Hi

It's the same thing, as it's sold as a track oil, meeting road use specs is not a primary concern, but it is designed to exceed API SL and ACEA A3/B4.

Cheers

Tim

 

Hi

Yes, the OPIESALE code is still working, but the Nanodrive oils are not part of that offer.

Cheers

Tim

 

Jay, I can't reply to your PM, it says your inbox is full.

Sorry, but can't do anything about the delivery, we charge what we pay.

Cheers

Tim

 

No worries, just thought I'd ask.

PM sorted now too.

 

Regardless of specs and additives and so on, in the experience of APi, one of the biggest builders and tuners of Subaru engines in the country, you need:

10 or 15W-40 as a minmum. -50 is OK. Doesn't matter which proper named brand. Or fully synth / Semi synth.

But using 5W anything will eventually cause crank damage.

The critical thing about a Subaru boxer is the oil temperature 110 centigrade is heading for a failure. If tracking or working the car hard for any period of time fit an oil cooler. Especially on tuned 2.5's, they get the oil hot really quickly.

I've had conversations in the past with Simon at Opie and we agree good-naturedly to disagree.

We recommend 10W or 15W - 40 or 50

The fact lower viscosity works on Skylines and Evo's and Fords etc is irrelevant, the boxer engine is a whole different ball game as far as oil is concerned.

By all means use SOOPER-DOOPER 5W ... Just keep APi's phone number with you at all times. We'll expect your call.

David APi

 

Thanks for your input David.

Sufficiently terrified, I have now amended my order to 10w-40!

 

No need to be terrified, if 5w oils killed all Subaru boxer impreza engines regardless of brand/quality, world wide there would not be many left! They would be dying across the UK as we speak, on the sides of roads. But they are not.

Cheers

 

Agreed, BUT we do see an unusual amount of broken cars with 0W or 5W installed - until we advise otherwise.

No skin off your nose to sell 10 or 15W - it's the same price as 0W 5W AND much safer in a Subaru..

David

 

Can you mix 2l of 5w-40 with 2l of 10w-50 to get 7.5w-45?

Is this a great compromise? Or just an expensive exercise?

 

Probably not the best idea you've had this year......

No doubt Opie will advise whether it is a good idea. Not sure about the VS change though. Stick it in something cheap and buy proper oil for your car.

David

 

Well I'll get this changed tomorrow evening and then go get my tests done on Thursday

Thanks to Opie Oils for being helpful as always

 

Hi David,

On the older classics we do recommend a 10w these days. But as you know, for newer ones we do recommend 5w in many cases depending on state of tune an use. For the numbers out there using 5w oils world wide there just isn't the failure rate to back up that 5w will lead to engine failure.

It would be all over all subaru forums, again world wide.

Like you though, personally I am not keen on 0w oils in these. I would not recommend one by choice.

Cheers

Guy

 

It can be done, and in theory it does work like that. HKS sell some weird lubricant where you mix it yourself to your own viscosity. But there is nothing to gain from doing so. Just use one or the other depending on your needs.

Cheers

Guy

 

Is there an oil or thickness that helps with compression losses?

 

I'm using 10w50 Millers Nanodrive.

Those ludicrous BHP increase claims sold me.

I was worried 50 might effect my MPG goals but if it really is low friction then I guess that negates it.

 

Sorry, NO, Any oil company that made such a product successfully would make Google's profits look tiny.

Years ago a company 'Holt's I think it was, used to sell a "compression improver" via Exchange and Mart There was another company called 'Krause Bond ', I recall, that did similar.

What it appeared to be, was a substance that you poured down the spark plus hole and then ran the engine after a few minutes for it to 'settle' It then burnt into a hard residue that was supposed to make the circumference of the piston a better fit against the bores.

They didn't seem to be successful [ in working, rather than being bought ] and I guess if you were putting a car throuigh the auctions it might work long enough.

New pistons rings, or sometimes new valve stem seals, is the only cure.

David

 

I agree with David re compression and oil.

There is however ametech engine restore to the rescue! http://www.ametech.co.uk/ Amazingly they still manage to sell people this stuff

Cheers

Guy

 

No Subaru specialist (I mean guys that are renowned in the tuning and rebuild sector) that I know, recommend 5w oil.

In fact take a look at their websites, and you'll find the minimum weight they sell for Subaru's is 10w.

Go figure!

 

The Subaru specialists you speak of are all entitled to their own opinion, but that does not change the fact that 5w oils are not killing subarus left right and centre.

Even many on this forum are using 5w oils without issue and have done for years.

Cheers

Guy.

 

I'm not suggesting 5w is "killing" engines.... but I'd suggest it's not recommended by the specialists for very valid reason. Wouldn't you?

Many of these specialists have no benefit to themselves in recommending a certain oil weight although many of them, I would suggest, have seen some form of side effect of using 5w over other weights.

You've got to look at this logically, if nothing else.

 

I am looking at it logically. That is why we ask questions like, age, use, mods etc before making a recommendation, as we also do not recommend 5w all the time! Depends on application.

Earlier in the thread API David said using a 5w will lead to crank damage (he didnt clarify if this is all subarus, old and new), and that then leads to what? Well if you look at it logically how many subarus have been manufactured and how many have failed due to using a 5w oil? Do the maths. Do you not think "Subaru" would recommend against the use of 5w oils if they were causing crank damage every time. Something as serious as this would be well documented, not just here on scoobynet but on all the forums world wide.

If they can directly account 5w oils for failures then I would like to know more... What 5w-40, what age of car and was it modified, what was the car doing when the failure happened, is there an oil sample to check the condition of the oil? Too many variables... There are many reasons engines fail and often the oil is blamed first, and if it is from a reputable brand they are usually the first to prove without doubt it was not the oil.

Cheers

Guy

 

Is it unheard of for a stop smoke product such as Wynns to work permanently?

 

No, it wont be permanent. Those stop smoke products are essentially viscosity index improver, the part of the multigrade oil that allows the oil to be a multigrade.

All it does is massively thicken up the oil. Not something we would recommend.

Cheers

 

Reason I ask is that 5 years ago my shaking car was diagnosed with 46% compression loss on cylinder 1, a bore scope revealed ring damage and bad scoring on the cylinder walls, the car was using a litre of oil a month, leaving me with a sooty back bumper and failing emissions at MOT time. A quick blast of Stop Smoke got me through the MOT and stopped my oil usage problems. 5 years later it's either still working or another miracle has happened. There's been 2-3 oil changes too

The car still shakes on idle but the tuner told me 5 years ago my car's engine had 6-12 months left.

 

Regardless of all the stats and information, we see a large percentage of cars with failed engines coming here that have 5W oil installed.
I respect the argument that there are many cars out there NOT failing using 5W.
BUT surely given the chance that it might fail why not use 10 or 15W?. where the incidence of failure in our stats is MUCH lower.

10or 15W costs the same as 5W.

This is the same round and about discussion I had with Simon many years ago.

APi and Opie agree to differ.

I'm gone now.

 

Well it's D-Day in the morning.

On a lighter note, the order from Opie arrived today. Very helpful as always

I've noticed twice in the last week something which I hadn't seen before. There's still no smoke coming from the car under load, but when I first start it, it blows out a sort of cloud of smoke that just seems to hang there in the air for quite a while. It's only ever on start up and I'm not even sure it's every time, but I have definitely noticed it twice now.

Anything to consider?

 

I ran my Blob WRX PPP (Mix of PPP power then up to 330bhp), on Fuchs Titan Race Pro S 5W-40 for 20k miles or so. Crank was fine and dandy, ringlands however not so good!

 

Hi

Glad it arrived safely.

The smoke could be a bit of oil seeping past the rings while it's cold or possibly a bit of moisture. What colour is the smoke?

Cheers

Tim

 

Looks white to be honest. It's just the way it hangs there in the air!

 

That sounds like moisture to me. Nothing to worry about.

Cheers

Tim