39 replies to this topic

[Wrenchpuller]

Hi Bob,
Well I see you live in Hampshire, I know the county quite well. I now live in the NW of British Columbia Canada. (google Kitimat BC then you will see just where).
I have a 73 mini 1000, and run Castrol 20/50 all year, yep thats right all year. The mini is our 12 month car and it does get to negative 30c here..The mgb our 5 month other car also runs Castrol 20/50. I do use zppt in both engines. Guess I an recomennding Castrol 20/50 with zppd.

Cheers Ric

[racingbob]

Hi Bob,
Well I see you live in Hampshire, I know the county quite well. I now live in the NW of British Columbia Canada. (google Kitimat BC then you will see just where).
I have a 73 mini 1000, and run Castrol 20/50 all year, yep thats right all year. The mini is our 12 month car and it does get to negative 30c here..The mgb our 5 month other car also runs Castrol 20/50. I do use zppt in both engines. Guess I an recomennding Castrol 20/50 with zppd.

Cheers Ric

hi Ric yes see where you are i lived in canada as a kid toronto
so you use castrol 20 50 like me but you still ad zppd
castrol told me theres enough in the 20 50
bob

[Orange-Phantom]

As far as I know Millers are the only company who actually make two type of oil specifically for the A series Mini engine with it's shared gearbox.

www.millersoils.co.uk/pdf/automotive/oils_mini_motorcycle.pdf

http://www.opieoils....i-Oil-20w50.pdf

http://www.opieoils....s/CTV-20w50.pdf

One is mineral and the other is semi synthetic both 20W 50 with shear stable viscosity improvers and EP gearbox protection additive.

People who say you cannot use a semi synthetic oil in a mini are not correct!

I use the CTV 20W50 in my 7 port with it's Jack Knight 6 speed dog box and can highly recommend it.

Oh and the CTV semi synthetic oil is what several top engine tuners recommend e.g. Swiftune (although you can get it a-lot cheaper from Demon Tweaks for example).

http://www.swiftune....racing-oil.aspx

[Cooperman]

I always use a good quality 20w50 all year and have done for over 20 years without any problems. Castrol Classic is excellent as it Millers and Valvoline.
One important thing when starting a Mini, or any older engine with thicker multigrade mineral oils is to never start the engine with the clutch pushed down to avoid not loading up the crankshaft thrust bearings until the oil is flowing.
With the Mini the gearbox is the big issus, as 'Tiger' so rightly says, and a thinner or synthetic oil is really not suitable.

[jaydee]

Cstrol classic XL is good only if yours a standard car doing a daily route home-work-tesco-home.
Only 800ppm zinc and shear down like water when abused. Poor like any other SE spec oil. Wouldnt use it on a modified engine.
I had an hearthache when oil pressure went down to 55 psi at above 4k rpm on a mountain stage, i was using Castrol XL fresh oil, and suspected oil pump/bearings failure..Low pressure all the time even travelling back home. Flushed out it was thin like a 30 weight oil. Ffilled up with Millers and had oil pressure went back to the usual readings.
Castrol offers better 20w50 oils...
Millers CVT and Valvoline vr1 are excellent oils.

20w50 visosity oils have an average pour point at about -27° so in cold climate is fine only if the car is well garaged and used regularly.
Once it reach just 5° it becomes hard to pump on a cold start as grease.

[Cooperman]

Cstrol classic XL is good only if yours a standard car doing a daily route home-work-tesco-home.
Only 800ppm zinc and shear down like water when abused. Poor like any other SE spec oil. Wouldnt use it on a modified engine.
I had an hearthache when oil pressure went down to 55 psi at above 4k rpm on a mountain stage, i was using Castrol XL fresh oil, and suspected oil pump/bearings failure..Low pressure all the time even travelling back home. Flushed out it was thin like a 30 weight oil. Ffilled up with Millers and had oil pressure went back to the usual readings.
Castrol offers better 20w50 oils...
Millers CVT and Valvoline vr1 are excellent oils.

20w50 visosity oils have an average pour point at about -27° so in cold climate is fine only if the car is well garaged and used regularly.
Once it reach just 5° it becomes hard to pump on a cold start as grease.

Yes, always use Valvoline Racing 20w50 in the rally cars and Castrol Classic in the road engines.

[jaydee]

I have used oil analysis from Valvoline racing used for 2hrs racing (non mini) and it only shear down a little, wear metals were good, that stuff is really worth the extra money and does not need any extra zddp.

[Cooperman]

The best oil I've ever used was Kendall 20w50 mineral made from Pennsylvania crude oil. However, it's no longer available in the UK (easily at any rate) and so I switched to Valvoline. The Kendall was about twice the cost of normal quality 20w50 but well worth it for competition use.
I believe Penrite is also very good.

[jaydee]

Peter, theres a guy importing Kendall GT1 20w50 in 12 quart cases.
Let me have a search, come across to this on ebay and price wasnt too bad.

[jaydee]

There you go:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/230873470240

Sellers in cambs by the way

[ANON]

i've got some valvoline racing 20/50 if anyone's after any??

[Mrpeanut]

Has anyone tried the penrite 20/60 oil? They advertise it as a 20/50 replacement for classics.

Penrite oils are supposed to be great but I don't quite get how a 20/60 replaces a 20/50.

Also, any opinions on the Morris golden film 20/50? Minimine push it so it shouldn't be rubbish - I hope!

[jaydee]

Has anyone tried the penrite 20/60 oil? They advertise it as a 20/50 replacement for classics.

Penrite oils are supposed to be great but I don't quite get how a 20/60 replaces a 20/50.

Also, any opinions on the Morris golden film 20/50? Minimine push it so it shouldn't be rubbish - I hope!

Why not use the CORRECT viscosity grade, which also is availabe from penrite.

Penrite sounds like Marmite...
Too high viscosity index imho, and such a thick oil will cost you performance loss and return a poor mpg.
Anyway:
the PDS for the HRP30 mineral 20w60 clearly states "Not recommended for four stroke motorcycles with wet clutches."
For the Diesel 20w60 says its ok.
Their PDS for bike oil show no friction modifiers and good zinc content, so its suitable for the gearbox, its a synth anyway(for what they said above....)

Morris golden film has a good reputation, never been looking at it personally, but lots of MG owners talk about this classic oil.

[R1minimagic]

Having worked in the additive industry as a formulator for around 8 years, I can see there is a lot of nonsense being talked here!!

[freshairmini]

Having worked in the additive industry as a formulator for around 8 years, I can see there is a lot of nonsense being talked here!!

Then it be a good idea for you impart some wisdom...