What oil for Formula 1 cars?
- Thread starter ToyotaNSaturn
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I understand that each F1 engine employs a blowby tank that catches recondensated oil, and can typicaly contain up to 30% of the original volume of oil that started out in the sump.
The site Pablo linked contains the specific fuel regulations.
http://www.formula1.com/insight/rulesandregs/14/486.html
(100% PAO oil?....? Is this 1974 vintage oil? Call me skeptical of that sort of technical information)
The site Pablo linked contains the specific fuel regulations.
http://www.formula1.com/insight/rulesandregs/14/486.html
(100% PAO oil?....? Is this 1974 vintage oil? Call me skeptical of that sort of technical information)
I've read an interview with an oil manufacture (either EM or Total-Elf, now I don't remember exactly) on F1 lubricants and its representative mentionned about low viscosity oils, type W20, but these oils are tuned for each race. So, guess, its viscosity may be at lower end of W30 too. At the same time, Elf has a range of "LUB HTX" oils, which are purely competition products, but the only oil Elf presents as recommended for F1 engines is HTX 833 15W-40. Thought, it's also possible that this oil was launched in the time when F1 engines were needed such viscosity. Today I cannot imagine what should be an engine design in order to work with 15W-40 at 20.000 RPM.
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I am on a team sponsored by total lubricants usa, Elf's American distributor. Our contact there gave us a couple 5 litre jugs of what he said was 'the oil Renault was using this year'. He said THEIR cost was $28 per litre! I will be able to get the exact product name soon, it was an HTX product. And yes, it was something close to a 0W-20, I believe it was even thinner.
I'll bet that you can't get a straight answer about F1 oil from anyone that is inside the system. If you think that they keep the oil secret, ask them about the bearings and what material they use. Ask them what they do to get a shaft to live at those surface speeds and pressures. And how do they lubricate the valve's and those pneumatic systems that move the valves.
Cam moves the valve use a pneumatic spring to limit/prevent spring harmonics.
Their oil is custom and considering the quote from Shell below
Their oil is custom and considering the quote from Shell below
Many teams are using the same oil from a number of different company's. Esso, Eneos, Mobil, Elf, Shell, to name a few. The only oil I could find with a product # was Shell SL-0977 used in one teams ferrari type056 engine.
There probably is no one answer, and of course the average person can't go out and buy one of these oils. The oil that they put in these machines wouldn't be a great idea for the family car anyways.
They're likely also well beyond the need to describe these oils in terms of the SAE viscosity scale, which is really just a one size fits none simplification that sort of works.
They're likely also well beyond the need to describe these oils in terms of the SAE viscosity scale, which is really just a one size fits none simplification that sort of works.
Back in 2004 at the Auto Africa show here in SA, BMW had their F1 motor on display. There was some oil dripping out of one of the feed holes, so I stuck my finger there
and let a small amount collect. I will tell you it was like no oil I have even seen (and I have see a few oils in my time), when I squashed my fingers together and seperated them it made little strands like spider webs and was kind of sticky....
Someone has to say this...I wonder if the Mobil 1 Mclaren use is PAO or GRP 3?
Someone has to say this...I wonder if the Mobil 1 Mclaren use is PAO or GRP 3?
I can be a supporter of Grp III as much as the next fat bloke, but I doubt race cars use oils with Groupo III due to it's propensity to shear.
SO then they probably use re-branded Motul
Guys Im only joking, I like Mobil as you all know, I even use the stuff, only trying to add a bit of a laugh...
Almost all 5W-30 group III oils drift to the low end of the range with usage. Some dip into the XW-20 range. Look through the UOA section. I'm not saying this is a bad thing in street usage, because the wear metals seem quite low.
Pablo, I think your wrong. Shell's F1 oil discussed in Race Car Engineering Magazine, is a Group III/V based oil. Royal Purple shears, but it's PAO. You could probably make a very shear stable Grp III if you use esters/pao as correction fluids. I act as if I'm a formulator.
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