Redline 20-50 or 20-60 Motorcycle oil, at least for a manual. People keep saying that synthetics won't work in an automatic.

//www.amsoil.com/shop/by-product/motor-oil/gasoline/z-rod-20w-50-synthetic-motor-oil/?code=ZRFQT-EA

 

I use this stuff.  100% ester based like RedLine but for collector cars like my Mk1.

Brad Penn 20-50.  Find a dealer near you.  No if, and, or buts.

Kendall 20 - 50

What I find a very good compromise is adding 500 ml of Lucas Break-in Oil additive to Castrol GTX 20W50 at every oil change.

The recipe is recommended by Len Bell (genius British car mechanic) and owner of Brittanicar exotic cars down here in Montreal (Quebec) Canada.

It provides ample phosphorous zinc to your oil at a fraction of the price of similar blends like those sold by Hemmings.

Cheerio !

Sorry Eric, I didn't check back on this thread after posting.

The last time I bought Red STP was about a year ago.  At that time it was on the shelves of both my local auto parts store and the hardware store.  If it is a discontinued product that complicates my next oil change.  I assume I could still buy Blue STP with ZDDP but that stuff is/was very, very thick compared to the Red. 

Another inexpensive additive I was told about was Valvoline Synpower oil additive.  However, I have never seen that on any of my local parts store shelves.

I hope I'm not the only one that has no idea. The more I read about it, the less important to engine health it becomes. Seems like it's only important during break in and for CAT health.

I just bought Valvoline VR1 at AutoZone.  Reading the spec sheet here shows that it has plenty of zinc.   //www.valvoline.com/pdf/VR-1_Racing_Motor_Oil.pdf     Besides buying Brad Penn oil I don't know of too many options though Castrol is selling  Castrol Syntec which has high levels of zinc in it.  I could not find that on the shelf today though.  Doug-where are you finding red STP?  The STP website does not even show it being made anymore....  Eric-another long time buyer of Castrol GTX forced to change suppliers.

Brad Penn Grade 1 racing oil has ZDDP as well as a detergent. This oil satisfied my desire to have ZDDP AND a detergent in the oil. Its pricy...but I feel its a good choice considering that ZDDP is now no longer in the Valvoline VR1.

I bought the last 5 quarts of VR-1 non-synthetic 20w50 (and 1 quart of straight 50) tonight at O'reilly Auto Parts.  It sounds like this stuff is going away in California so I'll have to find another solution for the next oil change.

Here's the information on the Castrol 4T Motorcycle oil (Grand Prix Motorcycle 4 Stroke in Canada)

//www.castrol.com/liveassets/bp_internet/castrol/castrol_canada/STAGING/local_assets/downloads/p,q/pds_GrandPrixMotorcycle_4Stroke.pdf

 

Zinc % wt	ASTM D-4951		0.11
Phosphorus % wt		ASTM D-4951			0.10

 The Zinc values ar lower than the VR1. Still consider this oil is designed to work with geraboxes.

Miguel

that could very well be the case, so when in doubt always make sure to check the manufacturer's web site and the packaging to confirm.

I only advocate VR1-Racing, because of having confirmed that. I could not vouch for any other Valvoline products.

Norm

Thanks for the replies guys, even though I'm still a little confused! I read somewhere that the more recent, fully synthetic, blend of VR1 didn't contain the sufficient quantity of ZDDP. I'd be happy to stick with VR1, if only because you can buy it almost anywhere!

Do NOT use synthetic in an automatic Mini.

Valvoline VR-1 racing oil has the desired zinc content, and is quite clear about it on their website, and packaging. Castrol automotive oils do not (though, their diesel or motorcycle formulations might), there is no mention anywhere on their website about ZDDP in their engine oils, or on their packaging.

DS1980, this has been a big topic of classic car owners for the last 5 years or so as the oil makers have steadily reduced ZDDP content to meet the latest EPA rules, leaving us with flat tappet engines with fewer choices.

Castrol, who has long been a favorite of mine, and many other classic car owners, has lost me as a customer because they do not market a formulation I can get locally with it.

Granted, there are some who have suggested that after initial break-in, our engines might not need it as much, but why take the chance on a non-catalyst car? ZDDP is not a health issue, it is a catalytic convertor longevity issue.

here is a link from a quick google search for anyone like DS1980 who has not heard of this issue:

//www.ttalk.info/Zddp.htm

a few years ago there was heated debate about "synthetic vs. dinosaur oil", and the conclusion was that modern seals work fine with either, and changing your oil every 3000 or 4000 miles will eliminate any philosophical downside to using synthetic in a mini engine / transmission, so there really ought not be anything against using it any more. Not to mention that most oils today are hybrid blends anyway.

Norm

The Hynes manual says 20W-50 so I use Chevron. is this correct? This is the first I have heard of zinc content.

Before you discount the use of VR1, read this thread I lifted from the MG Experience website....

 

//www.mgexperience.net/phorum/read.php?1,1761176

 

 

Hey Tim.  Don't forget that there are also ZDDP additives you can buy.  There are many brands out there.  I have not looked at our local places like Advance or AutoZone to see what they carry. 

I have posted the following before to mixed reception.  You can buy STP 4-Cylinder (the red bottle).  STP was not specifically formulated to provide the zinc, but it does have ZDDP in it.  Most auto stores do carry STP products. 

Castrol 4T 20w50 for Motorcycles.

There was a semi-recent thread about oil availability, and the fact that VR1 is now fully synthetic, and doesn't contain the required zinc content for our A-series engines.

Can anyone suggest where I can buy a suitable oil, or if any of the popular auto parts places sell anything suitable?

Many thanks, Tim