9 replies to this topic

[Dangleeballs9568]

Hi guys Ive had a 1980 Austin Mini 998cc for about 6 months and I'm going to give it a service and change the oil, I have been using 20w50 as that's what the previous owner was using. I am finding 20w50 difficult to pick up recently so could I use 15w50 on this car or is it best to use 20w50? Thanks

[carbon]

I used to use Duckhams 15W50, but this is no longer available. Now use Halfords Classic 20W50, typically under £20 a tin available in most branches.

 

As long as you have reasonable oil pressure on tickover then 15W50 should be fine.

 

Which 15W50 are you planning to use?

[Bubblebobble]

Its sold in every Halfords and Every Eurocarparts .

 

http://www.halfords....rt-20w50-oil-5l

 

http://www.halfords....ic-oil-20w50-5l

http://www.eurocarpa...70500&0&cc5_251

[gazza82]

Or get it delivered ... Minispares, opie oils, ECP/eurocarparts, etc. Plenty of choice

[Steve220]

Halfords should have it in. Usually its the only oil they have in! I've never found it in top up size though

[alex-95]

As above you can get it easily still, Valvoline is suposed to be best. I would stick with 20w50 like it's recomended to have.

[Cooperman]

15w50 is OK so long as it is a top quality mineral oil, not a synthetic or semi-synthetic. Morris Oils used to do a mineral 15w50 which was excellent, but it may be discontinued.

However, a good 20w50 will always be best for the classic Mini and Valvoline, Penrite, Millers and Castrol are all good brands and easily available.

The very best is Kendall 20w50, but it is hard to find in England and very expensive too.

[kyle9832]

15w50 is OK so long as it is a top quality mineral oil, not a synthetic or semi-synthetic. Morris Oils used to do a mineral 15w50 which was excellent, but it may be discontinued.

However, a good 20w50 will always be best for the classic Mini and Valvoline, Penrite, Millers and Castrol are all good brands and easily available.

The very best is Kendall 20w50, but it is hard to find in England and very expensive too.

if you want kendall, these guys stock it, give them a call and they will send it to you http://www.statesideauto.co.uk/ they deal with American cars but are a supplier of kendall oils:) but as Cooperman said, a bit more expensive than others!:)

[Cooperman]

 

15w50 is OK so long as it is a top quality mineral oil, not a synthetic or semi-synthetic. Morris Oils used to do a mineral 15w50 which was excellent, but it may be discontinued.

However, a good 20w50 will always be best for the classic Mini and Valvoline, Penrite, Millers and Castrol are all good brands and easily available.

The very best is Kendall 20w50, but it is hard to find in England and very expensive too.

if you want kendall, these guys stock it, give them a call and they will send it to you http://www.statesideauto.co.uk/ they deal with American cars but are a supplier of kendall oils:) but as Cooperman said, a bit more expensive than others!:)

 

Thanks for that link.

I always used Kendall after blowing all my main and big-end bearings, plus the cam bearings after using a fully synthetic which I was given many years ago by a Shell rep. However, the company I got it from closed down and I switched to Valvoline.

I guess I'll go back to Kendall again now.

[Mini Manannán]

15w50 is OK so long as it is a top quality mineral oil, not a synthetic or semi-synthetic. Morris Oils used to do a mineral 15w50 which was excellent, but it may be discontinued.

However, a good 20w50 will always be best for the classic Mini and Valvoline, Penrite, Millers and Castrol are all good brands and easily available.

The very best is Kendall 20w50, but it is hard to find in England and very expensive too.

 

I've been looking around for this Kendall oil, it seems that Kendall isn't Kendall anymore?  I lifted this off an American MG forum posted 3 years ago:

 

 

Well, sort of, Hap. Conoco-Phillips Petroleum purchased the Kendall brand name in 1994. Any oil being produced today and labeled Kendall (GT-1 or otherwise) has no relationship to the Brad Penn oils at all. Today's Kendall uses base stocks purchased on the world wide market, depending on which base stock is the cheapest for Conoco-Phillips to purchase that day. Brad Penn, however, still uses the same Pennsylvania grade base stock that it has always used,which is the stuff that made the original Kendall GT-1 the oil of choice for many top, professional race teams of the 60s, 70s, 80s and early 90s. 
Well, the former Kendall refinery, in Pennsylvania, has continued to produce Kendall GT-1 all along, but after 1/1/95 (or thereabouts) they could no longer label it as Kendall. The original formula Kendall GT-1 is now called Penn Grade 1 High Performance Oil and it is the oil of choice for Isky Cams, and several other major cam manufacturers, race engine builders and race teams. 
Keep in mind that the ZDDP additive content is only a (very important) part of the total additive package. 

So, in answer to the original question: the Kendall GT-1 currently on the market is no better or worse than any other common motor oil on the market. If it is labeled as API spec SJ, it won't hurt your flat-tappet engines. If it is labeled API spec SM, it does not have sufficient additive protection (ZDDP content) to protect your cam from wear. 

To me, however, Conoco-Phillips' purchase of the Kendall brand name was nothing short of an attempt to deceive potential buyers looking for the best possible protection for their engines. I will never again purchase another Conoco-Phillips product, if I can avoid it.

 

 

 

I'm finding it difficult to find any Penn Grade 1 High Performance Oil though over here though.