[Daboom48]

What do you guys think about Motul 300V 5W-40 Power Race Oil... I am going to track this car... I'm going to drive it to work... I may drive it to the grocery store..

Are we all over thinking this but would this oil be an awesome choice for this engine?

[thompstl1]

Originally Posted by Daboom48

What do you guys think about Motul 300V 5W-40 Power Race Oil... I am going to track this car... I'm going to drive it to work... I may drive it to the grocery store..

Are we all over thinking this but would this oil be an awesome choice for this engine?

The bulk of the miles I’ll put on my ZL1 will be around town or short trips. For that, I’ll use a Dexos 1 oil (just as recommended; this may be one that is currently Dexos 1 approved or has been approved in the recent past).The Dexos 1 oil I use may be Mobil 1, Valvoline, Pennzoil, or similar.I plan to use a “full” synthetic rather than a blended synthetic (a study all in itself).

When I race, I plan to do just what our Performance Manual suggests.I’ll switch to a Dexos 2 oil, of the same brand names, full synthetic.I’ll switch back to Dexos 1 soon after the racing event.
I believe the Dexos 2 has more anti-wear additives, but at the expense of being a catalytic converter poison. I plan to keep my converters, and I believe the additional additives aren’t contributors to anti-wear during the lower stresses of day to day driving.
I also believe no-one has the single answer of which oil is “best” for our specific vehicle. To know conclusively would require a scientifically structured study of a statistically significant number of our cars.I believe if we use any of the top brands, in the correct weighting, we will all have successful results and no failures directly related to the oil itself.

My 2 cents, and worth just about that much!

[msawyer110]

Gonna use amsoil. I use it in all my vehicles

[cwebster]

Originally Posted by msawyer110

Gonna use amsoil. I use it in all my vehicles

I'm gonna use Amsoil engine oil too. I used it in my 5th Gen 1LE and was very happy with it.

Whether you have the LT1 in the SS or the LT4 in the ZL1, Dexos2 0W-40 or 5W-40 is recommended in the HP Supplement for any type of "competitive driving". The 0W-40 would be better for colder climates as it will flow better than 5W-40 before the engine warms up, when a lot of the normal wear usually occurs. When racing, the 40W viscosity helps keep the oil pressure up and better lubricates bearings and internal components at sustained high temps.

I used one of my free oil changes at 600 miles and later learned that the service dept will always use 5W-30 Dexos1, not really suitable for racing. When I started looking for the Dexos2 0W-40 and 5W-40 oils back in Jan I could find nothing in the US. As others have said, Dexos2 appears to be available only in European markets. So far, I've found zero Dexos2 0W-40 available in the US. However, Amzoil DOES offer 5W-40 that meets the Dexos2 spec. I bought a case of 4 gal. and filters. Changing oil more often than recommended is cheap insurance, especially if you drive it hard.

European Car Formula 5W-40 Improved ESP Synthetic Motor Oil
Case of 4 Gal: $119.00 (preferred pricing}
Product Code: AFL1G-CA

Absolute Efficiency Oil Filter
Each: $12.95 (preferred pricing)
Product Code: EA15K50-EA

I'm changing my engine oil, filter, and differential gear oil after going to the drag strip this weekend. This will be the 3rd time changing gear oil. I first changed it at about 800 miles to remove any grit from initial break-in. HP Supplement recommends changing it after each racing event. Because descriptions of the recommended lubricant I've read mentioned additives for the eLSD, I went with the listed Dexron LS Gear Oil (GM Part No. 88862624) instead of "improved" alternatives. I used 2 qts.

ACDelco Dexron LS Gear Oil [75W-90]
Each: $23.83
GM Part No. 88862624

My take-away from all I've read in the GM manuals, forums, and various on-line resources for racing and engine building/tuning; is that you can use the lower viscosity oil (5W-30) to maximize horse power at the drag strip as long as you don't do a lot of hot-lapping. For sustained high-temp motor sports like road racing, you'll need to go with the higher viscosities to maintain oil pressure and protect engine bearings and internals. Bottom line is if you're worried about engine wear you should go with the higher viscosities. It's worth a few HP to protect the engine over the long-term.

I'm more than a little upset with GM for requiring the Dexos2 spec. but not ensuring there is a ready supply of it for US customers. You can't even order it through GM Parts/Service at the dealership! I have submitted a line of questions to my dealership's racing team on this topic. If they give me something useful I'll report back.

GM Dexos2 Licensed Brands:
The list is obviously incomplete and/or not updated - another of my gripes with GM.

Brand Name               Supplier         Spec   Viscosity Region
# 0W-40
Castrol EDGE             Castrol Ltd.     dexos2 0W-40     Global
Mobil 1™ ESP             ExxonMobil       dexos2 0W-40     Global
# 5W-40
Castrol EDGE             Castrol Ltd.     dexos2 5W-40     Global
Castrol Magnatec C3      Castrol Ltd.     dexos2 5W-40     Global
Castrol Magnatec 
Professional OE          Castrol Ltd.     dexos2 5W-40     Global 
Havoline Pro DS™ Fully 
Synthetic Euro Motor Oil Chevron Products dexos2 5W-40     Global
Havoline Pro DS™ Fully 
Synthetic LE             Chevron Products dexos2 5W-40     Global
Havoline Ultra S         Chevron Products dexos2 5W-40     Global
Mobil Super 3000 
Formula G                ExxonMobil Oil   dexos2 5W-40     Global
Valvoline SynPower 
MST C3                   Ashland, Inc.    dexos2 5W-40     Global
Valvoline SynPower® MST 
Full Synthetic           Ashland, Inc.    dexos2 5W-40     Global

##!! None of these are available in US at 0W-40 or 5W-40


Have fun with it!
--Cal


More reading on racing oils - viscosity and other factors:

How It Works: Driven Racing Oil
(good write-up on viscosities and dry-vs-wet sump engines)

Bad Ass Cars: What is the best oil to use in my performance engine?
(good info on oil weights/viscosities)

Engine Builder Magazine: Picking a Racing Oil
(Detailed discussion on viscosities for different applications)

Engine Builder Magazine: Performance engines built for racing deserve the best possible lubrication...
(Why lower viscosity oils are better for drag racing)

[Redlinez]

Glad I found this thread! I was searching for the "magical race oil" and wasn't finding much. Thanks! Time to call my Napa hookup. Otherwise, I'm using the GM 5/30 part #88865635 that I got at $3.78 a quart (dealer employee).

[cwebster]

Originally Posted by Redlinez

Glad I found this thread! I was searching for the "magical race oil" and wasn't finding much. Thanks! Time to call my Napa hookup. Otherwise, I'm using the GM 5/30 part #88865635 that I got at $3.78 a quart (dealer employee).

Napa doesn't sell any Dexos 2 oil that I'm aware of. Neither does GM. I specifically asked Chevy Service Dept. See my links above.

[Infern0]

Originally Posted by Redlinez

Glad I found this thread! I was searching for the "magical race oil" and wasn't finding much. Thanks! Time to call my Napa hookup. Otherwise, I'm using the GM 5/30 part #88865635 that I got at $3.78 a quart (dealer employee).

FYI that's standard 5w-30 - not the dexos 2 40 weight recommended for track.

[JeromeS13]

Originally Posted by cwebster

Napa doesn't sell any Dexos 2 oil that I'm aware of. Neither does GM. I specifically asked Chevy Service Dept. See my links above.

Napa DOES sell Valvoline MST 5W-40, which is Dexos2 certified.

[cwebster]

Originally Posted by JeromeS13

Napa DOES sell Valvoline MST 5W-40, which is Dexos2 certified.

Ahh, you're right. I just found a reference to it: Valvoline Synpower

I did a lot of searching even before I took delivery in December and no one at that time was selling Dexos 2 except Amsoil. I always provide a reference here when I learn something new.

It's good to finally get some options. GM didn't even see fit to provide the oil they require. I'm still going to stick with Amsoil, though. It's always worked well for me in the past.

[JeromeS13]

Originally Posted by cwebster

Ahh, you're right. I just found a reference to it: Valvoline Synpower

I did a lot of searching even before I took delivery in December and no one at that time was selling Dexos 2 except Amsoil. I always provide a reference here when I learn something new.

It's good to finally get some options. GM didn't even see fit to provide the oil they require. I'm still going to stick with Amsoil, though. It's always worked well for me in the past.

Motul X-Clean 5W-40 has been around for a while, too. That's what I've been using.

[cwebster]

Originally Posted by JeromeS13

Motul X-Clean 5W-40 has been around for a while, too. That's what I've been using.

Once again, here's an actual reference to prove it's Dexos 2 compliant: 8100 X-clean 5W-40

Where were you guys back in Dec/Jan when I was asking around? Neither the Synpower or Motul Dexos 2 oils were listed on GM's Dexos site or anywhere in these forums. No one seemed to have a clue back then. GM could/should have greased the skids a lot better before introducing models that require the high viscosity Dexos 2 blends. Anyway, it's good that we've finally got more options.

--Cal

[JeromeS13]

Originally Posted by cwebster

Once again, here's an actual reference to prove it's Dexos 2 compliant: 8100 X-clean 5W-40

Where were you guys back in Dec/Jan when I was asking around? Neither the Synpower or Motul Dexos 2 oils were listed on GM's Dexos site or anywhere in these forums. No one seemed to have a clue back then. GM could/should have greased the skids a lot better before introducing models that require the high viscosity Dexos 2 blends. Anyway, it's good that we've finally got more options.

--Cal

This thread was started back in January:

http://www.camaro6.com/forums/showth...ighlight=motul

[laynlo15]

I just bought 0-20 Royal Purple for mine.

[Redlinez]

When I said otherwise, I meant my normal daily driving. I'm only gonna run that Syn MST for track runs and will probably leave it in til my next change. Can't see wasting money when the oil is fine. My owner's manual does not state the Valvoline MST or Mobil 1 ESP have to meet Dexos2. I mean, good luck even finding the Mobil!