Theres not alot of oil information here on zilvia, so I thought I’d share some things i’ve learned over the years, and picked up on BITOG. Most of this stuff is IMO, but for starters I will say this;
Our engines love synthetic. As in synthetic I mean Group IV API-SL. Group IV is a Synthetic base stock and Add pack. The two main group IV’s are Amsoil and Redline. Amsoil and Redline are both perfect oils for our nissan engines that use oil pressure based timing tensioners and timing chains. Both oils are also directly opposite as far as how they are designed. Amsoil uses newer ADD technologies where Redline uses the more conventional PolyoEster base stock and Moly MoTD based additive. Amsoil ASL uses ZDDP (zink phosephate) which will last longer in an OCI than Molybdenum. Alot of racing oils also use ZDDP around 1200ppm (parts per million) You do not want anything higher than that because the ZDDP can attack iron - cause valve deposits and destroy a catalyst. Amsoil uses a very decent amount. Both Moly (MoTD or MoS2) and ZDDP are both Multi Additives that serve multiple purposes, mainly for lubrication and friction reduction. Zink also will fight corrosion. The Base oils serve as the main source of lubrication, and the Moly/ZDDP will serve as high pressure backup lubrication where there is direct metal on metal contact. The add pack also contains other multitasking add’s, which include calcium, phosphate, Boron bla bla ba. These packs such as calcium reduce acid inside the crank case. They are all composed together perfectly to work in unison when fighting for surface area.
Redline. Polyo Ester based oil loaded with moly. A flat metal surface may seem perfectly smooth, however microscopically it may be pitted, which via pressures can cause wear and friction. moly will contact these metal surfaces via pressure or heat and shear off as a microscopically perfect surface. You now have super low friction, however moly can possibly attack some coppers, which is why most oils use a copper de-activator, which is why I believe amsoil does not use more than around 2ppm of moly (long 25k miles OCI’s). Oils loaded with moly arent as suitible to run the 20k+ OCI, Especially MoS2, which could possibly fall out of suspension, group and clog the oil filter. I would change the moly loaded oils around 8-10k mile OCI’s. I would have to say redline would be the best oil you can get if your going to use a turbocharged engine, period.
Mobil1. I will hardly post anything up about this oil, since its targeted for a the cheaper crowd, which is why they cut back on the Zink, and Phosphate. The add pack hits hard and quick, but quickly the TAN (total acid number) Increases. There are way too many M1 formulas, and nearly every VI variant of M1 will have a different ADD pack. General rule of thumb with Mobil1, It will clean your engine, but provide sub par lubrication and wear protection. They are using Moly now to compensate for the lack of Zink. Mobil1 is the most popular oil for conventional uses, mainly because its the easiest to find. Mobil1 uses about 700ppm of Zink where amsoil uses 1300ppm. That makes a big difference.
Quote:
The Japanese Automobile Manufacturers Association, a founding member of ILSAC, says testing has shown “that both viscosity and phosphorus content affect timing-chain wear. For SAE 5W-20 oils, less than 0.06 percent secondary phosphorus ZnDTP does not provide adequate chain-wear protection.” To combat this wear, JAMA and ILSAC are proposing that GF-4 contain a minimum of 0.06 percent phosphorus; JAMA might also develop a chain-wear test for GF-5 when work begins on that oil category. Meanwhile, API, which represents oil companies, doesn’t want any minimum set on phosphorus content.
Zink/ZDDP is lower in the M1 than the amsoil, which could mean amsoil is better for our engines.
Amsoil. This is what I personally have been using. Its a PAO oil. The oil resists breakdown better than any oil on the market. It has the best additive pack out there, the best cold flowing properties when using the SSO version, and the TAN numbers and TBN numbers always seem to be above average. This oil can last a realistic 15k miles before the TBN numbers start to drop. Wear doesnt increase at all durring those 15k miles, where mobil1 or others start to get out of hand. Amsoil is the best oil on the market for long term use. Perfect for FI engines, but even better for daily drivers.
Additives. I’ve been reading around about putting things into your oil, and while almost all would be horrible, there are some things that do work quiet well. MMO, and Liqui-moly MoS2. Marvel Mystery oil works very well for light cleaning of the crank case. It seems to have a low flashpoint, and soak into any sludge while keeping it in suspension. I personally would only add about 1/2qt to a crankcase that has been running conventional oil for a while. Run it for a good 1500 miles and refill with a good synthetic. This stuff has worked better than I can explain for my VG30 pathfinder. It removed about 8 teaspoons full of snotty tan sludge from the oil cap. MoS2 is suspended type of moly, in mineral oil. This gives you the benifit of moly in oil that contains hardly any. I wouldnt add it to Amsoil because it may conflict with the add pack. I also wouldnt add it to Redline because the esters and moly are mixed equally so they both get their share of surface area. However I currently have 150ml inside the crankcase of my patherfinder which is running Penzoil Platinum. Works quiet well.
MMO. Engines like this stuff when used correctly. I have found the Ka24de loves it in the gas at the recommended rate of 4.5oz per 10 gallons of fuel. This is an great upper cylinder lubricant. Almost all gas is dry, and adding this will keep your fuel pump lubricated and your injectors clean. Some people ad 2stroke TW3 to the gas, but this is much better and has been proven. Also for cleaning a dirty crankcase you can use no more than 20% of crankcase volume. This has also been noted to be an alternative to Auto-RX, and increase compression. I have been using MMO in the gas for years now and it makes a notable difference.
Moly Adds. Liqui-moly MoS2 can be purchased at AAP or Napa for around $4. The whole bottle has about 4000ppm of moly. You want to add to a regular oil about 1/4th bottle at each oil change (excluding premier oils such as amsoil/redline which use a different pack). Most of the moly will find its surface a dig in, and the rest will be in suspension, and is small enough to pass through even the best PureOne filters. Using the MoS2 will increase the lubrication, however you dont want to use it for long OCI’s. The Best moly you can buy is the stuff redline uses. Mugen sells a bottle of that stuff for $65.
Oil Filters. This isnt like oil where two different types get the same job done. There is a single brand that towers all. Purolator PureOne. Best flow, filtering, silicone ATDB valve and bypass valve. I have posted somewhere a thread about the proper one to use. Its cheaper than alot of filters, and its simply the best, at everything. I truely believe using a shitty filter will destroy your engine, mainly because of the dry starts caused by a non working anti-drainback valve.
PCV valves. Using conventional oil will clog your PCV valve faster than synthetic. If using a forced induction setup, I would personally remove the PCV system all together and use an oil like amsoil, which has enough anti-oxidation to fight off any acids in the crankcase. If say your valve cover gaskets are leaking, your PCV system is pretty much useless anyway, and you have no replenishing flow through your crankcase. The flash point of synthetics is much higher, so usually the only thing being cycled is unburnt fuel and condensation. Both of these will flash from the oil at 212*f and remove themselves from the crankcase even when venting. Boosting and Using a PCV valve as shitty as the Nissan one just causes more issues than its worth. Venting to atmosphere will not phase a decent oil with a good additive package. Calcium will neutralize the acid, water will not. This is why your cooling system will directly control the life of your oil.
Cooling. You want your engine hot, radiator cold. Coolant temps directly relate to engine wear. There was a study on this done by a Dr. Haas; http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/faq…=haas_articles
Getting your oil past 212f faster means less wear, and your add pack will last longer. Running with out a Tstat will destroy your oils add pack faster, and not all of your oil may reach 212f.
Personally what I did to revive a beater I purchased was this;
When I got the carI dont think the oil had been changed for 30k miles, I topped of any lack of oil with MMO. I then changed the oil filter with what ever filter I had access to, preferably a wix, which lets larger particles pass through, and filled the oil filter completely with MMO. I drove for a good 100 miles or so to let the stuff soak into any sludge, and get things moving. The MMO doesnt break loose sludge and grime like seafoam - it soaks into it and keeps it in suspension. After I got things softened up, I changed the oil out for some Penzoil Platinum. Had a decent additive package. I put in 3qts of it, and .5qts of MMO. The MMO either absorbed itself into any sludge/grime and/or flashed out of the oil after about 500-1000 miles, due to having to top off with MMO again. The same process happened again, however this time I changed the filter and added regular PP. The loss of oil stopped. The engine noises came way down, and then I added about 150ml of MoS2. This quieted down the engine to almost nothing. The MMO dropped the VI of the oil to where the cold flowing properties were maximized, also keeping any sludge in suspension untill filtered out. The MoS2 bumped the moly way up to coat the contact surfaces and protect them durring the MMO treatment. The moly will remain plated on the metal for the next 2 oil changes or so. This is why on non performance engines, I would use something available like Penzoil Platinum and Liqui-Moly. Very affordable and effective.
I will finish in the morning.
worthwhile investment imo