Fluid Change, What weight oil???

[Paul S]

I am going through a car I recently purchased and changing all the fluids. I did not get much information with the car so I am wondering what weight oil is used in the Pinto motor and LD 200 gearbox. I had thought to use Redline 10/30 in the Pinto and Redline MT-90 in the gearbox??? While I am asking, Castrol Brake fluid or Motul???

[2BWise]

I've always run Redline 40wt race oil and Redline Lightweight Shockproof in the trans. It was the suggestion of our resident FC expert and has worked great. Never any issues.

[HayesCages]

We and some of our customers use Redline "Race" oil in straight 40wt. for the engine
and Redline light-weight shock-proof oil in the gearbox.

Upon posting I see it's already been mentioned...

[kea]

Besides the two RedLine products mentioned, we use/recommend Cartel 580 brake fluid. The 580 degree dry boiling point and DOT 4 fluid is very stable and more then enough to handle the temperatures and conditions of any track in North America.
This is also the fluid LTD Motorsports uses in Rob's car.

[Paul S]

Thanks!!!!

[squirrelmonkey]

Hmmmm I don't have an oil cooler so I run my engines with 20W-50 Synthetic. Havn't blown one up ..Yet

[Jon Jeffords]

For those of you who use Redline "race oil", how many weekends do you run with it before an oil change? If memory serves me (which is rare), there are no detergent or acid neutralizers in the race oil, so the drain interval is something like 3 or 4 weekends. Sound about right?

[rickb99]

I've always run Redline 40wt race oil and Redline Lightweight Shockproof in the trans..

.....we use/recommend Cartel 580 brake fluid..

That's what we used in two Pinto powered FC's and never ever had an oiling/transaxle or brake issue with these products.

Get the Cartel product from Averill Racing Stuff. He's an Apexspeed advertiser and a base source of knowledge on FC's.

[HayesCages]

We change the filter every weekend and the oil every other.

[racerdad2]

I changed the oil & filter after 4 race days. Going up the filter change to new filter after 2 days next season. Oil & Filters are cheap insurance. It also gives you a chance to have the oil analysed. When you see metal floating in your oil, it's a bit too late.

[Rick Kirchner]

If you have any clash in the gearbox then going up to the redline heavyweight (red stuff) solves it. I've been using it for 10 years now, approx 5 races/yr, and have never had to replace a gear or dogs.

for oil, in general if you are using more than 30 wt you are losing HP. But, there's something to be said for an easy oil supply. M1 4T has a good additive package and is available just about everywhere and and at a reasonable price.

What we do is not hard on the oil at all. I change the filter whenever I have to pull the motor out and change the oil about halfway through the engine life (12 to 15 hrs). In reality, you're probably adding a half-quart of new every weekned, so there's the question of what's really being changed.....

When the motors gone for re-build I clean out the cooler, lines, and tank as well.

ATE blue (or gold) is a readily available brake fluid that's above most, and reasonably priced. Of course out here I don't have to woory much about moisture absorbtion as you do in FL.

[BeerBudgetRacing]

Anyone have a filter preference ?

[Charles Warner]

For a different opinion . . . . .

"as a lubricant, the redline products are garbage. everything made by everyone one else is far far better. in the hundreds of gboxes I worked on, I would end up servicing the " redline " clients 10 times more often than the clients that used any other brand oil and I saw the same wear characteristics in the motors as well. ring and pinion wear was categorically unacceptable. i wouldn't put it in anything at all under any circumstances."

For the full thread . . .

http://s2racing.yuku.com/topic/5291/Mk-9-Gears

[Frank Williamson]

Brake fluid - Castrol LMA, it has been rebranded as Castrol Brake Fluid DOT 4, zero issues with this.

Transaxle -Mobil 1 75-90wt Synthetic Gear Lubricant, shifts beautifully.

[Pop Chevy]

I cut my oil filters apart after every race weekend. Wix is the best I have seen as far as construction.

[DaveW]

Engine: Valvoline synthetic VR1 10W30
Trans: Valvoline synthetic 75W90
Brakes: Castrol LMA (Castrol Brake Fluid DOT 4)
Filters - NAPA Gold (made by Wix)

Engine - never an oil related issue in 30+ years (Kent, Pinto, Zetec)
Staffs Trans - original 10/31 R&P since 1994, still looks perfect
Brakes - very long life for seals and bores, no fluid-related brake issues

[DanW]

Napa Gold and Silver filters are made by Wix.

[BeerBudgetRacing]

Thanks - So Napa Gold (aka Wix) or Wix......

According to Oreillys (the expert is all things automotive) the Valvoline Vr1 is Conventional - not synthetic.... Did I miss something?

Interesting what Hewland says:
http://www.hewland.com/svga/faq.html

Second paragraph is the key. Translation:
Race lubes will give you more performance at the cost of wear. Conventional will cost you power but lubricate well....
Conclusion: Use conventional on a normal basis. Use redline for that $1mil prize race.

[DaveW]

Link to VR1 Synthetic:

http://www.valvoline.com/products/co...ic-motor-oil/8

And the 75W90 Valvoline Synthetic gear oil is, IMO, excellent for both wear and efficiency.

[BeerBudgetRacing]

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/wix-51515/overview/

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/wix-51515r/overview/

[DaveW]

FWIW, all Valvoline products are available through NAPA, along with the Wix-made filters. I have had no issues with the NAPA Gold filters - never used the special-for-racing Wix filters. I would assume that the for-racing filters have higher burst pressures, which we don't need with our stock-based engines.

[DaveW]

... Interesting what Hewland says:
http://www.hewland.com/svga/faq.html

Second paragraph is the key. Translation:
Race lubes will give you more performance at the cost of wear. Conventional will cost you power but lubricate well....
Conclusion: Use conventional on a normal basis. Use redline for that $1mil prize race.

IMO, that is old information and is not totally valid with today's premium synthetics which can have advantages in both drag and wear over conventional oils. If you are worried, Amsoil may be the best, but is a bit more expensive.

[BeerBudgetRacing]

IMO, that is old information and is not totally valid with today's premium synthetics which can have advantages in both drag and wear over conventional oils. If you are worried, Amsoil may be the best, but is a bit more expensive.

I think I mis-concluded

Conventional = readily available mineral and synthetic.....
Race = specific to racing.....

So use Mobile 1, Valvoline, etc regularly and RedLine for the big race.....

[BeerBudgetRacing]

FWIW, all Valvoline products are available through NAPA, along with the Wix-made filters. I have had no issues with the NAPA Gold filters - never used the special-for-racing Wix filters. I would assume that the for-racing filters have higher burst pressures, which we don't need with our stock-based engines.

Our last Napa store closed 2 years ago... nearest is 30 minutes...
We only have stores that can sell you parts if you know the year, make and model of your car. No thinking....


The "R" filter is slightly smaller and filters 61 microns as opposed to the standards 19.
All the other specs are the same....

So the R must flow better.....

[DaveW]

I think I mis-concluded

Conventional = readily available mineral and synthetic.....
Race = specific to racing.....

So use Mobile 1, Valvoline, etc regularly and RedLine for the big race.....

You still have to be careful with street engine oils - they tend to have very low levels of ZDDP and other antiwear additives which at high levels can ruin the catalytic converter.

Also, I take conventional to mean non-synthetic, although now the line between non-synthetic and synthetic is a bit blurred because a) they are often mixed for semi-synthetics, and b) a lot of additives to non-synthetics are themselves synthetic.

[Modo]

I second that ............. wow if u can get a high horse formula car ride, the oil, is not a problem!!!! laughing

[BeerBudgetRacing]

You still have to be careful with street engine oils - they tend to have very low levels of ZDDP and other antiwear additives which at high levels can ruin the catalytic converter.

Interesting post on oil comparisons. Still sorting through it. They suggest there can be too much ZDDP. (I think Lucas was the highest)
http://speedtalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=28365

Joe Gibbs 10W30 XP3 Racing Oil (anyone have experience with this)
seems to have lots of Moly and not an excess of Zinc compared to others.....
I think Elite sells it too...

Still

[Numbskull XIV]

My engine builder just rebuilt my engine and recommended running 20W-50 oil.

Here is what I am going to run:

Valvoline VR1 synthetic 20W-50 Engine oil
Wix oil filter (51515R is too long so I'm going to try 51348)
Valvoline 75W-90 synthetic gear oil

I've talked to a bunch of people and they all swear by Valoline, so +1 to what DaveW said.

[DaveW]

Interesting post on oil comparisons. Still sorting through it. They suggest there can be too much ZDDP. (I think Lucas was the highest)
http://speedtalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=28365

Joe Gibbs 10W30 XP3 Racing Oil (anyone have experience with this)
seems to have lots of Moly and not an excess of Zinc compared to others.....
I think Elite sells it too...

Still

Phew - interesting. All those numbers are way beyond my ability to determine what is actually best. So, I guess use what people have success with, and/or what your engine builder suggests. I used to use the Valvoline "not street legal" 5W30 (no longer available), and now I use Valvoline Synthetic VR1, 10W30. Both have seemed to give me good results.

[BeerBudgetRacing]

Sometimes too much info is a bad thing.

It's like parenting. Sometimes its best to look around for the parents of the kids nobody notices and see what they're doing.....

[Albatross]

WELL......., there have been many comments as to what choices will be suitable for you to use, all of them good. Now, do like the rest of us! Go to the NEAREST auto parts store to your home: Napa, O'Reillys, EZ Auto products, Joes', whatever, and see what they sell for the best (cheapest) price and buy by the case. Pick a 100% synthetic oil that has 1200ppm zink either 10W30, 30W,40W or 20W50.... We seem to go through this topic every 6 months

[DaveW]

My engine builder just rebuilt my engine and recommended running 20W-50 oil.

Here is what I am going to run:

Valvoline VR1 synthetic 20W-50 Engine oil
Wix oil filter (51515R is too long so I'm going to try 51348)
Valvoline 75W-90 synthetic gear oil

I've talked to a bunch of people and they all swear by Valoline, so +1 to what DaveW said.

Couple of things:

a) VR1 Synthetic 20W50 seems too heavy - I haven't run 20W50 since FVee days (I do use it in my '74 G30 Chevy Van tow vehicle). They have VR1 Synthetic 5W30 and 10W30, which are very similar to each other.
b) Excellent small NAPA Gold (Wix) filter that I use - NAPA Part # FIL 1374