Visited halfords tonight to get some more oil and was
delighted to see that they were selling Mobil 1 Motorsport
15W- 50 for �30.39 for 4 litres. Seemed like a good deal
to me, but I’m sure you’ll tell me if it isnt.
Thats a good price but I’d only use a 50 grade oil if I were running on track most of the time and I had a high oil temperature problem and a modified engine. It will probably be a bit to viscous for everyday use and will just sap power. If the engine is running in the way its designers intended then they should have specced all the bearings to be happy on thinner oil. If you are running significantly higher revs / power then its a good idea.
Never fully understood oil grades, but wouldn’t 15W-50 oil have poorer engine protection from cold than a 5W oil? I recently put 5W-50 in mine which I was assured was a good compromise between cold start performance and running on track at high temps.
Mark
These guys are [color:“blue”] THE [/color] oil experts - also do some great deals http://www.opieoils.co.uk/
Yeah Mr Opie’s a good chap, he just gets in trouble occasionally for plugging his goods - cant blame him I suppose
15W in cold weather - yeah it wont flow very well and may try to blow your oil filter and coolers apart as the PRV cant vent the treacley gloop. 5W-50 is better in that respect BUT the stuff which goes into the mixture to stabilise the viscosity isn’t a particularly good lubricant itself, therefore oils with wide ranges are “jack of all trades” when it comes to being able to operate but not necesarylily(?) the best lubricant when it comes to protecting components and reducing friction.
Its always best to choose an oil grade which is geared to the temperature and design of your engine and then look for a premium brand with top quality truely synthetic base stocks and the latest API numbers. Silkolene Pro S, Motul 300V Power and Mobil 1 all score highly in these areas. As a rule for all new engine projects we tend to use Mobil 1 0W/40.
Bob
Still got the Caterham?
Yeah, the buyer is off shore at the moment but he’s flying back at the weekend and should collect next week by which time the Exige should have got its normal number plate back on with log book to match and I’ll be picking it up (fingers and toes all crossed). Once I’ve got it its going for its first service and I’ll be sending it along with a gallon of Mobil 1. Why do you ask?
Why do you ask?
Just wondered if you were in the fortunate position of having both a Caterham & an Exige
Is the Exige an S1 or an S2?
I wish (along with a Maclaren F1, LCC Rocket, Radical SR8 and an F40)
Funny you should say that…
I’m looking after a mates HPC Evo while he moves house as well as having my old SLR in the garage too. The wife isn’t too pleased about having the extra car and if I end up with the Exige too (a 54 plate S2 Touring by the way) then marital priveleges will be revoked
Seemed like a good deal to me, but I’m sure you’ll tell me if it isnt.
Doh, knew it. Thanks guys, at least its less than a tank of petrol.
It shouldn’t go to waste…a few more months should see the sun shining and air temps raised.
Thats a good price but I’d only use a 50 grade oil if I were running on track most of the time and I had a high oil temperature problem and a modified engine … If the engine is running in the way its designers intended then they should have specced all the bearings to be happy on thinner oil. If you are running significantly higher revs / power then its a good idea.
This confuses me a bit, so apologies if it has been discussed before, but my manual gives Mobil 1 Motorsport 15-50 as one of the two recommended oils. So (famous last words) is it wrong to assume that this is what Lotus (Rover) meant the engine to run on?
Bryn
Your K series will be okay with the recommended Mobil or Castrol RS. The Toyota engines have different recommended oil, but don’t ask me what!
I use Silkolene Pro S in the tractor
Yeah sorry for the confusion I was refering to the S2 Toyota engines.
The std Rover VVC lumps used to use a 10W/40 oil, the VHPD 190 engine is what I would class as a modified motor in that the base engine was designed as a 92BHP 1.4 so the bearings will need a bit of help. Caterham recommend a 5W/50 oil to it all ties up.
BC
If you look at Castrol’s guide, they recommend 10W-60 for all Exiges (and 340R/Elises since 2001) and 0W-40 for the S1 Elise: >here<
Yeah sorry for the confusion I was refering to the S2 Toyota engines
My fault. Should have looked at the avatars!
Cheers
Bryn
I’ve just bought some Shell Helix Ultra 5w 30 for my S1. Is this to thin???
Just means it’ll burn off quicker at high revs. Check it more often. The benefit being your oil is getting round the engine better (theory from a lay-man).
It’s what I’ve used for the last 4.5 years/15,000 miles.
Ian
What about Magnatec 10W40 ? Costco have it on offer at the moment - �32 incl VAT for 9 litres.
I’m not sure that’s a series oil for an Exige, especially on track.
What temp is it rated to?
Ian