Recommended Oil

Author
Discussion

budd

407 posts

267 months

Tuesday 9th July 2002
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I've been using millers comp 10/60 for the past year in my Griff 500,and has yet no problems.I've found the comany very helpful and spoke to their technical team at some length before buying engine,g/box and diff oils.Check their website for info and spec's on all their products.
I always carry some octane plus to use when optimax or s/unleaded are unavailable.Just picked up some Rad Hib Extra Cool coolent additive don't know effective it will prove to be but the extra corrosion protection alone is worth the small cost.

Guillotine

5,516 posts

263 months

Tuesday 9th July 2002
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one for steve...

surely you can't mix mineral with synthetic as it bug*ers the oil seals.

our gearboxes are on industrial kit but if oils are mixed they leak in weeks.

must be the same in motors?

(and don't call me shirley - yeah i know!)

shpub

8,507 posts

271 months

Tuesday 9th July 2002
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It is not a good idea to mix the oils as the resultant mix is a degraded oil. Not heard the one about seals though. On new engines a mineral oil is used for running in before it is changed for a synthetic.

Steve

Danny Hoffman

1,617 posts

261 months

Tuesday 9th July 2002
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I think seals on some older engines are badly affected by synthetic oils, just a generalisation - not a Rover thing.

Danny

pbrettle

3,280 posts

282 months

Tuesday 9th July 2002
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Its a funny thing this oil question. I have spoken to loads of different people and they all seem to have tried / used different grades. As far as I can tell from my service records my 4.0HC has only had Mobil1 in it. And if I am honest it doesnt use a drop.

The level is just as high before the service and after 6000 miles as after a service. Doesnt drop and the oil pressure is exactly what I would expect (though in the knowledge that it is a guide rather than accurate - but it does increase correctly etc).

So it really seems to differ according to engine (500's seem to suffer the most) and the day that it was manufactured - Mines a 94 and I know other 94 owners that loose a few litres over the course of 6000 miles.... Is there that variance in the engine build? Is there something else at work here? Does the 500 engine suffer more?

Cheers,

Paul

shpub

8,507 posts

271 months

Tuesday 9th July 2002
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Yes there is always some variance but the biggest factor is the owner. If the car is run in keeping constant revs it seems to use more oil. Varying the revs does a better job. Revving the car hard when cold is another killer. Overcooling the car is another issue as well. Not driving it regularly so that the cams in particular dry out is another and so on. Driving the car with low oil levels or even no oil pressure... the list can go on. Not getting the oil changed on schedule....

All this has far more impact than any argument whether Mobil 1 picked from the top shelf is any better than Castrol's Old Peculier extracted from the choicest whales washed up on a beach near you...

Steve

pbrettle

3,280 posts

282 months

Tuesday 9th July 2002
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quote:

All this has far more impact than any argument whether Mobil 1 picked from the top shelf is any better than Castrol's Old Peculier extracted from the choicest whales washed up on a beach near you...



You're weird.... but funny

Cheers,

Paul

simpo one

85,147 posts

264 months

Monday 22nd July 2002
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Having just had my Griff filled with Mobil Motorsport, I presume it will be OK to top it up as required with Mobil 1 (which I happen to have) until that runs out and I get some Motorsport?

shpub

8,507 posts

271 months

Monday 22nd July 2002
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quote:

Having just had my Griff filled with Mobil Motorsport, I presume it will be OK to top it up as required with Mobil 1 (which I happen to have) until that runs out and I get some Motorsport?



Yeah but don't you find that all that oil inside the car makes the seat and steering wheel very slippery...

Paceracing

729 posts

265 months

Monday 22nd July 2002
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High temperatures contribute significantly to the molecular construction of oil breaking up within the engine. TVR's make this situation worse, (at times the oil temp can hit 120+ degrees centigrade) as the fibreglass body is a poor heat conductor. To combat the problem, I use a racing oil, but surely any high quality, high temperature oil should be okay as long as it's changed regularly.
I have to be honest though, i'm not convinced by the Mobil 1 thing. It's just a hunch, but it doesn't feel quite right for some reason. For a big old V8 with hydraulic lifters it just seems too thin. I'd be happy to use the stuff in a new Porsche 996 but for a TVR i'll stick to what I know works. It's just a personal opinion though.

Jas.

>> Edited by Paceracing on Monday 22 July 23:46

IPAddis

2,470 posts

283 months

Tuesday 23rd July 2002
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quote:

quote:

Having just had my Griff filled with Mobil Motorsport, I presume it will be OK to top it up as required with Mobil 1 (which I happen to have) until that runs out and I get some Motorsport?



Yeah but don't you find that all that oil inside the car makes the seat and steering wheel very slippery...



Are you sure the fuel hoses are all right on the 520 Steve?

No vapour leaks or anything?

Ian A.

rowland

24 posts

259 months

Wednesday 7th August 2002
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My 'K' Reg Griff 400 had a Mobil 1 sticker under the bonnet from new and I used Mobil ! as a consequence and all appeared OK.
However, I now have a Westfield SEight with a 3.5 Rover lump servewd by a Holley & Edelbrock, a problem arises when the car is left stranding for any length of time (over about 3 days) after which it takes about 45secs from firing up to showing any oil pressure. During this period the engine sounds 'metallic' and full of high friction metal to metal noises! This abates and the engine settles to a comfortable purring idle. Somebody says Unipart "Green" 20w/50 is the oil for this untuned (154bhp) engine.
Any comments please

MajorClanger

749 posts

269 months

Wednesday 7th August 2002
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So what's the low down on Castrol GTX Magnatec? Is it just a gimmick? Is it good or bad for TVR V8s? Pros vs Cons?

I know that V8Bert use to work for Castrol and mentions the stuff on this thread

Looks like Dave Batty uses it in V8s too.

From searching through PH I couldn't find anything bad about using Magnatec. Sounds like if you are using your car for racing or high performance driving all the time then it's probably not the oil for the V8.

Given that a lot of people only drive their TVRs at the weekend and that the Magnatec Oil will help to protect all the lubricated surfaces that much better during start up and gives just as good protection as Mobil 1 during normal driving - with all the caveats about regular oil changing, waiting for the engine to warm up properly, not mixing Synthetic with Mineral Oil and the occassional engine flush thrown in for good measure (especially if switching oil between Syn and Min)....
So, why do www.tvr-eng.co.uk still continue to recommend Mobil 1 and not mention anything about Magnatec????

MC

>> Edited by MajorClanger on Wednesday 7th August 16:50

shpub

8,507 posts

271 months

Wednesday 7th August 2002
quotequote all
quote:

My 'K' Reg Griff 400 had a Mobil 1 sticker under the bonnet from new and I used Mobil ! as a consequence and all appeared OK.
However, I now have a Westfield SEight with a 3.5 Rover lump servewd by a Holley & Edelbrock, a problem arises when the car is left stranding for any length of time (over about 3 days) after which it takes about 45secs from firing up to showing any oil pressure. During this period the engine sounds 'metallic' and full of high friction metal to metal noises! This abates and the engine settles to a comfortable purring idle. Somebody says Unipart "Green" 20w/50 is the oil for this untuned (154bhp) engine.
Any comments please



Seight has a very worn oil pump from the sound of it.

joospeed

4,473 posts

277 months

Wednesday 7th August 2002
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Clanger .. TVR don't recommend Mobil anymore, it's Carlube cos they sponsor the race cars .. next year it could be Spry Crisp and Dry if they offer more money to the Tuscan Race guys!!
best thing is just to stick to a famous name, althjough I heard a rumour that almost all oil is part reclaimed anyway to keep costs down, don't know if that is true or not, just something I heard,
I've started using Valvoline fully synth oil, it's in a 5/50 weight and about two thirds the price of mobil one.

richb

51,430 posts

283 months

Wednesday 7th August 2002
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As I have got 2 1/2 gallons, or should I say 10 Litres of the French 5W50 mobil 1 in the garage I'll stick to that for a while Rich..

V8Bert

37 posts

261 months

Wednesday 7th August 2002
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I'm amazed - another Seight!

Everybody seems to think it's a bad idea apart from me.

As for oil - yes I did work at Castrol in their engine test department. I think I was probably the first person ever to see the 'Magnatec' thing. I've still got the piston at home! It was a few years ago, but at the time the reference oil was Mobil 1. Castrol could never quite make an oil to complete with it. Maybe things are different now, but that's how I remember things.

I always use Mobil 1 Motorsport in the Chimaera as I think that the 0W50 stuff is probably a bit too thin. It seems to use a lot less of the thicker oil.

In the Seight I put any old crap in it. It never complains and keeps loads of pressure. I just make sure I change it regularly.

danny hoffman

1,617 posts

261 months

Wednesday 7th August 2002
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45 secs is way too long - there is something wrong, oil pressure relief valve, pick up pipe, pump or filter (if it's remote).

I would investigate if I were you.

Danny

BTW I use Magnatec in my 350i

incorrigible

13,668 posts

260 months

Monday 9th September 2002
quotequote all
Sorry to keep this thread going....

Just been to my local autofactors to get some 15/40 Mobil 1 and an oil filter for the Chim

They've got no Mobil 1, the only fully synthetic is Motaquip and only got the motaquip (not Land Rover / other brand name) oil filter (that's on my car at the moment (no idea if that's standard or not))

They have big brand names like Magnatec, but I was under the impression that a fully synthetic would be better than this

So what would you do
a) buy this oil filter (they're all pretty good these days)
b) Nip down the TVR / Landrover dealer and buy one with the correct writing on

a) buy the fully synthetic motaqiup
b) buy castrol magnetec / gts etc
c) go to a series of other shops to get a brand name fully synth

Help much appreciated

Ben (much better at straightening a car with a hammer than making it last any length of time)

JonRB

74,393 posts

271 months

Monday 9th September 2002
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quote:
Looks like Dave Batty uses it in V8s too.
I've just had my Chimaera back from Dave Batty and he told me that it now has GTX Magnatec in it. There is some confusion in my mind as to which Magatec is in there as there are two - the "for basic engines" stuff (15W40 mineral) and the "for advanced engines" which is 10W40 if I remember correctly. Dave said "the 15W40 advanced stuff" which is neither one or the other. I don't want to pester him with another phone call, so maybe a fellow PHer can help?