Oil is killing our cars

[Galwaylotus]

Duckhams has been replaced by Castrol Classic XL 20W-50. Very similar to Millers Classic 20W-50. My engine was built by Agra Engineering and I asked them what to use. Reply said "Any semi synthetic will do. 20W50 seems to be the favourite grade." I have been using Shell Helix Plus 15W 40 in my cars but the Elan goes through a bit of oil so I'll try a 20W 50 next time.

[bloodknock]

My head hurts big time. When i last used my Elan (1974) Duckhams Q 20/50 was the word. It always served me well in all of my engines. I stopped working on vehicles in 1976 when company cars, expense accounts, working all hours and families took over, so I've lost the plot on oils.
I've totally rebuilt my Elan to the nut and bolt, in fact i'm simultaneously restoring a Frogeye. Both have reached the breathing in of life stage and so need life blood. Since the Elan has had a total engine rebuild to as new, ive gotta get the oil right. So definatively please, which oil should I use, no ifs or buts, just the name and spec or I geta da boysa round!
Thanks
Bob

[Galwaylotus]

I'm using Millers Classic 20W-50.

[Quart Meg Miles]

This is what St Wilkins advises and I've used it since my rebuild in 2007.
Prior to that and since 1969 I had always used Shell but only because I could remember its name.

[rgh0]

Conventional minerals oils are well past their use by date as oil technology has come a long long way since 1974!. Any modern synthetic is an order of magnitude better. Use one with high ZDDP if you believe in that issue and its applicability to twin cams ( it is maybe more applicable to a sprite engine depending on the mods you have done)

If you really want the best use Redline engine oil but it is not cheap and I only use in my competition car, not the road cars due to that. I normally use Valvoline synthetic 10w/50 in the road cars as that is the cheapest full synthetic here.

Make sure you use a suitable running in oil though before changing to the synthetic.

cheers
Rohan

[promotor]

Make sure you use a suitable running in oil though before changing to the synthetic.

cheers
Rohan

Therein seems to lie the conundrum - a running in oil surely needs to protect against initial cam-to-follower wear so surely it needs to be the best quality oil to stop any galling/damaging to the valve train? Am I right in thinking that initial start-up with new cams and/or followers puts the cams and followers through their own hardening process?

What oil can you recommend for running in? I always use a mineral oil for running in and haven't had any problems as of yet.

[rgh0]

You want an oil that promotes the bedding in of mating metal surfaces without galling. You can get specific running in oil and I use one produced by Penrite here in Australia see the link below. The oil has a different formulation compared to a normal engine oil including very high ZDDP and no friction modifiers. Good quality synthetics can lubricate so well that your piston rings do not bed in properly and you glaze the bores In the absence of access to a specific running in oil I would use a "cheap" conventional mineral oil with a high ZDDP level which tend to be readily available as typical "classic oils" referenced above

http://www.penriteoil.com.au/engineoils ... oducts=397

cheers
Rohan

[promotor]

You want an oil that promotes the bedding in of mating metal surfaces without galling. You can get specific running in oil and I use one produced by Penrite here in Australia see the link below. The oil has a different formulation compared to a normal engine oil including very high ZDDP and no friction modifiers. Good quality synthetics can lubricate so well that your piston rings do not bed in properly and you glaze the bores In the absence of access to a specific running in oil I would use a "cheap" conventional mineral oil with a high ZDDP level which tend to be readily available as typical "classic oils" referenced above

http://www.penriteoil.com.au/engineoils ... oducts=397

cheers
Rohan

Thanks once again for your help Rohan - much appreciated.