Why 10W 60 engine oil in a 3.2l GT

[Sailor209]

OK so Alfa wants me to put 10W 60 in my 3.2l GT.
I nearly always follow manufacturers recommendations BUT 10W 60 seems a little out there for a modern engine.
Can someone explain why it is so (as the professor used to say) when so many modern high performance engines are using 5W 30 and 5W 40?
The Brera 3.2 uses 0W 40 in its not so Alfa engine.
I use a 0W 40 in my supercharged MX5 and a few mechanics are suggesting that a 0W 30 would be more than suitable.
Is anyone using something else?
Open to discussion.

[alfamisa]

Hi Sailor209 (or should I have said hello? ) The simple answer is whilst your GT was built in 2010, the engine is essentially a 1970's design nicknamed Busso after it's designer. The 10W 60 is appropriate and I wouldn't use any other grade for road use. Over the years the change from mineral oil to full synthetic is sufficient improvement in performance and durability for the Busso V6.

PS Other engines mentioned are much later design and were designed and oil specified by manufacturers requirements to further reduce friction on start up to meet ever tightening consumption/anti pollution legislation.

[carlo rossi]

sadly it is some how forgotten fact its a holden engine bottom end
with fiat heads
yep you heard it right
the 3.6 holden  190kw Four-cam continuously variable cam phasing (Alloytec 190)"

taken from drive .com.au The engine is crucial to this. It uses an Alfa-fettled 3.2-litre version of Holden's Melbourne-built "global" V6 that powers the Commodore, coupled to a Torsen centre-differential all-wheel-drive system (denoted by the Q4 badge).

Read more: http://www.drive.com.au/new-car-reviews/alfa-romeo-brera-32-v6-20061114-14sji.html#ixzz45DddSxno

[colcol]

Hello Sailor, how many klms has your 3.2 done?, if it has done a few, then Alfa may think that it is using oil, and it needs to go up a peg.
Similar to the 02 JTS motor, used the same oil as the twin spark, [10-40], then with the extra oil consumption with the JTS motor, they upped the oil spec to 10-60, to cut down on oil consumption, Colin.

[Darryl]

sadly it is some how forgotten fact its a holden engine bottom end with fiat heads

The Brera/159 V6 is, yes, as Sailor209 is apparently aware. However, he actually asked about a GT - which has the quad cam 24 valve 3.2L ultimate evolution of the Busso (as in the 147 GTA). The 2010 anniversary model was a cunning plan to get rid of the last stocks of this dinosaur of a motor to the antipodes where emissions rules weren't so tight as Europe. Lucky us! Glorious engine. As already suggested, 10W60 is the right thing to use because, fundamentally, this is not a "modern" engine.

[carlo rossi]

I was of the belief that alfa still used the hoilden engine and in fact helped them with the heads

[colcol]

Alfa Romeo stopped using the General Motors block after the General went broke and Fiat were forced to look for a new engine supplier after the The General had to sell everything and sold their share of Fiat [15%?] back to them for all the greenbacks they could find.
Alfa Romeo stockpiled a few thousand Busso's and put them in the GT, as they were not engineered for the 159 series, the GT was based on the 147.
Guisepi Busso passed away shortly after, Colin.

[carlo rossi]

that does make all the difference
I always thought the 3.2 was gm
thanks for the update I wont look down on them anymore
in fact might be worth buying
ps that explains the oil because in the early 70s the best oil was sint 2000 (( 10w 40) still have 1 bottle))
so the new V6 is it ferrari or maserati
because maser had a 2.8 twintub  in the 228

[alfamisa]

so the new V6 is it ferrari or maserati
because maser had a 2.8 twintub  in the 228

The new V6 as in the Giulia is effectively a 458Italia Ferrari V8 90 deg V with two cylinders cut off (don't try this at home).

The current Maserati V6 is a completely different engine as it is 60 deg V.

PS The Alfa 3.2 GM origin V6 only appeared in 159's/Brera and spyder. And is denoted visibly with JTS on the engine cover.