Synthetic Oil for Modified Car

[zzz]

Hey all

I have a 2005 Corolla with the 2zz-ge motor. Here's a quick run down of the car:

1.8L 4-cylinder
cold air intake
exhaust system
methanol/water injection
mp62 supercharger (about 13psi of boost)

For those not familiar with this motor, it has a 8250RPM redline and is made by yamaha. Pushes about 170hp from the factory and now pushes closer to 250hp.


Anyway, I've been using Amsoil in my motor and my transmission. I bought the car used with redline in the transmission and I thought it really sucked. Amsoil made shifting better and all that so I'm already biased against redline.

Anyway, I was wondering what oil you guys recommend I run. I drive the car very hard on a daily basis. The factory recommended oil is 5w30 and a local tuning shop familiar with Toyotas recommended I stick with the factory recommendation. That's fine by me.

I'm currently juggling three options:

1) Stay with Amsoil 5w30.
2) Change to Motul 300V 5w30
3) Change to GC 0w30

Do these even matter that much? I change my oil every 5000 miles religiously and am not interested in extended OCIs at all. I just want the best compromise between performance and protection, more so protection at this point. I also live in Southern California, so it does not get very cold here.

Thanks in advance. I tried searching but found next to nothing on Motul. I've used Amsoil and I'm pretty pleased with it except that I guess I expected a lot more for the price I paid. Perhaps Motul has more to offer for me? Or should I go with cheaper GC (gold colored one....I don't think I can find the green stuff anymore)?

 

[rg200amp]

Amsoil will do fine in your motor. Why change a thing?????

GC is allways good too.



Redline is a GREAT choice you should look into.

 

[hate2work]

Amsoil ASL gets you the good group IV PAOs, with a 5k OCI you can't go wrong.

 

[zzz]

I found the redline gear oil to be subpar. Maybe it's because everyone hyped it up for me? The Amsoil gear oil works way better in my experience.

I know Amsoil is good but I can't really tell if it did anything better for my motor than the Mobil 1 used to? I should really just try all 3 and get oil analysis on all 3 huh?

Any more comments on Motul (really what I'm interested in).

 

[OVERKILL]

There's a nice UOA for M1 5w30 in the PCMO UOA section for an SRT-4 Neon.... Probably similar driving styles and HP/ci.....

 

[zzz]

I think it would be pretty different. The SRT-4 is turbo'd so the oil would run through the turbo whereas I don't have a turbo. Above this, my motor is a much higher revving motor...

I guess I should just send it to blackstone and see what happens? How long does it typically take to get results back?

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: zzz
I think it would be pretty different. The SRT-4 is turbo'd so the oil would run through the turbo whereas I don't have a turbo. Above this, my motor is a much higher revving motor...

I guess I should just send it to blackstone and see what happens? How long does it typically take to get results back?


The turbo is much harder on oil, that is why I drew the comparison.

 

[zzz]

Ah okay, thanks for the tip. My problem is...I don't know how to read those things and even if I knew what was what, I would not know what conclusions to draw.

Is GC, Amsoil (2000/signature series), and Motul 300v all group V ester-based oils? Is that _always_ the most desirable compared to group IV or III?

 

[mcrn]

I do not think you should have anything against Redline motor oils just because the previous owner used it in the gear box. How do you know they used the right spec? Plus it really does not matter. Not every product from a certain manufacture will be the best for every application. JMHO.

 

[zzz]

I know because I know who the previous owner was =)

mcrn: that's fair. Gear oils aside, what do you guys think of Motul versus GC and Amsoil?

 

[Jaymus]

GC 0W-30. It was bred for this type of abuse.

And I LOVE Amsoil MT-90. A thick 75W-90 for that extra protection. Butter smooth shifts. If your car doesn't call for a gear oil like that... well, maybe that's why you didn't like it. Depends what was in it, and what it calls for.

 

[zzz]

Amsoil MT-90? is that the [censored] child of redline and amsoil =P ?

my car is rated for a 75W90 but i've read stories where a group V oil or somethign will eat away the brass? or something like that...i dont know.


So the GC is betteR? i just found a case after going to 3 autozones today but im not sure i want to use it? I really wish I could find the green stuff but mine was M08 =(

Is the "new formula" really different? I've read on the boards that some UOA's came back and showed it to be not as good of an oil.


Also....no one has anything to add about motul?

 

[Jaymus]

*****. Sorry, you are correct, I meant Redline. Honest typo. It's a great GL4 transmission gear oil.

The new GC isn't 'as' good as the green stuff, but it's still shear stable. That is what you want in a turbocharged (with oil cooled turbos) car. Something shear stable, and a little thicker for that extra protection, because the oil will be hotter. And it's still SL rated, so it has a decent amount of zinc for a 30 weight oil. I like it for specific applications, and this would be one of them.

 

[zzz]

Sweet.

I've decided to ditch Amsoil altogether since the consensus seems to be GC.

I have picked up some GC (post M05010) so I will try it next oil change. After 5000 miles, I'm going to run the Motul 300V and have both tested and analyzed. Where do you recommend sending the oil? There is a local place that does just that. How much should it cost?

 

[rg200amp]

Originally Posted By: zzz
Sweet.

I've decided to ditch Amsoil altogether since the consensus seems to be GC.

I have picked up some GC (post M05010) so I will try it next oil change. After 5000 miles, I'm going to run the Motul 300V and have both tested and analyzed. Where do you recommend sending the oil? There is a local place that does just that. How much should it cost?


You really need to run one oil for 2-3 OCI to get a "good" UOA. Changing oils every OCI and getting a UOA will not really tell you anything.

GC is fine. Its a very thick 0w30 almost a 0w40. GC is a Group 4 oil.
Alot of Motuls oil line is group 3 and/or 4. There group V oil seems to be good. I have not really seen UOAs of it in use.

I would atleast try Redline once. If you want to run a group V oil, redline is the prime choice.

 

[RI_RS4]

zzz,

this is the same engine that's in the Lotus Elise and it's a bear on Cams. I'd recommend an oil with a hefty ZDDP additive package.

 

[StevieC]

I bet you those cams are from using NON-API Certified Mobil-1. I would e-mail them to Ashland and see what they think. Maybe their next commercial?

That's some nasty wear...

 

[JAG]

Originally Posted By: RI_RS4
zzz,
this is the same engine that's in the Lotus Elise and it's a bear on Cams. I'd recommend an oil with a hefty ZDDP additive package.
Interesting pictures. Do you know what oil(s) were used?

 

[RI_RS4]

5W40 is specified by Lotus. Most dealers change with Castrol Syntec 5W40. Some use Mobil 1 5W40 turbo diesel, or whatever it's called these days.

Elise Talk has quite a few owners that have wiped cams, broken followers, or bent valves.

Lotus Talk

 

[JAG]

Thanks. I checked out a couple of the threads there.