What weight oil for HPDE day?

Getting ready for HPDE. '87 FX16 GT-S. This is a track only car, not street legal. Is there a different weight oil I should be using for track only duty?

Oil is good.

About the only other thing I would recommend is using a GOOD quality synthetic oil.

The rest is just slippery slope nonsense.

I use whatever happens to be in my car when I go to the track. People think waaaay to much into this kind of stuff.

I would check the manual for the car, see what they recommend for hot weather, and buy something good and at least semi-synthetic. Mobil 1, whatever Redline has, Shell Rotella T Synth, etc etc etc. Don't want to start an oil brand discussion, just giving ideas.

skruffy wrote: I use whatever happens to be in my car when I go to the track. People think waaaay to much into this kind of stuff.

No doubt. I was actually just planning on using "regular" oil, but just wanted to double check.

If you've got oil pressure and temperature gauges, you could make your decision based on exhaustive performance testing with different oils in similar circumstances. The other factor is consumption; some oils tend to burn off more quickly than others in certain engines. Again, more testing.

Or you could just run a decent oil (even the SM-rated non-synthetics are pretty good) and call it done. Depends how much you want to think.

You may want to run MORE oil than recommended due to high, consistent g's on long corners. This will keep the pump from running dry. Other than that, what everyone else said (especially in a toyota 4AGE, I don't think those even need oil to run!)

Shell Rotella T6 5w40.

Absolutely great oil, poke around the bob is the oil guy forums a bit and look for the used oil analysis for it.

It's pretty cheap too, $20/gal at Wal-Mart

Amsoil. My engine was locked up solid, put in Amsoil and it's been purring like a kitten ever since. Makes 30 more hp too and I get 100 miles per gallon up hill, both ways in the pouring rain. Definitely Amsoil.

Run enough, relatively fresh, oil of the correct weight for your car. Be sure to check oil between sessions, just in case.

ansonivan wrote: Amsoil. My engine was locked up solid, put in Amsoil and it's been purring like a kitten ever since. Makes 30 more hp too and I get 100 miles per gallon up hill, both ways in the pouring rain. Definitely Amsoil.

Well, not quite that good but I have used it for years with great resulrs. I usd the top grade 0W-30 in my SR and it performed fine on track days..

I did increase the mpg on my Liberty by 1.5-2.0 though.

iceracer wrote: Well, not quite that good but I have used it for years with great resulrs. I usd the top grade 0W-30 in my SR and it performed fine on track days.. I did increase the mpg on my Liberty by 1.5-2.0 though.

Probably because 0W-30 is a lighter viscosity than what's recommended by the factory.

Check in the manual or online to see what the recommended "severe duty" oil is would be my recommendation.

ansonivan wrote: Amsoil. My engine was locked up solid, put in Amsoil and it's been purring like a kitten ever since. Makes 30 more hp too and I get 100 miles per gallon up hill, both ways in the pouring rain. Definitely Amsoil.

You must be my local Amsoil rep.

Amsoil, for enhanced intimate lubrication.

Watch the thinner oil under race conditions. Porsche runs 20W50 standard on their production cars. Here in Vermont we can run 5W30 thruout the year but race cars get really hot in the summer(even in CT at Lime Rock). BTW, you can use racing oil on the track but not on the street...it will eat your CAT!

Ranger50 wrote: Oil is good. About the only other thing I would recommend is using a GOOD quality synthetic oil. The rest is just slippery slope nonsense.

I wouldn't run Mobil1 ln an older car(like an 87') that has run dino oil all it's life without first running some new high milage dino oil thru it first. There are some examples of switching to syn oils on older cars where the Mobil1(or ther syn oils) will give the engine and enena and plug up all the galleries...KAPOW...LOL

fifty wrote:

iceracer wrote: Well, not quite that good but I have used it for years with great resulrs. I usd the top grade 0W-30 in my SR and it performed fine on track days.. I did increase the mpg on my Liberty by 1.5-2.0 though.

Probably because 0W-30 is a lighter viscosity than what's recommended by the factory. Check in the manual or online to see what the recommended "severe duty" oil is would be my recommendation.

Actually NO. 30 is the hot viscosity, Just what was reccomended. Factory said 5W-30. OW just makes it start easier in the middle of winter.

iceracer wrote:

fifty wrote:

iceracer wrote: Well, not quite that good but I have used it for years with great resulrs. I usd the top grade 0W-30 in my SR and it performed fine on track days.. I did increase the mpg on my Liberty by 1.5-2.0 though.

Probably because 0W-30 is a lighter viscosity than what's recommended by the factory. Check in the manual or online to see what the recommended "severe duty" oil is would be my recommendation.

Actually NO. 30 is the hot viscosity, Just what was reccomended. Factory said 5W-30. OW just makes it start easier in the middle of winter.

Actually the 0W improves cold starting year round. A 0W at summer temps is still thicker than a 30W that's at operating temp.

Here are some UOAs from the Rotella T6 5w40 after some track use. For what it costs it works amazingly well.

Here's the UOA I had done of Shell Rotella T6 5W-40, after 3000 miles, and quite a bit of tracking. Oil type with viscosity - Shell Rotella T6 5W-40 Fully Synthetic Miles on the oil - 3000, 2 months, 150-200 track miles Vehicle type/engine - 06 Mazdaspeed6, 2.3L turbo direct injection 70,000 miles Driving conditions - normal/sprinted, 50/50 highway/city, summer temps 70-90F. Track conditions - 1 day oil temps @ 260-275F for 1.5hrs, 1 day @ 250F for 1hr, ambient temps 70-90F

And here is another from a turbo miata with 5hr+ of track time

Here is 5-hours of track time on my turbo miata with 250* oil temps on Rotella T6 Synth

Another good read about oil weights: http://ferrarichat.com/forum/faq.php?faq=haas_articles