What is the best kind of oil for a car that can suffer during the warm up period?

Question

I got a 1993 r33 nissan Skyline RB25det manual engine, 116k km has a little lifter tick that goes t ttttt t ttttt once 60 seconds of clean idling go by after cold starting. When it gets to operating temperature it goes away, and runs cold vibration free.

Old Exxon supprex 7.5w30 race advertisements were given with the car.

I tried Nissan 5w30 Ester oil, and about to try STP oil treatment with ZINC tomorrow.

Would you say is the cure for a cold lubrication issue? Thinner oil? Castrol Magnatec, Hyper lube ZINC? or what?

The colder time of day, the more it suffers while warming up.

Justin Shepherd · Accepted Answer

Lifter noise can't really be cured by putting stuff in the oil. They're hydraulic mechanisms that wear out over time, especially if they've been driven like mad. I'm sure a 28 year old Skyline has been driven pretty hard over the years. I would say use the oil that the manufacturer recommends, a synthetic will flow easier.

You might try to use a thinner oil if you do it correctly. If the engine calls for 5W-30 for example, you could substitute a 0W-30 oil and see how that does. The first number basically tells you how it flows when it's cold, in terms of oil weight equivalent. Lower flows better. The 2nd is when it's at operating temp. The 0W is thinner than 5E when cold, making it easier for the pump to circulate initially, but it's heavier when it's hot, matching the required weight for the engine.