is it OK to use a CASTROL GTX 10w-30 motor oil in a 2000 ITR? or it has to be synthetic?

 

Ok, this might turn into another pointless "synth is better convo!" but yes. I will ONLY run GTX in my motors. Including my DOHC VTEC bseries motors.. of which a B20VTEC might be in the works soon...

 

Synthetic would be better. Also, 5W-30 would be better as stated by the manual. I used Castrol GTX 5W-30 for my break in period. Then I switched to Mobil 1 5W-30. Why 10W-30?

 

Dino oil roolz! Fug synthetic..

Use whatever is cheapest and change often..

 

Proof of synth (or just do a search to find this topic beat to a dead horse with useless "proof") being better please. If he lives somewhere where it doesn't get that cold 10W-30 is better because the range between the cold weight (10) and the warm weight (30) is less. Pure 30 weight is even better assuming you live somewhere that it doesn't get cold.

 

use that oil only into a high milage LS motor, not the R motor, what are you thinking???

 

Lock me please.

 

I agree. Just do a search and you'll find this topic beat to a pulp.

b18k1: What a wonderfully useless post that shows just how well you know about this stuff. Thank you for your contribution. (BTW, are you saying that LS motors suck?)

 

I'm just going on what I learned during my lubrication classes in the engine design curriculum. We looked at the chemical properties of oil and discussed what applications we should specify synthetic oil for. From looking at design schematics for the B18 engines, I would recommend using 5W-30 oil. There are some really small lubrication channels. You'll get better intial startup flow with the lower weight oil. After a few minutes, both 10W-30 and 5W-30 will show similar behaviors of lubrication and flow rate. The 5W-30 helps at the start. Even in warm climates. Do you think the engineers like myself that specify 5W-30 on an engine when we design it are idiots?

 

I wish my wife would take lubrication classes.

 

Of course not. But do you also think that engineers like yourself are going to suggest enough setups to be the best in every locale or just publish one that will work mostly everywhere? Since you are an engineer and an oil expert I'm sure that you know that 5W-30 and 10W-30 really aren't that much different on initial flow rates but that 5W-30 has more additives in it and does not lubricate as well as 10W-30 let alone pure 30 weight. And I'm sure that you realize that an 80 degree engine block with pure 30 weight oil will start up perfectly fine and will have perfectly fine flow weight, in fact, the same as 5w-30.

 

LOL...all lubed up here (my wife and I, that is hehehe)

 

Post pics of HER! haha

 

The amount of additives in the different viscocities will vary on brands. I'm mechanical, not chemical, so I can't tell you the specifics of what makes the oil do what it does. I just know what it does. Next time it's 80 degrees outside, go stick a temperature probe on your engine block and tell me what it reads.

Yes, during the summer you can probably use the 30 weight oil. But keep in mind, that additives aren't bad. The new additives to engine oil are the reason that oils are so much better today than they were 30 years ago. Oil is the big reason you can get 250k miles out of a car these days. 30 years ago, a car was considered in need of a rebuild after 60k miles.

Yes, the lubrication requirements vary from location to location somewhat. That's why there's that chart in the owners manual. We don't want our engines to be underlubricated and fail. When the engine has a 8k rpm or higher redline, that is taken into account when the lubrication requirements are specified. Just remember, we designed the engine. We know what we're talking about. Not everything we do is changed or modified by the penny pinchers. Oil specs aren't changed.

 

I'm not exactly sure on what you are replying to with the penny pincher stuff and all that. But I still don't see that big of a difference between 5w-30 and 10w-30 depending on where the thread creator lives. And I def will never suggest synth oils. Call me crazy, or maybe just that I've never had a car had an oil issue with 99cent discount auto parts oil before, including my FI cars.. oh well.

 

I meant the bean counters. There's multiple terms for them. Basically, the business majors that tell the engineers how they need to change the design based on costs and what they perceive as the target audience. Kind of like why the US Type R gets different seats and such.

 

hehe I know what you meant, just not sure why it entered the convo

 

I only mentioned it because many of the improvements that can be made to cars can be made because the bean counters made the engineers tone it down a bit. Why does the USDM R come with a manifold instead of a header? The bean counters. Some people think the oil requirements face the same fate. That's all.

 

Ok firstly it does compare differently on how many additives are added to oils when looking at different brands. Some synthetic oils are not even true synthetics are basically just petrolem oil with additives thrown in to help extend it life which is not real synthetics.

When talking about what you guys are talking about is the oil weigh or viscosity break down #'s. Basically be way to think of it is the lower the # the faster the oil flows (Ex water) and the higher the # the thicker it is and slower moving it is (Ex honey from bee hive). Now take in example 5W30 which is multiweight oil which the first number says that it has viscosity of 5 and will go no thinner then this. The second number dictates the viscosity of 30 which is stated at operating tempertures or 100 degree C. Which means at operationing temps it will get no thinner then 30.

If you happen to live in Canada or Alaska or where your going to be areas where there is alot of cold weather 10W30 would be your best bet because it gives your better protection and sub temp. climates then say 5w30 which is the auto manufactures catch all for most care out on the North American market these days.
Normally what happens if you use 5w30 in 0 degree type weather you use up the additives everytime you cold start your engine at these temps and eats away at that additives to keep them moving. Well after so many starts these additives get eaten up to keep the oil limber enought to move in the engine in these tempertures. So when this happens to 5w30 you may be out in the cold and your engine takes couple times to start well everytime it takes you to try to start your car the more of your engines life is being chipped away. Though the use of 10w30 which has normally has more additives in it plus because of the higher weight will not freeze and give your oil better cold starting ablilties.
Now the above if for your everyday type petroleum oils not synthetics. Synthetics normally have always had better pour points normally -50 degree F or colder. Also they normally have better film strength which basically means the oil is able to stay on your engine parts at high revolutions and less likely for you have spot unprotected and having metal to metal contact within the engine...which is never any good.

So best way to think this the 5w30 oil is basically your catch all for everything. But if you live in climates where the winter weather or half the yr gets down to 0 degrees a good bit or below then I would recommend 10w30.
If you live in say HI where its bascially warm all yr long you could run something like 0w40 and never have to worry because avg temps I believe there never get far below 70 degrees there..so there is really no need for cold starting multiweight oil and the oil also normally get your engine up to operational temps faster then say 5w30.

For me if you want abit more protection for track events on NA engine get 5w40 synthetic.

For me I've used 10w30 in winter weather and 0w40 or 5w40 during summer weather.

Now if you have FI type car your going normally you need something abit more robust then normal 5w30 as the stress levels tend to be abit higher then in NA cars Thats why you see Subaru Boxer oils in Japan for sport street conditions at 10w40 normally.

I would go into this futher in how multiweight oils are made and how they work but I just don't want to write anymore because I've wrote enought as it is.

 

That's what Honda Europe recommends...... 5W40 full synthetic.

 

I understand your additives point, but for subzero temps, I'd still use a 0 or 5 weight oil. (Mobil 1 has 0w30..... less additives than 0w40 I take it?) Then again it's a whole 2 ******* degrees here now, and I have 5w30 Mobil1. -shrug- Good enough.

Mmmmm.... Tampa in 9 days and Daytona in 10.


[Modified by MmmVTEC, 5:24 AM 3/5/2002]

 

dino oil every 2-2.5K...can't go wrong.

 

ill gtx=
my vtech dont kick as good with that **** .
i dont like

 

LOL your "vtech" phone doesn't work as good with GTX in your car?

Sorry man, but the rocker pin gets locked either way and it rides on the same cam lobe either way. It's all in your head.

 

RacerX,

What is your background in? I think you've got it backwards as for what you should go with in the different types of weather. Looking at any viscocity chart will tell you to go with thinner oil in the colder weather. That's why 0W-30 should only be used in the really cold climates. You want the oil to be thin so it will move faster and build pressure more quickly at startup. After a few minutes, the oil is at operating temperature anyway. So you're working in the no thinner than 30 weight range.