900 is as low as I like for HFT and SFT cams. I prefer 1000.
If it’s a drag and drive deal I’d like 1300 as long as the tune up/converter will tolerate it.
Anything lower than that for the above is getting risky. You might get away with it until you don’t.
If I have my pick I only use Torco SR5r oil. As long as it doesn’t have catalytic converters on it. In that case I use Torco SR-1. It’s what I use in the wife’s 2017 Durango in 0w20.
Both are 100% synthetic using Group IV and Group V base oils. There additive package is not just ZDDP. It has oil soluble Molybdenum and not only is it only available from two sources it’s double damned expensive. Very few oil manufacturers use it for those two reasons. IIRC there also grades of molybdenum. The higher the cost of the oil the higher the probability it has oil soluble molybdenum.
I have tested Torco against several other brands. I also paid for some test results from sources I trust. It is astoundingly expensive to correctly test oil and do it right. The cost of the oil is only part of it. You need an “A” oil and a “B” oil to test.
Then you need another oil to use to clean out the oil from the previous tests or it will damn sure skew the results. There is an oil that is used for the clean out oil but I can’t think of the name of it. It’s not as expensive as the test oils but it’s close. I use a brake in oil for that because of what’s not in it more than what’s in it. I checked with Torco about it and they said it’s as good as the other oil. Lake Speed said the same thing
Now you need the dyno time. Unless you are speedy Gonzales you will need at least two full days to test it.
You start with it the A oil. You flog it up to temp and you make three sets of three pulls. 9 runs total. You throw out the highest and lowest pulls and average the rest.
Then you need to drain the oil, screw on a new filter, fill it up with brake in oil and make several hard pulls on it until you see the power level out or drop. If it’s making the same power (or better) on the brake in oil you got issues and you get to start again.
Once you get the brake in oil out, a new filter on and the B oil in you do it all over with 9 runs.
Again back with the BI oil, another new filter and then the A oil back in (it can’t be the A oil from the previous test, it has to be fresh oil) and 9 more pulls.
While doing the testing you need to be absolutely ANAL about coolant and oil temps. Everything really but you can NOT let the temperatures vary. If you do all the tests are junk and you are back to square ONE.
If you do the testing correctly and if you interpret the data correctly you’ll know which oil of the two is better. That’s it. It has no bearing on whether the better oil is better than oil C unless you repeat the test with the winner of the A-B test against the C oil.
I’m only going into this detail because you asked. Oil is the most overlooked component of any engine. Period. And the general malaise regarding oil is pretty much repugnant to me.
I have tested several different oils and I’ve verified the dyno results not only with time slips but with valve spring life, rocker shaft and bushing wear, even ring seal. So I’m not talking sideways out of my ***.
There is a reason I pay damn near 23 bucks a quart for oil (I do it GLADLY) because I’ve done the testing and verified the results in the real world.
I would consult Torco for the oil they recommend and I’d call HPL and talk to them too. I’ve been told HPL is an exceptional oil too that is Torco level good but I have not tested it for reasons outlined above.
I’m not a high dollar guy. But I spend money where it saves parts, makes horsepower and reduces costs in the long run.
I’ve been involved in some testing where the A and B oils were not cleaned out before switching. It invalidates all testing.
What was interesting is that the A oil was clearly the better oil. The better oil is no longer made (the A oil) and the B oil was Pennzoil. The guy paying for the testing had been using pennzoil since Mohammed went to mountain.
They made 5 or 6 quick pulls and then dropped in the B oil. No clean out oil and the same damn oil filter too.
Not surprisingly the Pennzoil was exactly as good as the A oil. I don’t recall a 2 hp difference anywhere and most of the pull they were less than 1 hp apart.
The old dude was snapping his suspenders and celebrating like he won the lottery, married a super model and was granted an island kingdom for himself.
I was there to observe because the dyno owner knew what I knew about testing procedures. The guy running the dyno was very good so no issues there.
I could just watch. Not say a word. By the end of the **** show, I had a giant burr under my saddle. I got the ok to say something.
So I said I’m betting if you made 6 more full pulls the Pennzoil would not look as good. The old dude called bullshit and said loser buys pizza dinner.
6 pull later and the Pennzoil was starting to fade. Several more pull and is way down. Something like 20-22 at 8k and it was down on average 12 or something.
The residual A oil left in the engine still has its full additive package. There is enough A oil left in the engine (not changing the filter may it way worse) to affect the B oil until you run the B oil long enough to use up the residual A oil.
I have no problem testing Torco against HPL or any other same tier oil. But someone else is paying for it.
I wouldn’t waste the time and money to test Torco or HPL against any Group III oil for any reason.
Those oils can not compete against them. And I’m not sure I’d bother to test an oil with just Group IV oil (IIRC that’s like Royal Purple and Redline) or Group V oil (again IIRC like Amsoil or the long defunct Synthoil) because I’ve either tested them myself or I paid for the testing or got to watch it.
I hope that makes sense and it’s not too long and boring.
And it’s not a sales job for Torco or HPL. It is the results of my testing on the dyno and in the car.
