Argument - Thinner oils = More HP

#1

Patton wrote:

[quote]Ranger wrote:

[quote]wildhorsesracing wrote:

This makes me remember reading about Joe Gibbs race oils last year. They spec their oils for specific bearing clearances. The oil they spec’d for us (0.0018 to 0.0020" is ideal I think) was scary thin.[/quote]

Got the hot ticket: 0w20 mixed with the Shell synthetic that Jim mentioned. Special brew=great straightaway talent?

Really, how much power is in the thinner lubes? Anyone know?

Thread hijack.

Ranger see you soon.

RP[/quote]

Rather than jack Ranger’s thread - let’s talk about it here.

I have studied this kind of stuff for 10 years while there is more usable ppwer available in light and slicker oils, it needs to be taken in proper context.

For example the nacar boy do use Gibbs and other 0W20 in engines and gear boxes and probably a 30 wt in the diff for “qualifying”. But that is only two laps. They change it all out again for the race.

Plus, our engines were designed 30+ years ago when “thicker is better”,

I would not run 0W20 in a M20 unless it was brand new with close tolerances per Ranger’s post above.

The solution - thick, slippery (Amsoil, Red Line) oils.

RP - Synthetic 20W50, Synthetic MTL, and Synth 75W90 gear lube is worth about 3% HP (as proven in mildly scientific dyno test) over minerla oils of suimilar viscosities.

Don

#2

You guys think about it too much. I think Ranger has low OP from shear willpower.

#3

If you run no oil the car won’t smoke or leak!!

#4

donstevens wrote:

3 horsepower or 3%? Cuz 3% would be like 6 hp in Robinson’s cheatermotor. Mine, that would be good for 4.5 hp.:laugh:

#5

Sorry about all the typos in the previous post. I was in a hurry and did not proof read.

Steve - I think you are right. 4.5 hp is not realistic. But as I say, it really depends on what you start with. I was able to get 3% on test I did on a street car years ago. But, I have no idea what was in the trans or diff. For all I know it was 90WMud in the diff (it looked bad coming out)

Don

#6

I’d have to check (and am too lazy) but noted engine builder David Vizzard writes about this in his engine building books.

From memory - he tested 22 types of oils and weights on a EGR? dyno - same cup motor, back to back to back. As near as he could tell there was 3-4hp gain with thinner oils.

He specifically mentioned Amsoil and Joe Gibbs. I’ve heard from other sources that 3-4 hp number. My thinking is this might be like driveline loss where it isn’t a percentage per se, but more around the moving parts in the oil and the volume.

YMMV.