{"id":78101,"date":"2024-08-07T11:53:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-07T15:53:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ss396.com\/cars\/?p=78101"},"modified":"2024-08-05T13:17:58","modified_gmt":"2024-08-05T17:17:58","slug":"engine-oil-what-you-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ss396.com\/cars\/engine-oil-what-you-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Engine Oil: What You Need To Know"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Engine Oil: The Magical Lubricant<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Engine oil is a bit of a mystery for most people. We know it’s critical for the engine’s operation, but we don’t really understand the oil itself. How do you know if one works better than another? You dump it in, drive, and change it. If you install bigger brakes you can feel the car stopping quicker. Or if you install a new engine, you can feel the difference in power. With engine oil though, it’s hard or even impossible to feel those kinds of differences.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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There are all sorts of myths and urban legends revolving around engine oil. Let’s take a look at some of those and see what’s true and what’s not, along with what you do need to know.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Vital Role of Engine Oil<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Engine oil\u2019s primary job is to lubricate the engine’s moving metal parts, reducing friction and preventing overheating. Without proper lubrication, friction generates heat, leading to potential internal engine damage. Using the correct viscosity and amount of oil ensures that these moving parts don\u2019t grind against each other, which could result in significant and expensive repairs.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Understanding Viscosity<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Viscosity measures how well oil flows at different temperatures. Multi-viscosity oils, like 10W-30, flow better at cold temperatures while still providing protection at higher temperatures. The first number indicates cold temperature flow, and the second number indicates viscosity at operating temperature (212 degrees F).<\/p>

Choosing the right viscosity depends on factors like bearing clearance and operating temperature. Older muscle car engines with larger bearing clearances might need thicker oils like 10W-40 or 20W-50 to maintain proper lubrication and pressure.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Trapping Combustion Byproducts<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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During combustion, fuel produces byproducts like acids and silicon oxides. Engine oil acts like a magnet, attracting and trapping these harmful substances, preventing them from circulating through the engine, and causing damage to vital components.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Extended Drain Interval Oils<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Extended drain interval oils, whether conventional, semi-synthetic, or full-synthetic, are designed to extend the time between oil changes by increasing the additive package. For instance, some synthetic oil offers a drain interval of up to 25,000 miles, one year, or 700 hours of operation. While extended intervals might not appeal to all performance enthusiasts, high-quality synthetic base oil provides significant benefits.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Types of Engine Oils<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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There are three main types of engine oils: fully synthetic, semi-synthetic, and conventional.<\/p>\n