370z Question

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Hello,

I hope everyone is well today and enjoying the day. I have a 370z with a oil cooler installed and had a few questions which I know I could get some insights on.

The first question is pertaining to the oil cooler I have installed on the car. It's a 19 row cooler with a setrab core. The 370z is notorious for running hot, hence the oil cooler was installed. Now with the oil cooler installed, does this help increase the engine oil life? With this is mind does that mean I can confidentially stick to a 5w30 weight oil without it breaking down quicker than usual?

The second question I have is about oil weight. Usually I am running Motul 5w30 x-clean but this time my mechanic threw in Liqui Moly 5w40. Is there any damage that could be caused to the engine by running a thicker oil? I've also heard about 0w40 weight oils such as Mobil 1 and Castrol Edge that sheer down to 30 weight oils, could I run those in my engine without causing damage? Keep in mind I have a oil cooler, would that mean that those 0w40 oils would sheer down slower to a thirty weight thus potentially causing damage?

I would like to thank you folks in advance for your time and inputs, they are greatly appreciated. I look forward to getting to know this community and contributing accordingly. Cheers!
 
10W40 was very popular with the 350Z crowd here. The 5W40 you have in your 370Z will do no harm whatsoever. No worries al all.
 
Originally Posted by aquariuscsm
10W40 was very popular with the 350Z crowd here. The 5W40 you have in your 370Z will do no harm whatsoever. No worries al all.


10W40? Wow that's a heavy one. I live in Toronto, when the cooler temp comes along there may be start up issues. Though I do not drive this car in the winter at all. So a thicker oil won't do any harm? I was reading the manual and it was freaking me out about the right oil viscosity etc. So I guess running a 0w40 oil is not a issue. Most of the 0w40, Mobil and Castrol in particular are used for extended drain intervals, I guess I'd be wasting money on them if I put those into my Z? Since I change the oil every 4500 to 5000 km since it is a summer car only. Also thank you for the response. Any other inputs would be appreciated.
 
If you only put on 5k per year I would stick with the recommended 5w30 unless you expect oil temps over ~240F I might go into a 40 weight. For street driving there is really no point.
 
I think the Motul 8100 X Clean was an excellent choice and all you need.

MB229.51 / BMW LL-04 VW 504/507

How does the car run with the LM5w40 ?

Is it a bit lazy down low compared to the X-Clean 5w30?

You should be able to go 2 years without any issues at all on the X-clean.
 
Motul was a great oil. Start up was great and temperatures were in check though I do have an oil cooler. Pricey oil though, LiquiMoly is a bit cheaper compared to it.

In terms of LM vs Motul, I would say I cannot tell any noticeable difference. Engine noice is a bit better with LM but i suppose it's due to it being thicker. Nothing else.

What if I were to make a jump from Motul X clean to Pennzoil Ultra Plat or Castrol 0w30 GC? I guess it's just sticking with the flavor I like at this point.
 
Seriously? Nothing personal man, but do you really think there is ANY risk to the motor switching from a 5w30 viscocity to a 5w40??? We're all OCD to some extent. But honestly---worry about something worthwhile. You're not pouring beach sand into the sump. It's just a car, and you'll be dead someday. Use either. Neither will make one one millionth of a percent difference. There is medication for this....
 
Originally Posted by Powerglide
Seriously? Nothing personal man, but do you really think there is ANY risk to the motor switching from a 5w30 viscocity to a 5w40??? We're all OCD to some extent. But honestly---worry about something worthwhile. You're not pouring beach sand into the sump. It's just a car, and you'll be dead someday. Use either. Neither will make one one millionth of a percent difference. There is medication for this....


I don't take anything personal, especially over the internet, have too much of a life for that. Asked about thicker oil because I have read that its a bad thing and that there is no difference with a slight jump in weight, I just wanted input from a reputable site with individuals who have a wealth of experience.

To me it's more than a car, and I choose that stance on it, everyone is different. Ah death, yeah, I'll be dead one day, so will you, what we obsessive over and what we don't that's our choice. So don't fret. As for medication, I'll take what you're having, sharing is caring and I don't want to pay full price. Thanks for your input.
 
The oil cooler should keep the oil, umm,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, cooler! And that means its viscosity will be higher.
If it keeps the oil 20F cooler than before, that would be enough to increase the viscosity of a 30-weight to that of a 40-weight if the operating temperature decreased from 210F to 190F.
It may have been precipitous for your mechanic to put in a 5w40 until you could assess how much cooler the oil is running.
How hot is the oil running now?
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by A_Harman
The oil cooler should keep the oil, umm,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, cooler! And that means its viscosity will be higher.
If it keeps the oil 20F cooler than before, that would be enough to increase the viscosity of a 30-weight to that of a 40-weight if the operating temperature decreased from 210F to 190F.
It may have been precipitous for your mechanic to put in a 5w40 until you could assess how much cooler the oil is running.
How hot is the oil running now?


You're spot on. Usually the car would run around 110 degrees Celsius now it is down to 90 degrees Celsius with the oil cooler installed. Motul and LM had the same op temps when driving spirited (110c) and normal operating temps (90c). However the LM is quicker to cool than the 5w30 MOtul X clean. As of now, with spirited driving, I get 110, and 90 with regular driving.
 
With the cooler you can stick with an ILSAC 5w-30. Without it, you can, too, but you have a safer window, as it were. I understand the concern, and most people with the engine who pay attention to any of these things get concerned, too. Bumping viscosity is fine; so is staying at the OEM viscosity. Note that the lubricant I'm using has elevated HTHS, but still is the recommended 5w-30 viscosity with the correct API spec. Before, I was running Delvac 1 ESP 5w-40 for the longest time quite happily.

Blue Wave Energy and NAPA have the Rotella 5w-20 available, with the former being the best price.
 
Originally Posted by Garak
With the cooler you can stick with an ILSAC 5w-30. Without it, you can, too, but you have a safer window, as it were. I understand the concern, and most people with the engine who pay attention to any of these things get concerned, too. Bumping viscosity is fine; so is staying at the OEM viscosity. Note that the lubricant I'm using has elevated HTHS, but still is the recommended 5w-30 viscosity with the correct API spec. Before, I was running Delvac 1 ESP 5w-40 for the longest time quite happily.

Blue Wave Energy and NAPA have the Rotella 5w-20 available, with the former being the best price.


Hey Garak. Been a long time lurker and am aware of your posts regarding the Z. Thanks for your time and assistance, it's greatly appreciated! I will look into the Rotella, cheers!
 
Originally Posted by Powerglide
Seriously? Nothing personal man, but do you really think there is ANY risk to the motor switching from a 5w30 viscocity to a 5w40??? We're all OCD to some extent. But honestly---worry about something worthwhile. You're not pouring beach sand into the sump. It's just a car, and you'll be dead someday. Use either. Neither will make one one millionth of a percent difference. There is medication for this....

Do you know what this Forum is about?

Cars with VVT and light reciprocating assemblies are sensitive to operating viscosity/HTHS. Engine tune can get out of whack due
to excessive dampening, making normal economical driving difficult an causing excessive wear.

This ain't no 1/2 worn 396 Chevy in a '67 Malibu we're talkin.
 
Last edited:
No problem. There are always plenty of choices available, and lots of things can work.

ARCO: I don't think this engine is as sensitive as some would have us believe. Note that Infiniti/Nissan specify any 5w-30 grade, with ILSAC only optional. Of course, there's the usual matter about other grades being suitable in other countries. There is nothing in these engines that picky. Now, of course, they came up with their fanciful claim that the engine was designed around their special Nissan Genuine Ester 5w-30, which wasn't an ester lube in the first place. The whole idea floated like a lead balloon since no one is interested in $15 per litre oil for 3750 mile OCIs particularly when the manual states nothing more complex than any SM 5w-30.

The weakness in these engines is the oil temperatures and things going to limp mode with spirited driving. So, those that really push might want to address cooling. Those that are more sedate like me never saw limp mode. That doesn't mean the oil is cool, either. I did my oil change last night, and as per usual, a drive of under 15 minutes from cold meant I couldn't touch the filter with my bare hands, which I used to do on taxis after they drove all day on significantly hotter days.

Similarly, none of this means you must run the most robust lube, boutique or otherwise, that you can find. Whatever the dealer put in for the original owner worked for her. The PYB I ran for a long period was fine, too. The Delvac 1 did the trick, too. So far, I'm happiest with the Rotella MV, at least by a small margin. It's a bit better for winter starting than the Delvac 1 was and is as smooth and quiet, but knowing me, I'd be hard pressed to tell the difference between a 0w-20 and an SAE 40 in the sump.
wink.gif


For those that care, the Shell Rotella T6 Multi-Vehicle 5w-30 meets the specifications of the engine to the letter, by service category and SAE grade.
 
A friend of mine runs the Mobil 1 0W-40 in his 2015 Nissan Maxima, and likes it. I've tried the 0W-40 in my V-6 Honda, and l like it too -- it is a very good oil.
 
Originally Posted by Garak
No problem. There are always plenty of choices available, and lots of things can work.

ARCO: I don't think this engine is as sensitive as some would have us believe. Note that Infiniti/Nissan specify any 5w-30 grade, with ILSAC only optional. Of course, there's the usual matter about other grades being suitable in other countries. There is nothing in these engines that picky. Now, of course, they came up with their fanciful claim that the engine was designed around their special Nissan Genuine Ester 5w-30, which wasn't an ester lube in the first place. The whole idea floated like a lead balloon since no one is interested in $15 per litre oil for 3750 mile OCIs particularly when the manual states nothing more complex than any SM 5w-30.

The weakness in these engines is the oil temperatures and things going to limp mode with spirited driving. So, those that really push might want to address cooling. Those that are more sedate like me never saw limp mode. That doesn't mean the oil is cool, either. I did my oil change last night, and as per usual, a drive of under 15 minutes from cold meant I couldn't touch the filter with my bare hands, which I used to do on taxis after they drove all day on significantly hotter days.

Similarly, none of this means you must run the most robust lube, boutique or otherwise, that you can find. Whatever the dealer put in for the original owner worked for her. The PYB I ran for a long period was fine, too. The Delvac 1 did the trick, too. So far, I'm happiest with the Rotella MV, at least by a small margin. It's a bit better for winter starting than the Delvac 1 was and is as smooth and quiet, but knowing me, I'd be hard pressed to tell the difference between a 0w-20 and an SAE 40 in the sump.
wink.gif


For those that care, the Shell Rotella T6 Multi-Vehicle 5w-30 meets the specifications of the engine to the letter, by service category and SAE grade.


I agree with you. The weakness is the heat these engines generate, it's crazy. I am going to try the following next PUP 5W30, Mobil 1 0w40, and the Shell Rotella that you mentioned and ofc I will run a UOA for them all. For a gear oil what would you say about the Penzoil Platnium 75W90? Don't feel like spending the money on Amsoil, RL or Royal Purple. Once again thank you for the assistance, time and input, it's greatly appreciated.
 
Originally Posted by rooflessVW
If I had a 370Z I'd always run at least a 0W-40. Maybe even a 5W-50 if I was feeling froggy.


Everyone is swinging that way! Haha! I currently run LM 5W40, before that was Motul X-clean. I know the M1 0w40 has some serious TBN and a good PAO base, though from what I have read here, it's not the same as it use to be. I'll have to look more into it. a 50 weight oil? [censored], you're not playing around are you/? Haha.
 
Smart move on putting an oil cooler on the Z. I have a 370Z and I have ran Redline 5W30 since the first oil change. Redline 5W30 has an HTHS of a light 40W and the engine purrs with this oil. Plus I feel more comfortable with a quality ester oil for my Z due to how it reacts with heat.
 
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