There are lots of engine builders out there with different OPINIONS on oil. They all seem to have valid reasons to support their recommendations. I'm sure that "Russ" believes his reasons for using synthetic.

I spoke with Rob at Pineapple Racing last year about the same issue. He recommends synthetic. Pineapple is among the most respected rotary engine builders in the nation. Is he wrong??

Anyway, everyone has their OPINION. On this issue, there is no absolute correct answer.

 

Ask yourself what the Formula Mazda engines come sealed with (synthetic). Also, anything in the RX-8 Owner's manual about not using synthetic (no mention, just use 'Energy Conserving' oils).

 

I hope you meant that comment in good fun, it's hard to tell. If not.....well, in your own words, you are new to rotaries, new to this 3 page thread (and there's been dozens of previous ones on this topic), and new to this forum -- I have owned rotaries for over 8 years. In either case, I'm not sure how this discussion doesn't concern me. You posted an opinion of your mechanic and I simply stated mine (and that of many of the top engine rebuilders in the country).

The point of my post is that, IMO, it's silly to worry about any supposed build-up due to synthetic oil. A set of new turbos costs as much as an engine rebuild and I would worry about their health just as much. In other words, no one can provide evidence which is best for your engine -- mineral or modern synthetic oils, but I think pretty much everyone would agree that synthetics are better on the turbos. In which case, I would think the decision would be clear....

 

According to Cook's Illustrated Da Vinci Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the best bang for the buck.

I like it in the 30W version. My FD3S smells like an Italian whorehouse!

(Seriously, change WHATEVER you run on a frequent basis and you'll never have any oil related problems...when it starts to turn brown it's time. For me that's every 1500 miles - damn cheap insurance at $2.00 a quart.)

 

solution: run 2stroke oil to your OMP. . . . problem solved. i run castrol synthetic 2stroke oil to the OMP and castrol syntec for the rest. all is well. cant beat an ashless oil that is MEANT to burn.

paul

 

Hey all,

When my motor is broken in (500 miles to go), I'm going to give Mobile1 10w30 a shot ... I'll let you all know the results.

 

What type of oil do you use? 15w-50 or 10w-30. Just wondering. I just put in 15w-50 and have a small oil stain on my garage floor. I hadn't run it so I'm not sure if it came from changing it or not or if I have a leak somewhere. I'll know more tonight. Thanks.

ERIK

 

I went from Mobil-1 to Redline to Royal Purple. Interestingly enough, the last few changes I have seen very little oil consumption. Less then I experienced with either the Mobil or the Redline.

Now maybe my OMP died (19K) miles, but I premix 4-6 oz of Royal Purple 2-Cycle every tank, so I am not too worried.

 

these threads kill me. the dino oil guys say "synthetic burns badly". the syn guys say "dino breaks down easier". you figure it out. its your car.

ill tell you what my opinion is. dino is NOT the best choice for your engine. this "rumor" that synthetics burn badly is ridiculous. i have put a lot of research into all of this and it is proven that most high-end synthetics have less ash content than conventional oils. so, how in the world is synthetic burning so horribly? maybe you the people crying about it should stop using that supertech **** that you can get a wal-mart.

the big deal about it is the "unclean burn". how do you think conventional oil burns? that **** isnt supposed to burn. if youre worried about deposits on the internal components of the engine, then you should stop burning oil period. hell, stop turning the thing on. FUEL makes deposits. you arent gonna get away from it. if you are want to keep the insides as clean as possible, go to www.rotaryaviation.com and order the adapter plate that goes between the block and OMP. make a tank and run 2-stroke synthetic and be done with it. i run it as well as others. it works and works well. i also put MMO in every fill-up. added protection is always nice.

paul

 

I have to agree with this.. I don't think it makes any huge difference.. Even though when I first got my 7, I switched to Castrol Synthec and switched back after driving 50 miles.. because I found this forum and people were say, "NO".. and that was 2 years ago.. after driving on regular oil.. I said, "**** it", If its that bad.. then i'll find out.. I used synthetic Castrol for about 1 year and now I switched to Mobil 1.. Because i heard somewhere that the composition between Castrol and Mobil are slightly different and that it burns cleaner.. Do I know this for fact.. NO.. And Am I going to spend time to carry out this experiment, NO... I rather spend 20 bucks every 1000 Miles and not worry about the oil issue.. 20 bucks is nothing compare to 1000's that I have spend on this car.. I think as long as you change your oil often as possible, should be ok.. but who know, and what the hell do I know...

 

The reason for lower ash content I believe is that synthetics do "burn" cleaner since they have more consistent molecular structure. Natural based oils have irregular structures and the "burn" isn't as consistent. Hence, it has higher ash content.
For pre-mix, you don't have to worry about ash content since you're not injecting oil into the combustion chamber.

The leaks some folks are seeing could be related to a true leak from a seal.
Most owners aren't dealing with brand new cars or brand new engines (rebuilds do not count unless they are built completely with new internals and gears).

It's hard to give my feedback on synthetics since I ran pre-mix on my old FC. Low oil pressure wasn't an issue with my FC.
BDC tore his engine apart after running pre-mix (don't mileage) and found it to be very clean (running synthetic and pre-mix).
I found the same results with one of my engine tear downs.
My FD has been running great on Mobil 1 Synthetic.
I'd like to give Royal Purple or another synthetic a try.


Also, tuners will have their preference and opinions on oils. Just don't blindly follow everything claimed by an engine tuner. Follow it up by researching and asking questions.


J

 

For engine building, it's highly recommended that you clean the components and seals when assembling an engine. Otherwise, the seals may bind or not seat correctly causing problems after the engine is assembled. Unless you're Steve Kahn trying to fix a broken seal during a race, you're going to clean your parts and seals before assembly.

"Myself, I cannot afford to rebuild the motor every time I take it out on track. Instead, I rely on taking good care of the motor, to maximize its usable life and to fend off these gremlins that would otherwise slowly degrade my motor to just another 13B, or worse..."

Just another 13B? What does that mean? (my last 13B rebuild was great! good power, especially on the higher rpm).
Well, as long as you're interested in maintaining your car, that's good.

J

 

the thing i dont like about premix is that it has to find a way to the seals and rotorhousings. that means that it carries some of the fuel along with it. i like to keep em separate for the matter of keeping fuel as atomized as it can be in the engine and oil on the rotorhousings and seals. thats why i opted to keep the OMP.

paul