Red Line Oil Weight

[ramoncito89]

I will be having mi first IT race the month of July and I have a sentra b13 with a ga16de engine and the races are going to be about 30 minutes long and my question is Will I really need to have and oil cooler on an ambient temperature of 95 deg. in order to run W30 Red Line in my engine or you people think it will be kind of risky to run such a low weight oil at those temperatures with out an oil cooler?

[DavidM]

Hopefully somebody with a Sentra will chime in, but on the 240SX an oil cooler is pretty much a must.

David

[x-ring]

It will be fine, as long as you don't have an oil temperature gauge.

[Joe Harlan]

It will be fine, as long as you don't have an oil temperature gauge.
[/b]

:P

[MMiskoe]

It will be fine, as long as you don't have an oil temperature gauge[/b]

That's how all the Wreck Miata's do it.

Our ITS 1.8l Miata was running 250+ F. until we put in an oil cooler.

[x-ring]

250? My Z was running 280+ in the hottest part of the year, but I never knew it until I installed a gauge, then a cooler, and then a bigger cooler.

Ignorance is bliss, at least until you cook the engine.

[ramoncito89]

Well it looks like I will be ordering an oil cooler along with braided lines relocating kits and of course an oil temperature gage but still one more question now that I’m buying a cooler Will it be some difference when you run thinner oils like W30 red line or it is still risky and not worth it?

[x-ring]

How many extra engines do you have?

OK, maybe that's an exageration, but IMO, it just isn't worth saving a few bucks / pounds.

[timelapseracing]

Make sure you have a gauge. Add the cooler - make sure the lines are -10 not -08, look for constrictions in the system - I have one at my sandwich adapter fitings, need to bore out and tap for 1/2 inch fittings instead of the 3/8 fittings it is tapped for. Then unless you are at the point where you have expendable motors and are fighting for every 1/2 horsepower - you probably want 40 or 50wt. I use 15w50 mobil 1 and have been happy with it - you can also get it at walmart in 5qt jugs (nice when you have an 8qt system - 3 in the accumulator).

Jason.

[ramoncito89]

How many extra engines do you have?

OK, maybe that's an exageration, but IMO, it just isn't worth saving a few bucks / pounds.
[/b]

Ok let me explain my self, when I mentioned thinner oils I was not referring to saving pesos, dolares or dollars I was referring to performance gains for example when I used to compete in solo events at the local racetrack I went from 50 weight to 10w30 synthetic and I noticed a slight difference in time about half a second faster per lap maybe because it was easier for the engine to move that weight of oil I could do this back then because as you all know you can get away with it if you just run 3 or 4 laps full throttle per heat like in solo events but anyway now that I have your input on this matter I go with the 40 or 50w synthetic thanks you guys been a lot of help.

[DavidM]

I think what oil weight you use is somewhat dependent on the motor. Not just the motor type, but preparation as well. I've only run Redline's 30W racing oil in my car. That's what Bob ran and it's even listed to use that weight on one of the old Rebello spec sheets. YMMV.

David

[Joe Harlan]

Weight does depend on the engine and the clearances it is built with. The 996 porsche cup motors run 0/30 mobil1 as the factory recommended race oil. I normally stick with 15/50 for my stuff and am really not concerned about the 1 or 2 HP gained with a lighter oil. You could save more HP with proper baffling in the pan than you will save by getting too light on the oil viscosity.

Joe

[ITZ34]

Actually the less viscous grades will run cooler than the heavier grades. One of the reasons is that the heavy oils have to get through the same small spaces as the lighter weight oil, which means more friction hence the higher oil pressures you see with the heavier oils. You also have a certain amount of VI improver shear in multigrade oils that also generates heat. For lower oil temperature, Oil FLOW is the key so you would run the lowest viscosity that will maintain the desired oil pressure.

[tnord]

That's how all the Wreck Miata's do it.

Our ITS 1.8l Miata was running 250+ F. until we put in an oil cooler.
[/b]

i think that's about what the SM oil temps are if we were able to actually look (230-250). i've been running 30wt Redline Race oil in my crate motor for all of last year. I used to run 5/30 M1 prior to that and i did notice one thing with the Redline....it seems to hold higher oil pressure longer.

example.....the M1 will basically settle in while hot right around 48-49psi at full song. the redline seems to hold about 55psi for the first half of the race, but then come back down to 48-49psi by the end. i'm not sure exactly what's going on....but i'm guessing the redline can "handle the heat" better for longer, but by the end is thinning out just like the M1.