Morris Minor Owners Club

Post by **hornmeister2000** » Tue Jul 29, 2003 3:19 pm

Does anyone know if it's possible to put synthetic oil in a Minor? I religeously use GTX Magnatec in my other car and it just doesn't feel right putting mineral oil in the Moggy. Does anyone have a recommendation for a synthetic oil instead?

Post by **Cam** » Tue Jul 29, 2003 3:58 pm

For a standard Moggy, I would use Castrol GTX 15W/40. For a tuned engine I would use Magnatec 15W/40.

Post by **Cam** » Tue Jul 29, 2003 9:21 pm

I think that it's more important to select the correct viscosity rating with regard to the engine leaking. Too thin will leak and too thick will not lubricate properly. But I totally agree with the modern detergents loosening the gunge. If you have always used a good oil then this should not be a problem.

If your engine is rebuilt (and cleaned out inside) then there's nothing wrong with using synthetics as long as you get the correct viscocity.

Also don't buy a cheap oil. As a rule, I won't buy an oil for less than a tenner for 4.5 litres (a gallon). If you get the old 20W/50 in the blue container for about £2.50 - £3.00 then you are asking for trouble, as this is recycled oil and won't do your engine any good at all.

It is also a myth about 'it's only an old engine so anything will do' if you use proper oil in the old engine it will last that much longer than if you stick the £2.50 'chip pan' oil in!!

Post by **hornmeister2000** » Wed Jul 30, 2003 9:03 am

Oops! Well I've only just bought the car but I've been topping it up with cheap Halford's 20W50 until the first service (which will be soon) but the Halford's I went to didn't have anything else. Where is better oil available?

Post by **ColinP** » Wed Jul 30, 2003 9:14 am

Last Oil I bought was Castrol 15W/40 in local Safeways (honest!) - £9.99 per 5 litre or 2 for £15.00!

Mind you I don't have to fill up between services, so I haven't opened it yet (tempting the gods to cause a major oil leak...). The next 6000mile/6 month service is due this week-end (weather permitting).

Colin

Post by **Cam** » Wed Jul 30, 2003 11:16 am

Erm........well, Halfords do quite a range of oils now ranging from about £3.00 to £30.

How much was the 20W/50?? if it was about a tenner then it should be OK.

Post by **grainger** » Wed Jul 30, 2003 3:08 pm

hi

colin ... do you honestly not have to top it up at all ? ... i thought they all use some oil ?

mine burns a lot more if i go over 60 mph. otherwise its using about a pint a week.

ive just filled it up with MORRIS 20/50 ... made in shrewsbury. it was 7 quid, it has an API rating of SF so it must be proper stuff

cheers
grainger

Post by **Cam** » Wed Jul 30, 2003 4:58 pm

Grainger,

Yes, I have heard good reports about Morris oil. All the smallish motor factors near me stock it, and they seem to score pretty high on the API ratings. It's reasonably priced too, AND they have a really wide range.

I would try it myself, but I have been using Castrol for years with good results and so I am reluctant to change.

Post by **ColinP** » Wed Jul 30, 2003 5:04 pm

Grainger,
Honestly I've never had to top up between services. That's about 3000 miles per year used to get me to and from work daily. (so 1 oil change each 6000 miles/months = 1500 miles). Mind you, I rarely go above 50 mph - apart from a quick sprint up the A329 (dual carriageway) for 1/3 mile I'm using roads through town - max speed limit is 40 - usually 30.

The odometer reads 56667 miles and I've got the old kitchen vinyl on the floor of the garage (with a couple of cheap tin cooking trays to catch the drips). I havn't had to empty these out yet either and you do notice drips on the floor.
That's how I knew the water pump seals were leaking - but that's another story.

I reckon I must be lucky! I think I could use new copper sealing washers on the drain plugs and stop a drop or two per day.....

Good Motoring,
Colin

Post by **Cam** » Wed Jul 30, 2003 7:12 pm

is there anywhere in stoke that does it ? as im often over there i could pick some up then.

I'm not sure, mate, I have not seen it about, or ever tried to buy it, but I will keep a look out!!

Post by **Chris Morley** » Thu Jul 31, 2003 1:30 am

Cam,

I doubt there's anything wrong with the cheap Halfords 20/50 oil - it's likely to be made for them by a big name anyway. I don't think price alone is a guarantee of quality. I did once try that recyled stuff in the light blue container - it soon needed replacing after it leaked out.

Grainger - my saloon uses oil like yours. It needs perhaps a half pint every month (300+ miles) if I just use it just on short journeys to / from work and around town. However I probably used nearly a pint travelling on Motorways from Matlock to London recently. The loss is much greater at 70mph+. I'm guessing the leak is due to porous gaskets.

Post by **Cam** » Thu Jul 31, 2003 11:48 am

Chris,

The Halfords brand 20W/50 oil is more than likely OK, like you say, and I have no problem with that, I was just advising caution when buying the blue container £3.00 oil!!

I know price alone is no guarantee of quality, but it does point you in the right direction. Buying expensive oil is no good if the ratings are poor, but buying £3.00 oil is just asking for trouble!!

Post by **paulg** » Thu Jul 31, 2003 11:55 am

I have used Morris oil for several years now. Seems to be fine - no perceptable wear on cylinders.
Local garages use it too (one garage owner is very fussy!). On the Minor and other cars.

Post by **grainger** » Thu Jul 31, 2003 2:02 pm

great to hear your recommendation for this morris oil paul - its half the price of the castrol classic XL 20/50 ... (about £7 a gallon - which is well under cams guide price)

cam, do you use normal castrol then ?

on another point - what about the gearbox? as it was originally made to use SAE 30, using 20/50 in there it will soon get chopped down to 20 ... is it worth buying the castrol classic monograde SAE 30 just for the gearbox ?

cheers
grainger

Post by **Cam** » Thu Jul 31, 2003 2:22 pm

cam, do you use normal castrol then ?

I use Magnatec in my tuned 1380 Minor, Castrol GTX in the MGB, Halfords own 10W/40 in the Rover & Sierra, and I have not put any oil in my sidevalve yet as it does not run, but I would probably use GTX.

The price guide was only a rough guide!!! Morris oils do seem to have glowing recommendations though!!

When the gearbox oil was specified (as well as the engine oils) there was a very limited selection of oils and multi-grades were not around. But now it makes sense to use modern (more protective) oils. I would use GTX or equivalent in the gearbox, but I have a Sierra 'box in my '69 moggy and I use Castrol Syntrax in that (not recommended for Moggy 'boxes)

Post by **grainger** » Thu Jul 31, 2003 4:02 pm

hi

i would have thought the castrol classic XL 30 sae will have all the protective additives that any modern multigrade has, but that it would retain its viscosity rather than getting chopped down to 20 sae which is what happens pretty quickly to ANY 20/50 you put in the gearbox.

i understand that the engine is probably protected even better by 20/50 as its viscosity is 50 sae from cold which is when you need it most but at high temperatures it drops to no less than 20.

cheers
grainger

Post by **Willie** » Thu Jul 31, 2003 7:22 pm

GRAINGER.....you are totally wrong! If an oil is rated at
20-50 it means that the oil is only 20 viscosity when COLD
and rises to 50 as it gets hotter!! This means that the oil
flows better when cold(thus protecting the moving parts
more easily) but chemically thickens up as it warms up.
If you used,say, a single grade 30 SAE oil it would be
grade thirty when cold and would get progressively thinner
as it warmed up.....not very protective for our old type
vehicles. You should use 20-50 in all the later Minor
gearboxes.

Post by **grainger** » Thu Jul 31, 2003 7:36 pm

sorry willie - YOU are totally wrong ... have you been reading the back of a bottle of halfords oil by any chance where they have it back to front ?

quotes from practical classics (3/03) - " a typical multigrade might be sae 10w40meaning the oil may thicken to sae 40 in winter while thinning to no less than sae10 at normal operating temperatures" ... " a monograde sae30 oil will remainan sae30 but it will be heavier when cold"

... so i was a little wrong sae20w50 is only sae50 in winter

but not as totally wrong as you

- unless its PC that has it back to front ?

and the point about monograde in the gearbox is it wouldnt get any thinner, whereas multigrade sae20w50 gets chopped down by the gear teeth and soon becomes sae20.

cheers
grainger

Post by **Willie** » Thu Jul 31, 2003 7:48 pm

Grainger...."THICKEN to SAE 40......THICKEN!! Think
about it.....with a cold engine you want rapid oil circulation
and less drag on the engine to facilitate starting. as the
engine warms up you need MORE protection,i.e. thicker
oil. If you cannot get your head around that then study
oil recommendation charts for extreme temperatures
The COLDER the temperature the LOWER the recommended
viscosity because it means less drag when starting from
cold. Regarding the gearbox oil..SAE 30 would be that
when cold and get progressively thinner as it heated up.
20-50 does not get 'chopped down' to 20

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