DreamCarrera

+1

I use 0w-40 in my 2000 C2 and will continue to do so until I hear otherwise from Porsche.

The bottom line for me is that Porsche is the expert on these engines and I cannot see what their motivation would be in steering us wrong. Sure they have a relationship with Mobil, but Mobile makes a wide variety of oil viscosities. If Porsche felt that Mobil 1 15w-50 was a better choice, they would recommend it.

blake

Ray S - WTF? please re-read my post. Are you familiar with Synergy Racing? http://www.synergyracing.com/ They manage GT3 Cups for privateers running in IMSA. Is this random internet speculation? I think not...

I appreciate your "bravado", but am still searching for some substance behind it...

Thanks,
-Blake

bgiere

I think these oil discussions are quite funny lately...Why,oh why, would Porsche (or any other manufacturer) recommend and approve an oil and/or viscosity range that is detrimental to their engines? Would it be because they like warranty claims? Maybe they enjoy the damage to their reputation that comes with engine problems? Conspiracy whackos aside, does anyone really believe that the testing that Porsche, VW,Mercedes and BMW have subjected M1 0w40 to is "marketing"? If you don't like that flavor, pick one of the other 162 oils that are on the "approval list".

blake

Alright, rather than get involved in this riduculous holy war - I'll contact Synergy on Monday and find out what the hell is going on. I'll post what they have to say to continue this wave of unsubstantiated internet speculation...

-B

BruceP

I don't think he was referring to you, although I could be wrong. There are some very strong anti-Porsche opinions on this subject here, and those who hold them tend to use belligerent rhetoric in the place of evidence.

Ray S

Bravado?? Please, I wasn't even refering to you.. You asked for advice and I gave you mine.

Ok, how's this for substance, Porsche (the company who made your engine) publishes a list of oils for the motors. Like Brant says, do you think they like warranty claims? They have obviously done testing and determined the best oils for their motors.

Not enough?? How about Excellence Magazine? The April 2007 issue addresses the 0W-40 "oil" topic. Two technical experts claim that newer Porsches require the thinner oil to ensure proper VarioCam function.

On page 34 a reader asks a question about using 10W-40 oil (for a Boxster) in Florida vs Mobil 0W-40. He is concerned about using the 0W-40 because 10W-30 or 10W-40 is a "more common fill" in Florida (he also asks about break-in). The response from the Excellence technical expert was as follows.

"Those who suggest higher viscosity oils usually don't understand the whole problem. Oil in engines is no longer just a lubricant. It is also a coolant for the engine as well as a hydralic control fluid for all of the things like VarioCam Plus, hydraulic lifters, and similar systems. If the oil is too high a viscosity, it can affect the way those circuits operate.
The 2001 996 Turbo was the first Porsche to use the VarioCam Plus technology and a friend who works as a dealer technician told me that one of their technicians spend the whole day trying to diagnose a running problem caused by an owner who hadn't trusted Porsches factory fill and thus changed his oil to SAE 20W-50. The heavier oil totally confused the VarioCam plus system and the engine ran poorly.
All of these devices have been designed to run with the SAE 0W-40 oils or other oils that Porsche recommends. Use only those oils recommended in your owners manual - SAE 0W-40, SAE 5W-40, or SAE 5W-50. Porsche is so sure about this decision that it came out with a bulletin recommending these oils for all of its older models as well."

Now I know that is just one "experts" opinion. However, on page 169 Porsche tech expert Jim Pasha dedicates his entire "Tech Forum" article (6 pages worth) to "Oil". I'm not going to type in all 6 pages of material but I will quote a few short pieces of what Jim reports in his column (he covers a lot of ground in his article).

"Why does Porsche specify such a low lower viscosity rating? The answer comes in two parts. First, in a quest for better fuel economy and longer engine life, Porsche engineers use bearing and cylinder-wall clearances far tighter than what they used previously. This creates less internal drag on components, and lighter oil is more compatible with tight tolerances."

He also says;

"In the latest Porsches, which use 0W-40, the thinner oil is critical to delicate systems that use motor oil as a hydralic activator. VarioCam Plus uses tiny "shafts" of oil created under high pressure to help the system alter valve timing. It is a trick system but it REQUIRES thin oil to work properly

Here is what Porsche list for your reference;

http://www.wrightune.co.uk/downloads/approved_oils.pdf

Please ask Synergy racing for their life testing using different oil grades. If they geniunely have done extensive testing on multiple engines, I'd love to see it. Without that data, I think I'll continue to use one of the oils on Porsche's list.

Wellardmac

Ray, as usual, you are the man!

Amazes me how quick some people are to disregard the advice of the creators of the machine they revere so much.

... I knew I should have trusted that hot dog vendor in Times Sq. last weekend when he told me the answer to all my gas problems.

gota911

Yeah, you wife wishes you would have trusted him, too!

blake

Ray S - I sincerely appreciate all of your hard work assembling some substance to match your bravado. Well done. I do mean that.

But this still does not answer my question (and I am beginning to see that few people will venture to address this topic as the term *holy war* is aptly used): Why does Synergy recommend 15W-50 for their GT3 Cups?

It is this question that has made me pause. For a respected racing shop with years of Porsche race experience under their belt to recommend an oil that is not on the approved list - well, that raises a question in my mind..

Can you at least concede this point?

Thanks,
-Blake

wross996tt

GT3 cup cars engines are rebuilt quite often...you want that? You can not look to what folks who are racing use...period. They are not concerned with longevity. Can you concede the point? And 1999...show me your Ph.D.

blake

Alright guys.... This is getting old. We all have our opinions.

In particular, I like this thread from my local board (specifically the last post):

https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...&highlight=oil

Let the floggings continue!

-B

VGM911

Wait a minute...if the hot dog vendor recommends 15W-40 like Synergy does, isn't that enough to convince you? I know that I'd believe them instead of Porsche. No contest.

Tippy

Read Oil 101 from Statman

JDSStudios

Actually in the middle chapters he (Bob) goes fully into explaining the pressure factor.
What you just mentioned is a common misconception.

Palting

Well said. Anything else is passing gas.