Quote:
Originally Posted by Yahoo
Tony - I have previously queried the viscosity of the Fuchs/Silkolene engine oil you use, it is thicker then recommended by BMW - particularly on startup. I know that you feel this offers better protection at high temps (on the track), but we know that 90% of engine wear occurs when the engine is cold.
Given the unexplainable condition of your engine, do you think your engine oil could be the culprit?
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Your thought process on the oil isn't making sense.
Firstly, the Fuchs oil is a 5W-40 - it is only thicker than the standard BMW Castrol oil at higher operating temperatures. BMW recommend either a 0W-30 or a 5W-30, depending on your location in the world and the 5W-30 has the same viscosity properties as the Fuchs 5W-40.
The damage to my engine has nothing at all to do with cold wear - it has to do with the pistons getting too hot and swelling, therefore scoring the cylinder walls. There is a supplemental issue of carbonisation from the intakes, and this carbon getting into the combustion chamber. Nothing to do with the oil. If anything, using the thinner BMW 0W-30 oil would have been even worse as there could theoretically be more oil seepage past the piston rings as the viscosity is less (when compared to the Fuchs oil I'm using).
Also, it is a fact that the lower the viscosity of oil, the lower the oil pressure within the bearings. The higher the viscosity, the greater the oil pressure in the bearings and theoretically the greater the level of protection.