Tjabo

I was looking for something to improve my oil pressure for the warmer weather, so I grabbed some Valvoline VR1 20w50. It's giving me the pressure I was lacking with the Rotellas, but I'd like something similar in a synthetic.

Has anyone compared the Mobil1 15w50 to some conventional 20w50?

Turbo-LS

iTrader: (4)

What do you mean oil pressure, what pressure do you have that your trying to get more? If your motor is not built with proper bearing clearences yo ushouldnt be running 20w50 oil. its to thick and will not protect the engine bearings the way the lighter oils will. if your running stock bearing clearences you shoulnt be going over 10w40. but stay close to stock oil weight. In the summer you can run straight 30 weight if you want.

Tjabo

It's a stock Neon motor with a hundred and forty five thousand or so on it, and it makes around 350whp. I'm turning it to about 8,500 or so. I think some oil pressure sounds like a decent thing. Maybe I'm wrong.

From what I can read, 10w40 is regarded pretty much as the worst viscosity to use because of the formulations necessary to get that weight spread at the low end of the scale (unless maybe if it's a high grade synthetic). Are you saying you like a straight 30 weight for the summer?

But anyway, as for the question asked?

Turbo-LS

iTrader: (4)

well a neon motor s different than a honda motor, i honestly dont knwo about that motor.

The thing with motor oil is this, the closer the numbers are together the better. the wider spread in viscocity numbers the more addatives and polymers are in it to do so. thats why straight weigth is good in summer cause its just straight one weigth oil without the addatives but can only be run in warm weather otherwise to heavy on start up cold engines

Tjabo

That last part seems not to apply the same (or maybe at all? ? ?) to high end synthetics.

Hopefully someone has tried the 15w50 M1 against a conventional 20w50, and can provide a basic comparison of oil pressure between the two under a fully warmed up condition.

TylerB

What brand filter are you using now?

Tjabo

K&N. Before that a Pure One.

Turbo-LS

iTrader: (4)

Have you tried running Brad Penn motor oil? What are the stock specs on bearing clearences for that motor?

Tjabo

I haven't tried it. Seems like the rods were around 1.4 thousandths, don't think I ever saw what the mains were.
Thanks for the bump!

non-VTEC

try rotella T6 5w40. it's synthetic and usually can be had for much less than mobil/castrol/valvoline.

what kind of oil pressure are you getting? maybe the engine has some sort of problem if you can get good oil pressure with average engine oil weights....

lyncoors

5w40 would be my guess for thicker oil. ive always used 5w30 in my srt even at 509 hp

Tjabo

I've tried both Rotellas, and the 15w40 was a tiny bit better for summer, but still dropped to about 10psi at the top of the turbo fitting at hot idle.

I don't really think I have terrible oil pressure, I was just wondering about the initial question posted regarding the comparison between the two oils. If no one really has made the comparison, I'll just spend the 20 bucks and find out.

In which case, I'll post what I find out! (in case anyone besides me is interested in knowing)

lsef

The oil psi at the turbo is going to be lower.You should hook your gauge at the oil psi sending unit just t off it.

civic_r87111

WOW, y would u judge the oiling capibilities based on pressure? I mean low oil pressure is bad of course and no pressure is worse but just because ur pressure is higher doesn't mean it's lubing or disipating heat any better. It just means that the oil pump is working harder to push it thru the passages. After reading all this I have to ask Tjabo, do u know what the purpose of oil is in an engine?

Tjabo

You know, sometimes you can get an answer to a simple question on here, and sometimes you can't.

neverstop

lol, too true

KevinEvo

I use Mobil1 15w50. My oil pressure goes from 5 psi at idle, to about 60 psi at redline. This is with a large turbo. I haven't been able to drive all winter but I believe it was those numbers in summer.

Tjabo

Thanks Man! ! !

Have you used any other type of oil with this same setup that you can compare pressures to?

KevinEvo

The first oil in there after the engine was rebuilt was 5w30 I think. I switched to the 15w50 after. The oil pressure would stay higher longer with the 15w50, but after driving it for a few hours it would drop a few psi, maybe from getting hot, not sure. On 5w30 it was maybe 3 psi idle, and 55 redline. It seemed kind of low to me but I don't have any leaks or anything so that's why I switched. Seemed to help a bit.

Turbo-LS

iTrader: (4)

10 psi per 1000 rpm's is about what your looking for. ifyou have that or close to it then stick with the stock oil viscocity.

civic_r87111

You want a simple answer, ^ just gave u one. If u have stock bearing clearances then stay close to stock recommened viscosity like he said. I have used 5w30 10w30 10w40 and 15w40 and the pressure rises alil as I went higher viscosity but with no benifit to the engine.

honda_k20a

iTrader: (1)

Sorry to bump this thread but I have a D16Z6, build bottom end. It used to be turbo but i parted it out and all NA now. I've going to some track days at Pacific Raceway and Mission Raceway and noticed that my oil pressure would be around 80psi WOT but later on during the session, it'd be around 55psi - 60psi after getting all hot and ready .

Now, I'm using Rotella T Synthetic 5w-40 (first generation), and I have a feeling that it's too thin for some odd reason. Should I try switching to 15w-50 ONLY during summer / track season and 5w-40 for winter time?

Thanks1

Tjabo

For what it's worth, I had some concerns about hot oil pressure with the 5w40 Rotella T also. The non-synthetic 15w40 seemed better, and to be honest, the 20w50 racing oil seemed quite nice. The engine seemed happy, and the hot oil pressure was pretty much where I wanted it to be.

Unfortunately, the nylon line I was using for my WG melted at the pushlock fitting on the compressor, and long story short, I blew 'er up! It was a high mile stock Neon engine that was about 2 years beyond it's expected blow up time, so it wasn't a huge shock when I gave it almost 30psi. . .

Anyway, I'd definitely try the 15w50 Mobil 1, and please report your findings!

unlimited[nyc]

valvoline vr1 best oil hands down , the nascar guys use it to !

alterdcreations

use your dipstick jimmy.......plus a bottle of stp blue