Oilyness

[Jasonking]

Does anyone know who manufactures Minispares classic 20/50 oil?

[beardylonodn]

Email and ask them!

[Exminiman]

it’s good stuff, some use it for competition as well, your safe buying it

[mk1]

Been using it for years in ALL My cars, used it in the 1293 AppK type racer, my 150bhp supercharged 999, my 850 & everything in between. Really good oil at a GREAT price.

I buy the cartons of 4 & keep a couple on stock.

[Peter Laidler]

Contrary to what Rover suggest, I've used it in my Rover Cooper Sport since its first oil change. Ain't looked back!

[robanzac]

I assume this isn't stocked by anyone in NZ.
I use Penrite Classic Mini 20w/50 mineral oil, which seems to be pretty good.
Has anyone got any other recommendations for this part of the world ?

[Peter Laidler]

To be honest - and I know that there'll be those who will argue to the nth degree that I'm talking rubbish, - but 20/50 oil with a milspec category (you'll find it on the container.....) will be the same wherever you are. Much the same as the SAE90 we all use.

Steel helmet on and awaiting the incoming mortars

[Exminiman]

You might well be right Peter, I am not sure TBH.

As I understand its the Zinc/ZDDP content which is important for Minis, due to the oil being shared by the gearbox and having flat tappets - MS oil has 1300ppm Zinc/ZDDP , which is apparently good compared with other makes ....?

If indeed it is the amount Zinc/ZDDP that is important it would be interesting to know if the milspec covers this at all ?

Anyone got any other ideas ? would be good to understand more about it..

In the end though the MS oil is tried and tested, which says a lot..

[111Robin]

I'm always confused by this requirement for "special" oils for the Mini these days. The manuals list standard 20/50 oils (Castrol GTX, Duckhams Q) and that's what was always used when these were being used as everyday cars running up high mileages. Were these oils of high zinc content back then ?. Isn't this just a case of suppliers promoting their products as specific to the Mini to increase sales ?. Given the average mileages these days (ok there will be some who run up big mileages but definitely the minority) what is wrong with using any good 20/50 oil ?. For what it's worth I've been using Morris Lubricants Golden Film 20/50 for a few years but can't say it's any better or worse than any other brand, I just got a good price when buying it in 25 litre drums, how would I know without performing a scientific examination of every component after thousands of miles ?.

['S'-type]

We have been here before and this paper has been referenced. I'm not sure I am any the wiser but it might be instructional regarding some of the myths about the best 'snake oil' for A series transverse power units.

https://www.widman.biz/mini_pics/classic-mini-oil.pdf

It is a downloadable document so caution if you don't want that.

I can't find the previous thread on this but if was probably equally inconclusive.

Another vote for Minispares branded.

[timmy201]

ZDDP apparently isn’t good for modern cars with cats, so it’s been reduced in the majority of oils these days.

[robanzac]

After some lightweight research
The Penrite (Classic Mini 20w/50) product in this neck of the woods is 0.139% zinc by mass.
The minispares oil says on the container 1300 ppm

This might not be comparing apples with apples

0.139% = 0.00139
1300ppm = 0.0013

[Tim]

That paper that 'S'-type links above states that the optimum ZDDP range is 1000 to 1600 PPM. I think you're correct in that 0.139% = 1390 PPM, so that's right in the recommended range.

I've only recently started using Penrite Classic Mini. I dunno, it seems just as good as any other oil and it has Minis on the label (more than can be said for the Minispares stuff), so it must be pretty good.

I'm easily persuaded. There used to be an add on TV for Duckhams (I think) where a butler brought a cut crystal decanter of oil to the young gentleman servicing his Cooper S. It worked on me.

Tim

[Kiwi Craig]

robanzac, the Penrite 20W-60, which can be substituted for 20W-50 has even higher Zinc content, .181%.
It is more readily available here in NZ and cheaper than Classic Mini Oil when on special at Supercheap.

[111Robin]

Good explanation here from Duckhams, a bit less scientific.

https://www.duckhams.com/zddp-what-does-it-all-mean/

I checked the Morrisons 20/50 spec' and it also has 1200ppm Zinc content so it's probably safe to say that it doesn't need to say that it is specific to Minis to be suitable just check the spec' sheet first to make sure.

[robanzac]

robanzac, the Penrite 20W-60, which can be substituted for 20W-50 has even higher Zinc content, .181%.
It is more readily available here in NZ and cheaper than Classic Mini Oil when on special at Supercheap.

Yes, I have used the Penrite 20W-60 but found the gear change a bit tough until warmed up, especially in winter (I am right down south)
It is only last year that I decided to give the Penrite Classic Mini 20w/50 a go and I have to say that the improvement in gear change quality, cold and hot, is noticeable, and I don't think I am fooling myself into believing so just because it costs more.
This observation is across two cars, a 1971 1300, and a 1997 MPi

[BigWig]

Comma 20w50 is also very good as an alternative

[Peter Laidler]

Yep, Comma. Another safe bet. That's what the major motor factors round these parts seem to stock and sell. I think we could over complicate this subject and keep it simple by accepting that commercially available and reputable manufactured 20/50 is 20/50 wherever you are

[InnoCooperExport]

Another option is MIller's Classic Mini Pistoneeze, that has 1400 ppm ZDDP. I managed to buy a gallon for 40 euros a few years back which is pretty decent.

[peasantslife]

We have covered this several times since I joined the forum, but accepting new blood and even old stagers dont read every thread...here is a part of what I last wrote.
US/Canada have historically had very short service life - even when using a globally supplied motor. Europe today is quite content to go to 20k miles or even greater service intervals. Then we need to look at emissions levels, where standards are still low-ish likely to find greater (than zero) Zinc dithiophosphate ZDDP (I had to look up how to spell it!)
ZDDP is a cat killer so where regs are harsher its not part of the add-mix at all - but it has particularly strong anti wear characteristics, which a mini needs as it cant employ a hypoid grade which will have much higher shear properties....but lower oxidation resistance....

To be honest I have no idea what exactly BMC actually specified, or indeed what standards were being employed in the late 50's/60's Longbridge, API grades help to define what additive mix is applied to your base grade oils. That is what you ought to be looking at! ....Just taking a look at the API Grades looks like SC/SD/SE would have been appropriate for 1960's mini's. I dont actually know which brands offer those grades today...And why use a multigrade at all?? If you are a Drive it Day to end of Sept user you will never see the benefit of your 20W....so just buy a straight grade 50 (if you can with the API SC/SD/SE also on the container)
Older engines may not like 'modern' oils, manufacturing tolerances have moved a country mile since A series started production, Bearing materials have evolved to share nothing in common, Similarly so have the metals and plastics used in modern engine designs...
I dont have the universal answer, but its not even on the dartboard with the current posts - even my Rover VVC motors (only 20 years old) are now best served with what would be called a Diesel Spec oil today....

In short, viscosity is a blind alley, I can put food grade additives into water and make the fluid perform in the SAE tests to give us a 20W50, but it wont be much use to a mini engine! If you run your gearbox on any oil without ZDDP in it you will be reducing its potential for a long durability life. How long is an open question, depends on your heavy right foot and overrun braking habits. but it was certainly important in period when durability life was perhaps 100k miles. On the emissions levels I think most major blenders were ditching zddp additives 25 years ago for markets where cats were the norm, so most of the developed world..We also need to just think about what vehicles may have needed it, only required for vehicles with shared lubrication, so as those fell out of use so did the need for zddp. I believe its still possible to buy zddp additive, in which case buy the oil brand that makes you feel good and fling in a dose of cat killer!