which engine oil is best?

Bleedin phone!

I always go by the api spec, luckliy the 3.5 only needs se spec and we are way past that with even the chapest specced oil but I wont buy the ones with no spec like the asda special, carlube and comma motorway its just not worth it to save £3 a gallon :doh:

This is an interesting thread. My 4litre D2 is tappety at the moment and a mechanic has recommended changing from 5W30 which the hand book recommends to 0W30, if I can get hold of it. That advise is going in the opposite direction from everyone else.
Incidentally, because of the amount of flushes and additives I've experimented with, its now on Wilkinsons 5W30 which meets the ASPI recomended in the LR blurb, and its cheap as chips luckily. But then I'm only doing a couple of hundred miles before changing it again.

Well, I thought the same mate. Thin oil = better penetration, should help with tappets.

I used to run 5w30 til I got on this forum.

Then I changed to castrol 15w40 high mileage.

It was better but still not ideal.

I delved further and then found out about my saviour, 20w50

I then found out that the problem is that the rv8 is a very low oil pressure engine (my civic type r i had previously ran 90-100 psi, the disco runs 40psi ish), thin oil is simply too thin to be pumped properly. The thick oil is ideal and the pump glurgs it round the engine and the thick oil fills those tappets with no problem, even at low pressure.

Sorted

had a very interesting conversation with an oil boffin today in regard to mineral oils and semi synthetics... he says that mineral oils are ok but semi synthetics are much better because they are enhanced with synthetics to enhance certain properties.
In regard to viscosity index... the synthetic additive for VI has "complex long chain molecules" that contract when the oil is cold (thereby trying to keep the oil as thin as possible when it is cold - and then when the engine oil is warming up they begin to expand again in an effort to maintain viscosity and avoid metal to metal contact ... how clever is that???

Good post Slice.
Semi synthetics are much better (ie show more pleasing test data) than minerals when tested in a lab. Applying those findings and theory to any particular range of applications will push the variables beyond any sensible conclusions...
In other words, there's no one ideal oil type for all engines. Some older engines do not suit the polymers in newer 'hi tech' oils.

I think the thing with the rv8 certainly is that it was designed for thick gloopy oil when cold, I can imagine that's why mine tappets like hell when cold on thinner oil.

When hot I guess everything has warmed up so for whatever reason it still doesn't tap even with thinner oil.

Either way round modern engines with centrifugal oil pumps flow much more oil at higher pressure than the (almost ridiculous in this day and age) twin cogs setup in our motors.

Anyway, cheers

You got me thinking and searching more on this. There's simply LOADS of info and opinion on oils for these V8's.

This thread seems quite interesting;
The Classic Rover Forum • View topic - Comma Oil 20-50, ok to use with no additives?

Have to admit it seems like some of them really do need to get out more!

Yeah there is mucho geek action regards oils.

I find the tvr related posts interesting, obviously you've got guys there with 500 brake versions of the same engines as ours, guys who are interested in throttle response and 1/4 mile times - its worth reading what they think about oils.

I have read a lot of support for 20w50s with high zinc, tbh...

Cheers

Tractor Universal ... it's the way to go.

My TD5 Disco gets it changed every 6k miles or so.

Now on 80k miles and running like a sweetie, and the oil is CLEAN even after over 5,000 miles.

TUoil is intended to have to stand up to Farmer-abuse.

CharlesY said:

Tractor Universal ... it's the way to go.

My TD5 Disco gets it changed every 6k miles or so.

Now on 80k miles and running like a sweetie, and the oil is CLEAN even after over 5,000 miles.

TUoil is intended to have to stand up to Farmer-abuse.

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2 sides to that argument they are too tight to spend sensible money on good quality ,and the other side gotta be good to stand up to the abuse liable to get

ooo noisy , now I have read that other forum I am worried about the phosphorus levels in my europa and the sonic, what did you find out last time- are the levels ok?

fett said:

ooo noisy , now I have read that other forum I am worried about the phosphorus levels in my europa and the sonic, what did you find out last time- are the levels ok?

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From what some say Sonic, unlike some of the other Comma oils, gets the thumbs up regards P levels Fett

ok , I was looking at my europa I think it say it has 18% rather than sonics 22 or 24% I cant remember :doh:

no Im wrong 19 for sonic and 14 for europa

probably fook all in halfuds classic though so I am better off there even with europa lol

fett said:

no Im wrong 19 for sonic and 14 for europa

probably fook all in halfuds classic though so I am better off there even with europa lol

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You guys need to get technical ...

If your oil don't have 15% phosphorus, 25% zinc, 30% sulphur, 20% molybdenum, 10% cadmium, 5% uranium, and at least a teaspoonful of plutonium in every litre, it can't be worth using.

That's why I use Tractor Universal at well under £2 a litre. The last 210 litre drum I bought cost just over £300.

It is a great oil, designed to put up with the worst a farmer can do, and that is BAD.

CharlesY,
You missed out some important ingredients in that stuff... 5% blood, 5%sweat and 5%tears...

I think some of what the oil industry comes out with as much bollarcs as the cosmetic industry does. Went to local motor factors the other day....never seen as much additives for this-that-and-the-other. massive industry, and most of it makes jack all difference... I reckon maybe the engines need an additive like some of that alo vera stuff to get rid of the cracks and wrinkles inside the engine! lol

joe1972 said:

CharlesY,
You missed out some important ingredients in that stuff... 5% blood, 5%sweat and 5%tears...

I think some of what the oil industry comes out with as much bollarcs as the cosmetic industry does. Went to local motor factors the other day....never seen as much additives for this-that-and-the-other. massive industry, and most of it makes jack all difference... I reckon maybe the engines need an additive like some of that alo vera stuff to get rid of the cracks and wrinkles inside the engine! lol

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Joe1972, you're my man!
It's the two of us against all the rest who just can't run fast enough to get ripped off by oil companies.

LISTEN UP GUYS!!!!!!!!

OIL COMPANIES DO NOT EXIST TO SUPPLY YOU WITH OIL ! ! ! ! !

GETTIT ?????


You want to know the ONLY reason oil companies exist?

I can tell you ...

TO MAKE AS MUCH PROFIT AS POSSIBLE,
and for NO other reason.

Now start working out HOW they can make MORE profit,
and from whose pockets that profit comes from. :doh:

I admit it would be interesting to hear just how much bull**** the retail products are made of.

Must admit there is a huge marketing difference between trade products (say TracUniv) and retail products (all the different recipes you see in the shops)

It is the same with the valeting products we use at work, we but direct from Autoglym and get the trade range, it's all no frills TFR, shampoo, polish, wax, done. Whereas the retail stuff they sell is all '3 stage' this and 'multi-compound' that...

My Autoglym rep tells me that the retail stuff is just the trade stuff watered down and heavily over marketed.

So tbh it will ring true with the oils aswell, and everything else in this world.

All I want to know is what's nice to my motah.

Im having zero problems after a few changes on Halfords classic, next I'll look into this sonic (it's cheaper anyway) and I'll also look at TracUniv because maybe then I can plonk it in the mota, the transfer and the axles.

Cheers.

Mr Noisy said:

I admit it would be interesting to hear just how much bull**** the retail products are made of.

All I want to know is what's nice to my motah.

Im having zero problems after a few changes on Halfords classic, next I'll look into this sonic (it's cheaper anyway) and I'll also look at TracUniv because maybe then I can plonk it in the mota, the transfer and the axles.

Cheers.

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Take care using TUO in axles especially. If there's a need for EP oil, or Hypoid oil, I think TUO will not do in the long term.

I use TUO in all engines, and everywhere there's an oil hole in the tractor, but Landy gearboxes and axles get what is recommended.