AUTOX'ers what oil do you use?
 

Hi guys,

I'm looking for answers from those that track their Z's.

I drift and AutoX my Z and im looking to see what oil is recommended.

I was thinking Royal Purple 10W30 since im in TEXAS heat - (DFW AREA) but ive read too many post searching already and it seems that those that track hate royal purple....

only good ive read from many searches is MOBIL 1 10W30 is the way to go?

please discuss?? im looking at changing my oil this weekend.

Also please note if your car is NA or FI... and what mods....etc..

thanks,
Jason

Do we really need another "what oil to use" thread?

I'm looking for unbaised answers to tracked Zee's only....

did they burn oil after events...what mods....etc...

problem is after numberous searches i found NO clear answers (not one) and found "billions" of idiot responses like "beta" here instead of good honest worthwhile/contributing answers!

can we please get a thread that is worthwhile......

thank you.....stay out of my thread.
- J

I autocross my ZR and it has been drifted on the same autocrosses (depends on who is codriving) Amsoil seems to have held up alright for me. My LSD however has not :(

When you talk to the pros, they all tell the same thing - all you need is a good quality dino motor oil and change it regularly. That will keeps you engine running for a long long time. That kind of comment is especially common when coming from guys who are not trying to sell you oil or hype a brand.

Not a Z, but I do run a lot of laps and burn oil (it is a 2 stroke after all) we use Pure Power 10-20 in our RX-8. We got turned on to this stuff from the "unofficial" Mazda factory racers (I think I first heard about it from Beta). We also use their trans and diff fluid along with the reusable oil filter.

www.gopurepower.com

Nothing to do with engine oil but, from what I heard the RX-8 trans was a disposable item to the club racers before they went to Pure Power trans fluid. I went there just to get that item, and the guy sold me on everything.

In the past I used Mobile 1 5-30 in our autox/track Corvette with Redline trans and had no problems. I think it is less important what you use, and more important that you keep it clean and change it often.

We have a Miata ITA project car here at the magazine, and it runs on 100% Mobile 1, no problems.

good stuff....

I agree. If the OP was to consider dabbling and continuing to get aggressive with HPDEs, I'd be pro-synthetic. If he is keeping it to short autox/drifting sessions, good ole' regular oil is fine if changed regularly.

Agreed. FWIW I run exactly what the FSM recommends a dino (castrol) 5w-30. Change it every 3 months or every 3k whichever comes first.

Stay away from RP. Ask Resolute to give you a answer on that one. RP is bad in our cars and actually tests show it gives more wear.

I use Amsoil 0w30 in mine, and my Z loves it. I use to use 5w30 and it worked great for the track.

0w30 Amsoil in mine and but about 1/4 quart a day on the track.

Ahhh the DE oil usage.... hehe.

Was using 10-30 mobil 1.

Now use 0-40 mobil 1.

I change every third event (with a total of about 12-20 runs per two-day event) and have very few miles between oil-change intervals. (Only about 1k.)

After more than two years of autocrossing and 34k miles, my DE doesn't burn any oil. (Even when I take her on 2k+ road trips.)

For a "track only" oil I would only use MOTUL 300V.

For anyone that thinks dino oil is the equivilent of a type 4 or 5 synthetic should do some research.

JET

Yup , then normal driving i lose about 1/2 quart every 2500 miles. I can live with that.

For auto-cross events, a good conventional oil like Castrol GTX 5W-30 is a great choice that is relatively inexpensive. Change it regularly, and keep an eye on your oil level, and you'll be fine.

As has already been said, just about any quality conventional oil will work great as long as it is changed regularly and not run for extended drain intervals. Oils break down from shearing, contamination from fuel and moisture, and from heat. All of which contribute to an oil's loss of wear protection. Changing your oil regularly prevents the old oil from becoming too acidic and losing it's wear protection. Your auto-x time really won't be doing anything drastic to contribute to the oil's break-down, so maintaining a regular oil change interval is all that is really needed.

If you are going to be doing any racing, or extensive HPDE's, moving to a heavier grade oil or a synthetic oil might be a good idea. For an engine that will see extended amounts of time under high rpm use, an oil with a high HTHS score is the most significant factor to ensure proper lubrication under such circumstances. The HTHS is the oil's "High Shear, High Stress" viscosity, as measured at a very high temperature. Most 30 weight conventional oils will not survive long under the testing curriculum for high HTHS. Heavier grades, such as a good 40 or 50 weight, will fair better, as will most high-quality synthetics. If you are going to do any racing or heavy track days, it's something to keep in mind.

Synthetics may allow you to use a lighter grade of oil for the same robustness as a heavier grade conventional, as well as incorporate a longer oil change interval. It is up to you if the synthetic is worth the price premium. For most owners it is not needed, and I usually recommend a conventional that is changed regularly, like the GTX. Of course, most owners don't race or put extensive track time on their 350Z's.

I only recommend the GTX because there have been 5 separate UOA's on the oil, and they all look very good with low engine wear. Better than several synthetics, as a matter of fact. However, I am sure most any quality conventional will do as well for you- as long as it is changed regularly. You could do your own UOA to be sure it has held up well after some auto-x time.

If you go with synthetics, there are a number of opinions on this. RP does seem to show high engine wear and shears out of grade in every sample. RP did just reformulate their 5W-30 to be more robust, and it is the first one tested in the VQ to look decent. For the money though, a lot of other synthetics have better results while costing less. Synthetics will generally remain shear stable and neutralize acid build-up for a far longer oil-change interval than any conventional oil can, but extended oil drains might not be of interest to you. Which means the extra cost of synthetics probably would be a waste if you stick to just auto-x. If you track your car in NASA or SCCA time trials, do a lot of HPDE's, and want to get a good synthetic oil rather than a heavy-duty conventional, then M1 0W-40 has been used under two track events and for a 3400 mile oil change with excellent UOA results. It would be a good choice.

There is a sticky on oil analysis in the engine/drivetrain forum, which is full of general information on oil characteristics and properties. The information there would be a good place to start if you really wanted to learn a little more, as well as see the UOA results that have been collected.

Will

Same here... 4 years of autocrossing, 2 yrs of HPDEs and 35K miles. Daily driven and several long road trips with no burned or lost oil. I change it every 3750 miles and it still comes out as clean as it did on the first oil change. DINO oil, BTW.

Been using Mobil 1 for a while now. The car burns about 4.5 quarts every 5k miles. Crazy.