Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[buzzy bee]

Hi

I bought some oil today, Penrite, anyone used this in the past?

Got a pic of it to post eventually, but my computer is playing silly buggers, not connecting to my new phone, stopped trying before they both get hit with a large heavy implement!

Cheers

Dave

[Uncle Alec]

Funnily enough I bought some oil today as well. Asda 20/50 £6 per gallon. Hope it's OK.
I was thinking of asking Asda how come it's so cheap.

[Phil - Nottingham]

No SEC classification or spec or additives - probably the BP leftovovers
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Rover P2
Rover P4
Rover P5 & P5B
Land Rover S2 & S3
Morris Mini Traveller Mk2

[Nic Jarman]

I much prefere 15/40 semi and I think I will try 10/30 synthetic. The only reason 20/50 was used in 60s and 70s cars is because there was nothing better (Castrol R excluded). Nothing wrong with 20/50 but if your car is doing a high milage I would use some thing a bit better. If your car does not have a full flow filter then change the oil every 1000 miles or so. Also my friend uses Active 8 additive and swears by it.
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1936 Morris 8 Series 1
1973 MGB roadster
1977 MG Midget 1500
Dax Rush

[buzzy bee]

Be careful of the detergents in the new stuff!

[Ray the rocker]

i remember in the late seventies wepurchased a bulk order of about 200gallons in fifty gallon drums from a local motor factors which was on offer--worked out about £1.50 a gallon . found out it was a mobil 10/40 grade which i understood to be very thin in viscosity.little did i realise theproblems that occured over the following six months----six major crank shaft failures from one company alone.plenty of work for the garage but it signifies it`s crucial to maintain a good viscosity oil to keep your motors mobile. the company`s sevice manager did question the problems that occured but did`nt follow it through as his family cars were being serviced for free!!nods as good as a wink!!!!say no more....


cheers--Ray the Rocker.....

[Richard H]

Never used Penrite, but I use Silver Hook 20/50 (my local hardware shop sell it at around £10 for 5 litres). It has all the viscosity ratings and stuff like that and I do get through a lot of it for topping up purposes. If I'm feeling rich I might buy the Halfords Classic 20/50 at £17 for five litres, I use this for oil changes.

The most I've ever spent on oil was £30 for Castrol GTX Magnatec 15/40, the works, I wanted something decent to go in my 30,000 mile Austin Maestro. Luckily it hasn't been wasted money, as it has proved to be a totally reliable and very useful family car
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Richard Hughes

[P3steve]

I always use the halfords classic 20w50 (looks remarkable like Duckhams in colour and smell I think) on the P3 Rover and it seems to maintain a steady oil pressure of about 35 to 40 lbs all year round what ever the temp, it takes a can and a half to do the Rover and my son gets it on his trade card so only pays about £13 a tin for it as I do about a 1000 miles a year and it has a by pass filter I feel that's about the right gap to change at. Ive been running the Rover on this for about 8 years and have seen no change in the engine in that time so she seems happy on it.

[Nic Jarman]

Ah the old detergent in oil question.
Firstly lets get this one straight, for full flow filtered engines there are 2 important factors; 1 the API spec which most of you seem blissfuly ignorant of, this is THE MOST IMPOTANT piece of info
2 the viscosity, on older engines where there is some wear and not too great oil pumps this will be an issue.
I changed from 20/50 to 10/40 semi and my Midget loves it. Next I will try 5/30 synthetic.
Pace Products use fully synthetic in they vintage racing Talbots and these are serious money cars.
http://www.paceproducts.co.uk/public_html/php/motorsport_news.php
http://api-ep.api.org/Standards/
As far as I can assertain, detergent helps oil to "stick", it also holds particles in suspension that are too small to cause engine wear. The key to long engine life are, don't buy your oil off a geezer down the pub, buy good quality oil and change it regularly.
http://www.nordicgroup.us/oil.htm#How%20Sludge%20is%20Prevented
I am happy with Silverhook, I should know, I worked there.
http://www.silverhook.co.uk/index.html
So to recap, engine oil is; base oil + viscosity index improver + additives. Nothing from Merlins Magic Wand.
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1936 Morris 8 Series 1
1973 MGB roadster
1977 MG Midget 1500
Dax Rush

[PAUL BEAUMONT]

Penrite along with Millers and Morris' are the 3 leading manufacturers of classic motor oils. There is nothing dubious about them. They have a great web site which gives you copious detail about olis and oil choice. They are Australian in origin, though the European arm seems to specialise in oils for more classic motors.

Paul

[Nic Jarman]

I am not saying that there is anything wrong with the afore mentioned. I am saying there is a lot of hype and nonsence and "I do this because it has always been done this way". Still watching a 5" black and white telly?
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1936 Morris 8 Series 1
1973 MGB roadster
1977 MG Midget 1500
Dax Rush

[buzzy bee]

[Jim.Walker]

With over 160,000 miles on the clock, my Triumph 2000 engine running on Duckhams 20/50 (now sadly demised) with 6000 miles oil changes and still with never needing a top-up between oil changes, I see little point in paying the price of synthetic oils.
The cost of synthetic over that mileage would probably have cost me more than a re-con engine. Which I still do not need.
Synthetic? Never used it and don't intend using it!

To blow another myth it has also done over half that mileage on unleaded petrol with no mods or additives!

Synthetic oils may be more environmentally friendly, but very few people will have run long enough on it to form a valid opinion. And if they have and the engine has lasted well. Was it the oil? Or the advances in engine design and the materials from which it is made?

How many people are qualified to pass judgements on oil from practical experience over very high mileages? I would bet not 1 in 100,000!!

Anyway. Is it any good for painting on chassis?!!!!
Jim.
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Quote from my late Dad:- You only need a woman and a car and you have all the problems you
are ever likely to want". Computers had not been invented then!

[buzzy bee]

[michael1703]