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Oil The purpose of proper lubrication is to provide a physical barrier (oil film) that separates moving parts reducing wear and friction. Oil also supplies cooling to critical engine components, such as bearings. Detergent oils contain dispersants, friction modifiers, anti-foam, anti-corrosion, and anti-wear additives. These detergents carry away contaminants such as wear particulates and neutralize acids that are formed by combustion byproducts and the natural breakdown of oil. Not all motor oils are created equally when it comes to the levels of additives and detergents used. The focus of this study is on the levels of zinc and phosphorus found in motor oils, more exactly, the zinc (Zn) and phosphorus (P) that makes up the anti-wear additive ZDDP, zinc dialkyl dithiosphosphate. What general characteristics make motor oils specifically well suited to an aircooled engine? Aside from recommendations issued by Porsche, what makes a good oil? These oils must be thermally stable, having a very high flashpoint, and must “maintain proper lubrication and protect vital engine components under the extreme pressure and the high temperature conditions” found in aircooled Porsches. Porsche recommends and uses Mobil 1 0w40 as a factory fill and their 15w50 has been a popular choice used by many for their aircooled boxer engines year round in a wide range of climates. Porsche’s recommendation in hand, our analysis found that all recent SL formulations of Mobil lubricants tested, including Mobil 1, have similar 0.14% Zn and 0.14% P content, which we think is a good thing, but looking closer, Mobil 1 0w40 had somewhat less Zn and P, but still above 0.10%. For current Mobil 1 users, Mobil 1 15w50 EP now is an SM formulation, with only 0.09% to 0.10% Zn and P when it's previous SL formulation had excellent levels of both Zn and P! This is even less than what is found in Mobil 1 0w40. I recommend using EOS at every oil change to increase these levels to at least 0.12%. It is worth noting that Mobil 1 V-Twin 20w50 retains an SG classification with unchanged Zn and P levels over 0.14% Zn and P, but for most users, a 20w50 for year round use is unacceptable for cold-startup protection, but as much as twice the price of the normal Mobil 1 oils. Mobil 1 also makes a 10w40 MX4T oil with the same anti-wear additive levels, but I am afraid for cars with catalytic converters, this oil will shorten their life - a small price to pay for additional engine protection. Oil companies have been cutting back on the use of Zn and P as anti-wear additives, and turning to alternative Zinc Free additives. Zn and P have been found to be bad for catalytic converters. One such anti-wear additive is boron. Most of the Mobil lubricants and a few others we tested contained 0.03% or greater concentrations of boron (B). Since we are discussing aircooled engines specifically, the highest levels of boron we found were in Harley Davidson’s SYN3 motor oil, which is specifically formulated for an aircooled engine. According to leading studies, Boron works best in the presence of Zn and P and may better serve complement to these anti-wear additives than a replacement for them. This reduction is a mandate issued by API, American Petroleum Institute, who is in charge of developing standing standards for motor oils. In 1996, API introduced the API SJ classification to reduce these levels to 0.10% or less. The latest API SM standard for car oils calls for a zinc and phosphorus content less than 0.08% to reduce sulfur, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbon emissions. As a result of this mandate, some motor oils now have as little as 0.05% zinc and phosphorus. In comparison, an API SE-rated virgin sample of Kendall GT-1 motor oil from the 70’s we acquired pre-dating today’s limited Zn and P mandates contained 0.14% Zn and 0.12% P. Given Porsche’s recommendation of Mobil 1 0w40 and its minimum 0.10% zinc and phosphorus and 0.02% boron content, it can be concluded that any given motor oil should meet this minimum and oils not containing boron should benefit from a minimum of 0.12-0.14% Zn and P. However, it is worth noting that these new API guidelines do not apply to “racing,” “severe duty,” or any motor oils that do not carry an API “starburst” seal or clearly state for off-road-use only. Motor oils meeting “Energy Conserving I or II” standards should be avoided. The API SM classfication, with it's lower Zn and P levels, applies only to 0w20, 0w30, 5w20, 5w30, and 10w30 "ILSAC" grades. The European ACEA A2, A3, B2, B3, and B4 classifications plate a cap on P levels at 0.10-0.12%, to which Mobil 1 0w40 is compliant at this point. We have yet to see a reformulated 0w40, so we'll have to see how much lower the Zn and P go. If they do stay around the 0.10% Zn and P, then maybe Porsche knows something we don't - or they want us to buy new Porsches more often! Compared to conventional oils, synthetics, including group III, IV, and V oils, have superior shear stability leading to improved resistance to thinning and evaporation at high temperatures, although there are some non-synthetics designed with performance in mind, up to the demanding tasks of an aircooled engine. Diesel and racing motor oils two such classifications of oils designed for hotter running engines in mind. Synthetics also have superior cold flow characteristics, reducing start-up wear significantly and contain seal swell agents, which help to prevent the formation of leaks. Aside from break-in when a non-synthetic oil should be used, the only reason not to use a synthetic would be cost. Prior to the new CJ-4 API standard for diesel oils, we found most of the CI-415w40 and 5w40 oils to have excellent levels of Zn and P. We did observe Mobil beginning the use of boron in their oils as a zinc-free (ZF) anti-wear additive. It would appear now that with the reduction of Zn and P in these newest CJ-4 oils, that boron will now become a more common anti-wear additive, but the performance of these new oils is unknown. We may now need to turn to motorcycle and v-twin specific oil formulations are designed for aircooled engines and also provide excellent protection for our engines, but on average are siginifantly more expensive, or specialty racing oils that are not API compliant, to maintain our 0.14% Zn and P anti-wear addtive levels. It is best to choose a motor oil and stick with that oil to determine a baseline for your engine’s oil performance through sampling and testing throughout your engine’s life. That way you can determine appropriate drain intervals for your driving habits and monitor the condition of your engine’s internals to determine if your motor oil is doing the best job possible at protecting your investment. Failure to use the right oil, use proper filtration, or observe proper changing intervals can affect the performance of even the best motor oil. This also includes changing the oil too often. Against conventional wisdom, engine wear decreases as oil ages to a certain extent, which means that changing your oil more frequently actually causes engine wear; these findings were substantiated by studies conducted by the auto manufacturers and petroleum companies. With this knowledge in hand, using a quality motor oil with proper filtration and suggested drain intervals, as recommended by Porsche, is the best thing to do for your engine and to protect your investment. Written by Charles L Navarro We ask that if you have questions, please look below, as many may be answered in the Frequently Asked Questions. You are also welcome to email us for more info. Fine print: Any information you may receive related to this web site is provided merely as friendly suggestions, not as expert opinion, testimony or advice. Neither LN Enginering nor Charles Navarro endorses or sponsors any information, products or methodologies you may find herein. Frequently Asked Questions about Motor Oils What non-detergent oil can I use when breaking in a new engine? Just because non-detergent oil is cheap, it doesn't mean you should use a cheap non-detergent oil. I would recommend using the highest quality oil regardless, and Exxon Aviation Piston Engine Oil is one such oil. Meets SAE J1966 spec for aircraft piston engines for non-detergent break-in lubricant. Only drawback is the limited choices for viscosities. 20w50 would work for the summer months or for break-in on a dyno in controlled climates. This is probably the best quality non-detergent oil available, for those who prefer to use such an oil on a new engine. This is the oil we have used and just boost the ZDDP with GM EOS additives. Available from http://www.eliteetc.com/exoil.html. Other than non-detergent oils for break in, I have also been informed that just this year Brad-Penn / Penn-Grade began to offer a SAE 30 break in oil with .14% Zn and P already in the motor oil. Information about this oil can be found at the American Refining Group's website here. Joe Gibbs Racing also offers their BR break-in oil here. How should I break in my engine? If you have questions on how you should break in an engine and proper break in procedure, we recommend reading the following articles about the subject: http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm What motor oils had the .12% levels of zinc and phosphorus recommended? Please note that some of these oils may have been reformulated since we tested them. As we retest new formulations, we will post the results with their new API designation. The current API standard is SM, and calls for 0.06-0.08% Zn and P. The new CJ-4 standard which supercedes CI-4 calls for no more than 0.1% P (and Zn). Some of these reformulations have new zinc-free anti-wear additives, but we still think a target of 0.12-0.14% is ideal for Zn and P levels. Please note that these figures can be up to +/- 10% according to the accuracy of oil sample testing, but can be useful for determining general trends and which oils have the highest anti-wear additive levels.
*Magnesium added. **Boron added. ***Sodium added. For info on other additive levels in a particular oil, please email us and we would be more than happy to share our findings. Observations The new SM formulation of Mobil 1 15w50 seems to have in addition to reducing the Zn and P significantly, they also reduced the boron from 226ppm to 72ppm and eliminated all trace of sodium and magnesium, two other known anti-wear additives. It would look like it's an entirely new formulation than the SL it's replacing. I strongly recommend those running Mobil 1 15w50 switch to Mobil 1 V-Twin 20w50, which still is an API SG oil, which has the highest level of zinc found in any motor oil, which adding the boron at levels typically only seen in low Zn and P formulations. This should technically provide the best protection in my opinion. We will be testing their 10w40 4T Racing Motorcycle Mobil 1 formulation to see if it is similar. Motul's 15w50 Competition is a very popular oil for the european circuit. I wanted to make note that there greater than trace levels of iron, aluminum, and magnesium, along with traces of chromium, lead, copper, nickel, silicon, boron, sodium, and moly. It would seem either this sample was contaminated in the packaging or they formulate an oil that has a little bit of everything. Boron Motor Silk has what Staveley Services, who tested the sample, is high levels of Silicon. We don't know what to make of this. No oil had levels of silicon this high except for Motul, which had about 1/5th the conentration, which in dilution with 5 quarts of oil might give you similar levels of silicon. Exxon Superflow 20w50 had high levels of sodium, like Brad Penn Penn Grade 1 Racing. Maybe it has some Pennsylvania crude. Too bad the Zn and P levels are soo low. Torco and Royal Purple on average had higher levels of moly than most oils, which if they had any, usually it was below 100ppm. The Torco and Royal Purple products typically had 10 times the normal levels. It was also observed that high mileage formulations had anywhere from 4 to 6 times the normal levels of moly too. Motul Tekma and Valvoline Premium Blue 15w40 API SL CI-4 were the only diesel oils we tested with Moly. Of the three Royal Purple formulations, we would choose the Max-cycle formulation, as it has the highest levels of anti-wear additives with a liberal dose of moly, which it would appear our engines like. Castrol GTX 20w50 seems to be a very good balance of zinc, phosphorus, and moly (median 200ppm). The only drawbacks to GTX is it's fairly low TBN and calcium. It also fails to pass as a 20w50 with a Vis @100C of only 12.61. The high mileage formulation seems to have better viscosity retention at 100C though. Corrections The Brad Penn Penn Grade 1 Racing oil tested lower than expected for Zn and P from the 0.14% shown on the manufacturer's MSDS. This oil has the trademark sodium content that gives it away as genuine Pennsylvania oil and is green like the Kendall GT from years past. In the vintage API SE rated Kendall GT we tested, there were high levels of barium, 924ppm. We did not find this in any modern oil. Redline oil also tested low for Zn and P in their newer SM formulation; according to Redline, it should be 1400 ppm Zn and 1200 ppm P. Their non-detergent racing oils have roughly double that amount, but since there aren't detergents, I would not use them for street use. Who can test my Porsche's engine oil? Although you could have your oil samples tested by a multitude of companies, fellow 356 Registry Member Larry T, who is also a Rennlist member, offers testing and also has been so kind as to share his results with everyone at http://members.rennlist.com/oil. Visit his site at http://www.youroil.net. Alternatively, you can use Staveley Services North America or Blackstone Labs to do your testing as we have for our testing. Please note that on our limited budget and considering the scope of this problem, we can't test every oil nor can we sample each oil multiple times to ensure the most accurate results. How can I boost the level of Zn and P? One way would be to use GM's Engine Oil Supplememental additive. By our calculations, between .5 and .66 oz of GM EOS has to be added to each quart of oil to raise the Zn and P by 100 ppm each. But be careful, more is not always better. Too much and it will cause damage to your catalytic convertor and possibly other emissions controls. Although not as concentrated, STP 4-cyl Treatment (in the red bottle), is easy to find and inexpensive, and doesn't have the viscosity improvers (thickeners) of the blue bottled STP. For a Porsche 911, I recommend using 1 bottle (pint) of GM EOS with every oil change if the oil you are using has less than the recommended 1200-1400 ppm (0.12-0.14%) Zn and P. If the oil you want to use has less than 1000 ppm (0.10%) Zn and P, choose a different oil, since you will need to add too much of the GM EOS to boost this. For a four cylinder Porsche, 1 bottle of STP 4-cyl treatment is the perfect amount for boosting the Zn and P in a ~4 quart fill. Alternatively, about 1/3-1/2 of the bottle of EOS will be more than enough. Another more inexpensive alternative is to use Power Service's Diesel Oil Extender for topping off your oil, to keep Zn and P levels at recommended levels throughout the life of your engine's oil between changes. It combines high levels of Zn and P, as well as added detergents to keep your engine clean. Update: Power Service has discontinued this product. What oil do you recommend for my aircooled Porsche? What oil do you use in your Porsche? For a sub $5 a quart oil, I recommend Brad Penn Penn Grade 1 Racing 20w50. For winter use, I recommend their 0w30 Racing formulation. The Brad Penn Penn Grade 1 Racing oil is the same "green" oil everyone was familiar with back when Kendall GT was the best motor oil money can buy, as both the original and this newer product both come from the same facility using genuine Pennsylvania crude, which has it's trademark sodium content. These oils are proven to protect cams, rockers, lifters, and all valvetrain components as well as provide superior rod bearing life. We normally stock Brad Penn Penn Grade 1 Racing 20w50, as it is our perferred choice of lubricant. We also offer their break in oil for new engines. Just ask any seasoned engine builder about the "green" Kendall oil from decades past and you'll know why we like it so much. I usually change my oil twice a year, in the spring and late in the fall and find this oil a perfect balance of price with exceptional protection. For a "boutique" synthetic, there are many choices, but at current, we have only road tested the Mobil 1 V-Twin 20w50 and we were very pleased with the result, but at twice the price of the above Brad Penn Racing oil, for most, spending $10+ a quart on oil is unwarranted. Although not a full-synthetic, I have on good authority that Swepco's 15w40 motor oil is a very good product and some shops have switched from Mobil 1 to this oil since their reforumation. We are currently testing this oil and another dozen or so oils that have been recommended to us. Why use a motorcycle oil? This debate stems ultimately from that of why you should or shouldn’t use a motor oil intended for your automobile in your motorcycle. Motorcycles, on average, have a higher HP per liter, operate at higher rotational speeds, have higher compression ratios (leading to elevated operating temperatures), and are otherwise higher stressed than the engine in your car. For those motorcycles that are not water-cooled, the oil has the added requirement to assist in oil cooling those engines that are air-cooled and must be capable of higher operating temperatures and fluctuations in these temperatures, while maintaining loading ability and viscosity stability (which go hand in hand). Motorcycle oils have higher levels of phosphorus/zinc for enhanced wear protection and the same high-temperature detergent technology for superior wear protection and engine cleanliness, even at elevated oil temperatures. Specifically motorcycle oils for aircooled engines are designed for very high localized oil temperatures and high overall oil temperatures. Where conventional motor oils begin to break down above 250F, a synthetic motorcycle oil is good for more than 300F sustained before break down. Additionally, motorcycle oils must have improved rust and acid-corrosion protection, as many are not operated on a daily basis. The same goes for most vintage Porsches not used as daily drivers. Our own field testing has shown that Mobil 1 20w50 V-Twin and Amsoil’s Harley Davidson Motorcycle 20w50 synthetics most definitely out perform most every oil in this viscosity regardless of whether or not it is a diesel, mixed fleet, automobile, or motorcycle oil. The only real drawbacks to these motorcycle formulations are their price, usually at least a few dollars more per quart, which can lead to an oil change on a Porsche 911 costing $40-50 more than say, an oil change using Mobil 1, and second, that they are only available in 10w40 and 20w50 multi-grades. In most cases, Mobil 1 0w40 is a better choice for a daily driver that will see operation in colder climates and will see sub-freezing cold starts, but with warmer climates I believe that 0w40 is too light and increased thrust bearing wear has been observed in the newer water cooled Porsches, especially in those requiring the clutch to be depressed at startup. Additionally, hotter climates may require something more than a 10w40 in summer months, like a 20w50, which might force premature oil changes due to climate changes, and in that case, the old-standby of Mobil 1 15w50 is a better choice for year-round use, just make sure to add GM's EOS if you do. As a whole, it would appear that all the V-Twin 20w50 oils we tested have excellent anti-wear additive levels and most are not SM oils, but rather earlier SG or SL formulations. Can I use a car motor oil in a motorcycle? Although we are discussing Porsches, I thought I should clarify this point. You should always use a motorcycle oil in a motorcycle, especially one that meets the required specification, such as the JASO-MA and others, since the motor oil has in most cases a dual purpose of lubricating the gearbox and some have to deal with a wet clutch. In a pinch there are some car motor oils that will do the job, but why skimp when you can use the real thing? Can I use a diesel motor oil in a car? Yes. Many camshaft manufacturers recommend the use of diesel oils, many even name Shell Rotella T as their preferred engine oil, along with some form of Zn and P additive, such as GM EOS. The only mention I have seen as to a reason not to use a diesel oil would be the lack of friction modifiers in diesel oils vs car oils, but on the other side of the fence, usually friction modifiers are typically only used in very low viscosity motor oils that don't have the levels of Zn and P we are looking for. The newest CJ-4 formulations are now limited in the amounts of Zn and P allowed, compared to the CI-4 forumations most users are familar with. I would recommend adding GM EOS to these newest CJ-4 oils as well because of this or keep to using CI-4 or CI-4 Plus oils. Is there moly in my motor oil? Is moly bad for my engine? From our testing, most SM oils have some level of boron and moly to make up for the lower level of Zn and P and is now more commonly found in SM oils and the new CJ-4 oils. The moly is typically there as a friction modifier in lighter viscosity motor oils considered "Energy Conserving." We found on average SM oils had 0.004% moly concentrations, less than what is found in Mobil 1. Also, in testing VW 502.00 spec oils, I also found them to be lacking in moly as well. There are many oils with significantly higher levels of moly such as in Redline and Royal Purple (racing and motorcycle formulations had significantly more moly than their street version). On the flip side, some advertise their product does not have moly intentionally, claiming moly is an abrasive and deposit forming. Regardless, some oil manufacturers claim that the addition of moly can reduce friction up to 38%, reduce bearing wear up to 60% and reduce overall operating temperatures. What kind of real-world field-testing have you done? On top of our standard additive package and total base number (TBN) analysis on all the motor oils we have tested, we also chosen several motor oils for field testing on a vw type 4 platform with a 2270cc engine producing 185 HP. Testing consisted of approximately 800 mi on each oil, with a complete oil system purge (including external oil lines and oil cooler) and a new Mobil 1 oil filter to ensure the best level of filtration possible. We are also testing both virgin oil samples and samples that have been run both in aircooled and water-cooled engines, to evaluate their performance in different operating conditions. These tests have helped us to better recommend oils to customers based on their driving habits and operating conditions. Lastly, we will be dyno testing a wide array of oils side by side to see if we can find any horsepower differences between different oils, and again to do used oil analysis on these oils to see if we can find any real differences. What should I do if I have an older, higher mileage engine and want to use a synthetic motor oil? Most synthetic oils are now formulated with seal swelling agents to minimize leaks. Additionally, older engines may benefit from thicker viscosities and may have higher oil consumption, but you must take into consideration that Porsche allowed for as much as 1 quart of oil consumption per 700mi, so keep a consumption log if you are concerned about how much oil your engine is using. A worn engine may consume oils from blow-by through piston rings or sucked through worn guides. A leakdown test can help to isolate these problems more than a compression test. We do not recommend high-mileage oils because of the questionable formulation of these lubricants. I however did find that Castrol GTX High-Mileage 20w50 is a great oil, even better than the normal Castrol GTX 20w50 (higher viscosity and thermal sheer stability), with the same levels of anti-wear additives and none of the questionable additives I observed in various high-mileage oils and oil treatments. Should I use a semi or partial -synthetic or full-synthetic motor oil? First of all, save your money – don’t buy the hype of a partial or semi-synthetic. There are a very few exceptions. Brad Penn/Penn Grade Racing and some other "synthetic oils" are sold as a semi-synthetic as they use a hydrocracked parrifin base, otherwise known as a Group III synthetic and are great choices for an aircooled engine unlike most synthetic blends that are more of a marketing ploy than anything else. I've heard you cannot use synthetic gear lubes in VW and Porsche transaxles. Is that true? There are many excellent choices for gear lubes, both synthetic and non-synthetic that are appropriate for use in our transaxles. I have had excellent success with the tried and true Swepco 201 product everyone has been using for years, but many do seek the benefits of a synthetic hypoid or gear lube. For transaxles that call for a GL-4 spec gear oil, I have had excellent results with Amsoil's fully synthetic GL-4 gear lube, not to be mistaken with a GL-5 spec lubricant. Another excellent GL-4 is manufactured by Redline, MT-90, which is a true GL-4 75w90 gear oil. For transaxles that are compatible with GL-5 spec gear lube, you have many choices. Royal Purple makes an excellent Max Gear lubricant, which I ran in my 70 911T sportomatic. I have also run Redline's 75w90NS in my 66 912 901-transaxle- this formulation does not have friction modifiers for limited slip differentials and has worked fine even with 167 hp pumping through this stock transaxle. Another favorite of mine is Mobilube SHC 75w90, not to be mistaken with the Mobil 1 gear lube found at your local flaps. This stuff is the factory GL-5 fill from Porsche in all their race cars and is an industry standard in semi / mixed fleets. Although hard to find in quantities less than 55 gallons, we have found a fellow Porsche enthusiast and vendor who carries it in gallon sizes, perfect for our transaxles, available from Lufteknic. You cannot go wrong with Mobilube SHC or any of the aforementioned gear lubes. I now use the Mobilube SHC exclusively in all my transmissions that call for GL-5. What viscosity motor oil should I use? You should always refer to your owner's manual for the recommended grade and viscosity of oil to be used in any engine. That said, for most Porsche owners, Mobil 1 0w40 provides the widest range of protection year-round and for vehicles with sufficient oil cooling capacity. Some owners may find that Mobil 1 15w50 is satisfactory for year round use, but below 15F, you probably should use Mobil 1 0w40 for better cold start protection. These oils are referenced for their viscosities - regardless, if the Zn and P levels are insufficient, you should use GM EOS at time of oil change. As long as you keep levels between 0.12-0.14%, there should be no long term problems with catalytic converters. Motor oils are superior today than what was available even a decade ago. Why does it matter what oil I use in my aircooled engine since they are "better" than what was offered when my engine was new? Yes, most do agree that motor oils and the additives used today are more advanced than what was available in the 50s, 60s, and 70s for sure. That said, modern motor oils are governed by requirements dictated by auto manufacturers and API standards (among other standard bodies). Most modern engines are water cooled, not aircooled. Also worth noting is the actual oil capacity of modern engines. Dry sumps with 10+ quarts are more common, providing larger amounts of oil (and hence additives), which allow for the longer drain intervals. Even wet sump vehicles have come to have larger fill capacities, like diesels and even VW's W8 and W12, all of which take 10+ quarts of oil to fill their wet sumps. And even then, there are specific requirements of what oil can be used. The additives take longer to break down and most engines have oil to water coolers, meaning oil temperatures can be careful controlled, unlike in an aircooled engine. There obviously are exceptions to this- turbos are one exception that comes to mind. The oil used to cool (and lubricate) the turbos sees tremendous oil temperatures. Diesel engines also run higher oil temperatures than their gasoline fueled bretheren. Other examples are small displacement/high horsepower/high rpm engines, like BMWs M3 and M5, just to name two. They vary by manufacturer, but many have specific requirements when it comes to motor oils. Most encompass the need for a very high TBN or total base number for long drain intervals, among other wear factors. Porsche recommends 15,000 mi intervals on their newest watercooled engines, as does most every german auto manufacturer. It is not extended drain intervals that we are so concerned with, but rather the thermal sheer stability, viscosity, and film strength of our motor oils, as aircooled engines are much more demanding on the oils used in them, even more so aircooled engines with turbos and aircooled motorcycles such as Harleys. The other issue with mileage and time intervals are driving habits leading to the formation of deposit or break-down of the oil from contamination. A rampant problem is sludge formation. Many manufacturers have turned to synthetic oils to fight the formation of sludge, requiring owners to use synthetics meeting manufacturers stringent specifications due to the contamination, high oil temperatures, extended drain intervals, and reduced sump capacities. Visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_sludge for a list of cars suffering sludge formation and you can see this is a big deal. Another excellent link on sludge formation is http://www.schleeter.com/oil-sludge.htm. The demand for specific oils capable of even the most severe operating conditions is a great example of how all oils are not created equal and some are bettter than others. One good example of this is the Volkswagen Group Oil Specifications, including but not limited to 500.00, 501.01, 502.00, 503.00, 503.01, 505.00, 506.00, and 506.01, all of which pertain to oil requirements. VW also has a 504.00 and 507.00 specification to top things off. Who knew oil could be so confusing? Another consideration is that modern oils are for the most part designed with increasing the longevity of emissions control devices, not making your engine last longer. What oil filter should I use? It is very common to see the factory oil filter be the most recommended, and in our case it's usually a Mahle or Mann oil filter. For sure, it does meet the manufacturer's specifications, but we can do better. My filter of choice is the Mobil 1 branded filter. It has a synthetic filter media, anti-drainback valve, and is one of the best constructed filters I have seen, second to the K&N Gold filter which flows more and has a higher burst strength, but doesn’t filter particles as small as does the Mobil 1. For any oil, regardless of non-synthetic or synthetic and your drain interval, I would recommend using Mobil-1's filter. Amsoil also sells a great filter for extended drain intervals in an exceptionally well made housing with a quality synthetic filtration element. Steer clear of paper element filters that are densely packed, which filter well, but clog fast and restrict oil flow. Use a quality filter and change them often, especially when using extended drain intervals, based on the size of the filtration element. Personally, I might change the filter every 3000-5000 mi and top off the oil on a 12,000-15,000 mi a year drain interval for example. Larger filters, like on a late 911, can probably go 7,500mi or 6 months between changes. For further reading on the subject of oil filters, visit these sites:
What if my engine does not have filtration? Most stock engines have a spin on or cartridge style oil filter. In the majority of those cases, it's a bypass filter, where only a small portion of the oil actually goes through the filter. It's the idea that the oil is constantly filtering, so eventually all the oil will get filtered. With full flow filtration, 100% of the oil goes through the filter. This does however require very high quality filters with HIGH burst strengths and durable construction, especially of the internal filtration media, because what's the point of full filtration if the media just bursts and lets the contaminants out and doesn't filter the oil? There are a great number of high quality filters that can stand up to the task, two of which are mentioned above. The Porsche 911 is one exception, as with it’s dry sump system, 100% of the oil gets filtered, unlike earlier canister bypass systems as found on the Porsche 356 and 912, as well as with the spin-on filters on the Porsche 914. For the 356 and 912, I use and recommend Precision Matter's full flow setups, either with an external filter in a full flow configuration or their newest spin-on filter pump cover version. This allows for complete filtration of engine oil, making the use of a synthetic oil more cost effective and allowing for longer drain intervals than normally feasible with the factory bypass filtration. I highly recommend that all VW Type 1 engines have full flow filtration - the stock oil strainer does not count. For the Porsche 914, Aircooled Technology offers a full-flow kit where the stock filter gets bypassed and 100% of the engine oil gets filtered with an externally mounted filter. In both cases, this allows the additional plumbing of oil coolers and an accusump for track use. What fuel system cleaner, lead additive, or octane booster should I use? Fuel system cleaners are widely available from dozens of companies, all promising everything from helping you to pass emissions testing to increasing octane. Many do little more than put a drain on your wallet. In most cases, using a quality pump premium formulation is the best thing you can do for your engine, regardless of octane requirements. Most modern engines and fuel management systems can adjust for the increased octane and provide improved fuel economy and horsepower, so even though the octane requirement may be 87 or 91 octane, it can benefit from 93 octane. If you want to use a fuel system cleaner, use one that meets OEM requirements and is actually used by OEMs. Redline makes a fuel system cleaner that is good for both fuel injected and carbeurated engines, called SI-1. They also make a lead substitute, called just that, Lead Substitute, that also cleans your fuel system and is safe for injectors and catalytic convertors. Both are excellent products ok for continuous use or occasional cleanings. Another product endorsed by many Porsche owners is Chevron's Techron Fuel System cleaner. There are many versions of this cleaner, but it is the most expensive one (with the highest % of technron) that does the trick. The only caveat is that many owners recommend this cleaner should be used just before you change your oil, as the fuel system cleaner can contaminate your motor oil. If you need to boost your octane, again, if you have access to race gas, that's your best bet for a guaranteed octane boost. That said, Torco makes two race gas concentrates. One is unleaded and safe for use with catalytic converters and for street use and the other is leaded (with real lead) for OFF-ROAD USE ONLY. For example, 10 gallons of pump premium blended with 1/3rd of a bottle of either concentrate yields roughly 98 octane. In my own personal testing, the engine ran smoother and the plugs were cleaner when running their race gas concentrate, as it helps the fuel burn more completely and cleaner, regardless of the fact that it did make my carbureted engine run richer. A multiple-spark discharge or twin-plug configuration would help combustion further. References and Acknowledgements Oil Analysis Results. Staveley Services North America. Engine Lubrication System. STP. http://www.stp.com/bmc_lub.html 4-Stroke Motor Oil. Valvoline. http://www.valvoline.com/pages/products/product_detail.asp?product=76 All About Motor Oil. http://motorcycleinfo.calsci.com/Oils.html Internet BMW Riders- Is this the right oil for my bike? http://www.ibmwr.org/otech/oilreport.html http://www.titantalk.com/forums/titan-talk-site-polls/18022-what-brand-motor-oil-everyone-using-5.html. http://www.hw.ac.uk/mecwww/research/csi.htm. http://www.utamagazine.uta.edu/fall_2001/discoveries.html. Lubricant Additive Interactions, Surface Reactions and the Link to Tribological Performance in Engines. J.H. Green, A. Morina, M. Priest, A. Neville. Institute of Tribology, School of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Leeds, Leeds. Bussy, Lee C. Oil and the Harley-Davidson. http://www.xlrator.com. All About Motor Oil. http://motorcycleinfo.calsci.com/Oils.html http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/showthread.php?referrerid=&t=90881 Motorcycling- The Honda V4 Files and More. http://www.math.uwaterloo.ca/~rblander/oil_opinion.html A.T.I.S. FAQ on Motor Oils. http://www.atis.net/oil_faq.html Interpretation of experiments on ZDDP anti-wear films through pressure-induced cross-linking. N.J. Mosey. Tribology Letters 0 (2005). Myths and Legends 1. Zinc, Diesel Oils and API. Pennrite. Technical Bulletin No 85 May 2005. Amrep. http://www.amrep.com/misty/lubrica2.htm Contact us at 815-472-2939 or info@LNengineering.com to bring your “tried and true" Aircooled engine to the new standard of precision performance!
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