roller rocker
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I've heard a lot of people using and recommending Amsoil oil. I've never used it. I have used both Mobil 1 synthetic and Valvoline regular and synthetic. Never had a problem with either.
In doing research on oils, here's something I learned that some people may not know. It sounds backwards but I've seen it in many oil research write ups.
Cold oil flows like molasses. Hot oil flows more freely. But, here is something I didn't know until my research. The *viscosity* of the oil is actually higher after it gets hot. Example: On a 10-30 oil, the*10* is the viscosity when the oil is cold. The *30* is the weight after it gets hot. So, it's better to run a 5-30 in the winter because the colder weather makes the oil harder to flow when it's freezing cold in the morning during initial startup. It's better to have a lighter weight oil that will flow when it's cold than have a thicker oil that won't flow. In the summer you can go to a 10-30 as the oil flows better in the morning. The *W* in some oils signifies a *winter* blend.
If your engine is fresh with bearing clearances in the normal street engine range, then a good quality 5-30 or 10-30 should be good. If your engne is older with wider bearing clearances, the 10-40 should be better since the 40 weight would be thicker. A race engine with looser clearances might be better off with a 20-50 oil.
Some (I can't say *all* as differant brands have differant blends of additives) 20-50 oils are a race oil. Race oils don't have the same additives that street oils have for extended usage in a street engine. Race oil is usually changed on a weekly basis and meets very different requirements than a street oil which has to last 3000 miles before being changed. That 20-50 race oil might just be breaking down faster which would be causing more damage to your engine than a lighter weight 10-30 would. A higher weight oil (than is actually *needed) will rob engine horsepower due to the frictional drag on the oil pump and will/can increase fuel consumption due to the increased load on the engine.
Here is where most of the info I have provided came from. It is an older write up but still a good read.
http://www.nordicgroup.us/oil.htm
In doing research on oils, here's something I learned that some people may not know. It sounds backwards but I've seen it in many oil research write ups.
Cold oil flows like molasses. Hot oil flows more freely. But, here is something I didn't know until my research. The *viscosity* of the oil is actually higher after it gets hot. Example: On a 10-30 oil, the*10* is the viscosity when the oil is cold. The *30* is the weight after it gets hot. So, it's better to run a 5-30 in the winter because the colder weather makes the oil harder to flow when it's freezing cold in the morning during initial startup. It's better to have a lighter weight oil that will flow when it's cold than have a thicker oil that won't flow. In the summer you can go to a 10-30 as the oil flows better in the morning. The *W* in some oils signifies a *winter* blend.
If your engine is fresh with bearing clearances in the normal street engine range, then a good quality 5-30 or 10-30 should be good. If your engne is older with wider bearing clearances, the 10-40 should be better since the 40 weight would be thicker. A race engine with looser clearances might be better off with a 20-50 oil.
Some (I can't say *all* as differant brands have differant blends of additives) 20-50 oils are a race oil. Race oils don't have the same additives that street oils have for extended usage in a street engine. Race oil is usually changed on a weekly basis and meets very different requirements than a street oil which has to last 3000 miles before being changed. That 20-50 race oil might just be breaking down faster which would be causing more damage to your engine than a lighter weight 10-30 would. A higher weight oil (than is actually *needed) will rob engine horsepower due to the frictional drag on the oil pump and will/can increase fuel consumption due to the increased load on the engine.
Here is where most of the info I have provided came from. It is an older write up but still a good read.
http://www.nordicgroup.us/oil.htm
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