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Oil = Horsepower?

Old Sep 24, 2004 | 06:12 AM
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Oil = Horsepower?

I remember reading an article a few years back in Hot4s magazine where they dyno tested an Integra with different brands of oil.

They ran the Integra with Honda oil first to gain a baseline figure, they then flushed the engine and filled it up with another brand and ran it again.

This process was repeated over and over again to see which oil produced the highest HP reading.

I recall the variances being between a 1 to 9 hp gain purely from the oil choice.

Just curious whether anyone has read any similar tests in relation to the RX8?

Or, for those who are that way inclined, (Hymee? Ric Shaw?) willing to perform a similar test?

Be great to discover that just by using Brand X instead of Brand Y will give you a 6HP gain, wouldn't it?
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Old Sep 24, 2004 | 07:24 AM
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Wouldn't be just a change in brand would it? Have to be a change in viscosity, surely? I wouldn't be interested in trying a 0W-15......!
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Old Sep 24, 2004 | 04:56 PM
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lol i had a friend who did that with his STI using 0ws
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Old Sep 24, 2004 | 06:52 PM
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Funny. There are so many variable in dyno a RX-8. How do we, or do we able to test it?

The range of oil used in the Japanese tuning world is very similar. R Magic and MazdaSpeed produce oil are SL 0W-30, Fujita and Knight sports are higher 0W-40 and 0W-50 respec (but they are mainly aimed to the 13BT market). All synthetic.

I never come across an article written by a good Japanese source about choice of oil. When I do, I will post is out fully translated.
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Old Sep 25, 2004 | 07:15 AM
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Originally Posted by Gomez
Wouldn't be just a change in brand would it? Have to be a change in viscosity, surely? I wouldn't be interested in trying a 0W-15......!
If I recall correctly, yes, it was a change in viscosity as well.
Some of the products tested included Mobil1, Magnatec, Royal Purple and Repsol.

I believe the Royal Purple came out on top with the highest hp gain on the Integra.

Funnily, the chosen car was only a pov pack non-vtec model, so maybe the hp increase would have been higher on a hi-po motor?
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Old Sep 25, 2004 | 09:04 AM
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Well synthtic oils free up minute amonts of horsepower duer to less friction, but I know that if you reduce the oil duty cycle in the 8 so that it injects less oil you can free up as much as 15hp (Crank).
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Old Sep 25, 2004 | 08:16 PM
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Originally Posted by PoLaK
I know that if you reduce the oil duty cycle in the 8 so that it injects less oil you can free up as much as 15hp (Crank).

Besides the hp gain, what are the other side effects of doing this?

Less oil = more friction = damage?
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Old Sep 25, 2004 | 08:21 PM
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Originally Posted by nojooc
Besides the hp gain, what are the other side effects of doing this?

less oil = more friction = damage?
Not really sure why this makes power, but i've seen someones dyno of a before and after. And i know the mazda cup cars running renesis' in them also do this.
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Old Sep 25, 2004 | 08:31 PM
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Too much oil = too much friction = reduced power

Too little oil = too much friction = reduced power + increase risk of damage

I think if enough r&d was done (such as with the Mazda cup cars) you can find a perfect balance between power increase and engine longevity (hopefully?)
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Old Sep 26, 2004 | 01:16 AM
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umm.......

supercheap is having 20% off everything today. i think its a good time to stock up on the Castrol formula R's :D

e
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Old Sep 26, 2004 | 11:51 AM
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Personally i think the new best oil for rotary is made by Idemitsu, if anyone has seen their adds in RxTuner they just started to make rotay engine specific oil. They don't have 5w-20 for the 8 but they will soon.
Attached Thumbnails Oil = Horsepower?-idemitsu.jpg  
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Old Sep 26, 2004 | 09:29 PM
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Here in Australia, we have a mineral-based genuine Mazda "Rotary" oil which is 5W-30.
I believe that it is actually manufactured by Idemitsu.
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Old Sep 26, 2004 | 09:36 PM
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Really??? Gomez said it is from Castrol.

*** pls pls pls Gomez did say it coz I will be accused to wrongly pointing finger to someone again
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Old Sep 26, 2004 | 11:15 PM
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I thought I read somewhere that it's made by Idemitsu, but I'll check and confirm.
Either way, I'm changing the oil this afternoon and will be putting in the Mazda Rotary oil.
After more than 10000kms on Castrol Formula R, I've decided to go with the genuine stuff.
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Old Sep 28, 2004 | 05:15 PM
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Taka, the 5L container of Mazda rotary oil that I bought yesterday has Castrol moulded into the container.
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Old Sep 28, 2004 | 11:37 PM
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Thx lexic.

US have approved Red line synthetic oil as their product in the dealership line up. Rosenthal Mazda in US are start selling them now.

No matter it is a right or wrong choice, I got some info for you guys. The oil is $130 a change rather than $55, so double as much.

Attached Thumbnails Oil = Horsepower?-redline.jpg  
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Old Sep 29, 2004 | 04:57 AM
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Originally Posted by lexic
Taka, the 5L container of Mazda rotary oil that I bought yesterday has Castrol moulded into the container.
Hmmmm.....
Don't know whether your oil is a newer batch, but I purchased my supply about a week ago and no where does it have any mention of Castrol on it.

I've attached photos of both the 5L and 1L containers I purchased.
The labels front and back make no mention of Castrol.

Apart from the measurements (100ml, 200ml, etc) there are no other imprints all around the bottle.

Please post some pics if your product begs to differ.
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Old Sep 29, 2004 | 04:58 AM
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5L Bottle (F+R)
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Old Sep 29, 2004 | 05:00 AM
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1L Bottle (F+R)
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Old Sep 29, 2004 | 05:05 AM
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I still can't figure out what the source of the oil is.
I thought I read somewhere Idemitsu produced it, but can't seem to find the website I read it on.

Spoke to one Mazda dealer who believed it was Japanese sourced, but was unsure of its true origins.
Another one thought it was produced by Mazda, which i found quite funny.

I guess its as unique and mysterious as our car since viscosities this low (5W) are normally semi or full synthetic.
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Old Sep 29, 2004 | 06:35 AM
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I doubt very much the oil is from overseas.

1) Import oil is expensive - your 5L will worth more than $100 if it were from Japan.
2) They can't be stuffed - a company like Castrol put there hands up to make 5W-30 mineral when MA looking for an oil for their customer. Mazda will take it - No question ask
3) They still want to rip us off - by selling oil that they get it for next to nothing.

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Old Sep 29, 2004 | 08:59 PM
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Here is a picture of my 5L container
Attached Thumbnails Oil = Horsepower?-oil.jpg  
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Old Sep 29, 2004 | 09:14 PM
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I knew i have seen a bottle with Castrol marked before. Thanks lexic, see you Sunday
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Old Sep 29, 2004 | 11:02 PM
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NOJOOC,

Get some other Castrol oil and do a taste test with the one you got from Mazda
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Old Sep 30, 2004 | 12:14 AM
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Hmmmmm.....

Very bizarre indeed!

I guess I might buy another bottle (with Castrol branding) and compare it's contents to what I already have.

I bet they're identical, but I'm still wondering why one has Castrol and the other is left blank?
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