36 replies to this topic

[samsfern]

recently spoke to STP ( oil additive ) no problems with syncros or gearbox
using there product, in fact will help gearbox

Of course that's what their going to tell you, to encourage you to buy their product

[Shifty]

The old STP oil additive kept many of my tired mini engines running for a bit longer. Low oil pressure and bit rumbley? Stick a tin of STP in and job done for while!!

[Gulfclubby]

No problems here with Castrol GTX1 20w50 and STP oil additive. We'll see how it looks in another 40k km.

[racingbob]

recently spoke to STP ( oil additive ) no problems with syncros or gearbox
using there product, in fact will help gearbox

Of course that's what their going to tell you, to encourage you to buy their product

I spoke to the technical dept specifcally asked about using the STP in a classic mini gearbox

[thebullet]

Well I have ordered 10 litres of the Valvoline VR1 Racing 20/50 Mineral oil. We will see how we get on? I found it cheaper than the Millers and it sounds better. Hopefully I made the right decision?

[racingbob]

going back to the STP thing

one of my mates used STP for many years in his race mini7

had no problems

been told from a mini place that he had feedback from people

about millers being (bit watery) ???

i have been using the halfords but will change to valvoline next time

[thebullet]

I will see how it goes, might make my second and third gear crunch when cold go away :)

[bcjames]

An oil thread! As of next week I'll have a shiny new gearbox, and I want to use super duper oil from the start. All these threads do is confuse me as I don't even use 20w50 I'm thinking of getting some of this VR1, especially now the engine won't just dump it all on the driveway.

Anyway, might I ask what ZDDP is? I presume from people adding it to their off the shelf oil that it's a good thing for a Mini?

[thebullet]

Follow that Ebay link and you will get it at a very good price! no more expensive than the stuff I use now.

My Mini will think it is its birthday when I change the oil now.

[bcjames]

The eBay link is what spurred my comment. I had presumed this VR1 to be expensive, but it's much the same as the oil I have been buying anyway :)

[thebullet]

Exactly yeah, now I may be 52000 miles too late on mine but It can still get better with this oil.

Millers on ebay is more expensive and VR1 appears to be on par or even better than it. All these oil threads have been confusing me so I just went for it.

[bcjames]

I can buy Millers locally, and don't mind spending a little extra to get a good oil, but looking at their range just makes me confused again. They do Classic 20w50 in mineral or semi, but then they do a Mini-specific oil too.

Or do I just go back to using a Halfords branded Comma classic oil thats £13 a tin I only started using 10w40 when my mpi 'box became a bit grumpy.

[thebullet]

Go for the Valvoline well I am going to try it anyway, may go for something cheaper next time. Just see how my car likes it. Oil pressure, gearbox etc.

Edited by thebullet, 24 January 2012 - 10:39 AM.

[dklawson]

Anyway, might I ask what ZDDP is? I presume from people adding it to their off the shelf oil that it's a good thing for a Mini?

ZDDP is an additive that has been common in oil for decades. It is a zinc and phosphorous compound used as a high-pressure lubricant. It has importance in pushrod engines where it helps reduce cam and cam follower wear. Unfortunately for emissions reasons ZDDP is being reduced or phased out of oils (... at least over here) which has caused quite a stir with the old-car hobby. There are many brands of additives you can select to add ZDDP back to the oil you prefer to use. Coincidentally... one such product is STP.

STP has a bad reputation in the U.S. The company has experienced a couple of lawsuits for making product performance claims that it could not substantiate. That said, I have used it off an on in various engines over the years. If I buy an oil that is low in ZDDP I add a can of STP during the oil change. I consider it cheap insurance to protect my cam followers. Valvoline VR1 is an option (as is Brad-Penn) but both have to be ordered as they are not products common on local store shelves. Hopefully the supply is better for you guys than it is for me.

[bcjames]

Thanks for your reply DK. I've been reading up and there's a fair bit of discussion degrading the levels of Zinc out there!

One point that keeps coming up is that the zinc can damage cats and some components in modern engines. Would this be why Rover had opted for a modern blend of semi-synthetic for the later cars? I've always used 10w40 semi in my mpi, as did the previous owner, and it made it to 90k with no serious issue, which is apparently quite good for an MPi!