Joe Gibbs Racing Oil

[AdrenalinJunkie]

As Joe 914 detailed earlier, we are re-assembling a RF88 Van Diemen. It's kinda like putting togethter a jigsaw puzzle, only without a picture or all of the pieces. My question is about oil. Anybody try thr Joe Gibbs stuff? What do the Cmod guys use for oil? What viscosity?

Thanks
- Ed

[PCalhoun]

As Joe 914 detailed earlier, we are re-assembling a RF88 Van Diemen. It's kinda like putting togethter a jigsaw puzzle, only without a picture or all of the pieces. My question is about oil. Anybody try thr Joe Gibbs stuff? What do the Cmod guys use for oil? What viscosity?

Thanks
- Ed

What I will tell you is don't use too heavy of oil, as you will always have problems getting it up to temperature before you spike the water in an auto-x environment. If you don't have an engine builder to rely on for information specific to your motor go w/ a good quality synthetic 5w30 w/ adequte zinc as the defacto oil for auto-x.

[Brian]

What engine is in the RF88? kent pushrod or OHC pinto? Anyway, Joe Gibbs Racing Oil is high quality oil, it will be fine for your needs. Overkill, probably. change and inspect the filter every weekend, and unless there is a problem change the oil once a season with that quality of oil. I used to use Motul, designed for endurance racing. For the temp issue I would like a lighter synthetic, but make sure you maintain a target oil pressure. The zinc additive issue is really related to the flat tappet cam in the kent pushrod engine, the sliding followers in the pinto don't really care.

Brian

[AdrenalinJunkie]

It's the kent 1600. I'm looking for a consensus on brand and viscosity. What are most people running in autox?

[Joe_914]

Ed, I think for autoX we can benefit from the 10W-30 as the motor will just be warmed up in grid and then 50 seconds of "hell-yea" then back to grid for 15 minutes to cool off.

maybe enough to get the oil to 180 degrees. certainly not above 200. and unless something is wrong NEVER see 210+

We were seeing 60+ PSI at just above idle with cold oil. and the quick revs to 4,000 RPM pushed the pressure to 80+ PSI

Got to get it up to temp under load. so this weekend we will find out. Forecast is for hot 80 degrees and humid as a MF-er.

[Clyde]

Oil is warmed up and cooled off and that produces water in the oil. Unless you get the oil temperature over 212 you will not eliminate the water! Water does not lubricate; get the oil temp over 212 or you will hurt the engine, no maybe about it.

[Dick R.]

Oil is warmed up and cooled off and that produces water in the oil. Unless you get the oil temperature over 212 you will not eliminate the water! Water does not lubricate; get the oil temp over 212 or you will hurt the engine, no maybe about it.

My engine builder was not happy when a brought him an engine he had refreshed in 1998 and I hadn't used much since 2002 with only one or maybe two oil changes after 2002. Plus numerous "garage" starts over the years. Something about "gunk" and other deposits on the pan, etc.

He told me to get it nice and warm for longer periods of time and to change the oil much more frequently, especially if I don't use it much. FYI he didn't see this problem when he rebuilt it in 98 following six years of heavy autox and Pro Solo use and probably annual oil changes.

He also said to change to a 180 thermostat versus the previous 160.

Dick