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Consult the owners manual - find the viscosity which matches the average ambient temperature you plan on using your car.
Originally Posted by GT6ixer
I think there is at least some consensus that the early cars should use oil with high zinc (ZDDP) content.
The "high ZDDP" is grossly misunderstood. You want an oil that has the old standard prior to about 2002 or so which is 1100/1200ppm ZDDP. Almost every 15/20w-50 oil meets this. More difficult to find thinner oils with this level.
There are oils on the market with more ZDDP (like the air cooled motorcycle stuff) and more is not necessarily better. Stick with the "standard" for which these cars were designed, don't over do it.
Also, don't just dump in some ZDDP additive "just to be safe" - use a proper oil from the get go.
Originally Posted by hb253
Most members of this forum will tell you to use 20W50 or else. I've been using Shell Rotella T6 5W40.
I've come across a number of 16V cars that have been running 5w-40 their whole life (like my 1980 with over 80k on the odo). I have yet to drive the car on a really hot day to report on what the oil pressure does. My 1981 threw a lifter clacking hissy fit when I tried 5w-40 many years ago.
I've come across a number of 16V cars that have been running 5w-40 their whole life (like my 1980 with over 80k on the odo). I have yet to drive the car on a really hot day to report on what the oil pressure does. My 1981 threw a lifter clacking hissy fit when I tried 5w-40 many years ago.
Had an owner come up to me at the breakfast the other day telling me "thank you" for changing the oil to 15w-50 in his as with what he was using before (5w-40) made his engine so clacky and loud. He was amazed at how quiet and smooth his engine was now.
Unless you were jokingly referring to the former Canadian Forces base in Kandahar, the term "Canuckistan" could be considered highly offensive. I'm confident this wasn't your intention.
Your profile shows Location: was Oakville ON(TARIO).
So yeah, Canuckland.
Randy, thanks for changing to "Canuckland".
Unless you were jokingly referring to the former Canadian Forces base at Kandahar, the term "Canuckistan" could be considered highly offensive. I'm confident that wasn't your intention.
Had an owner come up to me at the breakfast the other day telling me "thank you" for changing the oil to 15w-50 in his as with what he was using before (5w-40) made his engine so clacky and loud. He was amazed at how quiet and smooth his engine was now.
Yea, not sure I would have attempted my experiment on the 81 in Texas. Around here, 90% of the time 5w-40 will work fine but that one week with average temps in the high 90's park the car or just use 15w-50 in the summer.....
Yea, not sure I would have attempted my experiment on the 81 in Texas. Around here, 90% of the time 5w-40 will work fine but that one week with average temps in the high 90's park the car or just use 15w-50 in the summer.....
Yeppers, I agree. I recommend the higher stuff for the Northern areas for the ZDDP content and you aren't going to be hurting anything anyway by using it. Better safe than stupid.
Porsche is now marketing an oil for "classic cars". You might want that if you need the Porsche brand. Otherwise, the weight of the oil differed based on the climate where the car was being shipped. (At least, that's what I've been told.) The recommended oil weights, based on ambient temps, are found in the owner's manual.
Agreed, I read the owners manual, and there are multiple oil viscosities to choose from. Hence my question...
Consult the owners manual - find the viscosity which matches the average ambient temperature you plan on using your car.
The "high ZDDP" is grossly misunderstood. You want an oil that has the old standard prior to about 2002 or so which is 1100/1200ppm ZDDP. Almost every 15/20w-50 oil meets this. More difficult to find thinner oils with this level.
There are oils on the market with more ZDDP (like the air cooled motorcycle stuff) and more is not necessarily better. Stick with the "standard" for which these cars were designed, don't over do it.
Also, don't just dump in some ZDDP additive "just to be safe" - use a proper oil from the get go.
I've come across a number of 16V cars that have been running 5w-40 their whole life (like my 1980 with over 80k on the odo). I have yet to drive the car on a really hot day to report on what the oil pressure does. My 1981 threw a lifter clacking hissy fit when I tried 5w-40 many years ago.
Owner's manual seems to give me a lot of latitude on which viscosity to run. Appreciate your comments about the standards of the original oil. I'd like to get as close to stock as possible, and I don't run any oil additives in my cars
I need to buy some oil for my car. Was my '82 factory filled with 20W-50? I was about to buy some when I came across a YouTube video of a 928 owner showing a jug of Shell 15W-40 stating "only use this oil...!!!"
Will depend on the ambient temp at startup, as this affects the speed at which cold oil can be pumped through oil galleries to bearings.
I see you're from Ontario so I'd hazard a guess you get summer/winter temperature extremes. For freezing and below, especially if your car is getting that cold most of the time, use a 5W-something. Otherwise use a 10 or 15W-something. In Texas, use a 20W-something.
The 'something' is either 40 or 50, and you won't do any harm with a 50, as most owners will tell you.
Let the oil pressure gauge guide you: should be up to pressure almost as soon as the engine fires, and be showing 5 Bar until the oil warms. When hot, should show 2-3 Bar at idle, and 4-5 Bar at 2000rpm, and 5 Bar over 2500 rpm. (In the WSM somewhere).
Re ZDDP: All xW-40 weight oils and heavier have a minimum of 800ppm. I prefer 1000ppm+ (just cos it's a middle of the range number). And, yes, you can have too much ZDDP, to such an extent that enough of the molecules can coat the metal surface and interfere with the oil film lubrication dynamics. So use a level of ZDDP appropriate for the engine design.
Doesn't matter what Porsche puts in their cars today. The engine tolerances are much tighter now and they need much lower viscosity oil.
is it about tollerances or gaps... i cant think of any engine with lower gaps than the 928 has in almost all areas, can you
if you want to be safe, use the 20-50..... Unless you are in a extreme cold area.
and if you want to race it, lose the mobil 1, it breaks down so much that the oil pressure light will come on at the track.... use a redline or amsoil equiv if possible if you visit the track. NEVER run the track with a mobil 1 oil.
Opening a can of worms with this one, everyone has their preferences. The general Rennlist consensus over the years seems to be Mobil 1 15W-50 and it is what I've used on my 928 DD for the past 7+ years.
The Shell Rotella 15W-40 is a dino oil, not synthetic. As dino oils go, Rotella 15W-40 is very good.
That said, I tend to follow to crowd with this one and have been very happy with Mobil 1 15W-50. Lots of opinions out there though.
Better look again. Your Mobil 1 'full synthetic' is a dino oil.(hydrocracked petroleum base group III). There are no vendors of PAO or Ester based group IV oils avail in the US. It can be imported from AU or Germany, but 'full synthetic' from all US oil vendors are all petro based group III. While I'm on a rant, Mobil 1 has been the target of several lawsuits for their 'synthetic' product for additive package separation, and also for prev issues with viscosity instability.
Trouble with the VR1 (my oil of choice) is that it has been outlawed in California and production has been stopped (what I have been told by every parts store I have visited).
Just stick with a good 15 or 20W 50 and you will be fine.
08-08-2016, 02:25 PM
