Oil Advice and Recommendations Here

[opieoilman]

s2art said:

One thing that has not been emphasised here is the importance of the smaller number eg 5w 50, with respect to the speed six. As we all suspect a top end lubrication issue when first starting the engine the smaller the number the better. This is particularly important in winter. Are there any 5w 50's or better still 0w 50 oils out there any more? I would have thought they would be far beter than a 10w 50.

Yes this is important to a point, 5w is better than 10w etc for cold start.

However the numbers are extreme for UK Climate.

To meet the 0w test an oil has to pour at -35 degC and for 5w -30 degC!

These temps are brass monkey stuff, 10w is fine for UK and most European climates.

Cheers
Guy

[opieoilman]

s2art said:

Perhaps, but if there was a 5w 50 available then I would be interested. a 5W will get to the head faster than a 10w.

Yes there are some 5w-50 grades around, however most of the ones I know of are phased out or being phased out. The reason for this is because of the amount of vi improvers needed (Viscosity Index) to keep the oil in grade, so much is needed the oil is not really all that stable. Mobil 1 have or are phasing out their 5w-50 which was available in France and Fuchs are phasing out theirs.

Cheers

Guy.

[opieoilman]

groucho said:

Hi, Oilman Car: TVR Griffith 500 Year: 1998 - 17000 miles Engine: 5.0 litre Rover V8 Current Oil: Mobil 1 0/40 Mods: None Uses about a pint to a litre every 1000 miles.

The Mobil 1 you are using is a good PAO synthetic, however the grade may be a little thin for the old Rover V8 when cold. Due to the age of the engine they tend to like thicker oils.

Try a 10w-50 grade, this should burn less oil and you may find it will quiten down on start up throuth till up to temp.

Cheers

Guy.

[opieoilman]

sparkythecat said:

I had my car serviced at the factory a couple of months ago They are now using Carlube oils. This is probably because their race team has struck a sponsorship deal with them. The stuff they put in my 98 4L Chimaera was Carlube Triple R 0W-40 fully synthetic. Their technician advised me to change to either Mobil1 10W-40 or Carlube 15W - 50 in future both of which he said are much more suited to the RV8 and make it much less tappety. What can you tell us about the Carlube brand oils?

THe best way I can describe carlube is cheap and chearful. The mechanic is right, move to a thicker oil, 10w-40/10w-50/15w-50 as the old rovers prefer the thickness, In addition if you go for a good quality oil such a PAO/Ester synthetic your engine will not only sound quieter but it will be better protected also.

Remember a all dealers have the right to use whatever oil they want, so they tend to go with who gives them the best deal and this can be down to the grade, often dealers use an oil that is not even recomended by the manufacturer.

Best place to start is the handbook, this will give you the grade the manufacturer recomends, then its just a case of sorting out the what quality of oil you wish to use.

Cheers

Guy.

[opieoilman]

BERGS2 said:

Hi, Oil fella - interesting thread... any knowledge on the older Ford lumps preferences? Car: TVR S2 Year: 1989 - 50000 miles Engine: 2.9 litre Ford V6 Current Oil: Mobil 1 Uses hardly any oil between changes (6k) -

Here goes,

Engine = API SG/CD = 10w-50/15w-50

Manual Transmission = API GL5 75W/90

Auto’ Transmission = ATF FRD 166H

Differential(s) = LS 90

Power Steering (where fitted) = ATF-DII/FRD 33G

The API SG spec is an old petrol spec for oils and has now been upgraded to SJ/SL however the API specs are backward comnpatable, so an oil with the latest SJ/SL spec would also be fine.

Cheers

Guy.

[opieoilman]

CiderwithCerbie said:

A think a short letter to Dreadnought is in order!

Dont give them a too harder time, Magnatec is ok for the car, there is just much better available. A dealer is unlikely to supply you with top oil as it costs them so much to buy in the first place, you will find most will have a deal with a supplier and that is what you will get, they then put in cheap oil to keep their costs down.

Cheers

Guy.

[opieoilman]

s2art said:

OK. What is the best 0w 40 or 5w 40 oil around? Given the 0w 50 or 5w 50 are not available. This is for the speed six. Huge longevity is not really important as we all change oil and filters every 6000 miles.

The best 0w-40 or 5w-40 oils are in my opinion, and on paper Mobil, Castrol, Fuchs, Silkonene, Redline. Would be my top.

However for the speed 6 I would go no thinner than a 5w-40.

Cheers

Guy.

[opieoilman]

Tyre Smoke said:

So, Guy, have you moved the mouldy old cabin cruiser that's propping up the wall between your site and Morrish's chip shop yet?

Good bit of history as thats been the depot since 1925 however we have been based up at Cardrew for 10 years now, Buckets hill is just a forcourt with a few pumps on it now, and yes that dodgy old boat has gone thank god as people thought it was mine. Prey tell, how do you know us?

Tyre Smoke said:

And could you give me your opinion on Synta fully synthetic as supplied by the VAG group? How does the TBN compare with Silkolene Pro R? Not trying to catch you out just interested, that's all.

The synta oil is a home brand oil if you like, it is produced for VAG for their supply at dealers etc, however it is made to a cost, a bit like Tescos own brand Coke Cola, drinkable but made to a cost. Compared to Silkolene Pro its not even close.

If you are looking for oil to put in a VAG engine then go for Fuchs as they do all the factory fill for VAG/BMW/Mercedes etc.

Cheers

Guy.

[opieoilman]

budd said:

Hi Oilman So for no one as said they use Motul Oils, I have used Motul 300V Competition 15W50 for the last eighteen months with no problems, prior to this i used Millers CFS 10w60(Millers do list this as FULLY/ 100% sythetic) how do motul rate compared to the others you recomend as the price is roughly the same. Also gearbox oil, I was advised some time ago (by a Motul distributor) not to use ATF in the gearbox, but use fully synthetic engine oil, so I have been using Motul in the G/box as well(although when I changed the clutch earlier this year I couldn't get Motul so used Silkolene R instead) I have to say that the gear change and feel is much inproved since the change from ATF. In the diff I'm using Millers CRX LS Enduro 80w140bm, the car is lightly modified making around 300 BHP. How bad can the car lube stuff be (TVR approved after all)I had been thinking of switching to this, and changeing the oli more often , every 1500mls instead of every 3000 or after each track day. your thoughts will be gratefully received.

The Motul 300V is good oil, we had that one tested and were quite suprised with the results so no problem there, do not know about their other grades though.

The Millars 10w-60 is belived to be a full synthetic however the 10w-60 is grade is just not required by modern engines. It seems be an grade based on the belief thicker is better and that is not true. As the 10w-60 is when hot as thick as some gear oils, imagine the power needed to pump it around, it will also generate higher temps due to resitance of the thick oil.

Using engine oil in the gearbox is fine, other than a few GL4/GL5 issues gearboxes in my experience are trial and error to find what each individual likes, what I may consider a nice gear change you may not etc. However there are many gear products out there which claim to have different abilities in terms of gear load.

Car lube, to be honest I do not rate that highly, I think you will find it is TVR approved because of sponsorship for TVR challenge and the like.

Hope this helps.

Cheers

Guy.

[opieoilman]

nasz said:

Make: TVR Model: Chimaera Year: 1992 Engine size and type: 4.3 V8 Any significant modification: None Brand and viscosity currently used (if known) 10/40w Thanks in advance - been thinking about this for sometime. Nic

The 10w-40 is most likely to be a semi synthetic or mineral oil. If you are happy with it fine however you can go better. The V8 will like a thick oil due to its old design but that does not mean you cannot use a full synthetic, If you go for a Full synthetic around the 10w-50 or 15w-50 grade it will be fine plus you get all the benefits of using a synthetic oil.

Cheers

Guy.

[opieoilman]

neilmac said:

Guy, I've just rebuilt the T5 gearbox on my 96 Griff 500, what would you recommend filling it with, and what would you recommend for the GKN diff as Mobil gear oil stockists are few and far between around here. What you suggest that might be more available in the usual outlets (castrol etc)? Cheers Neil

Your gearbox calls for a automatic transmission fluid. Meeting the spec of DexronII, something like the Fuchs ATF3000. For the diff I would suggest the Silkolene Syn 5 75w-90, this is a competition oil used in many diffs.

E-mail me and I will forward some prices on to you.

Cheers

Guy.

[opieoilman]

Bump for this one

Cheers
Guy

[opieoilman]

s2art said:

opieoilman said: s2art said: OK. What is the best 0w 40 or 5w 40 oil around? Given the 0w 50 or 5w 50 are not available. This is for the speed six. Huge longevity is not really important as we all change oil and filters every 6000 miles. The best 0w-40 or 5w-40 oils are in my opinion, and on paper Mobil, Castrol, Fuchs, Silkonene, Redline. Would be my top. However for the speed 6 I would go no thinner than a 5w-40. Cheers Guy. Still a little puzzled. At normal running temps a 0w 40 will be practicaly the same 'thickness' as a 10w 40. So the only difference is when the engine is cold. What is it about the speed six that makes you consider a 0w 40 too thin? (particularly when firing it up in winter from stone cold)

These 0w grade oils are generally for the new breed of engines that are coming out at the monent. They are designed to allow the engine to meet new MPG regs and emissions. The energy required to pump around a 0w is minimal so the MPG is increased. They are also very thermally stable oils as the engines now run much hotter to burn more gasses thus less emissions.

The speed 6 enigne does not really come under this bracket, it is more raw if you like. A 5w-40 would be fine or 10w-50 if used hard.

Does this clarify a bit?

cheers

Guy.

[opieoilman]

DuncanM said:

Guy, Would be interested in your (or anyone elses) opinion on Royal Purple racing oils. Many thanks. Duncan

Duncan,

We have had Royal Purple chemically tested along side other American oils, Redline for one. American oils are usually very good even with the VI Improver problems they have. Also they are way over priced.

I am afraid Royal Purple did not come out all that great, especially for the money you pay for it.

Cheers

Guy.

[opieoilman]

OMEGA said:

I use a type 1 vw beetle engine of 1776 c.c.in a beachbuggy and intend to run a stroker motor of 2.4 litres in my next one. What oils work best with these aircooled flat fours? I do know that synthetics are not recommended due to their inability to absorb much heat, Thanks for all your help.

For a normal VW (1200 to 1600cc) any 10W/x or 15W/x mineral or semi-syn multi is OK. For a modified high-capacity engine, an oil capable of putting up with more heat is advisable; this is where the ability of the RIGHT synthetics to tolerate MORE heat is useful, again staying with a thick grade, 15w-50 etc.

Cheers

Guy.

[opieoilman]

barreti said:

Hi Mr Oil, I have a 1992 TVR Griffith 4.3BV - you should hear that V8 growl, it makes you go all week at the knees . . . Sorry, anorak put away now, back to the hard facts.

I know, I have a Porsche 928 S4 5.0 V8 and with an RMB exhuast it gives me a hard on every time my foot goes down!

barreti said:

The BV is a factory mod to lighten the flywheel and flow the head etc. It never had cats and has a straight through performance exhaust. No other mods that I know of. My guess is to use the same oil as you recommended to NASZ but I want to be sure because the previous owner recommended Castrol RS which I've just found locally but it's synthetic 10/60. I've not had it long but in the 750 miles I've done I think it's used abuot 3/4 litre of oil but theres nothing to indicate a problem. So whats it to be Mobil 1 0/40 Other quality 10/50 Castrol RS Oh, it had a 6k service before it came to me, so I have no idea what oil is in it so I've been using Mobil 1 to top it up. I take it this is OK ? Thanks very much Ian

You can use the Castrol RS 10w-60, however I personally do not rate it as it is a hydrocracked mineral oil and not a true synthetic at all, not only that it is just too thick for almost any engine.

The Mobil 1 0w-40 I would also not use, too thin for the good old V8, you will find your engine may be noisy with this and it will use a LOT! If you like Mobil go for the 15w-50.

My personal choice would be 10w-50 or 15w-50, my choice of brand would be Silkolene, now I have to be carefull mentioning brands here as not to be seen pushing! I have had stick already for this. However I supply all of the brands and grades mentioned in this question and Silkolene would still be my first choice.

Hope this helps.

Cheers

Guy.

[opieoilman]

Fatboy chim said:

Dear Opec oilman, What can you suggest for the T5 gearbox, it is designed to use ATF to Dexron 111 can you recommend which Brand might be most suitable. Also if i was to change from a Carlube fully synthetic (RRR 5/40) engine oil in my RV8 to a Slkolene Pro R, would I need to flush? thanks in advance Andy >> Edited by Fatboy chim on Wednesday 29th September 22:03

Andy,

Any Dexron III atf will do the trick, if you want a brand I would go for Silkolene, this is the one I choose to stock as it is of top quality.

If you were to change to the Pro R the textbook way to flush is as follows.

Flushing Procedure (Don’t use flushing oils or additives)

1. Warm up engine to get oil circulating
2. Turn off engine and drain old oil
3. Fill with new oil to minimum (you will be wasting this)
4. Warm up engine to get oil circulating
5. Turn off engine, drain new oil and change filter
6. Fill to marker on dipstick

Hope this helps.

Cheers

Guy.

[opieoilman]

SlowRider said:

opieoilman said: You can use the Castrol RS 10w-60, however I personally do not rate it as it is a hydrocracked mineral oil and not a true synthetic at all, not only that it is just too thick for almost any engine. Great! TMS seem to now be putting Castrol RS 10w-60 in RV8's and have just done so for my 4l Chimaera. There must be lots of us out there.

The 10w-60 will not damage a big old V8, but its over kill in my opinion, you will get slightly better performance, temps and mpg with a 10w-50.

Cheers

Guy

[opieoilman]

Fatboy chim said:

opieoilman said: Andy, Any Dexron III atf will do the trick, if you want a brand I would go for Silkolene, this is the one I choose to stock as it is of top quality. If you were to change to the Pro R the textbook way to flush is as follows. Flushing Procedure (Don’t use flushing oils or additives) 1. Warm up engine to get oil circulating 2. Turn off engine and drain old oil 3. Fill with new oil to minimum (you will be wasting this) 4. Warm up engine to get oil circulating 5. Turn off engine, drain new oil and change filter 6. Fill to marker on dipstick Hope this helps. Cheers Guy. Sorry Guy, i should have worded it better, would YOU reccomend flushing when changing between Carlube f/s and Pro r? Andy >> Edited by Fatboy chim on Thursday 30th September 19:53

Yes it is always worth a flush to help get rid of the old sludge and deposits that may be floating around, just steer clear of flushing oils and addatives, they can do more harm than good, and for what it costs its cheeper to use new oil any how.

Hope this answeres it.

Cheers

Guy.

[opieoilman]

matzo said:

Hello Opieoilman, I have just had my 5ltr V8 engine rebuilt at TVR Power. Currently I am using a 15w40 mineral oil at the mo & have covered 1500 miles so far with an oil change at 1000. What are your thoughts on Castrol GTX 15w40 as I have been told that its good for the V8 cos of its high detergent qualities ? Would you stick to GTX & change every 3000 miles or switch to a fully synthetic (Mobil Motorsport 15w50) & change every 6000 miles ?? & if so when should I change ?

After having the engine rebuilt running in on thick mineral oil is good idea to help bed the engine back in again, you want to do this for around 1,000 to 2,000 miles.

After the running in is complete you can stay with the mineral or go to synthetic as you mentioned.

The detergent qualities of the GTX are quite good for a mineral oil, a full synethic like the Mobil 1 15w-50 will have equally if not better detergents/addative packs. Not only that you get all the benefits of using the synehtic, heat tolerances, shear stability and the list goes on. I have posted about the benefits of synthetic here before under the post "synthetics vs minerals" have a look at that as it lists the pros and cons of moving to a full synthetic.

If it was me I would go full synthetic and change every 6000 miles+.

Cheers

Guy.