Practically Classics Forum

Both the Landy and the A series turned it black as soon as it went in - the first 'have I filled it up enough' dipstick check after letting it settle would be swirly black/new then after running it would be black. The K still has oil so clear I can hardly see it on the (helpfully brown ) dipstick, after about 2K miles.

Guess the K's seals 'n' rings mean that the black doesn't get in from combusion etc. Got a magnetic sump plug in the K as well, maybe that might help? Makes you feel better when you check it and it's not black ( or in the case of the K - light brown and mayonaisey!)

minis are odd 'cos of the gearbox sharing the engine oil - don't know how the autos work (do they share oil as well?)

This is more of a general lubrication link but it might prove interesting?

Is Synthetic Oil Better?
Noria Corporation
Hmmm. That’s a tough question. The answer is not as simple as “yes” or “no”. A better question would be: Is synthetic oil the best choice for this application? All types of synthetic base oils can be the best choice for certain situations. The trick is identifying those situations where they make sense or provide value.
There are plenty of potential benefits to using synthetic oil vs. mineral oil, but that doesn’t mean that synthetics are necessarily better. In order to get value from using a higher-priced synthetic oil, you must ensure that you are utilizing the potential improved performance of those products; and to make those determinations, you need to understand the conditions that allow synthetics to provide that value.

Read more
http://www.machinerylubrication.com/Rea ... thetic-oil

1275midget wrote: minis are odd 'cos of the gearbox sharing the engine oil -

Many of my cars share the engine oil with the underside and chassis...

TriumphDriver wrote:

1275midget wrote: minis are odd 'cos of the gearbox sharing the engine oil -

Many of my cars share the engine oil with the underside and chassis...

Think of it as a free waxoyl!

I had a Mini once that cheerfully chucked oil all over the inside of the front end, which even after 20 years was laregly rust free, such a pity it didn't have the same 'problem' down the back end though.

In the interest of economy would it be okay to use ordinary Tesco's cooking oil in my XJS ???? and perhaps change it every 20 miles or so.........
just done a superb job of my full English breakfast.........
jim............

JIM wrote:In the interest of economy would it be okay to use ordinary Tesco's cooking oil in my XJS ????

Well I use it in my Land Rover (in the summer when it runs thinner).

I use both reasonable quality and the crappiest cheapest recycled oil I can find on the Series 3 Landrover.



I'll leave you to guess which I stuff in the engine, and what goes in the air filter....

I don't care what car it is, I will never go 12k miles on an oil change, period and that's probably because there's an American mentality to change your oil and filter every 3k miles.

My 88 M5 has had, for the past 197,000 miles Mobil 1 synthetic every 3k miles. Every 10k miles I check the valve adjustment (it calls for 15k intervals).

I have, in 30k miles, changed 2 shims out. That's it. And when you adjust the valves the valve cover comes off, and the inside of my engine SHINES, it's as clean as a 30k mile one I worked on. Not too long ago I had an oil analysis done, no metal in the oil. Oil pressure is on spec with a new engine, it burns hardly any oil, and the only work the engine has ever had done to it is a new timing chain and tensioners strictly as a precaution (The US-Spec M engines had double row chains and aren't prone to failure like the Euro-spec M88s). Oh, original spec was 256hp at the crank, the car, with the cat removed, a chip and, umm, that's about it puts out 240 rear wheel horsepower. If it helps, the car has done close to 100 track days in its' life. It's an old M car, so it doesn't develop decent power till it hits 5 grand and it sees full throttle shifts at 7 grand all the time, I "drive it like I stole it".

Granted oil is much cheaper here, but even so.. a proper rebuild on an S38 is $7,000+. Even at £5 per quart/litre it's still cheap insurance.

My modern cars (Lexus GS350 and Jag XJ8) get oil and filter changes every 4k miles, sometimes the Lexus goes to 5k but that's it.

As far as oil goes... well, Wal-Mart synthetic used to be repackaged Pennzoil Q, which is factory fill in Ferraris Before they switched I stocked up on the stuff

Hmm, Wal Mart owns Associated Dairies over here and I suspect that their own-label engine oil isn't anything more wonderful than Brett's or Smith & Allen stuff which are perfectly decent products, but not to Ferrari spec I shouldn't think.

USA 1, UK 0.