Blower + mods require higher end oil?

[c5z06]

I am curious to hear some opinions on the following. My car is a C5 Z06 with the following mods:

• stock short block (block, crank, rods, pistons)
• ported/polished heads
• cam
• morel link bar lifters (preload within range specified by morel)
• Novi 1500 (T-trim) @ 12 psi
• meth injected

I have 12 qts of RP HPS ready to go, but I really wonder if high end oil is required? Being that it is a stock short block, nothing is too fancy. There will be more force on the downward stroke due to power levels/boost, so I see that stressing the oil between the bearings more (or am I just crazy?). I will be running UOA on the RP HPS to find out how it does. Thoughts?

Could I throw Synpower in it ? Better ways to blow $50

 

[sciphi]

I'd get something that resists shear well, regardless of brand.

 

[CT8]

Yes.

 

[WANG]

I consider the duty cycle to be a significant factor in considering these things, perhaps more so than engine configuration.

 

[barkingspider]

I had a 99 C5 w an A&A blower installed. I used supertech 10w30 syn and it was good to go. The installer, a corvette specialist shop says any syn 5w30 or 10w30 was fine to use. He drove a vette w a built 427 in it and used 5w30

 

[DoubleWasp]

Chevy LS engines seem to carry on the tradition of "put anything in me, I don't care".

I'd run a good syn just for peace of mind, and to better deal with heat.

 

[901Memphis]

You don't need an expenses oil but you do need something that is thick enough to handle the extra power and heat generated by the setup. A mineral 10w40 will protect just fine, but Mobil 1 high mileage 10w40 might be where budget meets top of the line if you buy it in jugs for $25

 

[dwendt44]

The current model Corvettes don't have oil coolers (from the factory) so a heavier
oil sounds like a good idea. 901Memphis has it right.

 

[DoubleWasp]

Forgot about the lack of oil cooler. Maybe a good app for Euro-car 0w40?

 

[Johnny2Bad]

If there is any chance of elevated temperatures, you want Synthetic Oil. Supercharging / Turbocharging qualifies. Other than that, nothing special, just use something of reasonable quality.

 

[c5z06]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Wondering if Castrol EDGE 0W-40 A3/B4 Full Synthetic Motor Oil would be right up my ally. RP seems to shear quickly to a 20wt (apparently), other option would be the 10w-40 Mobil 1 as suggested.

 

[mazdamonky]

Valvoline synpower is a high end oil. I would just run something rated a3/b4 or xw40 and call it a day.

 

[Linctex]

Originally Posted By: c5z06
Being that it is a stock short block, nothing is too fancy. There will be more force on the downward stroke due to power levels/boost, so I see that stressing the oil between the bearings more (or am I just crazy?). I will be running UOA on the RP HPS to find out how it does. Thoughts?


Your piston rings and ring lands are always the first things to get too hot (and fail) in a boosted engine.
Installing "under piston squirters" would be great, but not easy to do.

At any rate, the crank assy will be fine... but you'll need to come up with ways to keep the ring lands alive.

 

[BrocLuno]

I never drank the RP cool-aid. The others are right, HTHS is the key to blown motors. Don't care what the label says, specs count. You want stable oil able to cushion parts. All the biggies make such oils. Some are automotive, some are HDEO's, some are race oils. But pay attention to the numbers. Change often. Run a magnetic drain plug. If it comes out fuzzy - stop, find out why ...

 

[ARCOgraphite]

RP is high end only for price. Its LOADED with a Sulphur compound.

Acid anyone?

 

[Mitch Alsup]

What you need is an oil temperature gauge and possibly an oil pressure gauge. The combination will tell you everything you need to know about your driving style versus the ending demands on the oil.

If the oil gets hotter than 250ºF then you should consider more oil cooler surface area over a thicker oil.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

200 deg too thin of an oil is still 200 degree too thin of an oil. Higher load = higher HTHS and nominal viscosity. At least HTHS 3.7 AND bottom of 40 grade. and triple that filter capacity.

 

[OneEyeJack]

You might want to consider a couple of UOA's to establish the oil change interval best suited to your driving style and that modified engine.

There are a lot of different brands of oil that will do the job but the question of concern is, how long, how many hours and what kind of margin are you willing to accept. A few extra bucks invested in the UOA's to establish the OCI will be a good investment. The UOA will tell you more about the condition of the oil than the condition of the internals of the engine. Obvious problems will be discovered but you want to do the best you can with keeping good oil running thru the engine.

 

[jkasch]

If your blower has a by-pass valve similar to my Magnuson's, another consideration might be to avoid too wide a viscosity range. I was running M1 0w-40 and the bp valve was getting sticky from pvc oil vapors. I was advised to try an oil without so much VII by a few BITOGers. I switched to a 10w-30, added a catch can and haven't had a reoccurrence.

This was also on an LS.

 

[Kawiguy454]

I am one that always errs on the side of thicker is better. For any one the opposite view keep in mind that if you get one out of spec bearing the pressure drop will be reflected into all other parallel oil passages.