Originally Posted By: dailydriver
Originally Posted By: SHADO
Originally Posted By: dailydriver
Which part of the country are you in, and how hot does it get there??
As others have stated, GM specs a 5W-30 for pretty much EVERY LSx
powerplant, and the Vette's Mobil 1 factory fill is a fairly light weight/low viscosity 5W-30 at that.
Which Excellium 5W-40 is this (they seem to make MANY, MANY different variants of a given weight just like Motul, Silkolene, and Elf's parent company, Total)??
(I was trying to look up the cSt @ 100*C, and HTHS specs. )
In any case, I would NOT go to the 50 weight stuff unless you are doing endurance racing on a road course in constant 115*F ambients (and even then the 5W-40 should be more than enough for an LS2).
Most LSxes seem to 'like' oils in the low 11s to high 12s range for cSt @ 100*C, and HTHS numbers in the 3.2 to low 4 ranges.
YES, CATERHAM (and others) will likely (and quite rightfully) come on here and state that the ONLY way to know for sure is to use oil temp and pressure gauges, and monitor the engine under various operating conditions, but the above ranges are
generally what stock, unopened, LSx clearances are 'happy' with.
here is the Elf oil i have purchased:
http://www.elfoil.com.au/products/produc...llium_SM_5W-40#
Its coming up to summer here in Aus, the hottest it really ever gets is around 40 degrees celsius, but an average summers day will be around the 30 degree celsius mark.
At the moment temperatures are peaking at around the 20 degree celsius mark and cools down as the day goes on, so we dont exactly experience super warm climates.
I just want to know if this oil will be safe to use...
I have also been considering taking it back and using some Royal Purple 10W-40, but would like to stick with the ELF as it has been recommended to me by my own tuner, and a couple of others...
Personally, I would stick with the Elf product. (I would even consider using/trying their stuff
if it weren't sooo impossible to get in the States.
)
It is "safe", but that 14.1 cSt @100*C spec is a little high for an LS2 operating at moderate/temperate ambients, and NOT seeing any open tracking, etc.
It
might cost you a tiny amount of rwhp, and an almost infinitesimal amount of fuel mileage.
I wish Elf gave the HTHS specs for this oil on their data sheets, as that is the more telling spec, as far as how the bearings "see" the viscosity of this oil.
Well manufacturer recommendation is mobil 5w30, so i moving to a 40 weight i would think cant hurt it at all with 44,000kms on the clock now. It'll still have the quick flow at startup, but just that little extra protection at operating temp.
To be honest my tuner who specialises in LS motors recommended i use the 10w50, and said the 5w40 is too thin, however i dont feel comfortable using a 10w50 in a fairly young motor.
I think the 5w40 is a perfect compromise between manufacturer and my tuners recommendation...
So looks like i'll be sticking to the ELF, i was this close to purchasing some RP and returning the ELF, but i'll stay with what i know...