MGB & GT Forum

I had a machine shop called Modern Performance press in new bushings into my factory front stabilizer bar, the work was done quickly and perfect. Anyway he asked to see the car when it was back on the ground so I stopped by today. He works on many classic cars an gave me a tip for motor oil that is perfect and inexpensive for our cars. It's Shell Rotella 15w 40 Heavy Duty Diesel Oil. He has been running all his customers classic cars on the stuff for a while. Its high in Zinc low in sulfur and cost about $13 a gallon at Walmart. I've been running Brad Penn 20w 50 at 7 bucks a quart and I am sure most of you guys have been getting gauged as well with synthetics and "classic" car oils. This such a no brainer it's amazing. I had concerns about the "Diesel" in the title but he assured me to read the label and it reads "not for use in gasoline motors with catalytic converters" (because of the Zinc). Also if you look at Walmart's site it says for use in cars and it gets great reviews. I for one will give it a try on my next change at the end of the month.

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jb

Too soon we get old, too late we get smart!

Wait - I'm out of popcorn! Don't start until I run to the store & get some!

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“Ideological certainty easily degenerates into an insistence upon ignorance". Daniel Patrick Moynihan

In any debate, the side which strays from civil discussion is usually the side that lacks confidence in its debate position or in the merit of their arguments. Making personal attacks on the opponents instead of staying on the subject is also a sign of weakness.

Anyone who feels compelled to respond in kind to any perceived slight is often suffering from narcissism.

I have been using 15/40 diesel engine oil since I rebuilt the engine in mine.

As well as Fram filters.

I guess I better just run and hide.

Grabbin a beer.

Mark

I am hearing this from my british car mechanic. He runs Rotella in all of his cars (and he has several). I plan on running it in my MGB.

I don't think you can go too far wrong.

Of course some will argue about brand preference on filters and to some degree I am still open on the subject.

Be careful on some filters when you thread them on, if you feel any resistance do not keep threading it on!

Undo it and check for shards of metal on the threads which is an indication of improper threads which I have come across on some NAPA filters I have tried.

PH8A fram filters seem to work for me every time with no issues. They have anti back flow and are tall filters to clear the tube.

Mark

Glad to see some confirmation out there.

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jb

Too soon we get old, too late we get smart!

Some is about it though, two or three other members using it is a tad short of a resounding thumbs up or an objective conclusion as to it's merits - or otherwise !

The fact that your mechanic believes that a running engine in good order either requires or will benefit from an enhanced level of zinc I'm afraid puts his understanding of the subject into question, but then he's not alone there is he

On a money saving basis though he's spot on, anybody who spends $7 a quart on engine oil, whatever it is or promises, need to sit down and have a serious talk with themselves

Lol - I guess this has been a contentious subject in the past

The main problem for most our B series engines is not actually one of lubrication but keeping an inherently "dirty" engine clean of carbon deposits and water condensation with its attendant acids. Especially for cars that are only used occasionally and rarely reach full engine temperature.

My recommendation has always been buy the cheapest oil and change it often - diesel oils do have higher levels of ZDDP (zinc) which DO help protect the cam followers - but only if the camshaft has been properly bedded in , nothing will help a cam & followers that have been damaged by incorrect running in.

It is snake oil time again..... ;-)

$7 a quart would be bang on for what I would consider 'mid range'20/50 in the UK.Ive paid way more than that for 'top brand' oil.You can get cheap as chips supermarket stuff if you want to.Down to individual choice I guess.

You don't know how much it pleases me to hear you say that Chris, it's been my strategy for 25+ years and what I recommend too.

I change mine every 3000 and the filter every 2nd time, I also never drive my car without letting it get fully warmed up, even if that means taking a longer route such as if I need to pop into the local town for something which would only be about a 5 mile round trip.

Normally I would not take the MG for that but sometimes I don't have a choice and in that circumstance I take an alternative route one way which, apart from being a nice drive anyway, at least doubles the round trip distance and that's enough to get the engine up to N.

This is where an electric fan comes into it's own, on short trips like that a mechanical fan will over cool exacerbating the harm not getting the engine up to temperature does every time you allow it to happen.

Hot rodders have been running Rotella for years. Nothing new. At one time, it still had ZDDP in it. I do not know if it still does. Some bike oil may still.
"not for converters" is the give away for the good stuff. Our Government decides it is better to make an engine wear out faster than make the cat degrade. Cat: $500. Engine: $5000. Go figure. Just be sure the viscosity range is what the engine was designed for.

Diesel and gas engines have a few differences in what is optimum for oil, but not much.

Googe a bit and you will find the history of the ZDDP issue. It was an MGA racer who wisely started much or the uproar so we could understand it.

Ironic, it was a paper in Machine Design by Shell on their industrial synthetics in a paper mill that convinced me to switch to pure synthetic. My preference is Redline or Amzoil.

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Cogito ergo sum periculoso

I am thinking that I might get the solid oil filter pipe remade - perhaps in Chrome or stainless - people seem to like bling in the engine bay - then they could scrap the oil cooler, reduce the problems of rubber / ss braided oil hoses getting in the way of adjusting the points and incidentally, stop over cooling the oil.....

The Shell oil you indicate is known here to be very good as a cleanser with good protection qualities.
Empty the sump put the Shell in run it for a few K then do a full oil change and look at the crud that is left behind!
Edit
I should have added that a local garage,here owned by a Pom, who specialises in race and rally cars also recommended this Shell oil to me as good for UK classics.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-07-04 07:23 AM by MG Cruiser.

I run Rotella in all my Marine engines. I'd run in an MGB without worry for sure. Not my preferred lubricant in this application...but certainly nothing wrong with it.

Attached is a little more justification for using it in a "classic" flat tappet(the reason for the extra Zn)engine. It meets or exceeds the CL/CJ specs required for many commercial diesels.

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"One test is worth a thousand expert opinions"--Alvin "Tex" Johnston...Boeing test pilot.

"Who do you think you are? I am."...Pete Weber

73 MGB. Tires: Round, black, hold air. Oil: Sometimes old, sometimes new...always slippery. Oil filter: Yellow, usually full of oil. Carbs: 2 SU HIF. Distributor: Yes. Headlights: Not that bright but bright enough. A bunch of other stuff most cars have but not really important enough to itemize. Oh, wait...it has a cool sounding exhaust with stickers on the chrome tips. Really slays the ladies...