Thanks for the welcome
I'm glad to finally be an "actual member" here, as opposed to just leeching knowledge off of all of you
First, my mistake: I did mean Mobil1 0w40, the "Euro Blend" stuff, I was just kind of in "auto-type mode" and continued with the "5wxx". My bad. I have not used the Delvac 5w40, although from what I have heard (from here, multiple BMW forums, and multiple friends who are mechanics), it is a fantastic CLEANING oil.
Caterham:
Yes, I was thinking about splitting it into two separate threads, one in the "New Members" or whatever section, and keeping the other half here, but I was typing this in my free time at work and by the time I'd realized how long it had grown, I didn't have the time to copy and paste (I finished it up as I was leaving). I will keep this in mind, however, and be sure to do so in the future. Thank you
45ACP:
I use the 5w40 for a couple of reasons... With the Royal Purple, not only is it their "Euro Blend", it is also the only weight of theirs (aside from 5w30) that I can still get in the "old" Synerlac bottles, meaning the higher ppm ZDDP. Also, while I have run 0w40 before, I find that my engine likes the 5w40 better... If you have a BMW, you are likely familiar with the ticking sound at idle; 0wxx oils exacerbate that sound, while 5wxx oils reduce the lifter ticking. I have also noticed that my VANOS kicks in about 150-250rpm SOONER with the 5w oils than it does with the 0w oils; why that is, I cannot say. I have had my VANOS completely rebuilt with the entire upgrade kit that was available a few years back, and while it runs like brand-new all the time, it runs better with some oils than with others.
Also, because my 328Ci is supercharged (12psi currently, stock CR, but I do have Carillo Rods, Titanium Valve Springs/Retainers, +2/+4mm diameter intake/exhaust valves, etc) with a Lysholm supercharger, it is using the engine's oil supply. I have had MANY conversations with ESS (who made the S/C kit; no one else has a Stg2+ 328
), and it is what they recommend as healthiest for both the engine and the supercharger. It is kind of a "balanced" weight. I might be changing what oil I use when I up the boost to >15psi, but for now I am more than satisfied
I would not say that I am a "Royal Purple Lover" in the fanatical kind of way, only that I think they make very good quality products that many people seem to think are "garbage" because they aren't INSANELY BETTER than the competition...
I have done back-to-back dyno runs in my car, when it was naturally-aspirated (when I was getting it re-tuned, about the 10th or 11th time lol, after replacing my exhaust mid-pipes from the UUC/Corsa TSE3 to the Eisenmann Race + Cat Delete "Test Pipe"). They were done with the same operator, same day, same dyno, which is the same dyno I've always used (Mustang). I do NOT have the dyno sheets available, as they are in my car which is currently in storage for the winter, but I do have my Excel sheet
(I have an Excel sheet for just about everything done on this car... and it's a lot lol).
Between runs 3 and 4 I decided to change my oil, as it had the BMW OE oil in it (and OE filter), but I had just gotten some of the 5w30 RP oil and a K&N Oil Filter (10qts+2filters = $68 on sale!) and wanted to test their "more power" claims. I didn't see a better time to do it, as my car was going be having the supercharger installed about two months from that day and I consider run-to-run variations to be much higher on F/I cars than N/A cars (from what I've seen).
Dyno Run "New Exhaust - Mid-pipe+cat-delete"
Car: 2000 E46 328Ci, BMW (Coupe, RWD - Manual Transmission)
Operator: xxxx
Temperature: 69*F(Baseline) 70*F(After)
Quantity: 6 Baseline Runs, 6 "After" Runs
Gear: 4th Gear, Manual Transmission, 3.23:1 Limited-Slip Differential
RUN 1: 231.9rwhp/225.7rwtq
RUN 2: 232.6rwhp/226.4rwtq
RUN 3: 232.7rwhp/226.6rwtq
*Change Oil to Royal Purple 5w30 and K&N Oil Filter*
RUN 4: 235.3rwhp/228.2rwtq
RUN 5: 235.5rwhp/228.5rwtq
RUN 6: 235.6rwhp/228.4rwtq
*Change Exhaust Mid Pipe, Remove Fabspeed 100cell Metallic Cat*
RUN 7: 242.8rwhp/233.7rwtq
RUN 8: 243.6rwhp/234.2rwtq
RUN 9: 244.3rwhp/234.7rwtq
RUN10: 245.1rwhp/234.9rwtq
RUN11: 244.9rwhp/234.9rwtq
RUN12: 244.8rwhp/234.8rwtq
Car has 2 BIG fans blowing on the front, hood down, with a third smaller fan directly in front of the radiator blowing at 80mph. As you can see from the numbers, it DID start to heat soak a wee bit, but the Fluidyne Radiator (along with Samco hoses, Stewart Pump, and the fact that every part related to cooling that wasn't the engine block had been upgraded significantly) kept it at a not-too-bad level
Redline has proven itself to me. In the engine, it is fantastic, and after 5k it comes out like it went in. In the transmission, it cleaned up my slightly-sticky 1st/3rd gear synchro's which have never been a problem again (and it's a problem typically exacerbated by a SSK and a heavier Selecting Rod). The Quaife Limited-Slip LOVES the Redline fluid, and while I change it frequently (every 10-12 track days, so usually once every 6 months, which is about 8-10k miles), the gears show ZERO signs of unwanted/abnormal wear, and in fact (according to my friend who installed it, a BMW Master Mechanic) it looks better than most M3's do at half the miles (diff now has ~25k on it?).
Wow, sorry for rambling again.
Also, thanks again for having me here!
Sincerely,
nleksan