vipcivic

what is the best engine oil to use for my 93 tt fd

gracer7-rx7

iTrader: (16)

No such thing as "best"

it depends.

check out the info from the FAQ thread:
https://www.rx7club.com/showpost.php...43&postcount=8

vipcivic

but i heared synthetic is not suppose to be used

diabolical1

iTrader: (3)

there are many, many debates on it and you'll have to make up your own mind on the subject. personally, i won't use mineral oil outside of break-ins any more. all in all, i think many synthetics are great!

as far as your original question goes, i don't think the type (mineral vs. synthetic) of oil you use is half as important as your oil changing philosophy. you should consider your driving habits, climate and other maintenance habits when choosing oil change intervals and weights.

funkjaw

iTrader: (3)

Well if you are looking for opinions, here is mine:
Idemitsu if your engine is in good shape.
4 quarts Valvoline VR 50w & 2 bottles STP oil treatment if your engine is not in good shape and burns a lot of oil.

FDSeoul

iTrader: (8)

+1 i like your mix table.

RTRx7

iTrader: (2)

Many seasoned engine builders say that using synthetic oil in a rotary with the stock oil injection system is a bad idea due to the higher flash point in these oils. Over time it causes a rediculous carbon build up that reduces engine life.

funkjaw

iTrader: (3)

^^ Hmm... I've only heard that about poor quality synthetic oils. I have heard good things about high quality synthetic oils such as Idemitsu Rotary Racing Engine Oil (which I use in my TII).

I am in no means a seasoned engine builder, but I work next to Rotorsports and Paul (being a Mazda Master Certified Technician) has been working on rotaries for 30+ years. I get a lot of information from him.

RTRx7

iTrader: (2)

Reguardless of the quality of the oil, the high flash point of synthetics and the way they are designed means they are not meant to be burned during the combustion cycle. High quality synthetics like the one you mentioned and royal purple are great for lubricating the internal engine parts but because of the aformentioned reasons they do not burn clean, like say some premix oils. I am just stating an opinion like the op asked for however there is a wealth of factual information to back up my claims. There are engines that have lasted for 100k+ miles both ways, the difference is the quality of the parts when it is time for a rebuild.

FD7KiD

iTrader: (8)

soooo what would be best brand and weight for a TT FD with 68k on a REMAN engine ???

Sgtblue

iTrader: (16)

Brand? To an extent, that's like asking what's the best breakfast cereal or best deoderant. Subjective.
As far as viscosity, FWIW in the spring and fall when it's cooler I run 10w 40. Summer 15w 50. (stored from Nov. to April)
I didn't read the entire thread above, but it's probably already mentioned that it's important to change oil a little more often in a rotary than worry about brands.

diabolical1

iTrader: (3)

see how life works? three years ago, this was where i was. my financial stability disappeared shortly after that and i had to go back to mineral oils - regular Walmart stuff. i just change it more frequently now. when i'm balling again and can afford my own product, then i'll go back to Amsoil.

brands don't matter for the most part. just choose something that works for your location and how the car is used, get a good filter and change accordingly. period.

funkjaw

iTrader: (3)

Unless the climate is freezing, I recommend 20w-50. For non synthetics cheap regular Valvoline is great stuff, and if you don't care about your cat wearing out prematurely, Valvoline VR Racing oil 20w-50 is awesome stuff.

For synthetics Idemitsu rotary engine oil is good, so is royal purple.. of course I don't like royal purple because it always looks dirty lol.

Gringo Grande

iTrader: (97)

I've been using walmart Super-Tech for years with no issues. Whatever makes you happy...20w-50 is the way to go imho.

FD7KiD

iTrader: (8)

i was thinking of picking up Motul 6100 15w50 @$8 a pop and this same shop in costa mesa has Royal Purple in all weights @$7.75 a pop

but im seem to be leaning towards Motul
mainly because its the best of both worlds "half Synthetic - half Dino" they call it Technosynthese Lubricant, its a lubricant composed of a mixture of synthetic base oil and mineral oil base. and since full synthetic all doesn't burn really well in rotary's i was thinking this was the next best thing. what do you guys think????


-Ricky

fedo79

I read manual on FD3 and, if I remember right, I read in summer 10W30 and in winter 5W30.
I use full syntetic.
Now we rebuilt engine, we could use something else ?

Sgtblue

iTrader: (16)

I think if it's slippery it'll work. I understand wanting nothing but the best for your new car, but IMO you're over-thinking it. The FD, like other rotaries, rarely suffers from oil related failures. Just use a good quality filter and a little shorter change intervals.
STRICKLY my personal opinion....I use synthetic but for it's performance in high temperature enviroments....like our turbos. If I was N/A I would probably just use conventional oil.


Rebuilding the engine makes no difference. Synthetic vs. Conventional oil debate is long standing and really your choice. If you have an FD, see my personal reasons above and then search in the 3rd Generation section for additional threads and opinions.
The only time I personally would argue NOT to use synthetic oil is during a break-in period after a rebuild.

funkjaw

iTrader: (3)

I think that is overkill myself.... what I normally do is wait until until I see Valvoline VR go on sale for $2.99 a quart and clean out the entire stock they have at the parts store. Normally that stuff is $5.99 a quart lol.

racing design

20/50is good have no problem with it

bcsoswat07

Has anyone heard that Mazda specifically said to use "Regular" oil, because of their contract with certain companies? That was a rumor that was going around with the rx-8.
I'm going out on a limb here, but from what I've heard from technicians, with the rx-8 renesis if you use synthetic oil, the rotors can actually "spin too fast" or the oil is not "thick enough" to create a proper seal?
Maybe this can apply to the older rotary engines? Maybe this is completely false haha.
Just my 1.5 cents.

Gringo Grande

iTrader: (97)

Racing Beat has been using synthetics in their rotaries since the late 70's. That's good enough for me.

Here's the deal for all the new owners: This is one of those topics that no one has been able to conclusively prove as right or wrong that I've ever seen...and like religion, people will argue to the death.

Buy whatever oil makes your feel good inside, put in car, drive car, done.

RENESISFD

iTrader: (13)

I agree with most of all of the above concerning brand and oil change intervals.


My $.02


I use Shell Rotella T 5w-40 synthetic Diesel engine oil. From my reading it seems that most engine wear occurs on start-up. Because of this it is IMO more important to have a thin oil for cold pumpibality. Once the engine is warm the 40w takes over and provides for a good oil film.

The reason I use a diesel engine oil is due to the higher concentrations of an anti wear additive called ZDDP. Gasoline engine oil has significantly less concentrations due to EPA concern for the catalytic converter.


Because the oil is synthetic there are less friction modifiers to break down causing a thinning of the oil at operating temps.


It is also a low ash formula to help reduce the amount of carbon build up.


FWIW, I have been using this oil for 18k miles and have no signs of trouble yet.

funkjaw

iTrader: (3)

Very interesting... I may give that a gander next oil change.

bpdchief

iTrader: (7)

Well the Factory Service Manual, FSM, that I have in front of me right now recommends 5W-30 if you live in an area where the outside temps are -20 degrees Farenheit to 40 degrees Farenheit. (not many places in the lower 48 that are in that range.) The recommended oil is 10W-30 if you are opertaing your car in -15 to way above 120 degree farenheit temperatures. It's 10W-30 conventional oil, not synthetic. Personally, I run 10W-30 in the 88 NA, the 86 Turbo II, and the 93 FD. No one particular brand, just get a well known brand. The turbo II and the FD get new oil and filters anywhere between 2500 and 3000 miles. The 88 goes about 5000 before a change. You should change your oil on an FD at that interval because the Twin Turbos have a tendency to break down the oil quicker. Incidentally, oil capacity is 5.2 quarts for every FD model ecept for the R1. The R1 is 5.7 total quarts. Hope this helps.

Sgtblue

iTrader: (16)

Thanks. I usually like to follow the FSM myself. But then they also tell you to change spark plugs from above and "recommend" believing in the stock temperature gauge. Besides, formulations have changed significantly in the last 20 to 30 years... in convention oils, synthetic oils and viscosity modifiers.
Again, do what gives you peace of mind. Reasonably there is no right or wrong. A decent filter and a bit more frequent changes are more important IMO. Besides, using 10w 40 or 15w 50 isn't gonna void anyone's warranty.
Also, for the benefit of the new owners....know that you'll NEVER get all the oil out of a rotary. Always some left in the cooler(s), lines and rotors. In my car it's about a 1/2 quart.