Quote:
Originally Posted by kannibul
(Post 274887)
"Metal shavings..." Your cylinders are honed into a file-like crosshatch pattern when new, and when the engine is first fired up (with oil in it), they "file" down everything and get the rings seated.
And where do those shavings go? Into the pan, with the oil, that ships with your car that you drain out at your first change, and some shavings stay in the engine because you can't get them all out...so they're there until you're ran enough oil through the engine and filter.
Also numerous cars come with synthetic oil from the factory...nothing wrong with using synthetic from the moment you get a new car home, drop the oil out of the pan, and refill it.
Case and point - Nissan Ester oil - is it synthetic or not? Is it Group III, Group IV, or Group V...?
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kannibul: Excellent points! Most important to me is that you mentioned Group III/IV/V oils, and that is the crux of the matter!
.....IIRC, G-III is the "hydro-cracked" oils; G-IV is PAO (polyalfaolefin) oils; G-V is the ester oils.
.....the G-III oils are the ones that Castrol uses, and is allowed to call it "Synthetic" due to a lawsuit. G-III oils are processed from petroleum-base stocks and are not "Synthetic" as the industry and scientists who created synthetics understand the term. I do not use Castrol G-III oils because they lied and used attorneys and judges to be able to label G-III oil as synthetic.
.....In the early 80s, I started using Mobil1. I copied a test run by Ford that I included for my thesis: New oil filter and Mobil1 oil change; keep in vehicle for 100,000 miles (include 15,000 mile filter changes and oil top off but no drain); Arizona 1977 280-Z. The Ford engineer examined the engine after the 100,000 Michigan Winter/Summer miles and it's specs were within factory new! No issues with my inline-6!
.....G-IV ester oils are mainly used in racing vehicles. The predominant race-only use is due to two characteristics unique to esters: they do not last long, and they absorb water. Race use heats the engine and oil so that the water evaporates--driving your 370Z to work may not reach the oil temperature necessary to remove water.
.....Nissan's recommendation to use their proprietary ester blend probably solves the water retention issue, and provides the optimum lubrication for their variable-valve system.
.....Corvette crankcases are filled at the factory with Mobil1 and have a 15,000 mile drain interval. I was a test driver and prototype development technician for GM, and we only used Mobil1 for the Corvette engines for top off and changes. The engines are/were run for a million miles basically non-stop 24/7, then disassembled and inspected.
.....There's a reason GM and Nissan recommend certain oils for the high-end engines. The VQ37VHR is not a Chevrolet 350 c.i. V-8 with hydraulic actuated pushrod valves, and one should not use the same oil for both engines.
.....Some 370Z owners on this site are switching to Motul which is mostly an ester-based oil. My concern is the buildup of water in the crankcase if the outings don't include at least one hour each day of redline racing on the local track.
......I can almost guarantee that using the Nissan Ester blend will be the best choice. I can not state that using a different synthetic will harm your engine--only the experience and reports of the 370Z members will identify issues. I will recommend staying away from conventional petroleum-based oils for the VQ37VHR.
R/S, Greg
