Oils and recommendations

[CourierDriver]

This I copied off the internet. So that said, if oil is good enough for a Vette, and the same weight is recommended for your ride, why not use what the vette guys use?
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You have made a big investment in your Corvette, and the beating heart of your car is the engine. You want to take care of it in the best possible way, but there are a tremendous variety of engine oils out there - which should you use?
Here are the basic engine oil rules:

Any Corvette built since 1989 needs the specific oil recommended by Chevrolet for your engine. Generally this is 5W-30 synthetic oil, and GM specifically warns against using any other formulation, such as 10W-40 or 20W-50. For the last several years, GM has specified Mobil 1 5W-30 synthetic oil, and filled every Corvette with that oil at the factory.
The owner's manual for the 2010 Corvette notes that all oil used in the Corvette must meet GM4718M standard, and be labeled as meeting the standard. See your owner's manual for your recommended type and grade of oil.
Any Corvette built before 1989 can use modern synthetic oils of the same weight as recommended for the car originally, but those engines are designed to be lubricated with oils containing Zinc Dialkyl DithioPhosphate (ZDDP).

 

[Food Scientist]

I believe its called freedom of choice. Unless these Vette guys want to give me free oil or money to buy M1, then I will buy whatever I feel like.

 

[CourierDriver]

ok, then, wow, uptight there, its just oil......mercy

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: CourierDriver
This I copied off the internet. So that said, if oil is good enough for a Vette, and the same weight is recommended for your ride, why not use what the vette guys use?


With all due respect to Corvette owners and their cars, I don't see that engine as being particularly demanding on oil. As I recall, it uses a relatively large oil cooler, and the power density of the engine (hp/cubic inch) isn't all that particularly high.

In other words, other engines very likely demand more of the oil than Corvette engines do. Other specs like HTO-06 and BMW LL oil specs likely surpass anything in GM's "Corvette" oil specification. I'm not here to say that any one spec is "better" than the other. It's simply matching the lubricant to the machine. Good enough for a Corvette may indeed NOT be good enough for something else.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

As long as a hurricane doesnt turn mobil 1 into mobil 0.5 (again) the FF might be adequate.

 

[dailydriver]

I am NOT bashing M1 in any way, shape, or form, BUT, my brother has used Amsoil SSO 0W-30 since new (after 2000 miles on the FF M1 as break-in), with NO ill effects and with A LOT of all-out 1/4 mile runs/racing.

The 5W-30, plain jane, M1 is perfectly fine for a Vette (or any other LTx/LSx engined ride) tooling around on the street, and even some fairly hard driving.
BUT, if one wants to open track the car HARD, on a road course, for long time periods, you probably need something more substantial, even with a HUGE oil cooler. (And "more substantial" can include; M1's 0W-40/Racing/or even their HM oils, for the Flying Pegasus fans.)

Conditions of use determine "demands on oil" just as much as any particular engine design, or power density specs.

 

[bdcardinal]

I think your average Corvette pretty much only sees a trip to the Country Club and back, at least the ones around here seem to. They don't seem to be pushed very hard.

That being said, the ones that do get pushed hard are probably just fine with Mobil 1 5W30. What to the Z06's and ZR1's spec anyway, just never looked them up before.

 

[tig1]

Actually M1 5-30 is often used in race engines, even the ALMS sport car series. We even have a member here that uses off the shelf M1 5-30 in his GM race engine with excellant results. Schrool down to the " Not to break" video where drag racer Jason Whitfield uses M1(other places he says he uses M1 5-30).
http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/MotorOil/Videos/Videos.aspx