John..

Any recommendations here? I have nearly 1500 miles on the car. Would it be alright to switch over to M1 now?

Lagavulin

Since the recommendation is to use organic oil so that the rings can seal in their bore, I would do a leak-down and compression test to check whether or not it has happened yet. Without a doubt, you'll know one way or another and won't have to worry about second guessing yourself.

Can't wait to see some dyno numbers from that twin-turbo bastard! :-)

Brent 89-GT

There are lots of new cars that come with synthectics as a factory fill. I am not sure you can go wrong. besides, after a couple thousand miles, Mobil One is no better than dino anyway.

Lagavulin

Z06's come with Mobil 1 5W-30 as their factory fill. However, the engines are assembled and filled with organic oil and broken in for 30 minutes; afterwards, the break-in oil is drained and then filled with Mobil 1.

I suspect other companies 'break in' their engines the same way.

That is certainly debatable.

John..

The synthetic has HUGE advantages with a turbocharged car becasue of the inherent heat in the turbocharger bearing housings. I have 210,000 miles on my Audi and it has been on M1 since 60,000 miles. That car uses less than 1 quart of oil in 5000 miles in the winter...less in the summer.

The Bastard will get the M1 diet, the question is "how soon?"

Brent 89-GT

I guess if you went with the Corvette engineers who run 30 minutes, 1500 miles should be more than enough. I do like the suggestion of an actual tests though. You have put lots of time and money into the car.

I don't want to start another oil debate but, it bugs me when everyone assumes M1 is the holy grail. It isn't even made from fully synthetic stocks anymore. It has been beat up by competing oils so many times in the lab, I am surprised they can even sell the stuff. To each his own however.

John..

I have considered other oils, but M1 is the easiest to find. There is a store here that sells Lubro-Moly...straight from Germany. I may use that, but not sure just yet. Then you have AmsOil and Redline....so many options.

Mitch Johnson

I prefer Valvoline synthetic personally, my daily driver has run on it since the first change over 176,000 miles ago.

Doug Hillary

Hi John,
Just another humble opinion and some advice for your consideration

The leak/down-compression testing suggested would assist your knowledge of "bed-in" but I suggest the following instead/as well:

Change the oil and filter now and refill with a CH4/SG> ( diesel ) oil of 15w-40 viscosity and run for about 500 miles. Continuing the "running in" process of course, no doubt a little more "spirited" as the miles climb. This OC should clear any further assembly "debris" and any residual wear metal(s) contamination from the initial "running in" process and this oil will inhibit the build up of any initial deposits in the turbo-charger and seals areas

Then, change to a synthetic oil OF YOUR CHOICE - the engine will have done more than 2000 miles in total at that stage. Make sure your choice has A3-96>/B3-96> on the container

You suggest MI but do not say what grade. You could also consider Mobil's fully synthetic Delvac 1 5w-40 diesel oil which would be suitable for your engine - this oil does not need the A3/B3 designations as it exceeds them and is ideal for engines operating in arduous conditions. It is formulated especially for engines with very high compression loads and turbocharged, it has an excellent High Temp/High Shear viscosity rating at 150C

M1 was the most common oil used by 928 owners in a recent RENNLIST survey

It is obvious that there is still a lot of misconceptions about synthetic engine and gear lubricants generally and M1 in particular. Sad really since they have been produced since the mid 1930s' and the world's airlines for instance would be grounded without them!

As you commented on, your results with M1 speak for themselves - from first hand exposure. Results in use and facts are the best to deal with!

Best of Luck

chris928

Doug,

sounds as if you have oil running through your veins

Porsche is one of those companies who sends out their cars with M1 from the factory.

I think break in has a lot to do with the specifics of the rings and cylinder wall material.

The leak down suggestion is the key.

Doug Hillary

Hi Chris,

Yes, M1 is an initial fill - and has been at Porsche since 1992 - but it also has a lot to do with the initial manufacturing and the rebuild tolerances, and the initial "running in" techniques at the point of build/rebuild

I have been involved in monitoring new engines during run in ( a Euro maker or two - no names ) at the factory test cells - from initial start up to cool down - and how they treat them would curl your hair!

Metallurgy no doubt plays a role too and there is some question over the actual oil base composition and the additive package used in the initial factory fill synthetic oil

Blood or oil - well, ask any old auto enthusiast - but yes, I have been fortunate to have some opportunities in my life but at 64 it is important to still have an open and inquisitive mind. I hope I have !!

And of course the desire to drive the 928 like it should be driven

Regards

T_MaX

I like Lagavulin idea, if your worried about it.

Doug Hillary, has some good ideas as well!

I switched to Syn. at about 1K after the DEVEK rebuild (Royal Purple). I've got about 5k on this oil change, with zero oil usage.

FWIW, all motors are differant even in same make, model and year, IMHO.

Normy

John......you're kind of on your own at this point....one of the few bad points of totally modifying your factory engine.

Light aircraft engines.....specifically the O-320's that the typical Piper Warrior or Cessna 172 might contain are 5.3 liter carburated air cooled 4 cylinder pushrod engines. They operate at 2700 rpm due to propellor restrictions....but they are serviced differently according to some stringent FAA

[FAA = ****..]

requirements. They require 50 weight mineral oil after the first 100 hours of use. This use of straight-weight mineral oil [read: similar to typical US automotive oil, non multi-vis] is for "setting" the rings....


I would bet that turbos....and all M28 engines would benefit from this..

In 1991, I had a student at the flight school [FSI Academy in Vero Beach, Florida] who was a Korean national and a chemical/petroleum engineer. He told me that typical street engines DO NOT need the adantages that the high priced synthetics then in vogue required. He said that unless I was planning on running a high boost or racing engine in my Scirocco, that I would be wasting my money to use synthetic.

A college professor at Embry-Riddle also told me that oil tends to develop "kudos", or deposits. These deposits, according to him, were inconsequential until the oil was changed to a different type....then they would work themselves loose and literally...block up anything!

Well, a new engine....it shouldn't matter. Change it now. Oil is cheap isurance

B safe-

Normy!
'85 S2 5 Speed

dr bob

My limited experience:

The first hard throttle application will seat the rings. If it doesn't, you might as well tear the sucker down and re-ring it. These are NOT chrome rings in hardened bores, so the mating dance is very short.

After that, "break-in" is the same as the first stages of "wear out". After the rings, all that's left is bearings, and you definitely do not want to break them in. Drive the car for 30 mins and change the oil to M1 or whatever you'll be using forever. Change again at 100 miles, at 1000, and then at whatever your personal oil change interval preference is. These early oil drains get any break-in particles out, including any combustion debris that sneaks by the unseated rings. The filres will get --almost-- all the stuff, but particle smaller than 5 microns will go through freely. That might include some of the ash that gets past the rings early on.

Bought a new truck, drove it home from the dealer and changed the oil to synthetic. Replaced the rocker gaskets at 120k, insides look like new. No varnish, no yellow film, wipe the rocker shafts with a towel and they are bright and new looking. Pulled a head to replace a gasket (external coolant leak) to find that the original hone marks are intact in the bores, no ridge of course, all looked pretty much new. Engine uses less than half a quart between 5k mile changes, with 190k on the meter today. Includes towing, in-town driving, soCal commuting (perhaps the harshest environment for an engine...), and duty in line at the drive-through. You get the idea. I sold my Saab Turbo at about 300k, lifetime synthetic diet, still ran great. uffice it to say that I'm a believer.

My two sense.

John..

I've decided on Lubro Moly 5W-40 oil for the car. It is a bit more expensive, but from what I have read it is superior to M1 and can be run 10,000 miles. I'm off to Spradlin's to pick up 9 liters of it with an oil filter.