dreaded oil thread

hi,

this is what i am planning to do for initial engine startup.

HD30W - initial startup until hot. drain and re-torque head

5/10w30 - up to 100 miles to work out any bugs

5/10w30 on going

thoughts/constructive comments?

peter

Reply to
peter
Loading thread data ...

Only a question, why?

You can use 5/10w30 from the beginning and there should be no need to drain before 500 miles.

Reply to
XS11E

That would be my advice as well, and many would call even that obsessive. Assuming we're talking about a rebuild here, and it was reassembled using appropriate lubricants, there's no reason to be overly concerned. The factory recommendation is for 10W30, BTW, and it's worked well for me from -10?F to 110?F.

Reply to
Lanny Chambers

The ostensible reason for HD 30 is to allow the rings to seat properly. Is it necessary? Don't know, as it depends on the various alloys (Rings, Pistons, Block)

I'm a bit doubtful about using 5w anything for initial break in.

Reply to
Chuck

No.

There's a bunch of theories going around about break-in, just remember almost every manufacturer uses synthetic 5w-30 for break-in, the exact same oil they recommend for continued use. That's gotta tell you something, they have to warranty the engine so they're not going to do anything to hurt it.

Reply to
XS11E

But not for a Miata. My manual says 10W-30.

Reply to
Lanny Chambers

and 5W-30 in winter, right?

Reply to
XS11E

The "warranty" has limits. It's not in the mfrs interest to have the engine last forever. Further, as I found out, using a high quality 10w-30 for break-in can extend break-in and result in some oil usage for longer than you might like on some engines.

As I said, there are too many unknowns to really say yea or nay. Metals, tolerances, depth of the cross hatch, etc. all come into play. The last Mazda engine (2.6l) (MPV) before the Miata went over 200 thousand. At 200k, it was using some oil, not excessive for that mileage, and emitted a bit of smoke until it warmed up. The American car engines I've had all lasted over 100k, and were doing well when I sold or traded the cars. The major secret it to simply change the oil and filter. Depending on use, this may be as few as 3,000 or as many as ~7,500. It's possible to go beyond that if the oil is synthetic, and you change the filter, and replace the oil lost in the filter change.

Forty or so years ago, I worked summers for a small town repair shop. We repaired and rebuilt everything from farm equipment to light single engine aircraft. (FAA inspectors and all that) One of the shop's side lines was very high quality welding. A product we were involved with was an oil filter system for trucks that was water cooled/heated. The filter element was nothing more than a roll of toilet paper, or layers of cotton cloth. The housing was made from cast aluminum, and had to be welded. An old german immigrant had a patent on the system. Seems that it was developed for use during WWII, as a means of reducing the need for oil replacement, and the need for a manufactured oil filter. The claim to fame was that you never "changed" the oil, just the filter media, and added makeup oil. The system worked quite well with the non detergent oils (SAE

20 & 30) and eng>
Reply to
Chuck

According to the owner's manual, 10W-30 is recommended down to -20?F.

5W-30 is only recommended (presumably to ease the cold-starting load) if the temperature won't exceed 32?F before the next oil change. I wonder how many Miatas are driven in weather colder than -20??
Reply to
Lanny Chambers

Yes, it actually is. Think about it....

Not if broken in properly.

Reply to
XS11E

With the top up or down?

Reply to
XS11E

Doesn't matter as long as you KEEP it up or down until it's over 48.

miker

Reply to
miker

I never had any trouble getting it up until I was over 70.... oh, you meant the top. Never mind....

Reply to
XS11E

Nope. The Dreaded Intake Thread comes first.

Reply to
Lanny Chambers

Mine is. It doesn't get below -20F very ofthen or for very long, but it's been there.

Reply to
Grant Edwards

What oil weight would you run in a turbo that is going to be run in temps that range from semi-warm to extremely hot?

I am using Mobile One 10W-30 now. Would a heavier oil be of any benefit during the hotter part of the year?

Thanks,

Pat

Reply to
pws

I doubt it, stick with the recommended.

Reply to
XS11E

That is what I figured, 10-30W has always served me well.

BTW, have you checked this Miata out? 1993 model, last year of the 1.6 liter engines in America. Your color, white, and with an automatic transmission.

formatting link
It's a bit pricey for a 1993 model, but it would probably look nice sitting in your driveway with your white wheels mounted on it. :-)

36,000 miles on a 1993 model is pretty nifty if the various seals are in good shape. That's about 2200 miles a year, not bad for a weekend toy, not good if it sat for years and/or rarely had the A/C run.

Pat

Reply to
pws

Nice! I really don't want an automatic, they wouldn't be as much fun and.....

I know I'm not going to be able to drive the Miata much longer but when that time comes I'll not be looking to replace it. I find I'm driving the van (2005 Buick Terraza) more and more as I want to have the scooter with me when I get where I'm going. I'm headed to Californicate next week with the van, I'll be visiting the San Diego zoo and I know from experience I can rent a scooter when I get there but from the parking lot to the area where they rent the scooters is farther than I can walk now, particularly since the handicap parking is often full and I may have to park waaaaaay away from the gate....

That's for sure! It looks a bit cleaner and nicer than mine but it's got 115,000 miles less which may have something to to with it.

He's in Lancaster, OH. The AC may have never run, it's easy to check, if it doesn't work the freon has all leaked out, if it does work the next step is to inspect the fittings, if it's been re-charged recently they'll be cleaner than the surrounding areas.

If I were interested I could fly to Columbus and drive down to my son's place in Wilmington, OH for a visit and home from there, that would be nice.... but I think the old '92 is going to have to do me.

Reply to
XS11E

As in "untrue story", Chuck. Sorry.

Reply to
XS11E

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.