20w50 oil? I need help guys.

[JESSEGG]

I have been driving this 86 944 for a week now, blowing it out on the highway, figuring it out. I have investigated the advice you great folks have given me on here with positive results, but I'm confused and need somebody to set me straight on this oil deal.

I need to have this engine flushed and new oil put in because I don't have a f**king clue what the previous owner put in here. I am going to place a filter order (thanks Ernie) on Pelican tonight so I can get it done next week.

I have been looking at grades of 20w50 and it is making my head spin. Straight, semi synthetic, synthetic..But my biggest concern is that everything I read states this oil is for a motorcycle? ?

Please throw some love to the newbie..I really don't want to feed this strong engine crap and I'm not afraid to spend the money on it.

Appreciate it,

Jesse

[9FF]

ftw go for Brad Penn semi-synthetic 20W-50 and you will not be disappointed. There are other good oils out there so just my 2c after using it for the last 10+ years.

[zedsn]

There have been several oil threads on this forum and you can look them up and get an idea on what you want for your 944.

[Guest765]

This always turns into a ****fest. Just pick an oil, pour it in. Grab the blue small bottle labeled "oil treatment" at advance auto. It will list the active ingredients as "ZDDP". Pour entire bottle in. Done.

Brad penn, vr1, its all a waste of money. That oil treatment has more than enough zddp and its only three bucks. I even think Walmart has it.

[alan6272]

I use castroil 20w50 semi syn. no problems

[Guest765]

See that's the thing, no matter what oil or who is saying it, it ALWAYS ends with "no problems" or "never an issue". I have never ever heard of anyone anyone at all saying that "X oil blew up my engine". Any oil at all, as long as you've got zddp and it doesn't leak right past the seals, is good. If you can run synthetic and not leak oil everywhere, obviously that is the answer right there.

[alan6272]

like I said no problems oil press is way up no motor noise, now if my press was lower because of the oil I use then I would say there is a problem but as stated no problems with the oil I use.

[Guest765]

Yeah that's the other thing you mention, you really shouldn't use 20w50 unless you need it to keep oil pressure up. For winter weather 10w40 is preferred if your pressure stays good with it for cold starting and all. 20w50 really gets too thick for my liking at the lower end of its "recommended ambient" temp scale.

[Gawernator]

As long as you use a name brand correct weight oil and change regularly you will be /ok/. I prefer Valvoline VR1 racing oil (street legal version) so far. It's smoother and quieter than the Castrol GTX High mileage semi-syn I used before.

[alan6272]

Also forgot to mention I live in NC temps stay around 90 to 100 in summer and 40 winter but I don't drive mine if it's below 60.. just to clarify things.. But best to check with Porsche's recommendations after all they built the car.

[Triple_T]

+1 on the ZDDP additive.

[ernie9944]

Originally Posted by fwayfarer

Yeah that's the other thing you mention, you really shouldn't use 20w50 unless you need it to keep oil pressure up. For winter weather 10w40 is preferred if your pressure stays good with it for cold starting and all. 20w50 really gets too thick for my liking at the lower end of its "recommended ambient" temp scale.

He should be fine using Dino (none Synthetic) 20W50 I don't think it does get that cold in his part of the wood (Florida).Not gone to say (no issues no problems)but __JESSEGG__why don't you try Valvoline VR1,you won't have to bother adding an an oil treatment VR1 will do the job just fine..Btw __fwayfarer__I don't get it when your saying Brad Pen or VR1 are a waste of money to my knowledge they are about the same price as other oil on the market.

[Rasta Monsta]

I switched to 5w40 LiquiMoly. Plenty of ZDDP, comes in big jugs, 100% synth, slippery enough not to NEED power robbing hi-viscosity.

[9FF]

This always turns into a ****fest. Just pick an oil, pour it in. Grab the blue small bottle labeled "oil treatment" at advance auto. It will list the active ingredients as "ZDDP". Pour entire bottle in. Done.



Brad penn, vr1, its all a waste of money. That oil treatment has more than enough zddp and its only three bucks. I even think Walmart has it.

This is really bad advise.

I switched to 5w40 LiquiMoly. Plenty of ZDDP, comes in big jugs, 100% synth, slippery enough not to NEED power robbing hi-viscosity.

...and so is this.


Seriously guys, use the oil viscosity recommended by the factory and with the correct zddp levels recommended by the factory already built in. The engines were tested to operate optimally with minimal wear using the recommended oils.

Adding any additives is bad, it can change the viscosity dramatically. Also using a lower viscosity than recommended will cause premature lower bearing wear.

You'll probably flame me for this but it's a proven fact and not just heresay. Like many others I send my oil for analysis to Blackstone every oil change and have "no issues". What that means is that they did not find discernible levels of wear (metals) in any of my engines, street or track.

If you dont know who Blackstone are, do a search. I will tell you that they do oil analysis for most of the major race teams after every race. They even send me a package to send them my oil:



If you are interested in knowing the FACTS about additives and viscosities, read what they have to say:

Oil Viscosity

[Rasta Monsta]

Originally Posted by 9FF

Seriously guys, use the oil viscosity recommended by the factory and with the correct zddp levels recommended by the factory already built in.

Wow, that is really timely advice. . .for the mid-eighties.



Seriously, 9FF, you should keep up to date on your TSBs before calling someone out for being wrong. 5w40 is well within CURRENT factory recommendations. In fact, they are now recommending 0w40 synth for ALL Porsche engines.


rasta

P.S. The above was 9FF's 666th post. . .obviously evil.

[Dave Colangelo]

I have been using Mobile 1 (15W50 in the 944) in all of my Porsche's for the better part of a decade with out any issues and more importantly any oil leaks. I agree that in some sense oil is oil as long as you are going for one of the big makers in the right weight you are fine. On the other hand ZDDP additive is something I have read quite a bit about and am still not 100% sold on although it does make sense. The 911 guys love to use it and that is where most of my research on it was done. It may reduce wear and help preserve the engine but you will ever escape the fact that metal is rubbing on metal, it simply will wear out over time.

Regards
Dave

[9FF]

Rasta, its a common mistake but please don't confuse Porsche "approved oils" list produced every few years with the factory oil recomendations in the manual. Porsche (and other manufacturers) produce those "approved" lists occasionally when they come to agreement with oil manufacturers for oils they use in their shops. They are NOT what was recommended for our engines. Again...search if you think I'm bs'ing you.

...the purpose of Porsche's oil certification program is to tell the dealer network what they are approved to use in servicing cars. This is based on the deals Porsche has made with the oil producers. It isn't intended to inform customers what they should be using.

And it's not an 80's thing either, you can use any modern oil, synthetic or not, doesn't matter. What matters is you use the correct viscosity range for the climate you are running in and with the correct zddp level built-in for when the car was produced.

LiquiMoly is a great oil btw.

[Guest765]

Originally Posted by 9FF

This is really bad advise.



...and so is this.


Seriously guys, use the oil viscosity recommended by the factory and with the correct zddp levels recommended by the factory already built in. The engines were tested to operate optimally with minimal wear using the recommended oils.

Adding any additives is bad, it can change the viscosity dramatically. Also using a lower viscosity than recommended will cause premature lower bearing wear.

You'll probably flame me for this but it's a proven fact and not just heresay. Like many others I send my oil for analysis to Blackstone every oil change and have "no issues". What that means is that they did not find discernible levels of wear (metals) in any of my engines, street or track.

If you dont know who Blackstone are, do a search. I will tell you that they do oil analysis for most of the major race teams after every race. They even send me a package to send them my oil:



If you are interested in knowing the FACTS about additives and viscosities, read what they have to say:

Oil Viscosity

Sadly I agree with rasta here... you don't know what you're really talking about.

And by the way, you aren't special, the oil testing guys will send a package for sending oil to ANYONE WHO ASKS FOR ONE. Lmfao I have one sitting here I never got around to using.

Literally the only thing you got right is the viscosity vs temperature thing, and even that is ONLY valid when you're talking cold starts and keeping oil pressure up in hot weather.


Edit; I know this is a bit pedantic of me here, but I provided advice, to adviSe is the act of doing so.

[Guest765]

Also, zddp levels are decreased in most (not all) oils these days chief, both because new cars don't really need it and its pretty bad for catalytic converters in the long run, especially in new cars that don't need the zddp.

So yeah, please don't spread misinfo on something people ALREADY have ridiculous ideas about.

[Guest765]

Originally Posted by Dave Colangelo

I have been using Mobile 1 (15W50 in the 944) in all of my Porsche's for the better part of a decade with out any issues and more importantly any oil leaks. I agree that in some sense oil is oil as long as you are going for one of the big makers in the right weight you are fine. On the other hand ZDDP additive is something I have read quite a bit about and am still not 100% sold on although it does make sense. The 911 guys love to use it and that is where most of my research on it was done. It may reduce wear and help preserve the engine but you will ever escape the fact that metal is rubbing on metal, it simply will wear out over time.

Regards
Dave

I politely disagree. Case in point, molybdenum as a kind of unrelated example (not usually in most oils AFAIK) actually bonds with metal on a molecular level and sacrifices itself to prevent metal on metal contact or wear. Zddp does the same thing, but is only useful in high impact situations, like cam lobes and lifter surfaces.

Molybdenum alone can eliminate metal wear to the point where its undetectable. There is a reason for almost everything they or we add to oil. Almost everything, some of it I do agree is BS.