21 replies to this topic

[Cooperman]

morris lubricants advise 10w/40 too

Morris 10/40 is a semi-synthetic isn't it? An ordinary mineral oil is better for a Mini

you can get 10w/40 in mineral

Brad,you really don't want to use that thin oil if you are rallying the car. For rallying, where you'll have a sump guard, low gearing and be using lots of revs you need Valvoline Racing 20w50.

[chrisandsarah]

yup i meant 40,000 miles

Yep that happened, was there

10/40 in my mini for 5 years now, no issues.
10/40 in a friends mini for over 20 years, no issues.

10/40 all the way, until proven otherwise.

[govig]

you can get 10w/40 in mineral

You can but Morris don't make it. They do a 20/50 mineral though.

It might have been mentioned before but a 10/40 is a 10 with 'stuff' in it to make it have 40 characteristics when hot. That 'stuff' has a hard time in an A series. Whilst sensible ones will change it way before then, do you really want that rebuild that cost you a few thousand with its poor old gearbox to be lubricated by a straight 10?

Just like the smoking/drinking old lady example, you will always find someone whose mini has gone round the clock on old chip shop oil but (just like old ladies who have smoked woodbines all their life) there won't be many. There will conversely be loads that suffer unnecessary problems to which the wrong oil has contributed. 10/40 is likely to be fine but 20/50 has the capacity to be better with no detriment for our unusual and ancient application. We haven't got cams running in plain bearings at the top of the motor that need oil the second it all turns so 10/40 gives you no advantage in our climate over 20/50 on a cold start. On t'other hand 50 is better for your gearbox than 40. Do you really want (just like Dirty Harry's punk) to risk it? Well do you? <insert gun emoticon>

Edited by govig, 28 February 2012 - 09:06 AM.

[reallybig]

gearbox can be easily replaced and mine runs fine after 80k

[govig]

Not sure 'easily' is the best description of a gearbox replacement especially financially. It's easy to provide opposite anecdotal evidence such as "my gearbox is crunching at a mere 7000 miles". It *is* but that doesn't mean it's necessarily oil related. It's just anecdontal evidence which may or may not be correct.

10/40 is fine but 20/50 is better. Maybe only slightly better, but better. For those who really push changes (and I know people will go 10,000+ 'because there modern car book says you can), the resulting straight 20 is considerably better than straight 10 in your gearbox....

Aren't oil threads great There's no completely right or completely wrong oil (as long as it's engine oil) there are many, many shades of grey which will be mostly fine but those involved with minis for decades are very unlikely to use a thinner oil, especially if its a semi-synthetic, in our climate. Most modern engine are designed to run on 5w/30 or thinner but the relevant word here is designed. Our A series was born about 60 years ago when multigrades had only just been thought of and Castrol XL was the norm (straight 30). That was fine until Issigonis put the gearbox underneath a few years later when the gearbox then did not have the optimum oil and that's where we still are all these years later.

Peace....

Edited by govig, 28 February 2012 - 10:02 AM.

[brad-the-bear]

morris lubricants advise 10w/40 too

Morris 10/40 is a semi-synthetic isn't it? An ordinary mineral oil is better for a Mini

you can get 10w/40 in mineral

Brad,you really don't want to use that thin oil if you are rallying the car. For rallying, where you'll have a sump guard, low gearing and be using lots of revs you need Valvoline Racing 20w50.

TOUCHÉ! damn never thought about it like that, its due a service in 21 days anyway, will use some 20w/50

thanks pal, your a life saver

........................*walks away in utter shame*

[Cooperman]

morris lubricants advise 10w/40 too

Morris 10/40 is a semi-synthetic isn't it? An ordinary mineral oil is better for a Mini

you can get 10w/40 in mineral

Brad,you really don't want to use that thin oil if you are rallying the car. For rallying, where you'll have a sump guard, low gearing and be using lots of revs you need Valvoline Racing 20w50.

TOUCHÉ! damn never thought about it like that, its due a service in 21 days anyway, will use some 20w/50

thanks pal, your a life saver

........................*walks away in utter shame*

Nah, don't worry about it. Just go and buy some Valvoline Racing 20w50 and you'll never look back.