a Corvette runs very rich(mine gets 5.5 mpg on the track)and the blowby, the efficieny of the cats deteriorates and passing California smog becomes problematic.

 

[Dirty_Howie]

Originally Posted By: sidney004
Originally Posted By: dailydriver


So, NO, using Red Line oils will NOT "guarantee" that your catcons "must" fail!

I agree that using a high ZDDP oil will not in and of itself kill the cats but in my costly experience when you factor in that at full throttle, a Corvette runs very rich(mine gets 5.5 mpg on the track)and the blowby, the efficieny of the cats deteriorates and passing California smog becomes problematic.


Hey Sid whats up with your track mgp?? ........ I get 6.5 on mine !!!!

So how much more ZDDP is there in the Redline than the Mobil 0w40. Can one use that percentage to figure out how much sooner cats will go using the Redline??

DH

 

[Ben99GT]

Originally Posted By: Pablo
I know what you are saying in theory. But it's odd that all the biker guys running HDEO's never notice the lack of FM's, with much smaller engine and more buttfeel.


I really don't want to get into it, but my Dad noticed a major difference between a motorcycle oil with a some soluble moly content and one with no friction modification in a Yamaha V4. Fuel economy, butt-dyno, engine NVH, and trans noise all improved dramatically.

 

[Ben99GT]

Originally Posted By: Dirty_Howie
Originally Posted By: Ben99GT
buster beat me to it

And a 50/50 mix of Red Line 0W-30/0W-40 gets my vote.

Mixing seems like a small PITA. What is it about either by them selves that is not ideal in your mind?

DH


I think 0W-40 would work great for you, it's just a touch on the thick side with a 4.0 cP HTHS viscosity.

 

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: Dirty_Howie
Originally Posted By: sidney004
Originally Posted By: dailydriver


So, NO, using Red Line oils will NOT "guarantee" that your catcons "must" fail!

I agree that using a high ZDDP oil will not in and of itself kill the cats but in my costly experience when you factor in that at full throttle, a Corvette runs very rich(mine gets 5.5 mpg on the track)and the blowby, the efficieny of the cats deteriorates and passing California smog becomes problematic.


Hey Sid whats up with your track mgp?? ........ I get 6.5 on mine !!!!

So how much more ZDDP is there in the Redline than the Mobil 0w40. Can one use that percentage to figure out how much sooner cats will go using the Redline??

DH


At most, it is on the order of ~200ppm between Mobil 1's and Red Line's 0W-40s, RL being higher.
I tend to doubt that difference will ever be much of a factor given the same amount of oil getting into the combustion chambers.
Did GM/the dealer guarantee you that the valve seal/guide problems were corrected on the new LS7??
If so, then you should NOT be getting oil past them, or past the rings, into the chambers.

As far as these engines running very rich when your right foot is to the floor; that should have NO bearing on how much oil is getting into the combustion chambers, unless you are getting sooooo much 'washdown' that it is totally dissolving the oil film off of the cylinder walls.
At which point you have much more serious problems than catcon life, although YES, that as well since you are poisoning the catcons with raw fuel.

Do any of the open tracking Z06 owners out there get custom, in person (as opposed to generic/guessing mail order), on the dyno, tunes?? (It is standard operating procedure for the road race set around here.)
This would solve any excessive, factory programmed, over-rich fuel trims at WOT, as well as giving you a bit more power when in that mode (AND saving the cats, and slightly better on track mileage).

I get my Red Line from either a local speed shop, or Driving Impressions, or Auto Chic (the local distributor), in person.
Some on here use OG Racing out of Virginia, or I/O Port, or Racer Wholesale (Georgia) for some of the best mail order prices, and sometimes even free shipping on caselots.

They are based right in Benicia, so there HAS TO BE some speed shops, or auto 'boutiques' (Porschie/Prancing Horse/Bimmer/etc.) which carry this stuff right on the shelves in your part of Cali.

I would be SHOCKED to hear otherwise.

Bottom line though, IF you are that worried about the catcons, just use the M1 0W-40 (for ~$3.00/qt. less, and easier to find), and maybe change it more often.
I still think that either one will not kill your catcons any sooner than anything else, but that is just my opinion.

 

[Mitch Alsup]

Originally Posted By: Dirty_Howie
Originally Posted By: JosephHarmon
Do you monitor the oil temps realtime?
Have you investigated the root cause of the failure?


Yes I do monitor oil temps. I have got into the 290's on occasion. But mostly 260-280 range.


Put an oil cooler (or it already has one a bigger one) in the oiling system, keep the track temps at/below 240dF and you can use the recommended GM oils (5W-30s).

 

[Dirty_Howie]

I get my Red Line from either a local speed shop, or Driving Impressions, or Auto Chic (the local distributor), in person.
Some on here use OG Racing out of Virginia, or I/O Port, or Racer Wholesale (Georgia) for some of the best mail order prices, and sometimes even free shipping on caselots.

They are based right in Benicia, so there HAS TO BE some speed shops, or auto 'boutiques' (Porschie/Prancing Horse/Bimmer/etc.) which carry this stuff right on the shelves in your part of Cali.

I would be SHOCKED to hear otherwise.

Bottom line though, IF you are that worried about the catcons, just use the M1 0W-40 (for ~$3.00/qt. less, and easier to find), and maybe change it more often.
I still think that either one will not kill your catcons any sooner than anything else, but that is just my opinion.



Since I am picking up the car early tomorrow morning and may do the first oil change as soon as tomorrow afternoon if I can get at least 100 miles on it I stopped and picked up the Mobil1 0w40.

I am not locked into this and may switch to the redline at next change.

I don't know of any speed shops in SoCal ....

DH

 

[ofelas]

Originally Posted By: Dirty_Howie
Originally Posted By: Pablo
Amsoil Z-Rod is a good choice. The guys steering you away for whatever reason, don't really know this oil or Amsoil race oils.

Amsoil ZRT Z-Rod 10W-30

Amsoil RD30 Race 10W-30


I don't think anyone was steering me away from Amsoil. It was recommended for the addtitional ZDDP. I was concerned that it might be too thick for 2 cold starts a day as the car is primarliy my DD. And that it might not be thick enough for track duty. I am definitely looking for more experience advise. Thats why I am asking on this forum.

DH


Interesting speculation.
Amsoil AMO 10w-40 starts up just fine in 25 below freezing without a block heater.
I do use an EaO filter though if that makes a difference.
I would imagine ZRT does better.

 

[dailydriver]

^^^OLD thread!

But, IF D.H. was already worried about the amount of ZDDP in either Mobil 1, or Red Line 0W-40, then the Amsoil ZRT would cause him to get ulcers, since it contains a good deal more of that additive than either of those oils (I beleive, have not looked at their specs/VOAs recently).