M1 10W30, '02 LS-1, 3430 mi.

[72sub]

Hey guys, here's a UOA on my '02 Z28 from 14,400 - 17830 mi. (3430 mi.). Mobil 1 10W30, Mobil 1 M1-206 oil filter, Wix air filter. No make up oil added. When I changed the oil, I refilled with German Castrol. When I drove the car, I heard what I believe to be the infamous piston slap. The car had never sounded like this before. I continued driving it for a few days, but the noise never went away. I couldn't take it any more so I drained the GC and refilled with M1, and the noise disappeared. I'm not saying anything was wrong with the GC or that it was harming my engine, I just couldn't put up with the racket. Anyway, the UOA seems okay to me.

ALUMINUM- 4
CHROMIUM- 1
IRON- 15
COPPER- 45
LEAD- 6
TIN- 3
MOLYBDENUM- 67
NICKEL- 0
MANGANESE- 1
SILVER- 0
TITANIUM- 0
POTASSIUM- 1
BORON- 122
SILICON- 11
SODIUM- 6
CALCIUM- 3196
MAGNESIUM- 18
PHOSPHORUS- 782
ZINC- 942
BARIUM- 0

SUS@ 210F- 62.4
FLASH PT- 385

Less than .5% fuel found
0.0% antifreeze found
0.0% water found
0.4% insoluables found

[ December 24, 2003, 09:49 AM: Message edited by: 72sub ]

 

[buster]

This is an excellent report. The whole piston slap thing is funny bc more people are hearing it with GC now then M1, go figure. Lead is a bit high, but Iron and Copper are excellent. There is just no telling with these LS1's. They vary so much. Usually Copper is over 100. Makes you wonder how accurate these spectrographic reports are at times.

Vettenuts drives his car very easy, so his UOA I'm not really going by. How do you drive yours? Most of the LS1.com reports we see I imagine are from guys who really drive hard. This has to be factored into the picture.

[ December 24, 2003, 11:18 AM: Message edited by: buster ]

 

[Patman]

Don't forget, I drive my car VERY hard and saw better numbers than this with GC (although in an LT1 engine, not an LS1, but if anything the LT1 usually shows higher wear numbers)

I still find it odd how so many people are hearing more noise with GC, since I've found the exact opposite with every car I've put it in.

I do think the numbers would be better in this car here with a less restrictive filter than the Mobil 1 though.

 

[buster]

quote:

---

Don't forget, I drive my car VERY hard and saw better numbers than this with GC

---

GC is most likely a better oil for the LS1. LS1's in general are just poor wearing engines, but it's irrelevant bc they last regardless of the oil.

 

[Chris B.]

This is more proof that Mobil 1 protects the LS1 as good as any other. I agree that with a better flowing oil filter wear numbers wold be even lower. Try a Napa Gold(Wix) or UPF-44. I think M1 is showing better and better in this engine little by little. The oil is probibly evolving all the time. I'm going to keep running M1 10w30 a few more times in my LS1 after my rebuild to see hoe it does. I think wear will be in the single digits in 5,000 miles.

 

[72sub]

I drive pretty hard, I'd say a 4 on a scale of 1 to 5. The noise issue with the GC is puzzling to me too. I'm going to try the GC in my other vehicles. I'm going to continue with M1 in the Z28 until the warranty is up at which point I plan to rebuild it (4" crank, new pistons

). Hopefully it won't have worn enough so that a hone job won't clean up the bores.

 

[buster]

quote:

---

This is more proof that Mobil 1 protects the LS1 as good as any other

---

Seems that way doesn't it?

Plus he drove this car hard, 4 out of 5 compared to Vettenuts.

 

[buster]

Based on the conditions this engine was subjected to, this is the best LS1 report yet.

 

[Ryan00TJ]

Here's my 3,000 mile LS1 UOA to compare too....

2002 Chevrolet Camaro SS 5.7L LS1 6 Speed
Schaeffer 10w30 PAO Blend
3,000 miles on oil
10,016 Miles on Engine
Oversize Wix oil Filter 51522
Accel KB Cotton Gauze Air Filter

Car is modified with aftermarket cam and Long Tube headers with full bolt ons 399 rwhp and 386 rwtq. Always brought up to operating temp and is run very very hard. WOT msot of the time!!!

1st number is new analysis 2nd number is previous sample with same oil.

Aluminum 4 5
Chromium 1 1
Iron 10 19
Copper 81 117
lead 6 10
Tin 2 -
Molybdenum 107 124
Nickel 0 -
Manganese 1 -
Silver 0 -
Titanium 0 -
Potassium 1 -
Boron 9 -
Silicon 25 67
Sodium 2 -
Calcium 2002 2395
Magnesium 6 14
Phosphorus 817 1147
Zinc 990 1108
Barium 0 -

SUS Viscosity=10.8cst 10.2 cst
Flashpoint in deg.F=385 -
Fule-0.5 0.0
Antifreeze=0.0 0.0
Water=0.0 0.0
Insolubles%0.2 -

Blackstone flagged Silicon and Copper but they said the silicon was from the new engine breaking in and not dirt and the silicon has really dropped since the last UOA. Copper has also really dropped. Averages show nomal wear after 3-4,000 miles on the LS1.

Overall I'm very happy with this report as the car is really pushed hard and driven aggressively so I figured the wear metals would be higher. Seems the $3 quart Schaeffer oil works very well in my application. Also this batch here is the thickest yet with a Cst of 10.8.

Comments Welcomed!!!

Also the low insolubles count of .2% was very good showing very complete combustion. I always use 93 Exxon. A month ago I had my LS1 Wideband Dynotuned to correct the Air/Fuel ratio and fuel timing. The A/F ratio was spot in throughout the rev range so this may account for the very low insolubles count.

 

[buster]

Ryan, those are excellent numbers as well. I think these two reports are the two best IMO. Vettenuts has two great reports too, but he babies the car and that says alot about those low numbers.

 

[vettenuts]

What is everyone's definition of "babying" the car vs. "driving it hard". I don't run it at the track, but I do like to row the gears a few times each time I drive it. When comparing these analyses to mine, the only subjective part seems to be the way the car is driven.

One thing that I didn't mention in my report is that I did run the car for 10 laps at Bristol Motor Speedway in 100 degree heat last summer. RPM's were pretty high (3,500-4,500 range) for the laps. But then, is this hard driving since with the high RPM's there is plenty of oil flowing (don't remember the numbers, but would guess around 55-60 psi oil pressure).

 

[buster]

Vettenuts, I agree, it's hard to really say. I guess you drove harder then I thought. I would say a lot of 0 to 60 type driving is the hardest on the oil.

 

[vettenuts]

Perhaps some type of quantitative method of scaling driving habits is required, especially for the LS-1 since we are all trying to understand some of the numbers we get. Not sure what that is, maybe a points system?

 

[Patman]

quote:

---

Originally posted by buster:
Any of you guys willing to try Delvac 1 in your Vette or LS1? I think this would be interesting to see.

---

I'd be willing to try it, but I need someone to buy me a C5 Corvette first!

 

[buster]

quote:

---

I'd be willing to try it, but I need someone to buy me a C5 Corvette first!

---

That would help. I tried talking my wife into buying one this fall but it's a no go. Our debt is too high right now and we are going to be single income again when she heads off to Med school. No C5 for me.

My favorite car. My friend has one but he is single and just recieved a nice hefty inheritance. He also bought a Tahoe for the winter.

 

[Bror Jace]

Between the two (M1 or Bobzoil) I'd take the Schaeffer. We don't have any precise back-to-back analysis which provides definitive proof that Schaeffer is superior but their trends I've seen here seem even more encouraging than those with Mobil 1 SuperSyn.

And the Schaeffer is $1-2 per quart cheaper.

In short, the SuperSyn's results seem a little more engine-dependent. Some burn it, some are noisy with it, some seem to like it, etc ...

But 72sub, these results are fine and you have no reason to be concerned or consider switching brands. I would, however, switch to the less restrictive WIX (or NAPA Gold) oil filter. Better or more steady stream of oil than a restricted one a couple percent cleaner.

--- Bror Jace

 

[72sub]

Buster, what viscosities is Delvac 1 available in? Bror Jace, I'm now running a AC Delco PF59 oil filter.

 

[buster]

quote:

---

In short, the SuperSyn's results seem a little more engine-dependent. Some burn it, some are noisy with it, some seem to like it, etc ...

---

Very good point. I agree.

72sub, Delvac 1 comes in a 5w-40 grade. I think it could be one of the best choices for Vettes.

 

[buster]

Any of you guys willing to try Delvac 1 in your Vette or LS1? I think this would be interesting to see.