Everybody has their favorite - what do you use, what do you pay and where do you get it?
I have been buying Brad Penn 20W50 from my local small oil supplier, but they recently were bought out by "Reladyne" and when I went to buy some today I got the nasty surprise, about a $15/case price increase!
It's still not too bad, works out to about $6.25 a quart including tax, but when you're using 5 quarts at a time (or more, the Jag takes 10!) you go thru it quickly.....$150 for 2 cases of oil this morning! Not to mention, I buy the oil for my other cars - Mobil 1 - at Wally World for $22/ 5 quarts, so about $4.40 a quart. Remember when synthetic was the "expensive" oil?
I've heard Valvoline VR1 racing is good too, but it's over $8 a quart around here, even at Wally World.
So, what's yer pleasure mates?
I use primarily Castrol Classic 20W50, sometimes adding a cap full of CamGuard or CamShield because I feel guilty about not giving my engine the latest and greatest NASA approved oil. I buy it online from the least expensive place I can find at the moment, currently https://www.oliebiksen.dk/shop/castrol-classic-20w-50-231p.html (https://www.oliebiksen.dk/shop/castrol-classic-20w-50-231p.html).
Well, if my math is right (.15 US dollar = 1 Danish Krone) that works out to about $11.25 a quart.....spendy!
Valvoline VR1 20w50 over here, usually about $7 a bottle at O'Reillys.
I agree, Dave, but check this out - https://www.oliebiksen.dk/shop/motorolie-til-biler-9s1.html (https://www.oliebiksen.dk/shop/motorolie-til-biler-9s1.html) I just notice also that they've got a 15W50 Castrol GTX, might make a good winter oil.
That's the cheapest place around; this is the place I used to buy this same oil from http://www.castrolshop.dk/shop/mineralsk-olie-59c1.html (http://www.castrolshop.dk/shop/mineralsk-olie-59c1.html) .
There are other oils available, Quaker State, Millers etc., but financially out of my league.
So my $6.25 Brad Penn seems not too bad, like I said.
Which VR1, seems there are several versions including a motorcycle version.......
this stuff
http://www.valvoline.com/our-products/motor-oil/vr1-racing-oil
I was using Millers Oils Classic 20w50 in the car when it was an automatic. I may continue to use some sort of Millers Oils in the new engine.
I use Redline synthetic 5w30 for BMini and Redline 75w80 in the manual trans and have been happy with that.
Where do you get the Millers, and what does it cost?
here is a link.....
http://performanceracingoils.com
$8.95 per litre. I picked up a case of it for discounted price and shipping was free.
I used to run Rotella T6 5w40. Now I run GTX 20w50. Much cheaper.
Smurf, where do you buy your Castrol, and how much?
Does GTX have the zinc in it our cars need?
I had forgotten about the Rotella, I can get that at Wal Mart too.....
Update: some of the oils that used to contain ZDDP have been reformulated and no longer do - be sure to check the label. If the label doesn't say you can go to the mfr's site and look up the MSDS sheet, it will have it there. The number you're looking for is 12-13%, less than that is questionable for our old engines.
If you buy Valvoline VR1 racing you have to get the one labeled "for offroad use only" otherwise you're getting the version that does not have ZDDP
Castrol GTX does have 12% ZDDP, if you buy the one labeled "for cars built before 1988"
Rotella does not have the same level of zinc now that it did, so beware.......look for CI-4 or CI-4+, if it's CJ-4 it does not have the same level of zinc as before.
In my case since I'm building new engines with new cams and lifters I'll be using GTX ($3 a quart!) and a cam break in supplement during start up and break in, then recommend a switch to Brad Penn at the first oil change at around 500 miles or 3 mos.
Brad Penn has 13% ZDDP and @ $6.25 qt is still a good buy, and compared to the cost of another engine teardown it's a good insurance purchase.
http://www.schaefferoil.com/empoweren44821.html
This is what I just put in. Have zero miles on it so no feedback yet. The info states made for engines that share the oil with the transmission. Zinc is 1600-2000ppm. I think I paid around $11 a quart when buying a case.
I get it at Canadian Tire. So that doesn't help you much I don't think.
http://msdspds.castrol.com/ussds/amersdsf.nsf/Files/747CDE86F5D41CE58025801000740213/$File/11112327.pdf
I buy Brad Penn 20W50 on Amazon in the 12 pack case and get it delivered for about $6.99 a quart. Easy-peasy.
I was buying it for just over $5/qt locally - $1.25 a qt bump is significant. But compared to the $11 a quart others are paying for their brand, still not so bad......
Castrol GTX 20W50 is a godsend. No oil leaks; gears don't feel grind-y. It's molasses!
Quote from: Willie_B on September 22, 2016, 11:46:54 AM
http://www.schaefferoil.com/empoweren44821.html
This is what I just put in. Have zero miles on it so no feedback yet. The info states made for engines that share the oil with the transmission. Zinc is 1600-2000ppm. I think I paid around $11 a quart when buying a case.
Willie Shaeffer's is really good,
Most of the diesel oils even with lower zinc will protect the camshaft and trans fine they are formulated for high loads and sheer to protect the extreme pressure the wrist pins see in a diesel and still meet the Allison auto spec for the older units that ran 15/40.
But I don't know that I'd bet my engine on it when there are still a number of choices that will for sure work.
I do have Rotella in mine and a friend runs it in a fleet of flat tappet gas pickups with no problems but we do the break in with brad Penn or ZDDP additives in the Rotella on his stuff.
I happen to have a 300-gallon bulk tank of the Rotella at my business so it was too easy but I have been adding a cam break in stuff. the transmission works well on it.
With so many oils nowadays it's kinda a PITA on some older cars to figure out the best thing to use. I think a bit of a misconception exists that the worst oil of today is better than the best oil of yesteryear but that doesn't hold true for engines with flat tappet cams, or sharing oil with the transmission.
For the mini some of the motorcycle oils seem like a good choice since a lot of motorcycles share the oil like a mini.
I remember when you could pretty much put whatever oil in anything keep it serviced and it would be ok. Might not be the best but it would work nowadays that could cost you thousands of dollars in a hurry.
Ummm. I already stated that I get oil from my Mini from Amazon - so I'm all for that.
But I'm pretty sure when I ship the oil to my home I'm spending my own money, not Besos'. After all, his money comes from folks like us. :)
Ah, but you have to pay for the "prime" feature to get the "free" shipping.
It is Amazon's version of a Costco or Sam's Club membership fee.