Advanced disscussion on engine oil for stroker.

I was told to run a 15w/50 oil in my new storker motor.
I don't think I need it. I was wondering what oil others are using in there street driven stroker, and what variables are used to determiine the right engine oil. Would compression, or blower or nitrous, have any affect on the type of oil put into the engine.

Originally posted by 96Z28SS
I was told to run a 15w/50 oil in my new stroker motor.

Who told you? Was it the engine's builder? If so, ask him why.
If not, what are the credentials of those who told you?

I don't think I need it. I was wondering what oil others are using in there street driven stroker, and what variables are used to determiine the right engine oil. Would compression, or blower or nitrous, have any affect on the type of oil put into the engine.

Why don't you think you need 15W50? Are you talking dino oil or full synthetic or a dino/syn blend?

What did you run in your stock engine?

Not trying to pick on you here, but there are a lot of things that might help determine what oil to run. Engine usage, ambient temps, hp output, flat or roller cam, bearing clearances etc. which it would be nice to know for folks to offer informed advice.

Personally, I probably wouldn't run 15W50 in any NA street SBC that I had. Neither would I use dino oil after the initial startup and drain. But those are only my highly opinionated thoughts.

You also may want to do a search. This question has been gone through several times...and very recently if I remember right.

I plan to run 10w30 castrol for the first 3000 miles in mine then go to Amsoil 10w40 synthetic which is what I ran in my stock setup before biulding the 383. 15w50 would be a good choice for road racing..IMO.

Why would you wait for 3000 miles before switching oils. ?
On any decent hone job the rings are seated within the first couple heat cycles and any ordinary flat tappet cam should be broken in after 15 to 20 mins of break in cycling. I would think you would want to just fire the engine and run it through its break in then change the oil and filter to the synthetic and run it.

Originally posted by gb95zconv
I plan to run 10w30 castrol for the first 3000 miles in mine then go to Amsoil 10w40 synthetic which is what I ran in my stock setup before biulding the 383. 15w50 would be a good choice for road racing..IMO.

That's EXACTLY :thumb: what I'm doing to the T...aside from the 3k thing. I'm gonna change mine after the firsst 100.

Originally posted by S.J.S.
That's EXACTLY :thumb: what I'm doing to the T...aside from the 3k thing. I'm gonna change mine after the firsst 100.

SJS....I didnt mention the initial breakin period.....I used 10w30 dino and changed it after the first 20 mins and then again after 100 and 300 miles. I used puralator filters for the inital breakin. Now I have the castrol 10w30 in the engine and the longer K&N 3002 filter on it for the 3000 mile run...I may just go 2000 before putting the Amsoil in.

Unless your running into a lot of heat and your oil pressure drops dramatic I dont see why you would need 50w oil. I only run it because of my turbo setup. Other wise it was always 10 30 in the past. As for synthetic oil why again, sure it may hold is vascosity longer but dirty oil is dirty oil. Also with the heat synthetic oil is good for a heat range to about 280 degrees before breaking down, where your average mineral based oil is good to about 240. After I installed my oil cooler synthetic was no longer necessary. I just run valvoline 20 50 "racing oil", this has a few additives in it that with stand heat better, but have a tendacy to eat up your catalitic converter.

My advice run a 10 30 your brand of choice and change the oil about every 2500 miles, depending on your driving habits.

from what i understand the antiwear properties of a "good" syn oil are much much better then any regular oil. i have read through all the oil posts lately and it seems to be (good to best) mobil1 0w40(gray top),amsoil 5w30/10w30,German Castrol syntec 5w30(says made in germany on back) remember the "5w,10w,15w" is the startup weight, lower number = more flow at startup(oil is cold) the the 2nd # is the operating temp weight.

Originally posted by sleeperz28
Unless your running into a lot of heat and your oil pressure drops dramatic I dont see why you would need 50w oil. I only run it because of my turbo setup. Other wise it was always 10 30 in the past. As for synthetic oil why again, sure it may hold is vascosity longer but dirty oil is dirty oil. Also with the heat synthetic oil is good for a heat range to about 280 degrees before breaking down, where your average mineral based oil is good to about 240. After I installed my oil cooler synthetic was no longer necessary. I just run valvoline 20 50 "racing oil", this has a few additives in it that with stand heat better, but have a tendacy to eat up your catalitic converter.

My advice run a 10 30 your brand of choice and change the oil about every 2500 miles, depending on your driving habits.

Twenty five years ago, when Mobil 1 was relatively new, I had the opportunity of testing it in a state-of-the-art 168 hour oxidation test that measured changes in acidity, viscosity and attack on five differing metals: Cd, Mg, Cu, Fe, Zn. The test consisted of bubbling air into a large test tube with condenser that was kept at 250F, IIRC with 1" metal coupons of the various metals configured in a double triange for a week. At the end of the test, I measured the oil's viscosity, weight change on the metal coupons and change in acidity. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING came close to Mobil 1's performance. It came out of the test almost as clean as it went in. Other oils, for example, turned black and had gel particles in them.
Since then, others have joined the synthetic oil market and I changed jobs, but I still think Mobil 1 is great stuff.
I asked what motor oil people preferred in their strokers in another thread so that I could get feedback on oil weights, not syn vs non. I'm sold on synthetics. I've seen the data.

Originally posted by JPSartre12
Twenty five years ago, when Mobil 1 was relatively new, I had the opportunity of testing it in a state-of-the-art 168 hour oxidation test that measured changes in acidity, viscosity and attack on five differing metals: Cd, Mg, Cu, Fe, Zn. The test consisted of bubbling air into a large test tube with condenser that was kept at 250F, IIRC with 1" metal coupons of the various metals configured in a double triange for a week. At the end of the test, I measured the oil's viscosity, weight change on the metal coupons and change in acidity. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING came close to Mobil 1's performance. It came out of the test almost as clean as it went in. Other oils, for example, turned black and had gel particles in them.
Since then, others have joined the synthetic oil market and I changed jobs, but I still think Mobil 1 is great stuff.
I asked what motor oil people preferred in their strokers in another thread so that I could get feedback on oil weights, not syn vs non. I'm sold on synthetics. I've seen the data.

Thanks for the info. It just confirms what I believed.

We've run Mobil 1 exclusively since it came out. Never an engine problem from it. In one case, a Saturn 1.9 DOHC engine with 85,000 miles, the last 60,000 were WOT 6500 shifts on a daily basis (SStrokerAce's college car) finally fatigued a rod bolt. When the engine was torn down, there was not even one scuff on any cam buckets where the cams had rubbed for 85,000 miles. No varnish, no piston scuffing, crosshatch still good on cylinders, etc. I was very impressed. Still am.

Our normal change interval is 5-7K.

Bob,
My engine builder told me to run 15 / 50 synthetic after 1000 miles also.


Marc