Oil Weight Thread

[ChefBoyardeez10]

Hi yall, I currently reside in New Mexico USA so it is hot as hell (not as hot as AZ)
I have done a bunch of reading on why people have chosen to switch to a high temp engine oil such as 0W-30, and yes I am wondering what oil YOU are using in your slightly modified xgen.
I am at 30,000 miles on my Si and I am getting her shoes rotated and balanced, but I should do my oil now. I am still drinking the OEM weight oil but I have been thinking about letting her sip on some amsoil 0w-30 oil along with their MTF.

Please let me know what you recommend or what you have personally experienced from running a different weight oil in your xgen!

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[hobby-man]

I've been running 0W-20 so far through 38km. I'm thinking of switching to 0W-30 though in the future now that I'm adding more bolt ons and will tune for them soon. I know @Vincent@27WON recommended stepping up to 5W-30 once you hit about +50% power over stock. Not sure I want to lose the cold crank protection of 0W vs 5W here in Canada though. Interested to see what others report.

 

[ChefBoyardeez10]

I've been running 0W-20 so far through 38km. I'm thinking of switching to 0W-30 though in the future now that I'm adding more bolt ons and will tune for them soon. I know @Vincent@27WON recommended stepping up to 5W-30 once you hit about +50% power over stock. Not sure I want to lose the cold crank protection of 0W vs 5W here in Canada though. Interested to see what others report.

Yeah i will be sticking with an 0W-xx oil because its not ass biting cold here, I think i will purchase amsoil 0w-30 and pick up their MTF while i am at it.
Almost at FBO

 

[FlexRex]

Make sure you get Amsoil SS (signature series) otherwise you’re throwing money away. Also, id use 0w30 for sure in a modified car, if not 0w40 in summer (or if tracking), if you change twice a yr.

I run 0w40 in my fbo flex tuned wrx. Factory is 0w30 i believe, but i am not even sure.

 

[Gruber]

In summer and in Southern locations, there is no practical difference between 0W and 5W.

 

[FlexRex]

Yes, agree, so why use 5w then?

 

[Gruber]

Because the more spread in weights, (the higher the viscosity index) the more viscosity additives need to be used to achieve it and the more "engineered" the oil is, vs. more "straight" 5W oils. These additives tend to wear out/deteriorate with time/use, so the viscosity may be more prone to change, but are unnecessary at moderate temperatures. Not all oil brands/types even offer 0W30 for example.

But if not trying to extend the OCI, (like I don't) this is not so relevant. I used and liked Mobil 1 AFE 0W30, but now I filled with Mobil 1 Annual 5W30/0W20 2:1 [corrected] mixture (I had some 0W20 left over, but I will probably discontinue using 0W20 after that).

 

[ChefBoyardeez10]

Because the more spread in weights, (the higher the viscosity index) the more viscosity additives need to be used to achieve it and the more "engineered" the oil is, vs. more "straight" 5W oils. These additives tend to wear out/deteriorate with time/use, so the viscosity may be more prone to change, but are unnecessary at moderate temperatures. Not all oil brands/types even offer 0W30 for example.

But if not trying to extend the OCI, (like I don't) this is not so relevant. I used and liked Mobil 1 AFE 0W30, but now I filled with Mobil 1 Annual 5W30/0W20 2:3 mixture (I had some 0W20 left over, but I will probably discontinue using 0W20 after that).

So you recommend 5W-30

 

[Gruber]

So you recommend 5W-30

If it never gets seriously cold, yes.

And, at moderately "cold" temperatures, you might be surprised by the actual viscosity specs. For example, Pennzoil Platinum 5W30 viscosity at 40 C is specified at 45.9 cSt, while Mobil 0W30 ESP is 69 cSt. So at about human body temperature the 0W oil in this pair is actually thicker than the 5W oil (go figure). The pour point for the 0W Mobil 1 is indeed a bit lower, but it's negative 51 F..... (I picked this pair just randomly, by the 40 C data availabilty on the manufacturer sites. )

 

[CTRismybeater]

5w40 here at the dealers recommendation.

 

[jayy_swish]

I was using Amsoil SS 0w-20 and got an oil analysis, was doing fine. (Had 5,600 miles on the oil, it was my 2nd oil change & a little over 10,000miles on the car). Half way through that oil cycle I had switch to a E40 fuel blend. Held up fine, besides a 1% fuel percentage. This next oil batch I’m sending in (Literally just did my oil change today) was Amsoil SS 0w-20 with 5,200 miles on it. Ran a E40 blend through the whole oil cycle, wanted to see if it held up with a full oil cycle with ethanol in it. I put in Amsoil 5w-30 Boosted (didn’t pay attention when ordering, had intended to purchase their Signature Series lol). All oil changes I used Amsoil’s oil filters. Next oil change going to get that sample tested as well to see which one is better to run, more likely it’s going to be 5w-30, but I’d still like to see how they compare. Really you won’t get any answers from asking around because everyone had their beliefs and oil brand preferences/biases. It’ll always be a “he said”/“she said”. If you want actual proof or evidence I’d recommend getting your oil tested:
https://www.blackstone-labs.com/

 

[ChefBoyardeez10]

I was using Amsoil SS 0w-20 and got an oil analysis, was doing fine. (Had 5,600 miles on the oil, it was my 2nd oil change & a little over 10,000miles on the car). Half way through that oil cycle I had switch to a E40 fuel blend. Held up fine, besides a 1% fuel percentage. This next oil batch I’m sending in (Literally just did my oil change today) was Amsoil SS 0w-20 with 5,200 miles on it. Ran a E40 blend through the whole oil cycle, wanted to see if it held up with a full oil cycle with ethanol in it. I put in Amsoil 5w-30 Boosted (didn’t pay attention when ordering, had intended to purchase their Signature Series lol). All oil changes I used Amsoil’s oil filters. Next oil change going to get that sample tested as well to see which one is better to run, more likely it’s going to be 5w-30, but I’d still like to see how they compare. Really you won’t get any answers from asking around because everyone had their beliefs and oil brand preferences/biases. It’ll always be a “he said”/“she said”. If you want actual proof or evidence I’d recommend getting your oil tested:
https://www.blackstone-labs.com/

Im about to pull the trigger on a flex kit and have access to E, why did you think you needed to go 5w-30, i sent them my oem oil a little while back. its pretty cool but do you have an analysis on the 5w-30 you put in?

 

[jayy_swish]

Im about to pull the trigger on a flex kit and have access to E, why did you think you needed to go 5w-30, i sent them my oem oil a little while back. its pretty cool but do you have an analysis on the 5w-30 you put in?

E85 is acidic and when it gets into the oil it will slightly break it down, lowering its viscosity - meaning it makes the oil thinner. Unless your oil contains high additives to counteract that acidic break down (like Amsoil). So you put in 0w-20 and at the end of its oil change the oil has broken down and it’s not at a 0w-20 weight anymore, meaning it’s thinner than what Honda recommends and will result in increased wear on the engine and it’s components over time. So by putting in a 5w-30 (or if you live in colder climates 0w-30) when that oil break down happens and it’s the end of your oil cycle you wouldn’t be sitting at less than what Honda recommends: 0w-20. Other alternatives is to replace your oil more frequently if you prefer sticking to Honda’s 0w-20. We aren’t running the full E85 so this break down isn’t as aggressive, but it’s still there. It’s more insurance for long term engine health. Also, to answer your question I do not have an oil analysis for 5w-30 just yet, as it’s still in the car currently.

 

[xjoshuax89]

I was using Amsoil SS 0w-20 and got an oil analysis, was doing fine. (Had 5,600 miles on the oil, it was my 2nd oil change & a little over 10,000miles on the car). Half way through that oil cycle I had switch to a E40 fuel blend. Held up fine, besides a 1% fuel percentage. This next oil batch I’m sending in (Literally just did my oil change today) was Amsoil SS 0w-20 with 5,200 miles on it. Ran a E40 blend through the whole oil cycle, wanted to see if it held up with a full oil cycle with ethanol in it. I put in Amsoil 5w-30 Boosted (didn’t pay attention when ordering, had intended to purchase their Signature Series lol). All oil changes I used Amsoil’s oil filters. Next oil change going to get that sample tested as well to see which one is better to run, more likely it’s going to be 5w-30, but I’d still like to see how they compare. Really you won’t get any answers from asking around because everyone had their beliefs and oil brand preferences/biases. It’ll always be a “he said”/“she said”. If you want actual proof or evidence I’d recommend getting your oil tested:
https://www.blackstone-labs.com/

Heard Blackstone isn't any good to test for oil dilution and rather something like Polaris is better. Think it was discussed on here or was it the FB group.

5w40 here at the dealers recommendation.

Also due to the Rs that tend to be beat on harder and run hotter, I'm sure they can probably handle more than the typical 30 weight.

I've run 0w20 here in MD for the past 50k miles. First about 10kish miles I was stock then shortly after I added bolts ons and then did turbo upgrade + flex. Been running fbo + w1 + e85 blend for about 15k miles still on 0w20. Just recently made the shift to 0w-30.

However, I do change my oil every 3-4k miles and obviously every time before and after each track and drag event.

 

[olesaintnik]

So I just watched the latest video from the man, the myth, the legend Scotty Kilmer, and he cautioned against using heavier oil in a car (especially modern cars), because it will cause much more engine wear on cold start-up (which he claims is responsible for 90% of car engine wear). Here is a link to the video. He starts talking about it at 4:19. What are y'all's thoughts on this?

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