How many run 20w50 castrol in their GN??

[d0n_3d]

This is off Valvoline's website and the bottles say this too:

VR1 Racing Motor Oil's exclusive chemistry is designed to reduce friction and enhance power. It is among the most popular engine lubricants in all types of racing including CART, stock car and drag racing. It is recommended for engines burning gasoline and full or partial alcohol fuels in track and street service.

High performance and protection for today's engines that run at high RPM
New ashless anti-wear additives combined with ZDDP provide ultimate wear protection
Enhanced anti-foam system helps protect the engine even during extreme stress
Enhanced additives protect against high-temperature deposits for a cleaner engine
Friction modifiers help improve horsepower output

I'm assuming "ZDDP" is the zinc. Yes/no?

 

[VadersV6]

Go to this site and spend some time reading VOA's (virgin oil analysis) and used oil analysis. these guys pay for their own testing and give TRUE independent results...not these other "independent" tests which are funded by certain interests...nothing private about it like they would like you to believe. Mobil 1 is not a favorite on this site by any means. My own personal experience with Mobil 1 SUCKED. Poured out looking and feeling like tar and stinking like fried wood after 4000 miles. Royal Purple always drained out almost looking like new. I would start the motor up cold in winter, and with no warmup and 600hp, I would take it down the street and slam it through the gears, bouncing off the rev limiter...I beat the hell out of it. After 5 years, the compression was beautiful and the inside of the engine was sparkling clean....and this is a 10,000 mile oil change, with no changing of the filter in those 10k miles. After reading the VOA on valvoline SYN oil treatment, I was happy to find it had the best additive spectrum out there...I had already been using it for awhile on the GN. Redline numbers are almost the same as RP, in terms of the things that count= zinc, phosphorous and moly. A group of about 20 racers in the top sportsman class at willow springs (I was an engine builder and a crew member of the top team)...7 out of 20 of these teams ended up coming to us to build their engines, and all 7 were always the first 7 to cross the finish line...anyway, after an entire season of sportsman road racing, the engines would tear down without a single mark on any bearing, piston skirt, crank journal, cylinder wall, etc....they looked like freshly machined and assembled engines, and we used nothing but redline. Plus the super duper top secret break in procedure didnt hurt. When it comes to turbocharged engines, I think its hard to beat RP or redline. Amsoil, which is all the rage with mustang owners, is not all its cracked up to be. I dont think dino oil should be used in any turbo engine. The huge difference in molecule size creates a large boundary layer that can totally affect shear strength. Run synthetic and get all the additives you need and you'll be fine. But with RP and Redline, I wouldnt suggest adding additives. They dont need it. If you run too much moly, zinc and phosphorous, it can build up and shrink tolerances, which can ruin your day.

 

[lazaris]

Don,

the independant analysis on this oil has the zinc and phos levels much reduced compared to the old SL formulation, which supports the new SM designation thats now on the VR-1 bottles. SM designates the new formulation which requires the reduction of zinc and phos. Thats an old data sheet from the Valvoline website. If you like Valvoline brand switch to the pure race oil "not street legal" for which no API designation is required.

This is off Valvoline's website and the bottles say this too:

VR1 Racing Motor Oil's exclusive chemistry is designed to reduce friction and enhance power. It is among the most popular engine lubricants in all types of racing including CART, stock car and drag racing. It is recommended for engines burning gasoline and full or partial alcohol fuels in track and street service.

High performance and protection for today's engines that run at high RPM
New ashless anti-wear additives combined with ZDDP provide ultimate wear protection
Enhanced anti-foam system helps protect the engine even during extreme stress
Enhanced additives protect against high-temperature deposits for a cleaner engine
Friction modifiers help improve horsepower output

I'm assuming "ZDDP" is the zinc. Yes/no?

 

[Underboost]

Another 20/50 VR1 user....only thing that goes in the car.

I ran that in my last GN it went 210,000mi.With out heads cam etc. The motor was never apart threw out the hole 210. When the motor came apart for a new build it was like brand new inside with the exception of your common cylinder wall taper. Good stuff!!

 

[Underboost]

VR1 has the Zink in it already??

Royal Purple does also.

 

[cabech984]

so, what is ideal oil psi? @ hot idle?

 

[BlackBandit]

so, what is ideal oil psi? @ hot idle?

Actually, GM speced a pressure at a specific rpm somewhere above idle because idle isn't a load on the engine. The golden rule is 10 psi per 1000 rpm.

 

[cabech984]

gotcha!!!

 

[Gary Wells]

Very informative thread, thanks for all of the info. There was an oil thread a few months ago inferring that Lucas Oil Stabilizer may not exactly be the greatest thing since popcorn. It showed a comparasion test using the commonly shown hand gear rotator encased in plastic and it showed the oil with Lucas stayed away from the gears under simulated RPM when you rotated the hand crank. What is the order # of the Valvo Racing Oil (Race Only) (Not legal for street use) VR1 20w-50?

 

[jpratt]

Not sure of the part number. But I called Val. a few months ago and found that the only place near me was NAPA. I went there and it took him a few minutes on the phone to find the number and then he had to order it.
It is also here Valvoline Racing VV851 - Valvoline Racing Conventional Motor Oil - JEGS

 

[Gary Wells]

I found it, thanks

Conventional Racing Oil

 

[cstavro]

what viscosity is recommended for ball bearing turbos vs std bearing turbo?

i've used mobil 1 5w30 exclusively on my cars since 2003. i change oil at 8000 km, and i know they're in great shape. however, i agree that redline is an even better oil. i've known it for a decade.

i use synthetic mainly because i get great protection, and dispose of less oil.

 

[VadersV6]

If you really want to run valvoline, I would run Valvoline SYN. It has a pretty good additive spectrum. I ran it for awhile and liked it. But when I went with castrol dino oil and lucas oil stabilizer for 1 oil change, by turbo was destroyed in only 1000 miles. The thrust bearings in the turbo were wiped out, and I didnt even floor it the whole time I was running it. But RP and Redline are very hard to beat. I think synthetic should be the ONLY kind of oil you should consider on any turbocharged engine. The oil that goes through the turbo is subjected to serious heat and force, and synthetic is the only kind that can hold up without coking or shearing. Ive already mentioned my mobil 1 experience many times. I hate it. And especially Fram oil filters. Holy crap they suck.

 

[cstavro]

i'll definitely use redline/rp (whichever is cheaper) before i get a turbo - if only to save the turbo.

what's good as far as oil filters? do you run the 'oil saver'?

 

[kraus]

I've always used Kendall oil in all my stuff.And I put 20/50 in my Gn now,i see 30psi hot at idle and about 70psi on cruise in my GN right now.I used to work as a mechanic at a local garage and that's what my boss always had and all the motors we ripped apart that was what he ran and never had a problem with bearing failure etc.So i just started using it..

 

[Turbo-Fun]

I had an interesting find today and it reminded about this thread. I usually use any synthetic 10w30 because that is what the car was designed to use. 20w50 seems a bit heavy for a stock oiling system. Today I found a new Mobil 1 15w50 for performance cars. It sounded middle of the road to me so I'm trying it.
BTW - I use AC Delco PF52 filters also because that's what the car was designed to use. Can't go wrong that way.

 

[DR BOOST]

I had an interesting find today and it reminded about this thread. I usually use any synthetic 10w30 because that is what the car was designed to use. 20w50 seems a bit heavy for a stock oiling system. Today I found a new Mobil 1 15w50 for performance cars. It sounded middle of the road to me so I'm trying it.
BTW - I use AC Delco PF52 filters also because that's what the car was designed to use. Can't go wrong that way.

i believe it was designed to use regular 10w30 and a pf47

 

[Gary Wells]

As stated above, regular 10W-30 & PF47. PF52 was designed for something else like a truck and has a somewhat higher burst pressures, I believe.

 

[toofastforyou]

Me !

We're getting away from this post's initial question which was "How many run 20w50 Castrol in their GN??"....Well...ME ! ...and I never had any engine lubrication-related problems or failiures because of Castrol oil!...so why should I switch to something else?...Like they say: If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

Claude

 

[Steve]

I think people get too wrapped around the axle about brands of oils. There is no way that using one particular brand of oil destroys a turbo or kills a motor. All oils pass minimum standards in order to achieve which ever designation that they have. The only thing to really consider is the normal use passenger car type of oils vs. the racing type special prupase oils vs. HD type oils. Normal passenger car type oils have to have the zinc and other anitwear additives reduced from what they once were due to emissions standards in order to achieve their desination. Many racing type oils do not meet the current emissions standards due to the fact that they still have many of the antiwear additives that oils had in the past. HD oils like Rotella don't have to comply with the passenger car emission standards and do contain more antiwear additives. My Buick has a flat tappet cam and I run Rotella T(old formula) to get the antiwear additives to help my cam live. Royal Purple, or other racing types of oils will work just as well or better. My truck, daily driver Mustang GT and my wife's SUV gets Mobil 1 synthetic because they were built and designed to operate without the need for the additonal addtives. Someone earlier in the thread stated how much Mobil 1 sucked-kinda hard to believe when its rated one of the highest and is recomended by OEM's for use in the ZO6's, Viper's, Porche's, Ferrari's and Aston Martin's. It is important to remember that any normal passenger car type of oil does not have zinc and other anitwear additives like the HD and racing oils because it can't due to government standards, so if you are running a flat tappet cam make sure you use an additive or a racing or HD oil.