Best oil and grade to use

[260Zbuzz]

Hello all. My 260Z has 143k miles. I live in Houston. Soon to get very hot with summer approaching. I just bought my Z two months ago....looking at getting the oil changed soon. Can you suggest brand and grade of oil to use? Engine is original except for 2 Weber carbs. Thanks for your help.

[Carl Beck]

If the engine has had good care - 143K miles is nothing on an L24. I use Mobile 1 synthetic, because it lowered my engine temp.'s by about 12 degrees F. Then in the Summer months I use water plus Red Line Water-Wetter... that dropped the temp.'s another 10 degrees... between the two the temp gauge stays in the middle now - where it used to approach over heating on days of 90+ degrees F.

Change one thing at a time and see what effect it has on your normal engine operation temp. ranges.

FWIW,

Carl

Clearwater, Florida..

[Blue Meanie]

Didn't even think of syn oil in my Z Carl. Been running Castrol GTX in mine.

OBTW thanks for the tip on the wiring harnesses. Got a hold of "onuthin" and ordered both.

[Z Excellence]

What is red line water?

[Carl Beck]

Red Line is a company

"Water Wetter" is one of their products

It's actually a surfactant that reduces the surface tension of water. Reduced surface tension results in smaller air bubbles forming in your cooling system, which results in more of the water coming in contact with both the metal heating and cooling surfaces in your engine.

Your coolant needs to come into contact with the metal coolant passages of your block to take on heat, then it needs to come into contact with the metal cooling passages within your radiator to pass off that heat. The more efficiently the coolant stays in contact with both metal surfaces.. the heat it can carry away from the block and the more heat it can radiate to the atmosphere through your radiator.

It can be used with plain water or mixed with permanent antifreeze/coolant.

FWIW,

Carl B.

Carl Beck

Clearwater, FL USA

http://ZHome.com

[Walter Moore]

It's actually a surfactant...

http://ZHome.com

So if I put some form of mild soap in my anti-freeze would that be similar?

(Not that I have any intention of doing that you understand...)

[Z Excellence]

Thanks for the info on the red line water wetter Carl. In the summer Texas heat during long traffic lights my 76Z doesn't overheat but the temp guage swings to the rignt of the middle of the guage with the A/C on and this sounds like it might help.