21 replies to this topic

[alicetheauto]

Apparently the additives in magnatec type synthetic oils do not like going through the diff, causing wear to the pin. Exploding diffs and gearboxes....

[Orange-Phantom]

There are as far as I know three oils that are designed specifically for the Mini with it's shared engine and gearbox design.  They have Extreme Pressure (EP) Additives in them also to help protect the gearbox as well.  They are all 20W50 being the well know and accepted grade of oil to use in a Mini.  Millers sell a semi-synthetic and a mineral oil, Penrite sell a mineral based oil (links below).

 

http://www.millersoi...ctor=Motorsport

 

http://www.millersoi...sector=Classics

 

http://www.penriteoi...id_products=574

 

The Valvoline VR1 racing oil (mineral) also has very good reports from a-lot of people who have high performance Mini's.  Again use the 20W50.

 

http://www.valvoline...ing-motor-oil/6

 

Now to throw the spanner in the works!  People say not to use anything but a mineral oil in a Mini.  The Millers Mini Race oil aka the CTV is Semi Synthetic and is actually  recommended by a-lot of the top professional race Engine Builders.

 

Keith Calver from Mini Mag has done a-lot of research into oils and actually recommends in high performance Mini's, a Fully Synthetic Oil from Torco being the SR-1 Racing Oil.

 

http://www.torcousa....oduct/sr-1.html

 

The above examples are what I would call the high end of oils to use in a Mini.

 

Being honest though as long as you use a decent 20W50 oil and change it regularly (i.e. a maximum of every 3000 miles) you should be fine.

 

Choice....I'd say it depends on how much you want to spend on oil for your Mini!  Personally I'd go for either the Millers or Penrite oils that actually have been designed for the Classic Mini and not some generic classic oil with a picture of a Mini on the front!

 

http://www.minimag.c...hread.php?t=820

Edited by Orange-Phantom, 06 June 2013 - 09:02 PM.

[jaydee]

 

 

 

i use the comma classic (green tin with the mini picture on it) £18 for 5L tin. i just pour the lot in as its ony 200ml so it doesnt do any damage.

 

I think Halfords oil is made by Comma so it's probably the same stuff (not sure). But classic mineral oil is the way to go as not only is it cheaper than synthetic alternatives but it's designed for older cars with higher engine wear. Never had any problems and I've used it in MGs, Capris, Minis...

 

Saying that, oil = oil = oil. As long as you've got enough in there don't worry too much.

 

 

Its not designed for anything belive me, its just cheap stuff with some adv on it, really poor stuff that they recicled form only god knows where and not even half decent to get an SG-SF api approvation.

Its just that all cars you mentioned are not that fussy about oils, a mini or an mg will run even with olive oil, its just that it will wear a lot camshaft and the mini gearbox.

 

 

Where's the evidence ?

 

 

How to upload pdf files on here?

 

anyway their latest PDS clearly states:

 

 

 

 

so why this so poor oil should be better than any synth of the appropriate viscosity?

[Daviewonder]

You can use whatever synth or mineral you've been using for ages, the problems comes mixing these two different oils as the easter will react and cause problems to the seals. If you're always been using mineral, do an engine flush before using synth.

 

I don't believe this is true. Bearing in mind that Semi Synthetic is 2 parts mineral to 1 part Synthetic. I work for a Comma supplier and raised this question on a training course. I was told that providing the car is able to run both types of oil then the worst that happens is the quality of the higher spec oil is lessened.

[jaydee]

Thats misconception, probabily they just told that, knowing well that all the cheap synth oils on the market are group 3 minerals and the semi-synths falls into group 2,  to make it short there just mineral based oils refined to give properties similar to a synthetic base oil. 

They're not mixing two differnt bases together...

Synth based oils, that contains an ester in the base (group 4 and proper synth oils) are a totally different thing, and a different price range.

The ester tens to cause seal shrinkage and seal swelling when both base oils are present. These co-bases are also excellent at cleaning and i wont be surprised if they become black in no time if used on an old engine that has treated with such low detergent oils before, i would be scared of clogged galleries with all that suspended particels..thats why its better to do an engine flush before switching or dont bother at all and stay on the same oil you've been using for ages.

Just think that the a series was run on the cheap crappy straight base oils with no additives that were available in the 60ies and proven to be reliable, it cant justify too much talk today..

[lewBlew]

That the A series was designed before they had fancy oils surely means it won't mind cheap classic oil now surely? As long as there's enough of it and it's changed regularly is the main thing. I wouldn't go chopping and changing in my car, it runs fine. Also not sure I'd do an engine flush, all the crud dislodged would probably kill it

[cal844]

That the A series was designed before they had fancy oils surely means it won't mind cheap classic oil now surely? As long as there's enough of it and it's changed regularly is the main thing. I wouldn't go chopping and changing in my car, it runs fine. Also not sure I'd do an engine flush, all the crud dislodged would probably kill it

no no no dont do an endine flush! it could wreck the gearbox!!!!