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After each pull, the engine was allowed to cool down on the dyno while idling. All dyno pulls were started at the same water temp and about the same intake air temp for consistent results. After our power level was recorded with the 5W-20 oil, we switched over to the Idemitsu ZEPRO 0W-20 and repeated the test.
When driving Project EP3 with the Idemitsu oil, you could feel the power gains from a seat of the pants perspective. The engine revved faster and the car definitely accelerated better. It was pretty amazing. The engine even idled smoother. We have never felt this sort of response due to oil before. To put what this oil does into perspective, this level of power gain is generally greater than what you might expect on a naturally aspirated engine from an air intake or exhaust and is more on part with what headers might do for instance.
The advantages are marked and we think that this oil could be the secret weapon for racing classes like autocross and SCCA road racing that tightly restrict engine modifications or for stuff like the Stock Eliminator drag racing where mods are restricted and every bit of power counts. We do have some concerns that the thin oil may not protect like a thicker premium synthetic racing oil for high horsepower applications so we would experiment with caution in these cases.
To free up this level of power due to friction reduction means that there is a lot of potential fuel economy gains with ZEPRO 0W-20 as well. We have been monitoring the Project EP3’s fuel economy before and after the oil change and will report how well the oil performs in that aspect at a later date. We will also be monitoring for accelerated oil burning or any other negative side effects of running thin oil in the K20A3.
We are very impressed with Idemitsu ZEPRO 0W-20 and will consider running it on late model NA cars for track days to enjoy the power gains. Stay tuned for a future article covering the oils effect on fuel economy.
