Recommendations for Oil

[krwatkins]

Just purchased an '86 911 Carrera with 86,000 miles. Runs great, no leaks. I live in the Midwest and don't drive her during the winter months, but ready to get her out this week.

What recommendations do you have for what oil I should be using: Viscosity? Synthetic or blend? Brands?

[LEAKYSEALS951]

Congrats on your purchase! I came to this site several months ago asking the same question, assuming someone would just say "buy brand X." Instead I found endless pages of info and debate on the subject. In short, my head exploded!

For starters, do a search on "ZDDP"
Maybe a search for "synthetic"
and "motor oil recommendations"
Oh... here's one:
Ultimate Motor Oil Thread or Why we hate CJ4/SM oils
Get your reading glasses.
Just use your imagination on searches.

SPOILER ALERT!
(there is no consensus)

In the end I ended up buying brad penn 15-40 based on my driving. I'm not saying it's better. It's what I ended up with after being completely overwhelmed on the subject.

Good Luck,
Ron

[AVDCAV]

I hope you have a few years to read the never ending pelican oil threads
Since you now have an active oil post " take it to the next level, update the post
To include gear oil , then sit back and witness the magic that is pp tech forum.

Good luck with the new car ..... Ohhhh yeah there gonna ask for a car pic
So just get on with it and post it. I don't think anyone is exempt .

[gamin]

I use Valvoline VR-1 Racing (non synthetic) in everything I drive. Buy it by the case when it is on sale at the local FLAPS usually Advance auto. 20-50 for the Porsche's and 10-30 for everything else. LOTS of opinions on this subject.

[ParkerFE]

I use Brad Penn in my 88 cab. Welcome!

[Bulldog9]

+1 on the Valvoline VR1, is great oil. I also like Bran Penn in all my air cooled motors.

[nineball]

vr1 has done right by me for years, and i still have about 4 cases left from the big sale a few years back. ended up buying 14 cases total for myself and friends when it was around $2/quart, and got the bonuses from the autozone rewards.

[krwatkins]

Wow! What a hornet's nest I and others have opened.

As for pictures, here you go:

[89PS911]

Nice car, KR!

I use Royal Purple 20W50 XPR race oil in my 1989 911 Cabriolet.

[beren]

Nice car - like those mats! Old school. I'm one of those drowning in oil threads too. Good luck with the car. had mine for about 4 months - finally getting it out.

[HarryD]

Originally Posted by krwatkins

Wow! What a hornet's nest I and others have opened.

As for pictures, here you go:

Welcome to our forum. Great looking car. I really like the Cocomats.

Don't let those guys scarce you about oil. It is a form of religion.

Personally, I use Brad Penn 20W-50. But I am just "somedude" who posts here.

Originally Posted by HarryD

Can't speak to the products you may be able to find locally, but for this is my Cliff Notes version of the situation with USA products that appear to be acceptable:

Buy and use whatever you want. It used to be true that "oil is oil". But be aware that motor oils have changed and not for the better.

A bit of history:

Prior to the mid 90s most cars on the road had flat tappets to actuate thier valves. It turns out there is a huge amount of pressure on the tappet/cam surface when it is actuated. This effect was discovered in the '50's (I may have the wrong decade but you get the picture) and a minor outfit called SAE noticed that cams were wearing out very quickly.

SAE paid some PhD's to do some research. They published lots of research papers and found out about these high pressures. They also found that a Zinc/Phosphorus additive known as ZDDP would provide protection to these parts at a resaonable cost. Gosh those guys were smart!

The SAE folks spoke with the API folks and asked if they could require ZDDP added to their required oil formulations to increase the service life of these critical components. Much to the pleasure of SAE, API agreed and based on the PhD recommendations, required about 1200 ppm of Zinc (Zn) and Phosphorus (P) added to oil formulations so the oil maker can get his product API certified.

This worked great but then in the 90's car makers went to more expensive Roller tappets which offered the advantage of lower reciprocating losses in the engine (i.e. better gas mileage). The use of roller tappets became standard in cars in the mid-90's.

In the early 2000's, the USEPA (for what ever reason) became concerned that the Zinc and Phosphurus in the oil would partially exit the engine via the tail pipe. This is a big deal since these two elements tend to kill the catalytic converters and, in theory diminish their service life. As a result EPA wanted the reduce the Zinc and Phosphorus in motor oils.

Fortunately (for EPA), car makers had already gone to roller tappets. Again the PhD's went to work. The clever PhD's found that the roller tappets do not exert the high pressures that flat tappets do. They did some more reaserch and found that for car with Roller Tappets, you could safely reduce ZDDP to a much lower level with no adverse impact on cam service life.

This change was codified in the API SM/CJ4 (and newer) oil standards. And while some formulations are permitted to have higher Zn and P, the cost of ZDDP relative to base motor oil is much higher and if the oil maker wants to save some money (i.e. increase profit or lower price) he merely needs to reduce the use of this relatively expensive additive and still claim conformance to API requirements.

Older engines (pre-mid 90's) STILL need high levels (around 1200 ppm plus correct level of detergents) of Zinc (Zn) and Phosphorus (P) to protect cams and other high pressure surfaces.

Use 20W-50 or 15W-40 oil. Brands frequently sugggested here, in no particular order, include:

Brad Penn 20W-50
Valvoline VR-1 20W-50
Kendall GT 20W-50
SWEPCO 15W-40
Royal Purple
Redline
Motorcycle Oils

There are others as well.

This post here may be illuminating as well: Ultimate Motor Oil Thread or Why we hate CJ4/SM oils

[hbueno]

Rotella T6 here. Oil pressure is good and I'd swesr running temperature is lower than with 20W50.

Hugo

[CCM911]

Nice car. Run whatever oil you see fit.

*****can those wheels and get a set of Fuchs.

You are going to get many years of enjoyment with that car(and the Pelican forum).

[Onefastman]

VR1 20w-50 in all of my air cooled 911's

I have been running it for 7 years with over 75,000 miles clocked

[Dublinoh]

Nice car, I'm also a fan and owner of cocomats. I like the wheels, BBS? Are they 15 inch? I use the VR1 20w-50 oil mostly because popular on the forum and great price when on sale...

[Steve@Rennsport]

Originally Posted by Dublinoh

Nice car, I'm also a fan and owner of cocomats. I like the wheels, BBS? Are they 15 inch? I use the VR1 20w-50 oil mostly because popular on the forum and great price when on sale...

Your mats are THE Best!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[COLB]

VR1 20W50 here.

Usually dislike BBS wheels, but they look great on your car -- very clean in the classic 80s color scheme -- and still understated without the tail.

Very nice!

[porterdog]

Originally Posted by hbueno

Rotella T6 here. Oil pressure is good....

Ditto. Here's my Oil Analysis Results.

[JeremyD]

The BBS RS wheels are great - back in the day they were considered an upgrade over the Fuchs and if you weigh them - you will find them a pound or two lighter than the fuchs...

I switch between VR-1 and Brad Penn - actually think my car runs a few degrees cooler with the VR-1...

[fasteddie99]

Does the VR1 20-50 have the requisite "SL" rating? If not, shouldn't it be avoided?