Can I use same oil for different Ferraris? | FerrariChat

Can I use same oil for different Ferraris?

Discussion in 'Technical Q&A' started by roma62, Oct 26, 2015.

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  1. roma62

    roma62 Rookie

    Jul 28, 2015
    32
    Allentown, PA
    Full Name:
    Vince Fantozzi
    I have an 02 456M, an 04 360 and an 08 F430. The cars only get about a 1000 miles per year and are kept in a heated/cooled dehumidified garage and never see Winter. Can I use the same brand and weight of oil? What type would you recommend?
     
  2. hakankuy

    hakankuy Karting

    Jun 15, 2010
    127
    Earth
    I can not talk for 02 456m. But for 04 360 and 08 f430 you can use the same brand and viscosity of oils. Unless you are in tropic/very hot climate, Ferrari advices 5w40 for modern natural aspirated V8s.
    I do not know the availability in the US market but in Europe people are using New Shell Pure plus 5w40 (there are 3 types, for Ferrari, for Renault and for general, we are using the one with Ferrari logo with extra %10 F-logo tax!)mainly. This oil produced from natural gas and which is fully synthetic and newest production from Shell (they claim so, not me!)
    In US, you have the chance of RedLine which has too many positive feedbacks about its products. Actually there are lots of threads about oil issue.
     
  3. Mitch Alsup

    Mitch Alsup F1 Veteran

    Nov 4, 2003
    9,742
    What does the factory recommend?

    But: in general::

    Oil has a designation typically written as xxW-yy
    The xx number relates to the viscosity at 40dF
    The yy number relates to the viscosity at 212dF (100dC)

    20 years ago 20W-40 was common, this migrated to 15W-40 and later to 10W-40 or even 0W-40. In each case the operating viscosity is <essentially> the same (40 weight). How the oil gets this rating is based on the first two numbers. You see a 0W-40 oil is a 0 weight oil that has a big dolup of viscosity improvers dumped in so that it runs 40 weight at operating temperatures. A 10W-40 starts with a 10 weight oil and adds a bit less VII. A 15W-40 even less VII, and by the time we get to a 20W-40 a modern synthetic oil has essentially no VII product in it while a group I or group II oil will still have a moderate amount of VII.

    If you don't want to look into the MDS data, you pick an oil by the last 2 numbers; 40 in this case. In general if you car calls for a xxW-40 oil then unless you are living in Alaska you can choose between 0W-40, 5W-40, 10W-40, 20W-40, and consider them essentially the same. If you live with excessive heat (Phoenix) then stick to the 10W-40 and above oils. If you live with a long winter, then stick between 0W-40 and 10W-40.

    If you take the car to the track you should be picking oil by the HTHS number (which is the operating viscosity at 300dF (150dC) which you will reach at the track if you push hard. In the case of the F355 the engine is designed for minimal wear at such temperatures with an oil that has an HTHS number over 4.2 centiPascals (cP). You can find oils (ester based synthetics) with HTHS numbers this high in 5W-30 weight oil. You can also find group I and II oils that do not meet this number with 20W-50 designations. Choose wisely.

    If you can't be bothered to do the research then you should be using 15W-50 or 20W-50 oil at the track and then change it back to factory recommended oils afterwards.

    If your oil never gets above 240dF your Ferrari engine is safe with xxW-30 oil in it. Such an oil has the same actual operating viscosity at 235dF as 10W-40 oil has at 285dF and as 20W-50 oil has at 305dF. It is the actual operating viscosity that your engine wants not some weight designation.

    Now, all oils are too thick at startup temperatures, the thinnest are well above 100centiStokes (cS) the thickest you would be using is well above 300cS, and all the time, your engine is desirous of 12-14cS. Yes that 10W oil at startup is way way thicker than desired, and yet at the same time it is as thin as they can make an oil that has the right viscosity at normal operating temperatures. By the way:: that 20W-50 oil can be so thick at startup that if you rev the engine hard, the oil can become plastic under the pressure of combustion and exert very large forces on the bearing shells--even to the point of spinning a bearing! let the engine warm up a bit before giving it the boot.
     

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