Oil advice and recommendations here!

Oil advice and recommendations here!

Author
Discussion

opieoilman

Original Poster:

4,408 posts

235 months

Friday 10th September 2004
quotequote all
You will have already seen me around and hopefully the advice and posts that I have made will have been of interest to you.

As you know I work for an Oil Distributor who has access to a lot of technical information on a broad range of oils.

I am prepared to offer advice and recommendations on this thread for any make of car.

To assist me, you will need to give me specific information as the data that I get is from a proprietory database and an accurate recommendation is only as good as the information you give me.

I will not be posting brand names or prices, merely the correct viscosity and spec oils for your car.
I will email brands and prices to you on request.

I am also happy to give general advice if needed. Hopefully given time this thread will be of use to all Members of "Pistonheads".

To request a recommendation, I need the following:

Make
Model
Year
Engine size and type
Any significant modifications
Brand and viscosity currently used (if known)

I hope this service will be of interest.

Cheers
Guy

nonegreen

7,803 posts

269 months

Friday 10th September 2004
quotequote all
I currently use mobil 1 in my 965 (Porsche 991 turbo 2 3.3)

Is there anything better from a longevity point of view as I will probably keep the car for a few years yet?

Thanks, and this is a generous use of your time BTW

Fatboy

7,971 posts

271 months

Friday 10th September 2004
quotequote all
I've been recommended to use Torco fully synthetic 20W50 in my mini, and was wondering what other oils you would recommend, I'm currently using generic halfords 20W50 mineral as it leaks like a sieve:

It's an austin mini, with an 90,000 mile 1986 MG Metro 1275 cc engine (naturally aspirated) - engine is totally standard, and I intend to re-build it to standard or very close to standard spec in the near future and was wondering what you would recommend?

Cheers,

Fatboy

>> Edited by Fatboy on Friday 10th September 19:03

bennno

11,509 posts

268 months

Friday 10th September 2004
quotequote all

I am going to fry some chicken, is vegetable or corn oil better?

:yawn:

bennno

pwig

11,956 posts

269 months

Friday 10th September 2004
quotequote all
Make : Rover
Model : 220 Turbo coupe
Year : 1994
Engine size and type : 2 litre turbo
Any significant modifications : none
Brand and viscosity currently used (if known) : Mobil1

condor

8,837 posts

247 months

Friday 10th September 2004
quotequote all
This is more a general oil question.

Can you tell me what's the difference between everyday Castrol GTX....and the newish marketed one for cars that have done 70,000 miles?

Since they're both 15-40 - I couldn't see what the difference could be....apart from a marketing ploy.

LRdriver II

1,936 posts

248 months

Friday 10th September 2004
quotequote all
bennno said:

I am going to fry some chicken, is vegetable or corn oil better?

:yawn:

bennno



hey, hey, hey... a lttle respect please..
Remember, lubrication is always good

danhay

7,422 posts

255 months

Friday 10th September 2004
quotequote all
What's your opinion on friction reducing Additives such as Slick50...any good?

Also, how do additives like Wynns StopSmoke work? If indeed they do?

djpt

55 posts

236 months

Saturday 11th September 2004
quotequote all
MAKE: Renault
MODEL: Clio RL Paris
ENGINE: 1.2 Petrol
YEAR: 1997 (R)

No modifications. I currently use Castrol GTX Magnatec, viscosity 10W-40. I would like to know if there is anything better for the engine (it has quite high mileage, 70.000) and also which gearbox oil should I use and what viscosity (manual five speed).

damien.jp.tyson@lycos.co.uk

tuttle

3,427 posts

236 months

Sunday 12th September 2004
quotequote all
1995
Nissan
Skyline
GTST type M single turbo (@1.0 bar)
2498 cc (44k miles)
Full s/s exhaust,Trust-Greddy TD05SH 18G Turbo,550ccApexi injectors,Apexi air induction,Apexi Power FC ECU,Uprated intercooler+oilcooler.etc(full spec @/Profile/MyCar)

Using Millers 10/60 oil
Mostly fast road daily driver & some track sessions.
Many thanks



>> Edited by tuttle on Sunday 12th September 16:36

opieoilman

Original Poster:

4,408 posts

235 months

Sunday 12th September 2004
quotequote all
nonegreen said:
I currently use mobil 1 in my 965 (Porsche 991 turbo 2 3.3)

Is there anything better from a longevity point of view as I will probably keep the car for a few years yet?

Thanks, and this is a generous use of your time BTW


The Mobil 1 you are using what grade is it? Porsche recomend for all year round use a 5w-40 full synthetic. If you are using the Mobil 1 0w-40 then fine, however it may be a little thin at its cold viscosity.

Mobil 1 Make good quality PAO synthetics, but from a longevity point of view there is better. Consider an ester based fully synthetic. Esters assist the additive pack in a motor oil formulation because they are surface-active (electrostatically attracted to metal surfaces), so they help to reduce wear and friction.

They are fluid at very low temperatures and at high temperatures they are very chemically stable and have low volatility (don’t evaporate away).

They also help to prevent hardening and cracking of oil seals at high temperatures.

Feel free to e-mail me if you want some more information on brand name porsche approved oils.

Cheers

Guy.

opieoilman

Original Poster:

4,408 posts

235 months

Sunday 12th September 2004
quotequote all
Fatboy said:
I've been recommended to use Torco fully synthetic 20W50 in my mini, and was wondering what other oils you would recommend, I'm currently using generic halfords 20W50 mineral as it leaks like a sieve:

It's an austin mini, with an 90,000 mile 1986 MG Metro 1275 cc engine (naturally aspirated) - engine is totally standard, and I intend to re-build it to standard or very close to standard spec in the near future and was wondering what you would recommend?

Cheers,

Fatboy

>> Edited by Fatboy on Friday 10th September 19:03


Fatboy,

The Stock recomendation for the 1.3 metro is a 10w-40 semi synthetic.

Why it is leaking at the moment I am unsure, could be your seals or the halfords mineral oil has begun to shear down (thin) so could be leaking that way.

I would not suggest a full synthetic till the rebuild is complete. When you have rebuilt the engine run back in on a thick mineral oil, a good quality oil, then after 1000 miles or so drain and move to a full synthetic.

Not only would a full synthetic benefit the engine but the gear box is fed by the same oil so a good shear stable oil would help with the loads on the gear teeth.

Cheers

Guy.

opieoilman

Original Poster:

4,408 posts

235 months

Sunday 12th September 2004
quotequote all
pwig said:
Make : Rover
Model : 220 Turbo coupe
Year : 1994
Engine size and type : 2 litre turbo
Any significant modifications : none
Brand and viscosity currently used (if known) : Mobil1


The Stock recomendation for the 220 turbo all year round is a 10w-40 semi synthetic. Remember semisynthetic is usually a cost option from the manufacturer and a full synthetic will provide much better protection, either go for a 5w-40 or 10w-50.

I dont know what grade you are using of the Mobil 1 0w-40 or 15w-50? they are both fine depending on the use of the car. Track kind of use the 15w-50 or 0w-40 for the general road use if your concerned about mpg that sort of thing.

Cheers

Guy.

opieoilman

Original Poster:

4,408 posts

235 months

Sunday 12th September 2004
quotequote all
condor said:
This is more a general oil question.

Can you tell me what's the difference between everyday Castrol GTX....and the newish marketed one for cars that have done 70,000 miles?

Since they're both 15-40 - I couldn't see what the difference could be....apart from a marketing ploy.


I do not know if it is true of the Castrol but some high mileage oils contain addatives that encourage the seals in the engine to swell, prevents leaking etc. However the main reason is marketing. With painting 70,000 miles on the tin they can tell who is buying their oil. They also do a GTX Diesel, again same oil, just to tell how many deisels they are selling to.

Cheers

Guy.

opieoilman

Original Poster:

4,408 posts

235 months

Sunday 12th September 2004
quotequote all
danhay said:
What's your opinion on friction reducing Additives such as Slick50...any good?

Also, how do additives like Wynns StopSmoke work? If indeed they do?


I have never approved of addatives, most are just a con. Upper cylinder lubrication addatives can be handy for Vee engines, but the likes of no smoke addatives are usually similar to the addative that goes in two stroke oil that prevents them from smoking, it is a chemical reaction, doesnt fix anything.

As for slick 50, maybe this will answere your question.

This is the transcript of an AA article published in Motor May 10th 1986.

The widely-advertised oil additive Slick 50 has been soundly slammed by the AA’s Technical Services.
The AA claim that their tests show Slick 50 provides no fuel savings when it is added to a cars engine oil – and there is no evidence of any other benefits under normal operating conditions.
The AA have made no press or public announcement of their report, but have produced a leaflet for the benefit of any paid-up members who apply for one. An AA member on Motor’s staff applied for a report in the normal way.
The report states that whilst there is no evidence the product will do harm to the engine, one good point is that most of it will be very rapidly removed by the oil filter. “At about £12 per treatment”, say the AA, “it is a very expensive way of coating your oil filter element”.
The AA performed tests by taking three identical cars and carefully running them in, splitting the driving equally among their test drivers. Oils were changed at 1500 miles, the cars were run a further 500 miles to stabilise the oils’ viscosity, the cars’ tuning was carefully checked and steady speed fuel consumptions and power outputs were measured.
The report says: “The procedure is so sensitive that, for instance, leaving the headlamps of the car switched on will make a nonsense of the results due to the extra drag of the charging system”.
Engineers added Slick 50 to two of the cars in the recommended way at 3000 miles.
After a further 2000 miles, further dynamometer tests were carried out. “One car should show the sort of gradual change expected of a car in good condition” says the report, “whereas two should show a noticeable improvement . Here came the big disappointment. After our several months of careful testwork, we could not distinguish any difference between the three cars.”
The AA claimed that all cars were performing well, but performance was remarkably consistent , within a few percent.
The AA say that a detailed examination of the claims made for the product will explain what happens when Slick 50 is added to an engine. Of one gallon of petrol burnt in an engine, says the report, some 60 percent of the energy will be lost as heat from the exhaust and cooling system. That leaves 40 percent and some 25 percent is used to drive the car and its accessories. The remaining 15 percent goes to losses such as pumping air into the engine (6 percent) and some 9 percent is lost as engine friction. Of that 9 percent, 6 percent is lost in churning the oil and only 3 percent of the total input goes into the sort of “boundary” friction that a solid lubricant could affect. “If tests of Slick 50 did show a 16 percent decrease in this friction, as claimed in current advertisements”, says the report, “it would only affect the car’s overall consumption by a half of one percent”.
The AA also claim that their tests show there is no evidence that Slick 50 produces a surface layer on the engine wearing surfaces, let alone one that could last for 100,000 miles.

On questioning John Rowland, Silkolene/Fuchs Chief R&D Chemist for 40 years about additives, I received the following reply.

Quote:

The AA report encapsulates my opinion of Slick 50, it is an expensive way of blocking your oil filter, Believe me, it does precisely nothing beneficial. It has been proven time and time again that it just blocks oil filters and oilways.

For all other “magic” additives, most are based on 1930’s technology corrosive chlorinated paraffins. (synthetic anti-seize compounds originally made 70 years ago. They are cheap, toxic and corrosive. We use them in certain types of cutting oil!) Do not touch them with somebody else’s bargepole!

UCL’s on the other hand can be useful. After all, 2-strokes in effect run entirely on UCL. So……the best UCL’s are 2-stroke oils! I always tell people to use a decent 2-stroke at 0.5% or 1%, because they are superior to the UCL’s sold as UCL’s if you get my drift. A litre of Super 2 Injector or Comp-2 will be better than a cupful of cheap mineral oil dyed red (no prizes for guessing the name) any day.

Vee engines (twins, to V8’s) benefit from UCL’s because the upper walls of the RH cylinder bank, looking from the front, always run dry. Think about it!

Unquote:

Cheers

Guy.



condor

8,837 posts

247 months

Sunday 12th September 2004
quotequote all
opieoilman said:

condor said:
This is more a general oil question.

Can you tell me what's the difference between everyday Castrol GTX....and the newish marketed one for cars that have done 70,000 miles?

Since they're both 15-40 - I couldn't see what the difference could be....apart from a marketing ploy.



I do not know if it is true of the Castrol but some high mileage oils contain addatives that encourage the seals in the engine to swell, prevents leaking etc. However the main reason is marketing. With painting 70,000 miles on the tin they can tell who is buying their oil. They also do a GTX Diesel, again same oil, just to tell how many deisels they are selling to.

Cheers

Guy.


Thanks I had a sneaking suspicion there wasn't any difference

moleamol

15,887 posts

262 months

Sunday 12th September 2004
quotequote all
Make: Ford
Model: Mk1 Capri 3000GT XLR
Year: 1971
Engine size and type: 3 litre V6
Mileage: 74,000

Same as last time I asked *cough*

annodomini2

6,860 posts

250 months

Sunday 12th September 2004
quotequote all
name said:
It's an austin mini, with an 90,000 mile 1986 MG Metro 1275 cc engine (naturally aspirated) - engine is totally standard, and I intend to re-build it to standard or very close to standard spec in the near future and was wondering what you would recommend?


I thought mini/metro a series engines didn't like fully synthetic, well not the engine but the gearbox as they use the same oil, I'd check with cooperman on the mini forum he's the real expert

opieoilman

Original Poster:

4,408 posts

235 months

Monday 13th September 2004
quotequote all
djpt said:
MAKE: Renault
MODEL: Clio RL Paris
ENGINE: 1.2 Petrol
YEAR: 1997 (R)

No modifications. I currently use Castrol GTX Magnatec, viscosity 10W-40. I would like to know if there is anything better for the engine (it has quite high mileage, 70.000) and also which gearbox oil should I use and what viscosity (manual five speed).

damien.jp.tyson@lycos.co.uk


Ok you have some options here. For all year round use Renault recomend a 10w-40 semi synthetic or a 5w-40 full synthetic, To the spec of ACEA A3.

The Castrol GTX you are currently using is just a multigrade mineral oil and is fine if you wish to continue using it, however for very little more money moving to a semi synthetic is well worth thinking about.

For the gearbox you are looking for a 75w-90 again you can use a semi or full synthetic.

Cheers

Guy.

opieoilman

Original Poster:

4,408 posts

235 months

Monday 13th September 2004
quotequote all
tuttle said:
1995
Nissan
Skyline
GTST type M single turbo (@1.0 bar)
2498 cc (44k miles)
Full s/s exhaust,Trust-Greddy TD05SH 18G Turbo,550ccApexi injectors,Apexi air induction,Apexi Power FC ECU,Uprated intercooler+oilcooler.etc(full spec @/Profile/MyCar)

Using Millers 10/60 oil
Mostly fast road daily driver & some track sessions.
Many thanks



>> Edited by tuttle on Sunday 12th September 16:36


For the Skyline you are using around the right quality of oil. As it is modified the stock recomendation is no good for this especially if track use is going on.

The 10w-60 you will find is a little thick. Some 10w-60 oils when hot are as thick as some gear oils, this results in slugs of air being fed through the engine as the oil pump cavitates on the thick oil the other side effects are higher engine temps and less power in terms of delivery.

I would suggest a top quality 10w-50 full synthetic, preferably ester based. Esters assist the additive pack in a motor oil formulation because they are surface-active (electrostatically attracted to metal surfaces), so they help to reduce wear and friction.

They are fluid at very low temperatures and at high temperatures they are very chemically stable and have low volatility (don’t evaporate away).

They also help to prevent hardening and cracking of oil seals at high temperatures making them ideal for tunes turbo engines.

I hope this helps.

Cheers

Guy.