What motor oil is the best

[UHR850]

What is the best motoroil to use in my MG Metro engine
The engine is still original and I don't know how many KM (miles).
It is in my Mini Mk3 and running on 10" Rose Petals.

Kees..

[UHR850]

15W40 20W50 Please tell me.
I did put in some very old STP in it and yes
no smoke any more.

Kees.

[mk1]

I use & have used for years the cheapest 20W50 I can find. Currently my budget oil of choice is Minispares classic 20W50 as it is really cheap, but the stuff from Morrisons seems no better or worse.

The trick is to change it regularly, on the Hornet it is after every 2 events, on all my other cars at least once a year or every 1000 miles or so.

I HONESTLY don't think it is worth wasting money on fancy new oils as an A Series engine is an A series engine & was designed in the 1950's to run on bog standard 1950's motor oil.

[Peter Laidler]

I look at the tin for the most expensive oil that I'm looking for, say 20w-50 and check the MIL-SPEC codification. Then find the cheapest 20w-50. If the MIL-SPEC code is the same, then get the cheapest. A bit like UK ££'s and Scottish ££'s.

[Van13]

We was led to understand oil back in the day was ruperior what’s people’s thoughts on that one

[Polarsilver]

The Petrol was Superior back in the day .. at least it smelt like Petrol and also lasted & still fired up when stored for years..
Not just the few weeks that Todays crap E Petrol lasts

Maybe "todays" Engine Oil is relevant in its brew to cope with the E Numbers Petrol that we now have to use ..
that may be a consideration to what Engine Oil we should use today ?

[mk1]

I don't know anything about oil "in the good old days" & I'm not an analytical chemist. But I haven't run a bearing in 30 odd years & I dare say I have tried harder than a lot.

No doubt folks will chime in saying that the latest £50 a gallon stuff is just what you need, but I won't be changing from my £6 a gallon gloop.

[Andrew1967]

I use & have used for years the cheapest 20W50 I can find. Currently my budget oil of choice is Minispares classic 20W50 as it is really cheap, but the stuff from Morrisons seems no better or worse.

The trick is to change it regularly, on the Hornet it is after every 2 events, on all my other cars at least once a year or every 1000 miles or so.

I HONESTLY don't think it is worth wasting money on fancy new oils as an A Series engine is an A series engine & was designed in the 1950's to run on bog standard 1950's motor oil.

Whilst I don't change the oil as often, every two years as I do less than 1000 a year, sometimes much less, I couldn't agree more with Mark.

[almondgreen]

The most important thing is to have oil in the engine.
I have tried without and it did not work.

[surfblue63]

The best oil is fresh oil. Regular changes are far more important than advertising spiel and here say.

Like Mark I use the Minispares stuff that is currently £16 for 5 litres. It has enhanced Zinc/ZDDP (1300ppm) which helps with the gearbox using the same oil.

[Andrew1967]

The most important thing is to have oil in the engine.
I have tried without and it did not work.

.... and dare I ......

[onetim]

I have been reading some discussions on this in the US. My take from it is 15w-40 API CI-4 Mobile Delvac conventional diesel oil, or Shell Rotella, Chevron Delo. It has the proper amount of zinc additive for flat tappets, which in near impossible to get right with an additive. Zinc has been deleted here due to converter plugging, and now mostly roller cams for gas engine oils. Full synthetic is supposed to be too slippery for the syncro's, and will leak where conventional will not. $20.00 a fill. Again just my view.

[Exminiman]

The most important thing is to have oil in the engine.
I have tried without and it did not work.

.... and dare I ......

For a laugh we once (30 years ago) ran a mini woodey estate 850 on chain saw (for the chain) oil, it smoked a bit before it blew up

[Hipwell]

The question was which oil was best, well Millers CTV is probably the most expensive but designed for the Mini so will give that a try. Oil is cheap engine rebuilds are not etc. Have used millers oils in historic racing but also road engines of many types almost solely since 2004, never any issues. And that was long before all their fancy classic rebranding.

Yes the A-Series used simple mono grade x oil in the 1950’s but oil technology has improved, and conditions have changed, more traffic, cars used far less, larger and often much larger power outputs.

Also not sure its right saying petrol was superior back then, yes it was 100 octane but quality was often poor especially during the 1950’s due to storage, supply etc. True that grades these days with the added ethanol content are inferior.

[timmy201]

I like Penrite HPR 30. It's 20W60 and lots of ZDDP

[Nick W]

I changed the oil in my race car 6 times in 50 miles to flush it after it destroyed its big end last blyton .....
...surely this must be a record

[Peter Laidler]

Worth remembering through all this that oil doesn't loose its viscosity or its ability to lubricate. It just gets contaminated

[Kiwi Craig]

The Australian oil company Penrite makes a special oil for Classic Minis. It is 20W-50 with high Zinc, protects flat tappets and gives smooth gear changing. Comes in 5 litre container, so enough for an oil change(4 litre not enough). Quite expensive, but should be ok if made specially for Minis.
From what I have read, the low/no zinc in modern oils is a real problem for flat tappet engines. Seems oil companies are slowly realising this and are reintroducing high zinc products.
Would be good to hear members views on this zinc issue.

[LISW]

The question was which oil was best, well Millers CTV is probably the most expensive but designed for the Mini so will give that a try. Oil is cheap engine rebuilds are not etc.

It is so important to use the "good" oil, I do not understand why so many people try to cut on that...

When racing in WEC, we were sponsored by an oil company. But this is a so much important item, that the chief mechanic dumped the "offered" transmission oil, and refilled the cans with the brand that proved to be the best suited to our engines.
Not that the sponsored product was bad. But as he said "Why take the risk, as we developed the power plant with the other brand the previous season, and know the results?".
Just can't blame him to remain on the safe side...

[timmy201]

The Australian oil company Penrite makes a special oil for Classic Minis. It is 20W-50 with high Zinc, protects flat tappets and gives smooth gear changing. Comes in 5 litre container, so enough for an oil change(4 litre not enough). Quite expensive, but should be ok if made specially for Minis.
From what I have read, the low/no zinc in modern oils is a real problem for flat tappet engines. Seems oil companies are slowly realising this and are reintroducing high zinc products.
Would be good to hear members views on this zinc issue.

The HPR30 has more Zinc than the mini specific oil, it's thicker when hot and easier to find in store too.

HPR30 =0.153% Zinc
Mini Oil = 0.139% Zinc