Oil Usage - ZR-1 Net Registry Forums

msuhanek · 03-14-2017

My 91 ZR-1 uses about a quart every 1100 miles or so. 62k miles. No leaks or oil smoke I see. Plugs are clean. Any ideas or concerns?

Sent from my iPhone using ZR-1 Net Registry

Vetman · 03-14-2017

Sounds pretty normal for a z. Depends a lot on how often your foot is in it.

Dynomite · 03-14-2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vetman

Sounds pretty normal for a z. Depends a lot on how often your foot is in it.

I concur as does depend on your foot and may depend on what oil or grade of oil you are using.....which is??

Hib Halverson · 03-14-2017

Only the 90s, because they had no exhaust valve seals, have a reputation for abnormally high oil use under "normal" conditions.

At 62,000 miles, I'd say that 1100 miles per quart would be just over the high-side "normal" if the engine is using a good 10W30 synthetic and is subjected to a normal duty cycle.

TealZR1 · 03-15-2017

Yes, like most of us foot is mashed much of the time for the fun of it. The car runs 10 W 30 synthetic. At this point of it's life. Should I run 10W-40 or 20 W 50? Thanks for your help!

Hib Halverson · 03-15-2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by TealZR1

Yes, like most of us foot is mashed much of the time for the fun of it. The car runs 10 W 30 synthetic. At this point of it's life. Should I run 10W-40 or 20 W 50? Thanks for your help!

"Foot mashed much of the time" means to me that you run the engine hard. If that's the case, with that mileage, I wouldn't worry about 1000 miles per quart.

I'd stick with 10W30 unless you experience sustained high oil temperatures, say...above 250°F. If that's the case, go to a 10W40.

I've had great luck with Gibbs Driven DT40. It's actually a 5W40 and, nowadays, I use it in all my Corvettes.

efnfast · 03-15-2017

It seems like the first quart goes away very quickly. Leave it down a quart, as long as your not road racing, you should be ok. Don't forget, it has 12 quarts in it.

WARP TEN · 03-15-2017

My experience is that in normal driving I hardly l used any oil in either my 93 or 95. On my trips down to Bowling Green (about 450 miles each way) I showed no oil consumption for the whole trip if we did not do any actual racing. When we went drag racing or did some hard laps on the NCM track I consumed about half a quart more than without it. So having your foot in it does seem to make a difference

-Bob

TealZR1 · 03-15-2017

With the LT5 and 61,000 miles, would it be OK to run a 10 W 40 or 20 W 50 oil possibly to reduce the oil consumption? Thanks for everyone's help!👍

Mystic ZR-1 · 03-15-2017

GM said 10w-30, but what do they know?

03-14-2017	#1
msuhanek Join Date: Nov 2016 Location: Atlanta GA Posts: 13	Oil Usage My 91 ZR-1 uses about a quart every 1100 miles or so. 62k miles. No leaks or oil smoke I see. Plugs are clean. Any ideas or concerns? Sent from my iPhone using ZR-1 Net Registry

03-14-2017	#2
Vetman Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Yakima Washington Posts: 411	Re: Oil Usage Sounds pretty normal for a z. Depends a lot on how often your foot is in it. __________________ Jim 1990 Z # 2441 1959 c-1 230 HP 4 speed frost blue/silver 3 owner 2011 cts-v 556 HP, manual 6 speed 1955 chev 2dr ht PP 265 3 speed w/OD

03-14-2017	#4
Hib Halverson Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: CenCoast California Posts: 898	Re: Oil Usage Only the 90s, because they had no exhaust valve seals, have a reputation for abnormally high oil use under "normal" conditions. At 62,000 miles, I'd say that 1100 miles per quart would be just over the high-side "normal" if the engine is using a good 10W30 synthetic and is subjected to a normal duty cycle. __________________ Hib Halverson Technical Writer former owner 95 VIN 0140 current owner 19 VIN 1878

03-15-2017	#5
TealZR1 Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Atlanta GA Posts: 51	Re: Oil Usage Yes, like most of us foot is mashed much of the time for the fun of it. The car runs 10 W 30 synthetic. At this point of it's life. Should I run 10W-40 or 20 W 50? Thanks for your help!

03-15-2017	#7
efnfast Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Dunbarton NH Posts: 7,574	Re: Oil Usage It seems like the first quart goes away very quickly. Leave it down a quart, as long as your not road racing, you should be ok. Don't forget, it has 12 quarts in it.

03-15-2017	#8
WARP TEN Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Lake Bluff, IL Posts: 2,141	Re: Oil Usage My experience is that in normal driving I hardly l used any oil in either my 93 or 95. On my trips down to Bowling Green (about 450 miles each way) I showed no oil consumption for the whole trip if we did not do any actual racing. When we went drag racing or did some hard laps on the NCM track I consumed about half a quart more than without it. So having your foot in it does seem to make a difference -Bob __________________ 2016 Long Beach Red Z06 #10281 "POPS Z" 1995 Polo Green #409 "WARP TEN"--Haibeck 350/510 package, 4.10s, Hurst, Stock Exhaust with QTP Cutouts --Sold but still running strong 1993 Quasar Blue #161 "HIL KING" --Sold but still running strong, now with more than 120,000 miles 1967 Marlboro Maroon/Saddle Corvette Coupe 300 hp/4-spd --Sold a long time ago ZR-1 Net Registry Founding Member #95 NCM Lifetime Member Favorite Quote--Attributed to Mickey Thompson: "Too Much Horsepower is Almost Enough"

03-15-2017	#9
TealZR1 Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Atlanta GA Posts: 51	Re: Oil Usage With the LT5 and 61,000 miles, would it be OK to run a 10 W 40 or 20 W 50 oil possibly to reduce the oil consumption? Thanks for everyone's help!👍

03-15-2017	#10
Mystic ZR-1 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Mystic CT Posts: 2,628	Re: Oil Usage GM said 10w-30, but what do they know?