Oil Help

[Kanima]

I change the whatever was in there from the factory at 3k to mobile1 full syn ( which I have always ran ) 10w30. Now at 75% oil life the lifters are ticking at start up after setting for 12 hours. So I can only assume the oil is so thin it is running down to the crankcase after it sets for a long period. So I am guessing I need to go to a little heavier oil but to what is my question. A 20w30 or a 10w40 I have never had to learn oil weights so I really don't know.

[redvett]

5W-30 is what the MFR calls for and the 5W is for winter the 30 summer. Read your owners manual about oil viscosity. Are you sure its not the injectors ticking? You want thinner oil for startup & heavier for hot conditions.

[Kanima]

Nope not the injectors, for sure the lifters cause after about 30 or 40 secs when the oil gets to them they stop.

[Draenor]

When I switched to Mobile one, I got the same result. I then switched to Amsoil and no more ticking. If anything follow the recomended oil from the manufacturer, which should be 5W30.

[Kanima]

Yea but isn't 10w30 a heavier oil at start up than 5w30? So a heavier oil should stay on the lifters longer?

Or does a heavier oil settle more than a lighter?

[Kanima]

I also found this on the corvette forums.

 

"

The S52 uses hydraulic lifters to actuate the cam, unlike the S54 which uses mechanical lifters that have to be manually adjusted. The hydraulic lifters are maintenance free (+), but they have more difficulty keeping up with the cam at high rpms and they rob a few hp (-), hence the reason why the S54 uses mechanical lifters.

 

In the case of the S52, when the engine is started cold (i.e. after sitting all night), there is no residual oil pressure to keep the lifters in tight contact with the cam. Basically, there is an air gap between the lifter and the cam actuator. Once the engine is started and oil begins to flow, the oil first flows to all of the critical engine parts such as the crankshaft and rod bearings. Due to the upright nature of the engine and our friend gravity, it takes longer for the oil to reach the upper portions of the engine. During this time the lifters will be ticking since they are not yet fully pressurized and there is an airgap between them and the cam resulting in the lifter being slammed against the cam, hence the ticking noise. The idle will also be rather rough during this time as well while the lifters pressurize. The reason for this is because the valves are not being fully opened by the cam since the lifters are not yet fully pressurized.

 

Once the oil has had time to reach all of the nooks and crannies of the engine, the oil pressure will stabilize and the lifters will pressurize, resulting in the disappearance of the ticking sound and a smoother idle. This usually takes anywhere from 10-30sec depending on the oil viscocity and temperatures as well as how long it has been since you last started your car. How do I know this? I have an oil pressure gauge installed and upon startup it quickly rises to ~55Psi and bounces a bit while the engine idles. during this time, the engine is idling a bit rough but after ~10-15sec, the pressure stabilizes at 60Psi and the idle completely smooths out indicating that the engine has reached full oil pressure.

 

This cold startup phenomenon should not be confused with the hot ticking which is usually due to a thinning of the oil at high temps and/or oil starvation due to hard cornering. If people experience this problem, they usually overfill the oil by a small amount or switch to a heavier oil.

 

Due to the rather mild weather in NorCal, I use Mobil 1 0W-40 in the winter and 15W-50 in the summer. My car rarely ticks and oil pressure is always ~60Psi @3000rpm hot. I also have an oil cooler installed which adds a little extra oil to the overall capacity as well and I always let the car idle for ~1min prior to engaging a gear to make sure all the fluids have time to start circulating."

 

 

But I am still confused do i need to go to a 15w or a 5w

[redvett]

Just picture this, 10W-30 and your engine cold runs longer with NO oil pressure before it builds up than with 5W-30. Use what the MFR recommends for warranty sake.

I use 5W-30 Mobil 1 in all my vehicles and the oldest service truck a 00 Chevy has 247000+ with no problems.

If you have a lifter issue see your dealer its under warranty.

[dlstewart01]

There is such a small difference between 5w and 10w it would not be a problem.

Mobile 1 has been known to be noisy in some engines.

Did you use an OEM filter, or some other one that maybe does not have an anti drain back valve. The wrong filter will do what you describe.

 

Have a good one,

 

Don

[Kanima]

Mobile 1 filter, not sure if does or doesn't have it. I think I will go to a 5 w 40 the heavier would stick to the lifters longer that that 30 plus we are dealing with full syn which is thinner than normal 5w30.

[the hammer]

I always had the noisy engine with mobbil one in my vette and truck, it's normal with that oil. Amsoil or German Castrol you won't have as much noise-it may actually go away. If you are looking at thicker oil, the German Castrol 0W-30 is a very thick 30 weight, acting more like a 40 weight, and Mobil 1 is a thinner 30 weight.

[willysts]

When I switched to Mobile one, I got the same result. I then switched to Amsoil and no more ticking. If anything follow the recomended oil from the manufacturer, which should be 5W30.

 

 

Here is your answer.

[cmoore74]

When I switched to Mobile one, I got the same result. I then switched to Amsoil and no more ticking. If anything follow the recomended oil from the manufacturer, which should be 5W30.

 

I'm currently trying out different synthetics to see if there is any noticable differnce (mileage, engine noise, oil consumption, etc.). So far I've only tried the pennzoil platinum and mobil 1. I too notice more engine noise upon start-up with the mobil 1 than with the pennzoil platinum (no noticable noise w/ the pennzoil). Sounds like a common theme with mobil 1.

 

My next change will be with amsoil. I always run 5w30 per the manufacturers specs. Because of the lifter noise so far I'm leaning away from mobil 1.

[DJinCO]

cmoore74,

 

Are you doing an oil analysis from a tribologist or just guessing? I was running M1 in my 5.3 then switched to Amsoil and now using PP. The oil analysis was very telling. From my experience, looking at the oil, listening ect... does nothing to tell the differences in the oils or what is going on inside the engine.

 

Look at www.bobistheoilguy.com for more info.

[LAGA]

Yea but isn't 10w30 a heavier oil at start up than 5w30? So a heavier oil should stay on the lifters longer?

Or does a heavier oil settle more than a lighter?

 

All oils are thick at start up and thin at operating temperatures. A 0w-30, 10w-30 and a straight 30w oil all are about the same viscosity (thickness) when hot. A 10w-30 will be a little thicker at start up than a 5w-30, but even at a 50 degree F start up a 5w-30 is 20 to 30 times thicker than it is at operating temperature. The "0" in a 0w-30 is a rating that is used at -35 degrees F only, and usually means the oil is a full synthetic. I use German Castrol 0w-30 because it is a true synthetic and will flow easier when cold, getting to -10F in Chicago tonight, and will run it for 6 months or until the Oil Life Monitor runs out. I may switch to Amsoil SSO 0w-30 in March when it is time to change. If the engine calls for a "x"w-30 stay with the "30" . You can go down with the first number but stay with what the manual says for the second number.

[Bish]

cmoore74,

 

Are you doing an oil analysis from a tribologist or just guessing? I was running M1 in my 5.3 then switched to Amsoil and now using PP. The oil analysis was very telling. From my experience, looking at the oil, listening ect... does nothing to tell the differences in the oils or what is going on inside the engine.

 

Look at www.bobistheoilguy.com for more info.

 

Agree decision should be based on testing and not subjective observation. I ran Mobil1 for 205K on my Tahoe with constant testing for two reasons. First was to determine the optimal mileage to change. Second was to learn how well the air and oil were being filtered in addition to a early warning system for potential problems like coolant in oil.

 

With the mobil1, I had a bit of tick for 15 seconds after cold start. However, testing showed no wear occurring so I did not worry about it. Just switched to amsoil (they have a distribution center 100 yards from my office) on my new rider and will continue to do oil analysis. It really is interesting reading and interpreting the results of the test. I was amazed that you can tell which components are wearing based upon the minute amounts of elements in the oil.