LDB Auto Performance Inc.  -  We Know Why You Drive

 Drive Train

The drive train is the heart and soul of your car, the following will all but eliminate driveproblems allowing you to drive your car indefinitely. of an automobile and drivetrain dysfunction is the main cause of owner dissatisfaction. 

Motor Oil & Filter:
The single most important item effecting engine longevity is motor oil and the frequency of servicing or changing the oil. There are two critical points to remember about oil changes. The first is the frequency of oil changes and. the second is the type of oil that is used.

All oils are not created equally. As a matter of fact they are not even close in most cases. The following is a ‘primer’ on oils and will cover mineral oils and all of the synthetics that are used for automotive application.

Mineral Oils
Mineral oils are refined by various processes from crude oil. Most are paraffinic crudes, which contain lots of ‘wax’; some are naphthenic crudes, which have little wax and lower pouring (temperature) points.

Distillation of crudes gets us gasoline, petroleum distillates, asphalt and lubricating oil. All crude oils have molecules of various sizes; some of these shear easily and some do not shear easily. Also, they usually have different boiling points. Multi viscosity oils are usually a blend of several of these base stocks with viscosity index improvers and other additives.

NOTE: In 1996 the phosphorus content of all energy conserving oils was dropped from approximately 1600 PPM to 800PPM. As a result, there have been some valve train wear problems with many oils. Before the 2004 models, all energy saving oils will have their phosphorus dropped to approximately 400PPM in order to insure catalytic converter life for 150,000 miles. This will exacerbate the problem.  As of this writing (April 2003) Mobil1 with SuperSyn in 0w-40, the European spec oil, still has over 1000 PPM of phosphorus. There are no valve train wear problems with this oil. It is a combination of the patented SuperSyn technology and the added phosphorus. If you car requires an energy saving oil we suggest that you stock up on this before August of 2003 when the formula must change. It is available only from AutoZone.  We should note that the non "energy saving" oils will always have 1600 ppm of phosphorus and we have used Mobil 1 in this weight (15w-50) since 1986 with no problems. Two cars presently get the European spec oil for warranty considerations as they must have energy saving oil. As such, these LS's get the European Spec 0w-40. When the warranty is out they will be converted to 15w-50 and the only car that will still use the 0w-40 will be the drag race car which is run dead cold and shifted at 7300RPM's. With this forewarning, read about synthetics and make your own choice.

Synthetic Oils
There are six families of synthetic oils; of these, four are approved for automotive application and they are as different as night and day. Take the time to read this, as your choice will greatly effect your engine’s longevity and functioning. Finally, a recommendation is made that is based solely on personal experience — this keeps the lawyers off of our backs.

1. POLYALPHAOLEFINS (PAOs) or Olefin Oligomers are the most widely used synthetics and are composed of two or more decene molecules, which form a short chain length polymer. These molecules are very uniform in size and resist shearing. They are hydrocarbon structures that are free of all metals, sulfur and phosphorus. They are completely wax free and have an incredible range in viscosity. They will pour at - 40C and will not boil or coke until the temperature exceeds approximately 450F. Lubricity and thermal stability are their forte’ but they are limited in their ability to dissolve some additives and may shrink seals. Adding small amounts of ester eliminates these problems.
   
   
2. DIBASIC ACID ESTERS (DIESTERS) are synthesized by reacting alcohol with an acid. Their structures are more varied than PAOs but they also contain no wax, metals, sulfur or phosphorus. They are clean running and can dissolve some deposits that other oils cannot dissolve. Like PAOs they have excellent pour points. Their additive selections are very critical and should be used with chemically resistant seals.
   
   
3. POLYOL ESTERS (POLYESTERS ) are also formed by reacting acid and alcohol. The difference is a polyol is a molecule with two alcohol functions in its’ structure. Like diesters, they contain no contaminants that are detrimental to oils and have excellent pour points and viscosity indexes. With proper additives, they are more stable in that they resist oxidation better than diesters. Like diesters, seals should be chemically resistant to prevent leakage.
   
   
4. ALKYLATED AROMATICS are formed by reacting olefins with aromatic materials such as benzene. Like PAOs, they have excellent thermal stability and viscosity indexes. In functioning, they are the most closely related to PAOs and offer excellent sheer stability etc.

Having stated the very basic differences in oils, it is recommended that all automobiles with relatively low mileage, under 25,000 - 50,000 miles, depending on the care previously given to the oil change frequency, use a PAO synthetic.

Our company recommends MOBIL 1 synthetic and only MOBIL 1 synthetic motor oils. Even in 15-50w, MOBIL 1 will flow at —55F and will not coke until temperatures are in the 500F range while giving a lubricity that virtually eliminates all engine wear. Varnish and sludge formation become almost non-existent as do lubrication related engine repairs. We have seen engines with over 200,000 miles that had all internal components meet new specifications! One final point: MOBIL 1 is the oil of choice for most Formula 1 cars and road racing vehicles. The red line for Formula 1 cars is between 17,000 and 18,000rpms. Think about this, it says quite a lot.

During the warranty period one should use the viscosity recommended by the manufacturer. In reality the 10-30w will protect at any temperatures encountered in all fifty states.

The oil change interval should be every 3,000 to 5,000 miles depending on the severity of your driving conditions. Remember that city driving is far harder on the oil than highway driving as is towing and extended high-speed motoring.

The oil filter should be replaced at, every oil change and only quality filters should be used. OEM filters are recommended, or the following aftermarket brands: MOBIL 1 and PUROLATOR. Other equally good brands may exist.

Finally, a word about additives - NO. To be direct most modern additives are directed at engine wear and protection and they are probably beneficial with conventional oils. The lubricity of the MOBIL 1 is so great that these additives have virtually no effect besides costing you your money.

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 Gasoline & Gasoline Filter

An area often overlooked is gasoline. Many people give no thought to their car’s fuel tank and what they put in it. They are under the impression that if the gas has the recommended octane rating that everything will be o.k. - not so. When buying gas, buy only gas from one of the major refining companies. Companies like EXXON, CHEVRON, AMOCO, MOBIL, SUNOCO etc. are all fine in that they have the necessary additives to keep your fuel system clean.

A word about octane ratings - they are not linear. That is a 92 octane is not one percent less that 93 octane. That one point is considerably more and you need to remember this point. Generally speaking, one should use the octane recommended by the manufacturer or one higher. Where high octane is a requirement the highest octane available at ALL of their stations here on the east coast is SUNOCO with a minimum of 94. In reality here it tests 95 to 95.5 on a regular basis.

Gasoline additives are generally not needed except to clean a dirty system. Most gas does a good job of keeping fuel injectors clean however some cars seem to have particularly sensitive injectors. One product that works exceptionally well in keeping injectors 99% clean is RED LINE SI - 1 & SI - 2 Injector and Valve detergent. It has been added to a 92 Corvette’s tank at about 20,000 miles and the car felt more responsive. Using this at 5,000 mile intervals for the health of your fuel system is recommended.

RED LINE injector cleaner is available at Pep Boys and various other outlets.

There are two other items that have a great effect on your fuel system: the gas and air filters. Gas filters should be changed every 20,000 miles as should the air filter. For gas filters we recommend OEM filters particularly in fuel injected cars. Most modern fuel injection systems operate at high pressures and a dirty filter will reduce the level of performance and efficiency. Also remember that cars burn oxygen and the more oxygen an engine gets the more efficient it becomes. In cases where the maximum amount of air flow is needed we recommend using a K & N air filter. These filters flow better that any other filter available and they can be cleaned and oiled for indefinite use.

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 Wheels and Suspension

There is little maintenance required on the rolling portion of your automobile but what little that is required should be paid attention to in order to avoid problems.

Tires & Wheels
Tires and wheels need precious little care beyond front end alignment, tire pressure and balance. Most of today’s cars are fitted with cast aluminum wheels that appear to be maintenance free, for the most part this is correct. The problem is protecting wheels from damage from brake dust and other environmental pollutants that may damage wheels. The key is to keep them clean from the brake dust and other grime that may damage them. Many companies offer specialized wheel cleaners for cast wheels be they coated wheels, polished wheels or plain cast wheels. These products work but may damage paint and rubber components and we do not recommend using them. To care for wheels use a good wheel brush and ordinary car wash. In severe cases dishwashing detergent will often remove the worst grime in conjunction with a bit more brushing. Keep your wheels clean, not only will they look good but they will not be damaged by the environmental contaminants.

Use a coating of P21S wax, followed by a light application of Pam. (If you use Pam remove the tire and wheel from the car to prevent getting Pam on the brake components.)

Tires will eventually have to be replaced and most people usually have a brand or a price in mind. Use a good tire, most of the name brand tires are more than adequate. MICHELIN, B.F. GOODRICH, GOODYEAR, FIRESTONE, etc. are all good tires. Avoid the no name brands often found at discount chain stores as they tend to be of lesser quality. In the long run the quality tire is less expensive and usually a lot safer.

There are also times that tires which appear to be perfectly sound should be replaced. Usually the tread is in excellent shape with more than 50% of the tread still available but the tire is reduced to junk. The reason is that the tires have vulcanized; that is, they have become very hard and have turned into a virtual plastic. When this happens, traction and strength are compromised to the point of being very dangerous. Strangely, we see this mainly on Z and Y rated tires. There is speculation that this has to do with the compounds that must be used in these tires.

The following is a pretty good way to judge the health of your performance tires. On a warm day nail the throttle is 1^st gear; if the tires ‘squeal’ and go the tires are good. If the rear end of the car slides around as if you were on a wet or icy road, with no ‘squealing’, then the tires should be replaced. The bottom line is that hard tires are dangerous tires; we would all do well to remember this fact.

Heat Cycling (breaking in) New Tires
New tires are expensive and new performance tires are very expensive. As such, we thought that we would mention the correct way to ‘heat cycle’ your tires for both longer life and, more importantly, better traction over the lifetime of your tires.

When you buy new tires you should heat cycle them to insure long life and optimum traction. Heat cycling is quite simple and is imperative for performance tires but few have heard of this process yet alone know how to do it.

To heat cycle your tires you should do the following: Drive your car at about 55 to 65 mph for about 10 miles. Then drive the car slowly to let the tires cool for about 2 or 3 miles. At this point the car should be parked and the tires should be allowed to fully cool uniformly. Uniform cooling will require you to either jack the car up off of the ground or to use Tirecradles. If you cannot jack the car up off of the ground and if you do not have Tirecradles, then try to park the car on grass. The thing that you do not want to do is to park the car on concrete as this may cause a ‘cold set’ to occur at the site of the contact patch. This will result in a spot that will always be a little harder than the rest of the tire. All tires have a certain number of ‘heat cycles’ in their life; that is, before they become hard. Correctly heat cycling your tires the first time will greatly extend the useful life of your tires.

Having said this there is one caveat; heat cycling can only be effectively done in non-winter months in order for the tires to build the necessary heat. As such, try to avoid buying new tires in the winter.

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 Shocks

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 Brakes

One of the most controversial areas of maintenance are the brakes. Most people replace their brakes with aftermarket components and let it go at that, we believe this to be wrong. Drum brakes are more forgiving than disc brakes and we believe disc brakes to be often adversely effected by aftermarket brake pads. The reason for this has to do with the hardness or softness of the brake pad and the effect that this has on the disc and brake longevity.

Most OEM brake pads are designed to work with a specific rotor material at specific temperatures and wear rates. Almost all rotor warpage or excessive wear is caused by pads that are not fully compatible with the manufacturer’s design. Staying with OEM replacement pads usually eliminates these problems and, as such, we recommend them. PERFORMANCE FRICTION brake pads are a superb aftermarket product.

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