Help with OiL math?
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csoluri92Q
- Posts: 35
- Joined: Wed Jul 31, 2002 2:23 am
- Car: Wine Collecting and my burgundy 92 Q with forged 17 x 8 SSR wheels
Help with OiL math?
I know there have been numerous posts regarding the synthetic oils. I have been running the Mobil 1 with the MOA additive for over a year now. However, I started getting some lifter tick shortly after using the mobil 1. I want to give the Valvoline Synpower a try based in the info from Palmerwmd. With 134k on the engine and summer coming up, I would like to go with a heavier weight oil than 10W-30. My question is this: If you mix 3 qts of 10W-30 with 3 qts of 20W-50, do you end up with 15W-40. If so, it would seem to be an ideal mixture. Thanks!
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Q45tech
- Moderator
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- Car: 1990 Q45 342,400 miles 22 years ownership with original engine
1995 G20t 5 speed 334,000 miles 16" 2002 wheels - 205/50/16 Sr20ve vvl
The way viscosity is tested probably yes......equal amounts would create something that behaved like the average.Just don't go mixing brand as the additive chemstry may be different and interreact and fight against each other.
Again you need to measure your hot idle oil pressure to make sure what ever you use creates a situation where the minimum HOT idle pressure exceeds 14 psi WORST CASE [brand new oil brand new filter].
Again you need to measure your hot idle oil pressure to make sure what ever you use creates a situation where the minimum HOT idle pressure exceeds 14 psi WORST CASE [brand new oil brand new filter].
The way the math works yes you can mix visocsities.BUT they HAVE to be from the same brand, especially never mix 2 oils with such widely different additive packages as SynPower and MOBIL1.If you aim for a 40 weight I prefer you use a premade weight like SynPower 5w-40 or MOBIL1 0w-40.
Or any of these oils:http://www.nissaninfiniticlub....229.1
Fred...
Or any of these oils:http://www.nissaninfiniticlub....229.1
Fred...
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greg_atlanta
- Posts: 1111
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- Car: 2008 G35 Journey Sedan, silver/black (no sunroof), 1992 Q45 (in a past life)
Re: Help with OiL math?
csoluri92Q wrote:However, I started getting some lifter tick shortly after using the mobil 1.
That's funny... I started getting a ticking noise (or "hla clatter") after using new Mobil 1 formulation. Per T-3 this is normal for older Q, but gotta wonder........ Was previously using Valvoline full synthetic and didn't notice any noises.
I was running conventional oil (whatever T-3 uses, I think Valvoline 5W-30) from January to April, just changed to Valvoine Durablend 10W-40 (conventional base oil with more additives).
I think I'm through with fancy oils... at 185K miles it's not going to do much. My car burns very little oil now, conventional or synthetic. Can't ask for more than that!
:icesangel
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autotech43
- Posts: 130
- Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2003 2:14 pm
WHAT IS SYNTHETIC OIL? Conventional oils come from crude petroleum oil pumped out of natural deposits. Crude oil consists of haphazard combinations of carbon atoms. In an oil refinery, these chains of atoms are separated to form various products ranging from thick tar to thinner lubricating oil and liquid gasoline. Impurities are mostly removed, and additives are blended in to improve certain characteristics.
Synthetic motor oils are created by combining pure chemicals into uniform molecules. While some of these chemicals originally came from crude oil, they have been completely separated into their purest elements before being recombined in the manufacturing process. Additives are built into the structure of the synthetic lubricant, rather than being mixed in afterwards.(1)Synthetics contain virtually no contaminants(2)Their smooth, uniform molecules are better at reducing friction. This uniform structure also helps synthetics resist thinning in heat and thickening in cold(3)Synthetics are easily customized to meet many different lubricating needs.
When – and when not to use synthetic lubricants!
Your customers have seen the commercials-an engine running on and on after it’s been drained of synthetic oil, or burnt-to-a-crisp pan of conventional oil on a stovetop. As more performance-orientated buyers enter your customer base, you’re likely to be asked for the truth about synthetic lubricants. Here are the do’s and don’ts associated with these modern marvels, from the Infiniti/Nissan engineering department.
They cost three to five times more than conventional oils, but major marketing campaigns have convinced many customers that synthetic engine oils are worth the investment. It doesn’t hurt that every Porsche, Corvette, Aston Martin, Mercedes Benz AMG, and Dodge Viper comes factory filled with Mobil1 synthetic engine oil. But are these products right for Nissan and Infiniti vehicles?
Owners may be eager to start “improving” their new vehicle right away, but you should caution them against any immediate switch to synthetic motor oil. According to Jim Blenkham, and engine expert with Nissan’s product engineering investigations department, Nissan and Infiniti engines should continue to use conventional oil through the engine break-in period—that’s generally until the first scheduled oil change.
A Matter Of Choice……After engine break-in, whether or not to use synthetic engine oil is a decision for the individual owner. “We use them in race cars. Synthetics have better high-temperature properties than standard motor oils. That’s an absolute,”asserts Blenkam.
But he cautions, you still must stick to the maintenance interval specified in the owner’s manual. That’s because engine oil does more than just lubricate moving parts. It also holds, or suspends, the carbon particles, moisture, and acids that form within the engine as normal by-products of combustion. “And those are the items that, over time, can cause physical wear in an engine. Even though the synthetic lubricant may not break down as much over time, it’s still carrying all those particles through your engine,” Blenkam explains. Changing your oil is the only way to remove these elements.
So synthetics cost more to begin with, and you need to change them just as often as conventional engine oil. Is the extra expense justified by extended engine life? Perhaps. If you assume that engine oil is completely responsible for engine service life then, according to Blenkham, the type of oil you use would account for about 20% of that service life. But your oil change interval would account for fully 80% if the engine’s longevity.
Of course, any engine oil used in a Nissan or Infiniti product must meet the API ratings and viscosity requirements specified in the owner’s manual. And any vehicle driven hard enough to warrant the use of synthetic probably fits the definition for the severe service (shortened) maintenance schedule.
Switching gears….Synthetic lubricants are also made for other vehicle components. Manual transmissions, transfer cases, and differentials use higher viscosity gear lubricants and have much longer (or even no) lubricant change intervals, so they might seem candidates for synthetic lubricants.But Blenkham cautions against the use of synthetic gear lubricants in Nissan/Infiniti manual transmissions. “Sometimes, when you put a synthetic lubricant into a transmission that seemed to be shifting perfectly normally, they’ll grind gears,”he says. That’s because the synthetic is actually too slippery, and doesn’t allow the synchronizers to do their job. This problem is not universal, and is more common when drivers shift very quickly. But it’s enough for Blenkham to turn thumbs down on the use of synthetics in manual transmissions.For gear cases without synchronized shifting mechanisms( such as differentials and transfer cases), “There’s no downside to using a synthetic gear lube,”he says. Like synthetic engine oils, “they perform better, they have better lubricity, they have better high temperature properties.’(“Lubricity”denotes slippery-ness or friction ability.)
Not just for Racers…High-performance vehicles may come to mind when discussing the value of synthetic lubricants, but that’s not their only application. Any type of vehicle operation that leads to higher-than-normal temperatures—such as towing a trailer—can benefit from the high-temperature stability of a synthetic lubricant.The question comes down to individual preference. Blenkham sums it up:”When you want to get maximum performance, synthetics are better. However, there’s a cost penalty associated with that.”
Synthetic motor oils are created by combining pure chemicals into uniform molecules. While some of these chemicals originally came from crude oil, they have been completely separated into their purest elements before being recombined in the manufacturing process. Additives are built into the structure of the synthetic lubricant, rather than being mixed in afterwards.(1)Synthetics contain virtually no contaminants(2)Their smooth, uniform molecules are better at reducing friction. This uniform structure also helps synthetics resist thinning in heat and thickening in cold(3)Synthetics are easily customized to meet many different lubricating needs.
When – and when not to use synthetic lubricants!
Your customers have seen the commercials-an engine running on and on after it’s been drained of synthetic oil, or burnt-to-a-crisp pan of conventional oil on a stovetop. As more performance-orientated buyers enter your customer base, you’re likely to be asked for the truth about synthetic lubricants. Here are the do’s and don’ts associated with these modern marvels, from the Infiniti/Nissan engineering department.
They cost three to five times more than conventional oils, but major marketing campaigns have convinced many customers that synthetic engine oils are worth the investment. It doesn’t hurt that every Porsche, Corvette, Aston Martin, Mercedes Benz AMG, and Dodge Viper comes factory filled with Mobil1 synthetic engine oil. But are these products right for Nissan and Infiniti vehicles?
Owners may be eager to start “improving” their new vehicle right away, but you should caution them against any immediate switch to synthetic motor oil. According to Jim Blenkham, and engine expert with Nissan’s product engineering investigations department, Nissan and Infiniti engines should continue to use conventional oil through the engine break-in period—that’s generally until the first scheduled oil change.
A Matter Of Choice……After engine break-in, whether or not to use synthetic engine oil is a decision for the individual owner. “We use them in race cars. Synthetics have better high-temperature properties than standard motor oils. That’s an absolute,”asserts Blenkam.
But he cautions, you still must stick to the maintenance interval specified in the owner’s manual. That’s because engine oil does more than just lubricate moving parts. It also holds, or suspends, the carbon particles, moisture, and acids that form within the engine as normal by-products of combustion. “And those are the items that, over time, can cause physical wear in an engine. Even though the synthetic lubricant may not break down as much over time, it’s still carrying all those particles through your engine,” Blenkam explains. Changing your oil is the only way to remove these elements.
So synthetics cost more to begin with, and you need to change them just as often as conventional engine oil. Is the extra expense justified by extended engine life? Perhaps. If you assume that engine oil is completely responsible for engine service life then, according to Blenkham, the type of oil you use would account for about 20% of that service life. But your oil change interval would account for fully 80% if the engine’s longevity.
Of course, any engine oil used in a Nissan or Infiniti product must meet the API ratings and viscosity requirements specified in the owner’s manual. And any vehicle driven hard enough to warrant the use of synthetic probably fits the definition for the severe service (shortened) maintenance schedule.
Switching gears….Synthetic lubricants are also made for other vehicle components. Manual transmissions, transfer cases, and differentials use higher viscosity gear lubricants and have much longer (or even no) lubricant change intervals, so they might seem candidates for synthetic lubricants.But Blenkham cautions against the use of synthetic gear lubricants in Nissan/Infiniti manual transmissions. “Sometimes, when you put a synthetic lubricant into a transmission that seemed to be shifting perfectly normally, they’ll grind gears,”he says. That’s because the synthetic is actually too slippery, and doesn’t allow the synchronizers to do their job. This problem is not universal, and is more common when drivers shift very quickly. But it’s enough for Blenkham to turn thumbs down on the use of synthetics in manual transmissions.For gear cases without synchronized shifting mechanisms( such as differentials and transfer cases), “There’s no downside to using a synthetic gear lube,”he says. Like synthetic engine oils, “they perform better, they have better lubricity, they have better high temperature properties.’(“Lubricity”denotes slippery-ness or friction ability.)
Not just for Racers…High-performance vehicles may come to mind when discussing the value of synthetic lubricants, but that’s not their only application. Any type of vehicle operation that leads to higher-than-normal temperatures—such as towing a trailer—can benefit from the high-temperature stability of a synthetic lubricant.The question comes down to individual preference. Blenkham sums it up:”When you want to get maximum performance, synthetics are better. However, there’s a cost penalty associated with that.”
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csoluri92Q
- Posts: 35
- Joined: Wed Jul 31, 2002 2:23 am
- Car: Wine Collecting and my burgundy 92 Q with forged 17 x 8 SSR wheels
Thanks for all the great feedback guys. I just changed the oil & filter in the Q again. I'm now running the unique Valvoline SynPower 15W-40 (mix of 10w-30 & 20w-50) with a Mobil 1 Oil filter. I also put in some MOA which I have been running with the mobil 1 oil. I sure hope the ticking noise disappears! I will keep you guys posted.
MOBIL1 has a history for allowing lifter noises.perhaps cuz in its most popular weights 0w-30,5w-30,10w-30, it runs on the thin side of the speced viscosities.
its clearly a good oil, nonetheless, in its new supersyn (2k1/2k2) formulation, I never liked their older trisyn formulation a lot..
I think your lifter noise will disappear with Valvoline SynPower 5w-40, MOBIL1 0w-40 or any of these:http://www.nissaninfiniticlub....229.1
Fred..
its clearly a good oil, nonetheless, in its new supersyn (2k1/2k2) formulation, I never liked their older trisyn formulation a lot..
I think your lifter noise will disappear with Valvoline SynPower 5w-40, MOBIL1 0w-40 or any of these:http://www.nissaninfiniticlub....229.1
Fred..
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csoluri92Q
- Posts: 35
- Joined: Wed Jul 31, 2002 2:23 am
- Car: Wine Collecting and my burgundy 92 Q with forged 17 x 8 SSR wheels
Well, the verdict is in!! After a few days of running the Valvoline SynPower 15w-40, the ticking noise is almost completely gone. I must say that I am quite surprised (and pleased) at the results. Once again, the information and people on this board have proved to be invaluable. I'm sure that Mobil 1 is good oil (which is why I used it in the first place), but it won't see the inside of my Q45 engine again. Thanks again guys!!!!
