oilman Posted August 10, 2004 Share Posted August 10, 2004 Grim Reaper? 😳 Not really, the three figures I need to look at are as follows: Viscosity Index Flash Point Pour Point These should be mentioned, if these are on there then you can always email them to me or fax to 01209 314019 Cheers Simon sales@opieoils.co.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captain chaos Posted August 10, 2004 Share Posted August 10, 2004 Thanks oilman. my reason for asking which Oil is recommended is that i don't have the owners and therefore I was hoping some other Vx owner would post atleast what was recommended at the time. i suppose it will be the same as vauxhall recommended for the GTE Astra for instance? As i said in the posting, I am using mobil 1 from habit and would be interested to hear what 'I should' be using rather than current practice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Sailor Posted August 10, 2004 Share Posted August 10, 2004 This thread and another one with info from the 'Oilman' has been one of the most informative I've seen on oil. It's aimed mostly at K Series owners though. What about X-Flow owners? We have engines going back 30 years or so in varying states of wear. Are there problems in using pure synthetics? I remember switching, years ago, from a mineral based oil to Mobile 1in an MGB I used to own and not getting a reading on the oil pressure guage. What about the synthetic/mineral oil blends that are reccomended for older engines? (Castrol markets one in the US) Ken Sailor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DW Posted August 10, 2004 Share Posted August 10, 2004 I've just poured in 10W/50 fully synthetic Millers into my Xflow and the pressure seems to stay higher. D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DW Posted August 10, 2004 Share Posted August 10, 2004 I've just poured in 10W/50 fully synthetic Millers into my Xflow and the pressure seems to stay higher. D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DW Posted August 10, 2004 Share Posted August 10, 2004 *thumbup*oops. Millers is the beer I pour into my mouth. Morris is the oil in the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Sailor Posted August 10, 2004 Share Posted August 10, 2004 Pour the Millers after making the post, not before. 😬 Ken Sailor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scared Was The Sheep Posted August 10, 2004 Share Posted August 10, 2004 I have just bought Mobil 1 5w-50 Fully Synthetic Rally Formula motor oil for my 1.4k series supersport. Me being new to all this with a proper car, could someone let me know if this is the right stuff or whether it'll cause me problems? Also would be useful to know how much it's likely to take? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Carmichael Posted August 11, 2004 Share Posted August 11, 2004 nick, Consider this a dry run of all the information you have read. You have a metro engine. The book spec is for an SAE 40 rating when hot. 50 is OK. The 5W rating will be a good thing if it is done on top of a decent basestock, which is why you went for the Mobil One brand. Final check: look for a decent ACEA rating of A3/B3 or A5/B5. What does it say on the tin? Now ask yourself...? What has this oil got to do with "rally formula"? Ignore the marketing bollox and look at the useful information on the packaging. Chances are you have an overkill oil for a relatively unstressed engine. Sahf London; every 1st Wednesday from 19:30 at The Duck just around the corner from Clapham Junction station Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scared Was The Sheep Posted August 11, 2004 Share Posted August 11, 2004 Peter thanks. The ACEA is A3/B3/B4. I take it this is probably better oil than I need, therefore will be more than up to the job, or is it a case that too "good" an oil can be detrimental? Sorry for the no doubt, obvious and innane questions, but only just got my first caterham and don't want to break it before I start. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheds Moderator Posted August 11, 2004 Share Posted August 11, 2004 Too good is fine. Expensive and overkill but fine, the engine will last for ever assuming that it's currently in good condition. The only situation where switching to a very good oil may be detrimental is where the thing is on its last legs, running some supermarket brew 20/50 in the autumn years of its life and full of wear and lacquer. This being nice and thick will be keeping the worn bits (just) apart where a thinner oil would run out. Then you pour in a thin, high quality oil with solvents and engine cleaning detergents, it cleans out all the gunge and the gunge then goes on to block the oil strainer, oilways, etc. The thinner oil can't keep the metal apart any more, and you have hastened the demise of an engine which in truth was about to expire in the next few thousand miles anyway. So keep on with your decent oil, it's cheaper than a rebuild and you can trust Mobil to manufacture something to a spec that you have just been told is the correct one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YellowSeven Posted August 11, 2004 Share Posted August 11, 2004 NickH, Where did you get the Mobil1 5W-50? Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Support Team Shaun_E Posted August 11, 2004 Support Team Share Posted August 11, 2004 Fascinating thread and I've learned more about oil than I thought possible. Question: Is the Halfords own brand 5W40 (labelled synthetic) really a proper synthetic oil? (Sorry I don't have a datasheet for it) Everything I've read on this thread and the other one suggests that at the price, it may not be a true synthetic (PAO or Ester based). Whilst it has an ACEA A3/B3 rating, is that good enough to assume that it will not breakdown quickly - i.e. is it suitable for a frequently stressed engine such as a regularly tracked K? N.B. I have a Laminova fitted and that keeps the oil temperatures below 100 deg.C most of the time. Yellow SL #32 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Carmichael Posted August 11, 2004 Share Posted August 11, 2004 The ACEA A3 certification includes testing for shear stability using the CEC-L-14-A-93 test method. All viscosity grades have to stay "in grade at 100degC" after 30 test cycles. I don't know exactly what comprises a test cycle and how that might relate to miles on the road, but the distinction of A3/B3 over A2/B2 is that it is a "stay in grade" oil and is suitable for high performance engines. So yes. A3/B3 is certified not to break down quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Support Team Shaun_E Posted August 11, 2004 Support Team Share Posted August 11, 2004 Thanks Peter - I'll carry on using the Halfords stuff then. Yellow SL #32 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oilman Posted August 11, 2004 Share Posted August 11, 2004 Wow, you guys have been busy, so many people to reply to! Let's start from the top and If I forget anyone, apologies........... Captain Chaos. The Vauxhall Astra recommended grades are as follows: 2.0i 87> 9/91 5W-40 / 15W-40 2.0i 16V GTE 88> 9/91 5W-40 / 15W-40 2.0i + CAT 9/91> 98 5W-40 / 15W-40 2.0 16V Gsi, Turbo 1999 0W-40 / 5W-40 / 10W 40 All engines 2000 Onwards 0W-40 / 5W-40 / 10W 40 I'm not sure of the year of your engine but it looks to me that depending on type of usage and preference for Semi or Fully Synthetic (hydrocracked or true) the following oils should be used: 5w-40 Fully Syn or Ester/Pao 10w-40 Semi or Fully Synthetic You could also use 0w-40 but this may be a touch thin for an older engine as it's only recommended for 2000 onwards. You could drop me an email for a list and prices. Ken Sailor Older engines will benefit from synthetics if they are in good condition and you stick to "thicker" viscosities as these where generally specified back in the 70's. By this I mean the likes of 10w-50 or 15w-50 or even in some cases 20w-50 although this is going to be a mineral oil which is OK so long as you do regular changes. You should however consider the following: An engine over 10 years old "might not" be a good candidate for moving to synthetic oil. If you've been using synthetic oil with success then stick with it, but if you've been using mineral oil, now might not be the time to switch to synthetics. Although it is highly unlikely that the issue will come up, the following scenario is a possibility and happens in a small percentage of older vehicles. A vehicle with significant age which has been maintained with mineral oil may have seals and gaskets which are dried and cracked. In some cases, mineral oil burn-off has left behind enough deposits around the seals and gaskets that leaks have been plugged. When such an engine is switched over to a premium synthetic oil with a high quality detergency package, these deposits are cleaned out, thereby exposing those weak seals and gaskets. At that point leaks "could" occur. Of course, when using a synthetic oil, leaks can be very costly. In some cases, the seal swell properties of the synthetic oil will seal up the leaks, but in other cases it will not. You have to decide whether you are willing to take the chance. If you're engine runs fairly well and has been adequately maintained, a good synthetic oil could do wonders for performance and fuel economy, but the potential leaks must not be overlooked. DW. Millers is an oil as well (British at that!) NickH I would say that 5w-50 is OK and the Mobil product is a PAO so it's a true synthetic. I would mention however that it is probably OTT and a 5w-40 would have been better as an sae 50 is probably not required. You will get better oil pressure with a thicker oil sae 50 instead of sae 40 but remember that oil pressure is measured as resistance not flow and flow is more important! A note about wide viscosity oils (10w-60, 5w-50 etc): Unless these oils are true synthetics they need a large amount of VI Improvers to prop them up and therefore they are more prone to "shear" with use. Be sure of what you are buying. For example Castrol RS 10w-60 is only a "hydrocracked" oil containing a lot of additives to meet sae 60 which means that the oil will "with hard use" shear to an sae 30 or 40 within a couple of thousand miles so regular oil changes are required. An ester/pao 10w-50 would be more shear stable and will protect your engine better in the long run and this is what I mean when I say "shear stability" is more important than viscosity. ShaunE Halfords is a Hydrocracked or Molecularly Modified Mineral oil. It's not the real thing and you would not expect it to be for that money. Their oils are currently made by Esso but they change suppliers like the wind, it's all down to cost. Phew, that's me done for now. Just one final thing, you will find plenty of technical data on Oils here: http://www.opieoils.co.uk/lubricants.htm Cheers Simon sales@opieoils.co.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oilman Posted August 11, 2004 Share Posted August 11, 2004 Peter, Am I right is saying that the ACEA shear tests are not that arduous, by that I mean they are tested for road use not under the stresses of a track or competitive use? These are minimum standards (although better than API) and do not indicate the shear capability if ones style of driving is described as "hard". Your posts are very informative, rare on internet forums. Cheers Simon sales@opieoils.co.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom7 Posted August 11, 2004 Share Posted August 11, 2004 Reading the web page recommended by oilman, I looked at the blurb about Castrol RS 10w-60. Despite being told by oilman that it is a 'hydrocracked' mineral oil, it is described as being made from 'fully synthetic base oils'. The marketing industry has a lot to answer for with half-truths, double meanings and outright bollox. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oilman Posted August 11, 2004 Share Posted August 11, 2004 Tom7. I had this oil Chemically Analysed in June for another car Club and it did not make great reading, can't put the results here on a public forum but, believe me, it's "hydrocracked" and not a true synthetic. As my earlier post points out, the US Court Ruling has a lot to answer for! I believe that back in 1993 it was a PAO/Ester blend. The report is confidential but you can always email me for the findings, I'm here to stay and happy to help if I can. Cheers Simon sales@opieoils.co.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YellowSeven Posted August 11, 2004 Share Posted August 11, 2004 Oilman, It would make interesting reading if you could analyse the new 'Caterham Motorsport 5w-50 Oil'. I for one would like to know what makes it so special!! Its producted by Comma, would you expect this to be a PAO oil? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oilman Posted August 11, 2004 Share Posted August 11, 2004 Oz7 Send me a sample in a clean "spice jar" and I'll see what we can do. Cheers Simon sales@opieoils.co.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scared Was The Sheep Posted August 11, 2004 Share Posted August 11, 2004 Oilman, your a gent for giving so many of us such helpful advice. Cheers Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Carmichael Posted August 11, 2004 Share Posted August 11, 2004 Hi Simon, I can't answer your question about the shear tests, but the man who can is Fordy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grim Reaper Posted August 11, 2004 Share Posted August 11, 2004 Hmm, well maybe I'm not so sorry to have brought this topic back to the top anymore. I do believe in making an educated choice in most things and the smoke that obscures the oil labelling activities of oil companies and resellers is one of the most difficult to clear it would seem. Still no info from Comma regarding the basestock details for Syner-Z, Syner-G or Caterham Motorsport oils though. I'll poke them again tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oilman Posted August 11, 2004 Share Posted August 11, 2004 Good man! I believe that to make an informed choice, you simply need to know otherwise how do you know that what you're getting is indeed what you think you're getting! Still we can certainly help on the products that we sell as we know but remember we only sell Castrol, Silkolene, Mobil, Fuchs and Total. For the rest well, if we can lay our hands on a chemical report (and we can when the Chemist is not on holiday!) we can tell you exactly what the composition is and are happy to do so as this is the only true way of proving a product for sure. Some would say it's splitting hairs but when you're paying top dollar for a product you need to be sure that it's the best. By the way, I'm on holiday for a couple of weeks from Friday but my brother Guy will be monitoring this forum for replies, please be nice to him as I'm sure you will be but he may need to contact me at times for a response so please bear with us. Thanks. Cheers Simon sales@opieoils.co.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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