"Mr.Nice." <mr.nice@*nospam*clara.co.uk> wrote in message
news:
[email protected]...
> On Sun, 7 Nov 2004 18:50:36 -0000, "George Spigot" <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>>
>>"Mr.Nice." <mr.nice@*nospam*clara.co.uk> wrote in message
>>news:[email protected]...
>>> I read in a book that synthetic oils reduce engine wear to virtually
>>> nil (got to be a good thing).
>>>
>>> My 1984 110 has done around 230k miles (2.5 n/a diesel engine).
>>> When I first got it I put 15w40 mineral oil in it. at the last oil
>>> change I tried 20w50 mineral oil (API=SF/CC).
>>>
>>> Worth noting that in around 5000 miles on the 20w50 the engine has not
>>> noticably used any oil.
>>>
>>> My question is...
>>> Would it be a good idea to switch to a thinner fully (or semi)
>>> synthetic oil?
>>>
>>> Would a thinner oil lead to me springing leaks on such an old worn
>>> engine?
>>>
>>> Would there be any benefits from using a thinner synthetic oil?
>>>
>>> Should I stop talking such rubbish and use the 20w50 again?
>>>
>>> Usually I drive around rough terrain on dartmoor and bodmin moor with
>>> country roads in between, however in january I'm driving up to
>>> scotland which will be a round-trip of, all-in, 2000 miles in a week,
>>> in winter, would the thickness of the 20w50 cause any problems?
>>>
>>> I await your wisdom oh great greasy ones....
>>Did it use oil using 15w40 mineral?
>>Mine uses oil and its got 113k on it and I'm using 15w40 mineral (castrol
>>gtx)
>>I could use magnatec but i won't.
>
> I don't remember if it used oil when I was using 15w40, I think I did
> top it up a couple of times.
>
> I've been using oil own-branded by a local (in the south west) farm
> supplies place, is this likely to be particularly better or worse than
> something branded like castrol super-duper gucci oil?
>
Any oil good enough for a current tractor engine will be *great* for your
particular Land Rover.
'Brand' is NOT particularly important [as long as it does actually have a
recognisable brand. Believe it or not you can actually buy oil which is not
branded at all] but the performance specification is all important. You have
given this aspect scant attention yet you give less important aspects such
as brand, viscosity and whether the oil is synthetic, much higher importance
than they merit. Although viscosity is important, it is flexible within a
reasonable range.
The performance specification should have absolute priority with other
aspects being secondary, starting with the appropriate viscosity and
followed by price, brand, availability in your area in no particular order.
Of no significance whatsoever for your engine is whether the oil is
synthetic or not. It is just not relevant for this application and anyway is
way down the pecking order below the performance and viscosity standards
mentioned above and elsewhere.
Others have mentioned that synthetic oil will loosen any deposits already in
the engine to the detriment. In fact all oils recommended for this engine
will be high detergent diesel oils which are higher detergent than most non
specific synthetic oils. The engine would certainly not have lasted as long
as it appears to have done if it was filled with 'S' standard oils of low
relative detergency. In other words and being blunt, they don't know what
the feck they are talking about.
Huw
