Oil advice and recommendations here!

Oil advice and recommendations here!

Author
Discussion

Munter

31,319 posts

240 months

Friday 24th September 2004
quotequote all
I think you'll know this off by heart!

Mazda MX5 1.8 1997
43000 miles

Used daily for a 10 - 15 min run to and from work, and occasional darn good thrashing.

It supposedly had an oil change just before I got the car at the beginning of the month. It's a bit tappety when I start it now though. Mazda handbook says a 10w-40 semi I believe.

Is there something I can use to give better protection based on the fact the oil probably only just gets walm on the way to or from work?

opieoilman

Original Poster:

4,408 posts

235 months

Friday 24th September 2004
quotequote all
Yep, 5w-40 is just fine and will give you better cold start protection.

Want to treat it?

Silkolene PRO S 5w-40 would be my best recommendation.

Cheers
Guy

opieoilman

Original Poster:

4,408 posts

235 months

Friday 24th September 2004
quotequote all
Phil,

Looks lovely. When cars were cars.

Alpineandy

1,395 posts

242 months

Saturday 25th September 2004
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Hi,
I've got a 1977 Renault Alpine A310 V6 with the 2.6litre PRV engine. It's got 60 odd K on the engine and I've been running it on cheap 20/50 (Castrol Merit last time I think) but have just had it serviced by an Alpine specialist (I was busy), who used 15/40. I've had a track day since which (together with the motorway thrash there and back) has left a serious oil film on the back of it. But it's not actually using much from the sump.
Bearing in mind it's a loose 70s engine, Am I better sticking with 20/50 and changing every 3-5k or should I upgrade?

Cheers

yugguy

10,728 posts

234 months

Sunday 26th September 2004
quotequote all
What about that ZX1 additive? It's supposed to be particle and ptfe free so it doesn't gunge up your oilways and to bond with metal surfaces

opieoilman

Original Poster:

4,408 posts

235 months

Monday 27th September 2004
quotequote all
Alpineandy said:
Hi,
I've got a 1977 Renault Alpine A310 V6 with the 2.6litre PRV engine. It's got 60 odd K on the engine and I've been running it on cheap 20/50 (Castrol Merit last time I think) but have just had it serviced by an Alpine specialist (I was busy), who used 15/40. I've had a track day since which (together with the motorway thrash there and back) has left a serious oil film on the back of it. But it's not actually using much from the sump.
Bearing in mind it's a loose 70s engine, Am I better sticking with 20/50 and changing every 3-5k or should I upgrade?

Cheers


I like these cars very much. I have considered buying a GTA, in my local there is a guy with one in good nick and he does not want a bad price for it, rear engine, turbo, great noise, fun handling and Renault 25 running costs!

Back to the oil. The stock recomendation is for the 15w-40 mineral oil, but this is really due to what was freely available in the 70's. You could easily move to a 10w-40 semisynthetic or if you really wanted to treat it you could go for a 5w-40 full sy thetic, however with an older loose car you may wish to keep the oil slightly thicker so if track days and hard use are a factor than the 10w-50 full synthetic is the best option.

Hope this helps

Cheers

Guy.

opieoilman

Original Poster:

4,408 posts

235 months

Monday 27th September 2004
quotequote all
yugguy said:
What about that ZX1 additive? It's supposed to be particle and ptfe free so it doesn't gunge up your oilways and to bond with metal surfaces


I have never been a fan of addatives no matter what they say it does. My reason for this is oil manufactures spend a lot of money in making their oils good enough not to warrant addatives, the only one which has any use in my opinion is for upper cylynder lubrication and even then instead of using an addative you are better off putting in a little two stroke oil in to the fuel.

The best thing to do is buy a really good oil as it will have everything needed contained within it.

Cheers

Guy.

Alpineandy

1,395 posts

242 months

Monday 27th September 2004
quotequote all
Thanks Guy,
I hadn't even thought of w10/50!
Next year (cash allowing) will see some more track days, so I guess this is the way to go (until the engine needs a rebuild).

On a different area, I used Slick 50 20odd years ago on a 60s engine and believe it made a positive difference (Within 10 minutes of putting it in I had to turn the idle speed down 200rpm).
Having said that I have tried some on a PRV (70s) engine (not this one) and found no difference at all.
My guess is that oil and oil filters are more efficient now and the bit that wasn't caught by the filter wasn't needed.

Or maybe not...

opieoilman said:

I like these cars very much. I have considered buying a GTA, in my local there is a guy with one in good nick and he does not want a bad price for it, rear engine, turbo, great noise, fun handling and Renault 25 running costs!


Try www.renaultalpine.co.uk/
If your seriously interested in a GTA

Cheers

Yugguy

10,728 posts

234 months

Monday 27th September 2004
quotequote all
Cheers opieoilman. By a bizarre coincidence my name's Guy as well. But I don't know as much about oil as you...

About oil, I have a 6 month old Clio 172, I changed the oil at 1200 miles and again at 6k (i will be changing it at every 6k) I use Magnatec semi-synth 10w40. I don't see the point necessarily of going to fully synth as I change it so often. Any thoughts on this? I know people recommend not going below 5w40 as it's too thin for the 172's engine.

One thing I do know is that the engine sounded a hell of a lot quieter when I changed the oil at 1200 so god knows what the Elf oil that Renault put in must be made of.

aprisa

1,798 posts

257 months

Monday 27th September 2004
quotequote all
Running a Rover/Honda 2.7 V6 in a Kit car, engine is a non-cat 1988. Using 0-40 Mobil 1 at the moment but engine sounds a bit "thrashy" am currently building up another engine and making it look pretty!

Any advice on a more suitable Oil?

Thanks
Nick

opieoilman

Original Poster:

4,408 posts

235 months

Monday 27th September 2004
quotequote all
Yugguy said:
Cheers opieoilman. By a bizarre coincidence my name's Guy as well. But I don't know as much about oil as you...

About oil, I have a 6 month old Clio 172, I changed the oil at 1200 miles and again at 6k (i will be changing it at every 6k) I use Magnatec semi-synth 10w40. I don't see the point necessarily of going to fully synth as I change it so often. Any thoughts on this? I know people recommend not going below 5w40 as it's too thin for the 172's engine.

One thing I do know is that the engine sounded a hell of a lot quieter when I changed the oil at 1200 so god knows what the Elf oil that Renault put in must be made of.


Nice to see someone else with the same name, it feels good to be a superior being because of it!!!! I was going to be called Justin, then my sister went to school and announced mummy was going to give her a baby brother called Straightin and that was the end of that so Guy it was.

Back to the oil. The clio calls for a 10w-40 semisynthetic or a 5w-40 full synthetic. I would personally go for a full synthetic as the benefits are much greater than a semi. Plus you will get much better cold start protection from the 5w viscosity rating. Go and have a look in general gassing. I have posted something in there this morning about benfits of synhetics and extended oil drains. It is headed "do synthetics require a 3000 miles change".

Cheers

Guy.

opieoilman

Original Poster:

4,408 posts

235 months

Monday 27th September 2004
quotequote all
aprisa said:
Running a Rover/Honda 2.7 V6 in a Kit car, engine is a non-cat 1988. Using 0-40 Mobil 1 at the moment but engine sounds a bit "thrashy" am currently building up another engine and making it look pretty!

Any advice on a more suitable Oil?

Thanks
Nick


The 0w-40 is a little thin. I suggest a 5w-40 PAO/Ester full synehtic. This would help prevent it sounding thrashy and should hopefull make things sound smoother.

I have a good one available. E-mail me I will forward info and prices on to you.

Cheers

Guy.

Nasta

372 posts

248 months

Monday 27th September 2004
quotequote all
Any help with the oil would be appreciated. Just having the engine stripped to find a very bad rattle. Possibly a timing chain tensioner. But since she is in pieces, i may as well put something good in.


Make: Vauxhall
Model: Carlton
Year: 1993
Engine size and type: 2.6 dual ram
Any significant modifications: None
Brand and viscosity currently used (if known): Unknown and in bits

Thanks in advance

opieoilman

Original Poster:

4,408 posts

235 months

Monday 27th September 2004
quotequote all
Nasta said:
Any help with the oil would be appreciated. Just having the engine stripped to find a very bad rattle. Possibly a timing chain tensioner. But since she is in pieces, i may as well put something good in.


Make: Vauxhall
Model: Carlton
Year: 1993
Engine size and type: 2.6 dual ram
Any significant modifications: None
Brand and viscosity currently used (if known): Unknown and in bits

Thanks in advance


For this one, I would go for a good quality semi synthetic of the 10w-40 grade. These semi synhetics do come a various qualities, so dont put in a budget one, source a good one as it wont be much more expensive.

Cheers

Guy.

Nasta

372 posts

248 months

Monday 27th September 2004
quotequote all
Cheers Guy,

Your advice is very much appreciated!!

Now, if i can just get her back together.....

Yugguy

10,728 posts

234 months

Monday 27th September 2004
quotequote all
LOL, my parents called me Guy cos they couldn't think of a name and my mum said 'oh he's such a little guy' and the name stuck.

I reckon come the 12k service I'll go fully synth 5w40, I'll still be changing it every 6k/6months though.

MGBV8

160 posts

255 months

Monday 27th September 2004
quotequote all
What are advantages of semi?

opieoilman

Original Poster:

4,408 posts

235 months

Tuesday 28th September 2004
quotequote all
MGBV8 said:
What are advantages of semi?


Semi syntetics are usually a blend of mineral and syntetic or they are hydrocracked mineral oils. The advantage is in cost, they provide much better protection than a mineral in terms of the addative packs used and shear stability for not much more £££ than a mineral.

So if you did not want to spend the money on a full synthetic go for a semi. It will be nowhere near as good as a true Synthetic but will cost less and be much better than a mineral.

Middle ground if you like.

Cheers

Guy.

Yugguy

10,728 posts

234 months

Tuesday 28th September 2004
quotequote all
Reading your posts is interesting. I'd always understood that the problem with all oils was eventually the long-chain molecules that they are made of and that provide protection to the metal break down into little pieces and no longer lubricate correctly.

So do synths not have this problem?

opieoilman

Original Poster:

4,408 posts

235 months

Tuesday 28th September 2004
quotequote all
Yugguy said:
Reading your posts is interesting. I'd always understood that the problem with all oils was eventually the long-chain molecules that they are made of and that provide protection to the metal break down into little pieces and no longer lubricate correctly.

So do synths not have this problem?


The manner in which petroleum and synthetic oils burn off is important. As a refined product, petroleum oil molecules are of varying sizes. So, as a petroleum oil heats up, the smaller molecules begin to burn off. Deposits and sludge are left behind to coat the inside of your engine. In addition, as smaller particles burn off, the larger, heavier molecules are all that is left to protect the engine. Unfortunately, these larger particles do not flow nearly as well and tend to blanket the components of your engine which only exacerbates the heat problem as friction builds-up.

Synthetic oils, on the other hand, because they are not purified, but rather designed within a lab for lubrication purposes, are comprised of molecules of uniform size and shape.
Even if a synthetic oil does burn a little, the remaining oil has the same chemical characteristics that it had before the burn off. There are no smaller molecules to burn-off and no heavier molecules to leave behind. Moreover, synthetics contain far fewer contaminants than petroleum oils since they are not a refined product. As a result, if oil burn-off does occur, there are few, if any, contaminants left behind to leave sludge and deposits on engine surfaces. Obviously, this leads to a cleaner burning, more fuel efficient engine.
It is also important to note that synthetics do a much better job of "cooling" engine components during operation. Because of their unique flow characteristics, engine components are likely to run 10 to 30 degrees cooler than with petroleum oils. This is important, because the hotter the components in your engine get, the more quickly they break down.

It is kind of like egg boxes. Imagine lots of egg boxes stacked into one an other, this would be the synetitc and then try to sheer them apart, it is difficult because they fit. With petrolium oils because the molecules are not uniform imagine your egg boxes have lots of different size egg holes, stack those boxes on top of each other and see how stable they are.

I hope this answeres your question.

Cheers

Guy.