Engine Longevity Tips

General engine tech -- Drag Racing to Circle Track

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Lem Evans
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Re: Engine Longevity Tips

Post by Lem Evans »

I hear you but, room temp. start up aint that 'cold'.
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Re: Engine Longevity Tips

Post by turbotrana »

Every engine has its weakness or weaknesses. It is usually the weakest part of the engine that fails that will necessitate a rebuild. Also knowing how to build an engine with the right clearances and choosing quality parts is another aspect. Reading up what failures others have had helps to get rid of those issues

So there may be a thrust bearing issue that necessitates that the whole engine needs a rebuild, so you need to address this. Setting too tight clearances can hurt the engine whilst too loose wont but can cause issues down the track. In another engine I play with the distributor gear drive has been known to sieze, so I die grind the oiling hole to direct oil better around this bearing surface.

In my engine builds I address the weak points. Mostly I address the oiling system by getting a diegrinder out and making sure all the areas get easy oil and add extra oilers to areas of wear like thrust faces and distributor/oil pump drives. I always port the oil pump in some way

I always use head studs, high quality gaskets and bearings.

Once you have it built strong then its just regular oil/coolant changes
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Re: Engine Longevity Tips

Post by The Dark Side of Will »

540 RAT wrote: Tue Mar 26, 2013 8:41 pm 4. 10W30 Lucas Racing Only synthetic = 106,505 psi
zinc = 2642 ppm
phos = 3489 ppm
moly = 1764 ppm
NOTE: This oil is suitable for short term racing use only, and is not suitable for street use.

7. 10W30 Valvoline NSL (Not Street Legal) Conventional Racing Oil = 103,846 psi
zinc = 1669 ppm
phos = 1518 ppm
moly = 784 ppm
NOTE: This oil is suitable for short term racing use only, and is not suitable for street use.

14. 30 wt Red Line Race Oil synthetic = 96,470 psi
zinc = 2207 ppm
phos = 2052 ppm
moly = 1235 ppm
NOTE: This oil is suitable for short term racing use only, and is not suitable for street use.

18. 10W30 Joe Gibbs XP3 NASCAR Racing Oil synthetic = 95,543 psi
zinc = 743 ppm
phos = 802 ppm
moly = 1125 ppm
NOTE: This oil is suitable for short term racing use only, and is not suitable for street use.

Holy Threadsurrection, Batman!

What makes these oils not suitable for street use?
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Re: Engine Longevity Tips

Post by novafornow »

I believe that it is a lack of detergents.
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Re: Engine Longevity Tips

Post by The Dark Side of Will »

novafornow wrote: Sat Mar 18, 2023 1:59 pm I believe that it is a lack of detergents.
Is there a detergent additive that won't blow up the oil's film strength performance like the ZDDP additives do?

The Dark Side of Will wrote: Fri Mar 17, 2023 9:36 pm
540 RAT wrote: Tue Mar 26, 2013 8:41 pm 4. 10W30 Lucas Racing Only synthetic = 106,505 psi
zinc = 2642 ppm
phos = 3489 ppm
moly = 1764 ppm
NOTE: This oil is suitable for short term racing use only, and is not suitable for street use.

7. 10W30 Valvoline NSL (Not Street Legal) Conventional Racing Oil = 103,846 psi
zinc = 1669 ppm
phos = 1518 ppm
moly = 784 ppm
NOTE: This oil is suitable for short term racing use only, and is not suitable for street use.

14. 30 wt Red Line Race Oil synthetic = 96,470 psi
zinc = 2207 ppm
phos = 2052 ppm
moly = 1235 ppm
NOTE: This oil is suitable for short term racing use only, and is not suitable for street use.

18. 10W30 Joe Gibbs XP3 NASCAR Racing Oil synthetic = 95,543 psi
zinc = 743 ppm
phos = 802 ppm
moly = 1125 ppm
NOTE: This oil is suitable for short term racing use only, and is not suitable for street use.

Holy Threadsurrection, Batman!

What makes these oils not suitable for street use?
Also, all the diesel oils are fairly far down the list... what makes a diesel oil a diesel oil that results in diesel oils being so far down the list?
Can we run oils higher on the list in diesels without problems?
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Re: Engine Longevity Tips

Post by jeff swisher »

That list is from 2013.
Oil manufacturers are constantly changing the oil so find a newer list or stick with what has been working.
Driven oils (Gibbs racing) and VR1 silver bottle have not let me down. I have been using them since 2007.

I know this is an old thread question about longevity but many things i have done to keep my 350 going without wear are cooler temps.
Good oil and changing it often along with oil filter changes and superb air filter sealing.
My 350 is all standard and never been honed since it left the assembly line and stuck into a 1969 wagon.
No ridge and over 400,000 miles Standard original rods and crank.
I have replaced the pistons 3 times so it has had 4 sets of pistons rings and bearings in it.

I just do that each time it goes into another vehicle. E251K rings and NO glaze breaking and NO hone of any kind.
Cam bearings replaced once and I have tested a dozen cams in it.
2 bolt main, stock bolts everywhere. Most of it's life was with me 300,000+ miles and I have ran no thermostat many years and it runs 130-195 depending on weather and what I am pulling.

Good oils and filters.
Day one it got Texaco Havoline and did get fed that until 1992. Then VR 1
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Re: Engine Longevity Tips

Post by digger »

The biggest of all is fuel injection properly calibrated of course
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Re: Engine Longevity Tips

Post by HiPer Express »

The Dark Side of Will wrote: Sun Mar 19, 2023 4:06 pm
novafornow wrote: Sat Mar 18, 2023 1:59 pm I believe that it is a lack of detergents.
Is there a detergent additive that won't blow up the oil's film strength performance like the ZDDP additives do?

The Dark Side of Will wrote: Fri Mar 17, 2023 9:36 pm
540 RAT wrote: Tue Mar 26, 2013 8:41 pm 4. 10W30 Lucas Racing Only synthetic = 106,505 psi
zinc = 2642 ppm
phos = 3489 ppm
moly = 1764 ppm
NOTE: This oil is suitable for short term racing use only, and is not suitable for street use.

7. 10W30 Valvoline NSL (Not Street Legal) Conventional Racing Oil = 103,846 psi
zinc = 1669 ppm
phos = 1518 ppm
moly = 784 ppm
NOTE: This oil is suitable for short term racing use only, and is not suitable for street use.

14. 30 wt Red Line Race Oil synthetic = 96,470 psi
zinc = 2207 ppm
phos = 2052 ppm
moly = 1235 ppm
NOTE: This oil is suitable for short term racing use only, and is not suitable for street use.

18. 10W30 Joe Gibbs XP3 NASCAR Racing Oil synthetic = 95,543 psi
zinc = 743 ppm
phos = 802 ppm
moly = 1125 ppm
NOTE: This oil is suitable for short term racing use only, and is not suitable for street use.

Holy Threadsurrection, Batman!

What makes these oils not suitable for street use?
Also, all the diesel oils are fairly far down the list... what makes a diesel oil a diesel oil that results in diesel oils being so far down the list?
Can we run oils higher on the list in diesels without problems?
that list is total BS, tested with legendary one armed bandit that sells snake oil at fairs.
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Re: Engine Longevity Tips

Post by panic »

Never start it unless you need to drive it.
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Re: Engine Longevity Tips

Post by novafornow »

True story: I had a guy pushing Amzoil ( i think) come to my place with the one armed bandit. I knew he was coming, so I put some gear oil in an engine oil bottle. He could not believe how well my "shelf" oil did. I would not recommend gear oil in any engine!
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Re: Engine Longevity Tips

Post by Walter R. Malik »

crock wrote: Tue Mar 26, 2013 12:15 am If we start with a high performance hot rod street engine using conventional materials, what can be done to increase the longevity of the engine? I am trying to get some tips that can help performance street builds that normally last 10,000-30,000 miles go 100,000 miles between rebuilds.
Never, NEVER allow it to get into detonation at any time. Not even mild detonation, (the kind you can not even hear).
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Re: Engine Longevity Tips

Post by stealth »

Pre-oiler system... with oil heater if possible..
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Re: Engine Longevity Tips

Post by Wetflow »

Don't low idle any more than absolutely necessary.
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Re: Engine Longevity Tips

Post by David Redszus »

"Walter R. Malik" post_id=940182 time=1679407575 user_id=17962]
Never, NEVER allow it to get into detonation at any time. Not even mild detonation, (the kind you can not even hear).
Yes, or into pre-ignition which you cannot hear, but kills just the same.
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Re: Engine Longevity Tips

Post by Bill Chase »

rfoll wrote: Wed Mar 27, 2013 12:11 pm A local race motor builder told me a story about engine heating systems. The fire dept. started using pre-heaters to solve the cold statups associated with emergency calls. It wasn't long before they started losing crankshafts, rods, etc. If left warm, all of the oil drips away from the bearings and you get a dry startup.
A simple Accusump setup, or other prelube setup would eliminate that issue. think of a dry sump pump with a ratcheting type of pulley. and a small electric motor to turn it prior to start up. the trick would be keeping it small, and simple. easy to do for a toy/race engine. Maybe not so easy to do for a daily driver type of car.
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