Suitable oil

[Robbie224]

Hello. Interested to ask your thoughts on engine oils baring in mind what ever oil is used supplies gearbox as we. Few days ago had a real time general chat with a old boy who apparently knows about classic cars not just minis and it got round to oils. Best oil he finds is a 10/60 oil. So thats the question is could you use a 10/60 oil in a classic mini engine / gearbox,?

[111Robin]

I've used 20w/50 forever. Currently using Morris 20w/50. Never heard of 10/60 being used before tbh.

https://www.morrislubricants.co.uk/prod ... r-oil.html

Alternatively there's this Millers 20w/50 they show as specific for the Mini

https://www.millersoils.co.uk/products/ ... l-20w50-4/

[murty]

20W/50 with high levels of ZDDP. Not sure what your oil pressure would be with 10/60 oil.
Maybe if the bearing clearances are set for 10/60, it could work.

[1071 S]

Having used 10W60 oil in my Mini for 20+ years I can’t really see a good reason not to.

Many years ago, as the Logistics Manager for our Army’s field vehicle replacement program, I had a chat with the guy who headed the POL department of our materials research laboratory. If you wanted an unbiased (by any commercial considerations) expert on oil, he is it.

I asked him if there was any downside to synthetic oil (you’d be hard pressed to find 10W60 that isn’t) and he answered ..yes, its too expensive. Otherwise you can’t beat it.

Oil pressures are pretty much whatever you set them at and mine haven’t really varied in around 100Kmiles.....

Cheers, Ian

[111Robin]

Have a read through this.

https://www.opieoils.co.uk/t-car-engine ... ained.aspx

[Robbie224]

Good interesting read.

[111Robin]

Use the Opie oils finder with your reg number, all that will come up is options for 20w/50 oils

[Andrew1967]

Taken from the Opie oils website …

https://www.opieoils.co.uk/t-car-engine ... ained.aspx

‘We are often asked "Why do you advise against the use of 10w-60 car engine oils?". Let's get one thing clear, we supply 10w-60 and recommend it where it is appropriate for the engine (several BMW M-Series/Alpinas, some Alfa Romeos, Aston Martins, Ferrari's and not a lot else) or the application but conversely I caution against it's misuse!’

I’ve never quite understood the need to reinvent the wheel regarding which oil to use. 20/50 has been used in millions of A series engines for 70 years now. Problems only really arise through lack of maintenance. Reading the short excerpt from opie oils, the A series isn’t a supercar engine …

I’ll stick with standard 20/50 for all the time I can get it.

[Exminiman]

Agree with above, should focus on the ZDDP content first (maybe you are) as I understand it......

I think the theory is, as our cars use “Flat” cam followers they need the extra ZDDP protection to save premature cam wear.

Anecdotally, Castrol first used ZDDP to cut the wear on Spitfire Cams in WW2

What would be the benefit of 10/60 ?

[Peter Laidler]

Once again, words of wisdom from Andy and Exminiman (above.....). Why try to invent the wheel. Castrol 20/50 has heen in all of my minis and 5 million others, from new, since the 60's. If it ain't broke.........

[Andrew1967]

I should add that it’s road engines I’m talking about, I don’t know anything much about race engines and their requirements.

[surfblue63]

I use this. Darn good value and has boosted ZDDP. Find another 20/50 cheaper with the same spec. Also has 5 litres in the can, which is what you need to fill a Mini with filter change.

http://www.minispares.com/product/Class ... o%20search


Also if you buy it with a filter it is even cheaper!

http://www.minispares.com/product/Class ... o%20search


I change my oil and filter every 3,000 miles or 12 months, which ever is sooner.

[1071 S]

Once again, words of wisdom from Andy and Exminiman (above.....). Why try to invent the wheel. Castrol 20/50 has heen in all of my minis and 5 million others, from new, since the 60's. If it ain't broke.........

I guess for the same reason I use a Mac Pro ...rather than a Commodore..

Its a bit like “I always use iron horse shoes ..why should I use rubber tyres on my Mini?””

Its called progress.

Cheers, Ian

[Robbie224]

I'm going to try Millers motor sport ctv mini oil 20w50 it's semi synthetic.

[Andrew1967]

Some would say that E10 fuel is progress …

I remember back in the 80’s when Shell brought out the Formula Shell petrol .. everyone thought it was wonderful until it started to damage engines.

I’m not sure you can compare horse shoes and rubber tyres as they’re used for totally different purposes.

There’s plenty of evidence that using the wrong oil in whatever application can be damaging. Maybe it’s why manufacturers won’t honour warranties if it’s found the wrong oil is used where a problem arises .

[Polarsilver]

Please tell me otherwise as i thought Minispares will not ship their Oil or Paint it was collection only?

[tweedy998]

I'm going to try Millers motor sport ctv mini oil 20w50 it's semi synthetic.

That's what we use in our Cooper 998 and the difference in running to whatever black gloop it had in the sump previously has been fairly noticable. I use Millers motorsport oils in all our 'proper' cars, and their regular stuff in the workhorse. I've always found Millers oils to give excellent performance.

[tweedy998]

Please tell me otherwise as i thought Minispares will not ship their Oil or Paint it was collection only?

Mini Spares has shipped oil, and other liquids, to me recently.

[111Robin]

Back in the day when Minis were actually driven as normal transport there were no "special" oils specific to the engine/gearbox, you used 20w/50 (Duckhams was my choice back then) and got on with it. I don't recall thousands of failed engines/gearboxes as a result. Today, with the very small mileages these cars do in comparison it's even less of an issue. Use a good quality 20w/50, change it every year and that's it. Of course progress has been made with lubricants, but that's due to the ongoing development of the IC engine. The A series has been the same since year dot so it is fine using the type of oil that was available then.

[Peter Laidler]

Well said Robin and others of our oil persuasion, couldn't have said it better. You can add whatever or distill it however you like. But 20w 50 oil remains 20w 50, just what the manufacturer of our combined engine and gearboxes suggested!

I'm minded to most respectfully suggest that from my own purely engineering experience point of view 1071S's comparisons (above) are based on fuzzy logic