Very confused.... Which oil do I need for a 500

[alexcurtis]

Hi

I am struggling…

So the griff needs an oil change but this seems to be a huge mine field…

The long thread on the forum from opie states using 10w50 when I tracked down a correct post, but when you go on their website it is 5w50! Fully synthetic

Just rung my local good factors and their system recommends 5w40 fully synth

When I had my car serviced by a local specialist they recommended 10w40 Mobil 1 s (fully synth)

And last but not least the TVR specialist I bought the car from recommended using a good quality semi 10w40 (and just change it twice a year if you do any miles…)

I am happy to pay what it costs but on the flip side I am not looking to throw money down the drain either

The car is a 1999 V reg Griff 500 and doing roughly 2-3k per year, standard engine (apart from a stealth cam)

Thanks in advance and hoping for some clarity!!!!

Dazed and confused…(Alex)

[nawarne]

As Cossers advises, there is no absolute answer.

The RV8 engine has its origins in the early '60's...so tolerances were not as tight as on current power-plants....They were never designed around synthetic oils.

A conventional mineral oil is OK, and I'd go for a good 20-50, lots of folks like Millers on here. With fairly low mileages, you just need to change frequently.
A fully synthetic will allow you to rest easy in that they have a longer 'life' and are better able to cope with heat stress. The fully synth will be more expensive, but you can extend life between changes. Swings and roundabouts really.
Nick

[anonymous-user]

Good recommendations in this thread - http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[alexcurtis]

Hi all thanks for the responses I think I am going to go down the vr1 route from euro car parts at £26 per 5 litres and just change regularly max every 2k miles or every year.... One question I read that it may affect my cats due to the zinc... After many thousand miles I assume we are talking 20-40k plus not 2-4k? This is from the other thread linked to this?

Cheers Alex

[EGB]

I am using now Castrol edge synthetic 10/60. no worries but more expensive. Will use next Penrite 15/60 synthetic. Less expensive.

[RichB]

I've always used Mobil 1 15w/50 seems to give reasonable oil pressure in my Griff 500

[Sardonicus]

[redacted]

[Podie]

Everyone has a different choice. I've almost come to the conclusion that having the correct level of oil is almost more important than the grade...

I used Valvoline VR1, as recommended to me by two TVR specialists.

[Guillotine]

anything with high zinc and a high first number.

We use millers 20/50 motorsport COR specifically for big v8s with high comoression and tall cams = ie TVR.

The 20 (20/50) will maintain your oil pressure when hot as the oil is thicker for bigger oil galleries.

You wont get the zinc in anything off the shelf as it was outlawed by eec for emmissions (as was lead in petrol) You need something that says motorsport or race on it.

VR1 does not actually contain enough zinc (ZDDP =0.14) I wouldnt use it. Its basically a road oil now.
Check their website for ZDDP levels against Millers ZDDP=0.30 from memory but i see they only state...enough now).


Some info here-
http://www.moss-europe.co.uk/graphics/uk/instructi...
Andy
As for the cats...you dont do enough miles to damage them.
Finally....you can buy and add ZDDP as a supliment to any oil!!!!!!

[NTEL]

And to chuck another spanner in the works, I use Miller's CSS 20-60 in my 5l RV8........

[tvrboy55]

hi all. In my opinion use the recomended oil by the manufacture, ie tvr.
any way, who knows what the previouse owner used.

[alexcurtis]

Thanks for the replies so far but I am still confused my very car obsessed friend though also threw into the pot

10/50 or 10/60 or 15/50 or 15/60 synthetic but due to the limited miles you do I'd also be happy to use 15/50 semi

Which sort of fits but tends to push you down a very specific path?

Any more thoughts.... I May just throw in some veg oil and see what happens.... JOKE

Thanks for the comments all useful, it is a good job I don't need to this job this weekend I won't have decided what to buy by then!

Alex

[King Fisher]

I use a Millers Nanodrive 10w50 in the 450 I have. Superb stuff.

[heightswitch]

on an old engine with old fasioned Flat tappet hydraulic or solid lifters you want an old spec oil with high ZDDP. or indeed a modern specced oil with older protective chemical formulation

Valvoline VR1 and Change regularly or Millers any of the 15/20 - 50/60 grade motorsport oils. some people even recommend an additional doze of ZDDP additive to give added protection to highly loaded moving surfaces like cams etc.

Oil manufacturers selling off the shelf oils for modern cars are reducing very important chemical content to achieve API certification...There are lots of stories of premature cam wear as a result.Motorsport oils are exempt from these limits.

[blueg33]

I just used Magnatec 10w/50 in the G33, all was well, no issues on road or track. As other have said generally thin synthtics just mean you burn more oil

[QBee]

Do we trust the TVR pressure gauge? What readings should we see? My 5 litre engine is only 4000 miles old, oil pressure often below 30 psi when hot, according to the gauge.

Am using 10 w 40 semi, put in by my TVR indie 3000 miles (10 weeks) ago, though I had to top it up with some Shell 10 w 50 fully synth as that was all that was available just before a track day and I assumed a full engine was more important in those circs.

I do track days regularly and am happy to change the oil to protect my £000's worth of engine.

Please advise make and type of oil, and if I should somehow check the gauge? It has to be worth up to £100 to protect my investment?

[anonymous-user]

Lots of "opinions" in this area. If you're interested, have a quick read of this clear explanation - http://www.motorweek.org/features/goss_garage/too_...

So you really shouldn't run too far above 1200ppm, as likely to do more harm than good (there are SAE papers on this). So you figure, I'll buy a good modern oil, and then add an additive, but... it's not so easy as the level of zinc varies not just according to brand & product, but also rating. E.g. Mobil 1 actually varies quite a bit - http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/MotorOil/Files... , so if you bought Mobile 1 15w-50, there is no need to add further to it.

My opinion would be to choose one of any recommended oils on this and other threads, that is around 10w-50 or 15w-50 with zddp in the 1100-1300ppm (0,11% - 0,13%) range (and skip the additives). While this will damage the cat slightly faster than a low zddp oil, it will take many many miles to make any noticeable difference, unless your car is burning quite a bit of oil.

[QBee]

Thanks dod. I will have a good read up and make appropriate changes. Mine's a five litre and I am doing over 10,000 miles a year, including probably 1500 miles on track. But servicing is every six thousand mies unless I have misunderstood, so the longevity of fully synthetic oil is probably a waste of time.

I'd have to knock the oil can over in the garage for it to affect my cat..........as it no longer resides in the car. I do have one cat on the car, but that one tends to be on the roof sunning itself.

[QBee]

Shell's helpful little app suggests that a TVR Chimaera 5 litre shoud be run on Shell Helix Ultra Racing 10w60. This is fully synthetic higher viscosity oil and designed for catalytic converted engines.
But of course that is only choosing from their own products