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Good technical discussion about Engine Oils

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Old 07-21-2009, 05:36 PM
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Originally Posted by 9krpmrx8
Ah, I'm thinking along the same lines as Brettus. I have spent a gang of cash lately but I'm gonna go ahead and order the RB pod and guages tonight. I sure wish more oil came out during regular oil changes.
And what is a lot a guages going to help you do?..

Oh gee my oil is getting Hot, so what will you do about it, make you panic or increase your heart rate?..

The guages are not going to do anything for you..looks pretty though.

If you have not done so I would be opening up the back of my oil cooler shields, I guess you have two oil coolers?

I sure wish more oil came out during regular oil changes.
HUH..more of what ?? oil I guess....well are you topping off your oil regularly??
Old 07-21-2009, 05:39 PM
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Originally Posted by ASH8
when you turn off your car you can hear the EMOP's releasing oil into chambers, for next start up.
I can't remember hearing this in hotter weather. 09 Service highlights mention this function.

Ash
Quite interesting, Sir. Thx.
Old 07-21-2009, 05:43 PM
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Originally Posted by Flashwing
Fred, the issue of foaming regarding the rotors...is that more of an oil cavitation issue?

The other real question I have is regarding clearances and the differences between the 13B and the RENESIS in this regard. If it's true that bearing or other clearances in the RENESIS are tighter than previous generation rotary engines then the older philosophy of using a high viscosity oil doesn't apply.

Again, the biggest aspect I hope everyone can take away is the need to evaluate honestly what kind of driving you really do. Most of us drive our RX8 the way it was envisioned by Mazda. I agree that every vehicle faces compromises in its production and design which is why there is an aftermarket community. However, I think the "old school" philosophies are once again being applied to this motor which is much different than people give it credit for.
The "foaming" issue Fred references is probaly from the rotor fins slamming the oil as it is sprayed fron the interior radius.

Looks like you HAVE been listening to me, after all.

Damn, Son, learn to self-edit or get used to hearing the term "bloviate".
Old 07-21-2009, 05:45 PM
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Originally Posted by ASH8

I sure wish more oil came out during regular oil changes.
HUH..more of what ?? oil I guess....well are you topping off your oil regularly??
More of the old oil. With a Sohn OMP Adapter our oil levels in the oil pan do not diminish and there is certainly much left in the coolers. On the other hand, I have never concerned myself with THAT particular matter and my engine sounds as smooth as a Pontiac 455 Super-Duty during cold-starts.

DAMN, ASH, you are a sarcastic ****.
Old 07-21-2009, 05:46 PM
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Yes I top off my oil at every fill-up and I wish all the oil came out when I did an oil change so there was less dirty oil in my engine.

I will be modifying my fender liners behind the oil coolers as well.

I want the gauges so that I can know if my oil is up to temp prior to driving off.
Old 07-21-2009, 05:47 PM
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Originally Posted by ASH8
And what is a lot a guages going to help you do?..

Oh gee my oil is getting Hot, so what will you do about it, make you panic or increase your heart rate?..

The guages are not going to do anything for you..looks pretty though.

??
now i'm convinced you didn't read the article .
The temp gauge will tell you when the oil is hot enough so that you know you wont be wearing out the engine by getting on the throttle too soon .
The pressure gauge so that you can see that you have optimum viscosity .

The overiding point in the article is that most of the damage is done before the oil gets up to optimum temperature . You totally missed that by the sound of it .
Old 07-21-2009, 05:51 PM
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Originally Posted by Brettus
Some of the people posting in this thread did not read all the info on the link .

After reading all this I'm pretty happy with what I decided to do a while back which was :
Reduce OMP rate by 1/2
Premix at 250:1 (might up that to 200:1)
Run synthetic in the crankcase (recently started using 5w40 but will switch to 0w30)

Additional to this I will do the following as a result of reading all this :
Get oil pressure and temperature guages and actually know what to do with the information they provide .....
Namely wait till oil temp reaches close to engine temp before getting on it and monitor oil pressure at high rpm to determine if i'm running the correct viscosity oil and if the oil has degraded .
How much money are you going to spend on Guages??..

Do you really believe that the guages are going to tell you that your oil is "degraded", or if you are running the correct viscosity?

So what are you going to do when you read your oil temps have gone up...stop and wait until it cools down?

Yeah, drive you car easy when cold, oil will take a little longer, go outside and touch your oil coolers, that will tell you how hot your oil is at first start up.
In my car it takes about 10 minutes of driving before I can't touch coolers for very long..

I think you are READING too much into the info in this thread.

Yes, oil temps are an issue, but why is it that Mazda Japan still only installs ONE oil cooler in the 09 RX-8 Auto's for New Zealand and Australia??

Ash
Old 07-21-2009, 05:52 PM
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Originally Posted by Brettus
now i'm convinced you didn't read the article .
The temp gauge will tell you when the oil is hot enough so that you know you wont be wearing out the engine by getting on the throttle too soon .
The pressure gauge so that you can see that you have optimum viscosity .

The overiding point in the article is that most of the damage is done before the oil gets up to optimum temperature . You totally missed that by the sound of it .
Read above....
Old 07-21-2009, 05:54 PM
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oh ash, enjoy...

5w-20 racing oil http://www.joegibbsracingoil.com/products/xp1.html

and their own famous 0w qualifying oil http://www.joegibbsracingoil.com/products/xp0.html


that is what a real "race" oil is all about
Old 07-21-2009, 05:59 PM
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Much of what ASH is saying comes close to what I shared with Flashwing last night; although Dr. Haas is sharing some seemingly good information, and Flash is diligently studying the issue of fluids on behalf of BHR, what will happen (as usually does in matter technical) is that when one learns all about this stuff they will come full circle and realize that it really isn't rocket science here.

Be realistic about the demands you think you are placing on your engine, select the proper viscosity for your engine, do not hammer the engine for a few minutes after initial start-up, and enjoy yourself.

This concern over the hot-temp stuff has already been evaluated by Mazda and the manner in which they advise the proper oil in the manual takes all this into account.
Old 07-21-2009, 06:01 PM
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Originally Posted by r0tor
oh ash, enjoy...

5w-20 racing oil http://www.joegibbsracingoil.com/products/xp1.html

and their own famous 0w qualifying oil http://www.joegibbsracingoil.com/products/xp0.html


that is what a real "race" oil is all about
I personally know the guys who build those engines and that oil has NOTHING to do with what the average Renesis owner is going to encounter. I was getting my 0W30 oil for free from them, too.
Old 07-21-2009, 06:02 PM
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Originally Posted by ASH8
How much money are you going to spend on Guages??..

Do you really believe that the guages are going to tell you that your oil is "degraded", or if you are running the correct viscosity?

Ash
If you had digested the info in the article you would have noted that one of the keys to knowing if your viscosity is correct is oil pressure . Too high viscosity leads to higher pressure and lower flow . For engine life you want the best compromise beteen flow and pressure . While we really don't know what that is for the renesis I'm willing to go with someone that knows a **** load more about it than you or I .


Originally Posted by ASH8

So what are you going to do when you read your oil temps have gone up...stop and wait until it cools down?

Ash
No I'm not really too worried about maximum temps as much as making sure the oil is warm enough before i get on the gas .
With a turbo car these things are even more important so the extra expense should be worth it so long as you know what to do with the information you are getting ....
Old 07-21-2009, 06:07 PM
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Originally Posted by Charles R. Hill
Much of what ASH is saying comes close to what I shared with Flashwing last night; although Dr. Haas is sharing some seemingly good information, and Flash is diligently studying the issue of fluids on behalf of BHR, what will happen (as usually does in matter technical) is that when one learns all about this stuff they will come full circle and realize that it really isn't rocket science here.

Be realistic about the demands you think you are placing on your engine, select the proper viscosity for your engine, do not hammer the engine for a few minutes after initial start-up, and enjoy yourself.

This concern over the hot-temp stuff has already been evaluated by Mazda and the manner in which they advise the proper oil in the manual takes all this into account.
HOORAY..Charles!!
Old 07-21-2009, 06:08 PM
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IMO, if we combine what Dr. Haas has discussed along with what the OEMs tend to suggest we will be fully-informed on this whole thing. Some may see Haas's article as contrary to what the owner's manuals tend to state but I see it as just another perspective which validates that which we are told by Mazda.
Old 07-21-2009, 06:08 PM
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Originally Posted by 9krpmrx8
Yes I top off my oil at every fill-up and I wish all the oil came out when I did an oil change so there was less dirty oil in my engine.

I will be modifying my fender liners behind the oil coolers as well.

I want the gauges so that I can know if my oil is up to temp prior to driving off.
There's a simple solution for what you desire. Jack up the car high on the driver's side front, then drain and you'll be amazed how much oil is left...just about none. Then fill to full and count the quarts you add.
Old 07-21-2009, 06:09 PM
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Originally Posted by Charles R. Hill
I personally know the guys who build those engines and that oil has NOTHING to do with what the average Renesis owner is going to encounter. I was getting my 0W30 oil for free from them, too.
it was just to kill the myth that race teams use uber thick oil...

in reality they use light straight weight oils with no detergents, no multigrade viscosity modifiers... basically not anything thats not needed in the next 5 hours since the additive packages are always the first to fail due to heat and not the oil.
Old 07-21-2009, 06:10 PM
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Originally Posted by Brettus
If you had digested the info in the article you would have noted that one of the keys to knowing if your viscosity is correct is oil pressure . Too high viscosity leads to higher pressure and lower flow . For engine life you want the best compromise beteen flow and pressure . While we really don't know what that is for the renesis I'm willing to go with someone that knows a **** load more about it than you or I .



No I'm not really too worried about maximum temps as much as making sure the oil is warm enough before i get on the gas .
With a turbo car these things are even more important so the extra expense should be worth it so long as you know what to do with the information you are getting ....
OH my God....REALLY

Wait bloody 10-15 minutes before you plant your foot...your oil is warm/hot then.
Old 07-21-2009, 06:12 PM
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Originally Posted by ASH8
HOORAY..Charles!!
Thank you, Sir. I am just the resident knuckle-dragger trying to keep it simple around here.

Besides, if my engine (after I rebuilt it) can handle 9,500 RPMs under full-load for a solid 15 minutes while stuck in the snow back in MI, along with the lack-luster way in which I maintain it, then the Renesis is a pretty solid engine (a few concerns aside) and nobody need worry.

Last edited by Charles R. Hill; 07-21-2009 at 06:17 PM.
Old 07-21-2009, 06:16 PM
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Originally Posted by ASH8
OH my God....REALLY

Wait bloody 10-15 minutes before you plant your foot...your oil is warm/hot then.
fair enough - I might be getting a bit carried away on the whole guage thing .

However I still think you need to read the article again - and actually take it in this time LOL
Old 07-21-2009, 06:16 PM
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Originally Posted by r0tor
it was just to kill the myth that race teams use uber thick oil...

in reality they use light straight weight oils with no detergents, no multigrade viscosity modifiers... basically not anything thats not needed in the next 5 hours since the additive packages are always the first to fail due to heat and not the oil.
Justin, this is a perfect example of what BHR is trying to tell people; "race" fluids are quite specific in their applications, with regard to both viscosity and additive packages, and they don't necessarily translate well to a daily-driven/street car. The reason race teams use 0-weight oils is because they can tighten up engine clearances, they want to reduce parasitic losses, and they have a MUCH more stringent maintenence schedule than do street-cars. In a racecar, every bit of power counts. In a street car, every mile/dollar counts.

I can tell all of you that designing parts for racing uses is FAR easier than designing parts for performance/street use.
Old 07-21-2009, 06:37 PM
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Yep, they don't have to take all the road salt and ***** thrown at them for one, combined with 8000000000miles with no maintanance, a half the people complaining 'cause the part makes their car noisier/ride rougher/give more vibrations....

Can you guess I have to do parts for both?


Anyhow, as a person that does have calibrated gauges, and puts some serious heat into the engine/oil (we're now having to run an oil cooler designed originally for a 500bhp truck...) , I can tell you that a even a 30 weight oil will pop the pressure relief spring from 6krpm upwards, even with the oil so hot that you can burn your hand on the oil cooler, which is more than enough to keep proper flow through the bearings.

Like I say, I'll try a 20w and see what difference it makes next, and report back, but as Charles mentions, my results are under full race conditions, so apply them to road cars with a pinch of salt....

Last edited by PhillipM; 07-21-2009 at 06:39 PM.
Old 07-21-2009, 06:39 PM
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Originally Posted by PhillipM
Yep, they don't have to take all the road salt and ***** thrown at them for one, combined with 8000000000miles with no maintanance, a half the people complaining 'cause the part makes their car noisier/ride rougher/give more vibrations......
Don't get me started, Phillip. My Arizona "homies" give me a hard time since I am the only one with rust on his car around here.
Where the Hell did I leave my beer............?
Old 07-21-2009, 06:42 PM
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Originally Posted by Charles R. Hill
Don't get me started, Phillip.
Where the Hell did I leave my beer............?

Great fun, ain't it?

I made a bloke a lightweight flywheel for one of those new V10 M5's not too long ago, all I ever got was earache about how easy it was to stall, and how much noise the multi-plate clutch made, and how I'd made it snatchy setting off, and it was jerky at traffic lights....

Last edited by PhillipM; 07-21-2009 at 06:45 PM.
Old 07-21-2009, 06:45 PM
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Originally Posted by PhillipM

Great fun, ain't it?
Seriously, I have coined a new phrase; "Gamma-testing". It involves cutting our products loose to the market and bracing ourselves for the inquiries and unforeseen issues that may come up. We know the product works....... but will our customers understand it? If not, what will happen, what do we do, and what do we tell them?
Old 07-21-2009, 06:47 PM
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No, no, no, no, no.


Release product - go on holiday for 2 months whilst they sort it out amongst themselves - come back and tell them they've all got it wrong and it should be like this, in a single, group e-mail.

Sorted.




Actually, we had one of those 'unforeseen issues' last month, albeit not with customer parts - but what with the subject of how much cooling the oil does in these engines coming up earlier, well, here's how much it does:

Start rally stage, slog car up 1 mile gravel incline,suddenly get warning light on dash telling us the oil cooler fan has failed.
Oil pressure fine, oil temperature creeping upwards, bollocks to it, keep going.
5 miles later, finish stage with oil temperature at around 130*C on the gauges - open bonnet, get blasted by a wave of pure heat, and notice that the heat off the block was so much that the alternator housing and terminal had melted, the aux. belt had bubbles in it, and the coils had stuck to the heatsink plates.....hmmm, bit warm then....woops....

Last edited by PhillipM; 07-21-2009 at 06:52 PM.


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