32 replies to this topic

[GraemeC]

I now run it religiously in my rally car and it gives steadier pressure than the Millers CTV I ran before it.
It needs changing regularly because it will break down quicker than modern oils. It is generally better for the 'box than the engine, whereas modern Mini oils are the other way round, but it's generally cheaper to refresh a bottom end than a 'box and with frequent changes there isn't a problem.

[tiger99]

I would have thought that R did not have the "EP" additives needed in a gearbox. It would be safer to stick with Millers Mini Oil, which we know is safe in both engine and gearbox. Would R be safe in a LSD?

 

We probably need a real oil chemist to give us definitive answers. However, I also can confirm that it does not mix with mineral  oils, so is strictly for a clean, freshly built engine and box.

 

Oh, and it does indeed smell rather nice!

[Minimoke8394]

A friend at work suggested a few tbsp in my fuel tank to get the desired smell. And a letter someone wrote to Castrol suggested this, as long as you weren't putting loads in. Will give it a go when mine is on the road.

[megamini_jb]

Mmmm the smell

[jime17]

A friend at work suggested a few tbsp in my fuel tank to get the desired smell. And a letter someone wrote to Castrol suggested this, as long as you weren't putting loads in. Will give it a go when mine is on the road.

Would there be any issues with this regarding side effects?

Interested to know as the smell us great as everyone has said.

[Artful Dodger]

I would have thought that R did not have the "EP" additives needed in a gearbox. It would be safer to stick with Millers Mini Oil, which we know is safe in both engine and gearbox. Would R be safe in a LSD?
 
We probably need a real oil chemist to give us definitive answers. However, I also can confirm that it does not mix with mineral  oils, so is strictly for a clean, freshly built engine and box.
 
Oh, and it does indeed smell rather nice!

I'm sure it's not as effective for prolonging parts life, but ideally you want to run the thinnest oil you can for racing to minimise friction:)

Parts wear shouldn't be an issue, the engine will be rebuild every season if not more!

[Minimoke8394]

This is a letter someone wrote to Castrol and then put on a bike forum....

 

"I have e-mailed Castrol to ask whether or not the sweet smelling oil 'Castrol R' can still be purchased and be used in modern bikes, I have pasted their reply below. What I would like to know is if anyone has added it to their petrol without any problems and if so what ratio they used, thanks, Joe.

I can confirm that you can still purchase Castrol R as a SAE 40 grade oil. Castrol R 40 can be obtained from Castrol Classic Oils (Tel: 01954 231668 or see the link on the Castrol.com/uk website) or one of their distributors.

We don’t really recommend it for use in modern machinery because there are more suitable modern oils available such as Castrol Power 1 Racing 10W-40 and Castrol Power 1 GPS 10W-40. The oil change guidelines for your machine will be calculated based on the use of a modern oil such as these and it is difficult for us to give accurate advice on what frequency of oil change would be needed if you were running on Castrol R40, but it could be as low as every 1,000 miles.

Castrol R 40 is a very good lubricant under certain circumstances, however it is relatively unstable and will therefore tend to promote the build up of deposits in your engine. It may not work perfectly with your wet clutch either.

The instability of Castrol R means it is also not recommended for long term storage, so if you were going to store your bike for 6 months, we would suggest you consider filling with new Castrol R at the start of the storage period and draining and replacing with new oil at the end, before using the bike again. If storing for longer than 6 months, it may be worth switching back to a modern mineral, part-synthetic or full synthetic.

We are often asked about the best way to obtain the Castrol R odour and from our discussions we are aware that many people add a small amount to their fuel. Just how much seems to be an inexact science, but generally the less you can get away with the better. You might like to start with 1000:1 fuel:R ratio (20ml of R in a 20 litre fuel tank) and see how that works, adding more oil if there is insufficient effect. I would suggest if you get as far as 100:1 (200ml of oil in a 20 litre fuel tank) and still aren’t getting the effect you want, you might want to re-consider the benefits versus the downsides!"

Edited by Minimoke8394, 27 February 2014 - 10:25 AM.

[jaydee]

Castrol R is the worst oil available, use millers, valvoline comma etc..

[Artful Dodger]

Ooh a conflicting statement, what makes you say that?

[Mini Manannán]

 

 

[jaydee]

Is a really old technology based on raw mineral oil it will gum up things and contains very low EP additives, its place is on a scaffold to show your customers you have 70ies heritge oil, but really use quality reliable oil in your own performance engine.

You're also looking at oils with good flow charateristics, so if its a new engine, i'd be looking at full synths on a race engine.

Edited by jaydee, 27 February 2014 - 12:04 PM.

[megamini_jb]

Would I be able to put a shot in with the fuel on an injection mini?

[Minimoke8394]

I can't see a reason why not. We're talking small amounts here; pop a few tbsp in and see if you get the right smell. If not, try a little more. I can't think of anything bad that could come of it to be honest since we're talking very small percentages here. 

[tiger99]

I don't see why a low dose in the fuel would do any harm to the injection system, but if it all goes wrong, and gums things up, you will have a lot of stripping or flushing to do. Probably a good idea to flush a few tankfuls of fresh fuel, with no castor, but instead a cleaning additive, through the system from time to time.

 

You could always devise a secondary injection system that just squirted a very small amount of castor oil into the inlet ports, or maybe even the exhaust manifold, to get the smell. That way, you could turn it off to avoid needless expense, except when wanting to demonstrate the smell, and it would have no chance of affecting the main fuel system. The same system could also inject water into the inlets, for two purposes, preventing detonation and so allowing higher compression, and also cleaning the cylinder head. Water injection is well-established technology. Maybe a water and castor oil mixture would achieve the advantages of both?

[Minimoke8394]

Slow day at work is it Tiger.... ;)