Oil for track driven 300whp SR20DET

[turtl631]

Hi, first post here, although I've read the forum occasionally over the years. I'm going to be putting a SR20DET into my 240SX soon and I'm trying to pick oils for it. I do track events pretty frequently with the car, and it's not a daily driver, so I'd like to be sure that oil will be ideal for 20+ minutes on the track at a time. All other considerations are secondary, especially OCI since I put on so few miles that I'll be using a low OCI. I'll be running an external oil cooler and expect oil temps around 200*F on track based on others' experiences with similar setups. Factory recommended fill is 10W30, or 5W30 for extreme cold temps. I was thinking of trying M1 10W30, but then I read up on here and noted PP and GC. Suggestions?

I live in Chicago, so I'm also curious if I'd be better off switching to a thinner oil like M1 5W30 in winter for the limited street driving I do. I'm gonna block off the oil cooler because others with similar setups noted overcooling in cold weather, due to the thermostat still routing some oil to the cooler below the opening temp.

Thanks all!

 

[Max_Wander]

for racing protection and short OCI's I would recommend an HDEO 15w40.

 

[hooligan24]

I like to use RedLine 10w40, 10w30, or a mix of the two. right now I have 3 quarts of 10w30 and 2 quarts of 10w40 mixed together. I saw 240F oil temps last august at an HPDE where the daily temps reached 98 degrees that day. I did two 20 min. sessions, one 25min. , and one 30min. session that day.

 

[byez]

What OCI do you plan on running?

Did your KA engine die? In my old 240sx I was running fram filters and dealership oil and running two hour long drift sessions and the KA still wouldn't die. Sold it at 250k still running like a top.

 

[ThirdeYe]

I loved the KA24 in my Altima, but the SR20 is a fantastic engine as well. What kind of mods do you have on it besides the Oil Cooler? I know it has a turbo since it's the DET, but did you upgrade the turbo at all, or the intercooler? I think you'd be fine with a 30-grade, such as Amsoil 5W-30 or Pennzoil Platinum 5W-30.

 

[Steve S]

The 240's are the nicest looking running and driving cars Nissan ever put out too bad it is discontinued. The oils temps should help you decide which oil and viscosity to use . If you don't have an oil temp gauge why not plumb one in when installing the thermostat controlled oil cooler.

 

[turtl631]

The KA is still running strong. After a few years with different 240s and one turbo KA, I'm ready for a little lighter OEM turbo engine. I'll be running a T28, front mount IC, lots of other little things, and making around 290-300whp. My setup is basically a direct copy of a friend's, so I have a good idea of what the power level and oil temps will be.

With a little less power, he was getting oil temps up around 240*F on track, and his oil pressure at idle was down to around 5 psi (this with M1 5W30). He added an oil cooler and oil temps dropped to around 205*F. He also adds a quart of M1 15W50 now and is happy with the idle oil pressure when fully hot. I want to use a readily available oil like M1, PP, or GC. How do the GC (0W30 is only weight available?), M1 10W30, and PP 5W30/10W30 stack up? From what I've read, M1 10W30 is thinner than M1 5W30 at some temps (doesn't make sense)and GC is one of the thicker 30 weights. Since it's a 0W30 does that mean it's less shear stable? I thought that oils with a wider viscosity spread were less stable (like M1 0W40, which I ran in the past). OCI will probably be twice a year. I don't put many miles on the car, and seasonal usage is very different. In winter, it's driven on the street only, and it's usually pretty cold out (0-30*F). In summer, I'm doing track events in 85*F+ weather. Seems like different oils would be better for these respective situations.

 

[Saab9-3]

Have you considered Motul 300v racing oils ? They are pricey at 15$/Liter, but for the type of driving you are planning on doing, spend a little extra and get a stout oil.

Or if Motul is not available, what about Elf, Redline. Just a thought.

 

[gtx510]

synthetic HDOE 5W-40, Rotella, M1 TDT, etc.

5psi oil pressure at idle? sounds really low, I'd use thicker oil...

yea, M1 10W-30 is thinner than M1 5W-30 @ 100*C.

GC (and all "euro" oils) has a higher HTHS (high temp high shear) rating than any "starburst" 30wt...
GC is ACEA A3/B3. Starbursts are ACEA A1/A5.
GC seems to handle shear/temps much better than M1 0W-40.

 

[UncleRunkle]

For the track Valvoline VR1 40wt (its cheap, readliy avaible, and tuff)

For the winter months you'll be fine with pretty much any decent synthetic oil in 5w or 10w 30.

 

[Leo]

Do you have an oil cooler? I seriously doubt your oil temps are going to be ~200F on the track if you don't! The SR has stuff all oil to begin with and 300hp means lots of heat for a small motor.

I'd be going a HDEO 15W40 like M1 TDT. I'd only be using a 30wt like GC if your oil temps are below 210F all the time. Btw I'm an SR20DET owner too.

 

[Turbo_777]

I'd go for Motul 300V 5W-40 or the 10w-40. You can also run it on the road, just do your UOA to check it is holding up alright.

As an alternative try out Lubro(Liqui) Moly products..very good stuff.

 

[Chris71]

Are you running a catalytic converter? If not, try Brad Penn Penn Grade 1 40 weight racing oil.

 

[evoboy]

Redline or Motul 10w40............

 

[buster]

I'd give this a shot.

http://www.amsoil.com/storefront/rd30.aspx