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Guys I've been having this noise onthe VE come and go for a few days. Anyone have ideas?
It's usually in the morning. After the initial chain tensioner noise goes the engine is quiet, but then after about 15-20 seconds it starts making another noise, quite similar to the tensioner type noise which lasts about 30-45 seconds, or until the cold idle rpm drops from 1700 to about 1000rpm. Sounds like it's coming from the VC or the belts, hard to tell.
Initially I saw my oil was a bit low (VC had a leak at the dizzy I still have to sort out), and when I did an oil change and got it to it's correct level that noise was gone.
Now, about 1250miles later on the new oil the noise is back. Even with the level being okay.
Not ruling out poor oil quality either. Using 15w50 Shell helix semi synthetic.
5w30? Man that's thin. I just need to sort out the slight leak on the VC then I'll change the oil. Topped up with fully synthetic 5w40 this morning. Seemed smoother but that can be my imaginiation...
Does weather have any effect on the oil thickness you should run? Here in SA it's summer now and the weather is in the 30 celcius range most of the time.
Oh and what can make the car "loose" water? Noticed the water level was between H and L this morning. Usually on H but I was doind some HARD driving yesterday. AFAIK if there's no leak the level shouldn't move right?
5w30? Man that's thin. I just need to sort out the slight leak on the VC then I'll change the oil. Topped up with fully synthetic 5w40 this morning. Seemed smoother but that can be my imaginiation...
Does weather have any effect on the oil thickness you should run? Here in SA it's summer now and the weather is in the 30 celcius range most of the time.
Well, opinions, opinions.... everybody has one so here is my opinion!!
5w30 is NOT too thin. It is just fine!!! On the otehr hand, 15W-50 is TOO thick though!!!!
How to select your engine oil.
1. Drive in the worst engine conditions you plan on driving. If you plan on racing in 30 celcius, do that. If you plan to commute and on occasion drive more spirited, do that. You want your oil to be the lightest possible and still provide enough pressure as per engine specs when in "normal operating temperature". This is the numebr quoted on oil spec sheets as the temperature where the "upper" or 2nd number in multigrade oils was measured.
2. You do not have to "test" in everheated conditions. Just make sure. either by component selection and design or by common sense, that the engien does NOT everheat. If it overheats, all bets are off, no matter what type of oil you have.
3. When you do have the "large" number selected, select a reputable brand, check their fully synthetic line and select the multigrade with the LOWEST low number they offer. The low number refers to oil temperature when the oil is "cold", or in "mormal startup temperatures". This is close to 22 celsius or something for their tests (again, look in oil spec sheets). Even the lowest low number you can find, say... 5w? 0w? !!!! ... even this is too thick for startup!!!
4. According to "common knowledge", in proper driving conditions (no overheating, no redlining until oil/engine is in normal operating temps) 90% of the engine damage occurs during startups!!! The low 1st number in multigrades is responsible for offering as much protection as possible in these conditions.
5. When you do have your "selection" down, fill engine with it and go through the "test" drives again. Make sure that in max temps at your driving "routine", whatever this may be, oil does not "thin-out" and make you loose pressure below specs. Then you are done.
To sum up...
Even in SA at 30 deg celsius, 15W-50 is TOO thick during startup.
0w-40 is a much better choice for such conditions. Maybe even 0w-30 will work.
The difference between 0w-30 and 0w-40 (same brand, same type) is not only in the 30 vs. 40 in normal operating temps.
There is another one: the 0w in the 0w-30 is actually "thinner" than the 0w on the 0w-40!!! This is why you should try to find the lowest upper number that works in your conditions. So the lowest number is the lowest possible for startup.
Thanks for that explanation Hpro!! It's comforting to know...
I've had my eye on 0w30 Mobil 1 for a while but thought that was just crazy thin. Think I'll give it a go this week end after I seal up the VC nicely.
This morning I topped up with some more full synth Helix 5w40 and that noise wasn't there, so I think it's definitely related to oil viscosity and volume.
Pulled the VC last night and turned the motor over without spark to inspect the oil feeds over the cams. ARe those oil feeds pressurised inside? Cause the car was standing on a slope and the high side (piston 1) was literally dripping instead of pouring oil. Checked the holes and they weren't clogged. Doesn't seem as though the oil feeds are full of pressure, merely passing oil through...
well, I'm in FL.
Typical Summer morning is 65-75*F
Typical Winter morning is 30-55*F
B/c it's cooler out, you need a slightly thinner grade of oil to achieve the same viscosity as a thicker grade in warm weather. At least this is my impression
Your impression is correct but... you said you switch from 0w30 winter to 5w30 during summer.
This would be the correct approach if you believed that the 0w30 during winter is as good as it gets. Well, it is not... at 30*F even 0w is too thick!!! Unfortunately we do not have yet a -XXw oil so this is the best we can get.
Lets not confuse the issue. There is no -5w anyway!!!
My take on this is clear:
A. Oils are designed to offer maximum protection in the engine's standard/normal operating temperature. If your engine will operate hotter than "standrad/normal" then you go to a heavier oil. (2nd #)
B. Assuming above is correct, the viscosity of the oil at normal operating temp is the one to aim for, at any temperature, right? We do not want the oil to be either thicker or thinner.
C. It turns out that 30 weight oil (and 40 weight for this matter) at normal operating temperature is much much THINNER than 0 weight oil at 30*F. This is why I said earlier that even 0w30 is too thick at startup temperatures.
D. If the above holds true, then yes, you should go to 0w30 year-round.
Again, let me clarify what I THINK you should do.
First, find if you need #w30, #w40, #w50 or whatever.
Then try to find the lowest # that exists and use this oil.
100% of car manufacturers do not really care if your engine fails a liitle each time it starts up. They actually prefer it this way so they can eventually over-charge for internal work.
What they do care about is having an engine blow and this happens only at high speed/temps...
OK, I downloaded some spec sheets from Mobil from various oils, synthetic, multigrades, single grades, mineral oils, what have you so the following is an quick average to the closest integer of what I have in here:
I am using the Viscocity (measured in cS aka centiStokes) shown in the spec sheets. First number is weight, 2nd is viscositiy at ~ 75*F or 24*C, 3rd is viscosity at ~212*F or 100*C
Now, since I believe we all agree that oils are designed to operate ideally in their expected normal operating temperature, we can assume that 10 cST is a nice figure to aim for IN ANY condition, right?
Well, as you can guess by the numbers above, even 0w30 or plain 5 weight oil is much thicker than the "ideal" 10. Of course, the scale of viscosity is NOT linear, so do not read into it that 40 is 4 tmes as thick as 10 but still.... it is much thicker. At 75*F or 24*C.
Lets not even talk about lower temperatures, like 32*F... can you say "honey" ??
I found that me VE burnt quite a bit of mineral10W30; 10W40; 5W50syn. and even ELF 5W30syn. so I have been running ELF 5W40synthetic and she don't burn a drop now except on a track day where a drop on the dipstick of aroun 1-2mm is all. Funny how it burnt all the other types I treid...and it burnt it mostly when VVL was in hard use
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HP11 VE - SOLD
BCNR33 GT-R - SOLD
HP12 20V family sedan.
S14 all motor track coupe in the pipeline
