56 replies to this topic

[fenghuang]

Doubtless this has been debated before, and I suspect both friendships and legs have been broken in the process, so sorry, but ...

Best oil for a road car?
Halfords do stuff branded as 20w50 for classics, and IIRC synthetic is a bad idea. Minispares do Castrol (in a pretty tin, which doubtless helps) and Unipart.
But any preference amongst the cognoscenti?

[nicklouse]

Valvoline VR1.

[sonikk4]

Yes this has been mentioned on numerous occasions. Do a search via Google with TMF in the search request and you will find your answer.

[jaydee]

As above, VR1 if you want a 20w50

Apart from the base oil quality, these engines need a lot of ZDDP, most of the cheap oils only have 700-800 ppm where VR1 has around 1500..much safer.

[Corey96Williams]

I buy the Halfords brand, only because it's cheap and it has a photo Mini on the front of the tin 

[Wim Fournier]

It is not so much the question how good the oil is you use, but how bad the blow by is in the engine of your car.

In the burning process for the working stroke waterdamp is formed and coal.

Most of that get rid via the exhaust. But, between the cilinderwall and the piston there is 'blow by' that pollutes the engine oil.

So often an oil change will do better for the sanity of the engine than an expensive oil.

Use the money you spend for a frequent oil change rather than the best oil.

[Guess-Works.com]

As above, regular servicing is more important than brand of oil...

[fenghuang]

Yes this has been mentioned on numerous occasions. Do a search via Google with TMF in the search request and you will find your answer.

 

I had actually done a search, but found nothing recent, and the opinions of only a couple of currently active forum members who I will listen to without feeling any need to research further. (No names, but I'm sure they know who they are!)

Appologies for any irritation. Perhaps I should have posted the question in the No Question Too Stupid thread.

[Wim Fournier]

I was'nt irritated at all. Just gave my opinion. We don't use our Mini's twenty thousand miles a year. So refreshing the engine oil every year will be enough. With 800 miles on the clock the oil will be only a bit discolored. Only because of the acid and water and coal that came in the oil by the burning proces, you can better get rid off before the winterstop. So Halfords or the sort will be all right.

[slidehammer]

Just to add to the debate Practical Classic Magazine recommended Millers they do a special oil for the Classic Mini with an extreme pressure additive to help with the gearbox aspect of the oils work.

[fenghuang]

... a special oil for the Classic Mini with an extreme pressure additive to help with the gearbox aspect of the oils work.

you mean to plug the leaks?

[Alpenflitzer]

I followed the advice of Calver and changed to MILLERS Classic Mini Oil 20W50. All the additives needed are in the oil.

You can use of course other 20W50 oils but then it was recommended to havbe additives. See Clavers site 

 

http://www.calverst.com/

 

 

I am very happy with Millers for at least the last 4 oil changes.

[Dusky]

Vr1 is what I use in both the normal and the beast mini. Doubt a standard engine benefits from vr1, but on a 9k revving engine it made quite a difference in Hot oil performance.

[fenghuang]

I followed the advice of Calver and changed to MILLERS Classic Mini Oil 20W50. All the additives needed are in the oil.

You can use of course other 20W50 oils but then it was recommended to havbe additives. See Clavers site 

 

http://www.calverst.com/

 

 

I am very happy with Millers for at least the last 4 oil changes.

 

He makes a very convincing argument for using Torco 0W20. Was there a reason why you went for Millers instead?

[Cooperman]

 

I followed the advice of Calver and changed to MILLERS Classic Mini Oil 20W50. All the additives needed are in the oil.

You can use of course other 20W50 oils but then it was recommended to havbe additives. See Clavers site 

 

http://www.calverst.com/

 

 

I am very happy with Millers for at least the last 4 oil changes.

 

He makes a very convincing argument for using Torco 0W20. Was there a reason why you went for Millers instead?

 

That very thin oil is not something I would personally ever use. What is the ZDDP figure for this oil as that is what the Mini requires because of its shared engine & gearbox oil.

I use Valvoline VR1, but the very, very best oil for a Mini is Kendall 20w50, although it is now hard to fine and very expensive. VR1 is readily available for a sensible price.

In the end you get what you pay for.