42 replies to this topic

[Mrpeanut]

Every oil thread I see is based just on opinion . Does anyone have any facts on how particular oils perform, ie oil pressure, engine wear, gearbox wear?

People rave about millers and some say comma is poor. Is that based on hype or something more?

[Dan]

Here is some actual experience. People seem to think that ZDDP is the most important thing in a classic oil, and that low detergents are ideal. This is old fashioned technology. If low ZDDP is a problem, the first place a pushrod engine will show additional wear is at the camshaft. The only time I have ever had a camshaft wear through a lobe (in less than 10,000 miles incidentally), and on occasions I have had cam followers wear flat I have been using Penrite Classic 20W 50 following Penrite running in oil. Expensive, imported, classic oils designed to original '60s classic specifications with medium levels of detergents and a good amount of zinc. Admittedly the cam in question was a Mini Sport regrind and not from a major cam manufacturer but the experience has put me off using both Mini Sport cams and old fashioned oils. Obviously the experience of one person is not a good basis for generalisations and I didn't do enough testing of the failure to know exactly what had happened but I have never seen such advanced wear using any oils based on more modern additive packages and designed with classic engines in mind. It should also be remembered that many people reading this are driving Minis with cats. Oils high in ZDDP will toast your cat, which is one of the many reasons it is being reduced in modern oils. As I said though, there are many people that you will never convince about this no matter how hard you try or how much evidence they see.

Edited by Dan, 25 March 2013 - 12:00 PM.

[classicminidriver]

This stuff...got a mini on it too!

OMG thats really a bad oil.....

Why?

[jaydee]

Read the PDS, its got very low ZDDP and very low detergents.
All api rated SE oil are so obsolete that i wouldnt use them in lawnmower.

[classicminidriver]

Read the PDS, its got very low ZDDP and very low detergents.
All api rated SE oil are so obsolete that i wouldnt use them in lawnmower.

Recomend me a good oil and where to get it from?

[cal844]

This stuff...got a mini on it too!

i use this stuff, has held up for 5000 miles with good oil pressure (70-80psi straight after starting) 40 psi after an hour

i use this as i can get it cheap (discount) and my mate who has had mini's for years has never had a blow up or problem with ^^

my mate uses valvoline 20w50 in his vauxhall engine(righ rpm 1/4 mile oval race engine) and has never had a big failure due to oil

Edited by cal844, 25 March 2013 - 02:44 PM.

[jaydee]

40 psi after an hour, i hope it was at tickover...
C'mon its already been said in the thread to use millers or valvoline if you want a quality oil.
If you want a cheap good oil, castrol gtx and comma sonic are perfect, avoid comma classic-halfrauds oils like the plague

[jaydee]

And the mini si not that fussy about oil, but please dont say that treacle is good..

[classicminidriver]

Is

This stuff...got a mini on it too!

i use this stuff, has held up for 5000 miles with good oil pressure (70-80psi straight after starting) 40 psi after an hour

i use this as i can get it cheap (discount) and my mate who has had mini's for years has never had a blow up or problem with ^^

my mate uses valvoline 20w50 in his vauxhall engine(righ rpm 1/4 mile oval race engine) and has never had a big failure due to oil

Is it a mineral oil?

[jaydee]

Yes it is

[classicminidriver]

I was told that the classic oil was recomended by a mini mag, don't know which one though...

Edited by classicminidriver, 25 March 2013 - 03:41 PM.

[Cooperman]

To think that when the Cooper 'S' first came out, in 1963, we used to use Castrol XL, a straight 30-grade in Winter and XXL 40-grade in Summer. That was really all there was to choose from. Then the first multi-grade 20w50 arrived and that improved things a lot. I used to use an MoD oil for military vehicles, OMD110, which was great in my 998 Cooper rally car (don't ask why I used that).

[Sfuller1275gt]

Just for the record I treated myself to the millers :)