oil / oil filter

kannibul · 06-15-2009, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bdanna

I bit the bullet and put the expensive factory ester oil in at 1200 miles until the is more solid experience with other oils. The issue some claim is "ticking" in the head if you don't use an ester based oil.

I personally wouldn't switch to full synthetic at least until 3000 miles.

Well, worst case, if you hear a "ticking", swap oils, and see if it goes away.

If not, then it could be either 1) it made the ticking noise all along or 2) there's something causing it that needs to be addressed.

As long as you're using the correct weight of oil, there isn't any reason why one would cause "ticking" and the others wouldn't

At least, that's my opinion. I know oils are not all the same, but they all perform to basic standards. Those basic standards should be enough for the engine....just we like to use stuff that exceeds those in the hopes of better performance / longevity.

VCuomo · 06-15-2009, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bdanna

I bit the bullet and put the expensive factory ester oil in at 1200 miles until the is more solid experience with other oils. The issue some claim is "ticking" in the head if you don't use an ester based oil.

I personally wouldn't switch to full synthetic at least until 3000 miles.

You don't have to wait 3000 miles. Here is some info straight from Mobil (Mobil_Oil_Myths):

Quote:

Myth: You should break in your engine with conventional oil, then switch to a synthetic oil like Mobil 1.
Reality:
You can start using Mobil 1 in new vehicles at any time, even in brand new vehicles. In fact, Mobil 1 is original equipment (it is installed at the factory) in:

Acura RDX
Aston Martin
All Bentley Vehicles
All Cadillac Vehicles
Chevrolet Corvette C6 and Z06
Chevrolet TrailBlazer SS
Chrysler 300C SRT-8
Cobalt SS S/C Coupe
Dodge Caliber SRT-4, Charger SRT-8, and Magnum SRT-8
Jeep Cherokee SRT-8
Mercedes-Benz AMG Vehicles
Mercedes SLR
Mitsubishi Evolution
Pontiac Solstice GXP
All Porsche Vehicles
Saturn Ion Red Line and Saturn Sky Red Line
Viper SRT-10

One of the myths surrounding synthetic oils is that new engines require a break-in period with conventional oil. The fact is, current engine manufacturing technology does not require this break-in period. As indicated by the decisions of the engineers who design the high-performance cars listed above, Mobil 1 can be used starting the day you drive the car off the showroom floor.

Redline recommends waiting 3,000 miles primarily for rebuilt engines - not fresh engines from major manufacturers; here's a quote from Road & Track Technical Correspondence Column (9 years ago, emphasis below added, link is Redline_break-in_link):

Quote:

Redline, on the other hand, has found it best to recommend a mineral oil break-in. Occasionally an engine will glaze its cylinder walls when initially run on Redline, they say, so by using a mineral oil for 2000 miles, verifying there is no oil consumption and then switching to the synthetic, glazing is eliminated.

Cylinder-wall glazing is not a deposit left on the cylinder wall, but rather a displacement of cylinder-wall metal. This happens when the high spots of the cylinder wall crosshatch are not cut or worn off by the piston rings, but rather rolled over into the valleys or grooves of the crosshatch. This leaves a surface that oil adheres to poorly, against which the rings cannot seal well. Compression is lost and oil consumed, and the only cure is to tear down the engine to physically restore the cylinder-wall finish by honing.

Why is glazing not a problem for the major manufacturer? Because they have complete, accurate control over their cylinder-wall finish and ring type. Redline deals with a huge variety of engines and manufacturers, both OEM and from the aftermarket. Cylinder-wall finish and ring type thus vary greatly, and glazing can therefore occur, albeit rarely.

Another interesting tidbit from the same link:

Quote:

Exxon/Mobil's official policy is that their synthetic oil may be used at any mileage, including factory fill, unless otherwise stated by the vehicle manufacturer. Mobil pointed out, as you did, that all Corvettes, Vipers, Porsches and Aston Martins are factory filled with Mobil 1 synthetic. We can only conclude that improvements in cylinder-wall finish and ring design or materials makes this possible.

It is also likely that vehicle manufacturers not using synthetics as the factory fill are also not optimizing their cylinder and ring packages for the slippery sythetics, in which case approximately 1000 miles on mineral oil should prove ample break-in time. In fact, in modern engines a very high percentage of ring break-in takes place very quickly, probably in the first 10 to 20 minutes of engine running. Certainly, some final lapping of the rings and cylinders takes place over several hundred miles after initial break-in.

Just to add some confusion, Porsche dynos all of its engines before installing them in the chassis. We were unable to determine what oil is used for the dyno session, but would presume it's Mobil 1.

BTW, anyone know what type of oil that Nissan puts in at the factory? I'd bet it's synthetic...

LiquidZ · 06-16-2009, 12:54 AM

Quote:

BTW, anyone know what type of oil that Nissan puts in at the factory? I'd bet it's synthetic...

Synthetic blend with ester additives.

VCuomo · 06-16-2009, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LiquidZ

Synthetic blend with ester additives.

"Synthetic blend" like Castrol Syntec Blend (part dino oil, part synthetic), but with ester additives?

Solus · 06-17-2009, 01:19 AM

Someone who had an issue at a deal notmygtr maybe? posted something about a really good filter that helped lower his temps.. cant find it though

LiquidZ · 06-17-2009, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VCuomo

"Synthetic blend" like Castrol Syntec Blend (part dino oil, part synthetic), but with ester additives?

Correct

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06-17-2009, 01:19 AM	#20 (permalink)
Solus Enthusiast Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Jacksonville, NC Posts: 453 Drives: 2009 Nissan 370z Rep Power: 16	Someone who had an issue at a deal notmygtr maybe? posted something about a really good filter that helped lower his temps.. cant find it though