18 replies to this topic

[simonh]

What do you think is the best oil to use for a 94L reg 1275 cc (Carb not SPI) with about 42thou on the clock?

[pikey7]

some for us all to share!

If you type the word "oil" into the search engine, you'll probably get about 300 threads, and about 4 times as many different answers. There is no right and no wrong (weel there is, but people aren't going to seriously tell you to put 0w40 Mobil 1 in it) answer. General concensus is always stick to mineral oil as its more suited to the gearbox, and then it all goes a bit fuzzy!

[Mini 360]

A slippy one always helps. As Pikey said there isnt a certain type to use.

[Gibbo]

The mini shops etc generally seem to sell unipart green 20W50 and duckhams 20W50. I personally quite like the reference I was given earlier in that so long as its thicker than part set jelly, but runnier than butter your fine.

but seriously as folks say, stick with mineral and you can't go wrong.

[icklemini]

nothing wrong with either mineral or synthetic - its the viscosity thats the important factor.

15/40 - 20/50 will be fine - change it often and away you go..

TTFN,
Dave

[dan__wright]

nothing wrong with either mineral or synthetic - its the viscosity thats the important factor.

15/40 - 20/50 will be fine - change it often and away you go..

TTFN,
Dave

synthetic isnt designed to be using in a gearbox like in the aseries and it will be broken down.

[simonh]

Cheers guys! decent mineral it is!

[Jammy]

Woohoo!!! Wonder if we can leave it there?? Seemed to have got through that minefield relatively unharmed....

[simonh]

Yeah, it wasn't until after i'd put the post on that i thought this could cause a few arguments!!!!

[Gibbo]

use a mixture of 4 parts fully synthetic, (castrol or the likes) 5 parts mineral (20W50 duckhams or unipart) and 1 part extra virgin olive oil, not the bertolli brand though, a sainsbury's own should be fine.



































or not.



























sorry.

[simonh]

Dont shop at sainsburys! will asda's own brand be ok instead?

[maph2]

mineral or synthetic but must be for "older cars". usually a 10/50 is fine. anything thinner will get through the oil seals. tolernances on newer engines are much higher so can get aways with thinner oils. the oil in mini engines also has to deal the the gearbox where thinner oils will have a shorted life span doe to the mashing/chopping action of the gears on the oil molecules. this is why viscosity is important.

[icklemini]

synthetic isnt designed to be using in a gearbox like in the aseries and it will be broken down.

The molecular chains will breakdown (happens with mineral too by the way) but no damage will occur all because its 'synthetic' - its not worth spending a great deal on synthetic stuff and expecting it to last 20k miles as it doesnt!!

The 'cant use a synthetic in a mini' myth came from the fact that the synthetic was originally very runny (0w kinda thing) - this viscosity *IS* too thin for a mini - (or specifically the gearbox.) - the thinner stuff also leaks past oilseals and gaskets.

Either type of oil will work fine as long as the viscosity is correct. The extra price of the synthetic stuff cant really be justified for everyday use.

The 'special transverse oil' that Millers produce for the mini (Millers Classic Trans M Sport 20w50) is a semi-synth...

TTFN,
Dave

[Jammy]

Here we go again....

[Gibbo]

all I know is I ran fully synthetic 10W40 in the mpi for a while, when I did a change 5k later, the oil looked like something out of the matrix, ie a very shiny very silvery liquid, and now i'm buying a new engine and gearbox.

not saying a more viscous fully synth wouldn't be ok, all I know is I won't touch anything but a mineral 20W50 in the mini.

my 2cents ne ways

edit: nearly forgot



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