Hi guys,

I live in England and it is very mild temperature wise compared to what you get in the US of A ie rarely above 80f in the summer and rarely below 25f in the winter.

What specification of oil would you recommend?

I am planning to use one of these two below.

10w-40 semi synthetic GM standard oil

or

0w-30 fully sythetic GM standard oil

History on the engine.

154,000 miles with a good service history in terms of oil changes I believe based on the records I have so I believe the engine is good and clean inside.

Thoughts please.

Thank you

 

You will find as many opinions on this as you will members on this site.

There are tons of threads on this topic if you wish to spend some time searching and reading.

In my region of the US, our normal temp range is pretty close to what you have listed above, other then the height of summer where it hits 90-100°F on occasion and the dead of winter that can get to 0°F or lower....but those are extremes.

I've been using Mobil 1 0w40 for the last 10 years or so in all my LS1s (from low mileage to high mileage engines). I've been very happy with it.

 

I currently have mobil 1 0w40 because my builder recommends it but I cant get it in the 5qt jugs at walmart here so its to expensive elsewhere. I will probably switch to 5w30 pennzoil platinum. Oil analysis tests done by Patman show that it is one of the best oils we can get for our cars.

 

Thanks guys,

Ok that's cool. So do we think fully synthetic would be ok as it is currently on semi?

Thank you

 

Full synthetic would be just fine, and would allow you to extend your change intervals.

 

Hiya,

Thanks very much. That leads to my next question about oil change intervals, how often should they be?

Thanks

 

This depends on a variety of factors. The only way to get this perfect would be to send samples to a lab for UOA (used oil analysis) testing at various mileages. Using the lab info, you could determine the best change interval for your choice of oil and useage habits of the car.

But generally speaking, any synthetic should be good for at least 5-6k miles unless the trips are very short and the oil is never allowed to heat up fully.

 

Excellent thank you, that is what I was thinking

 

I was just thinking, the engine does have 154,000 miles on it so maybe it would benefit from slightly thicker oil at 10w-40 semi to provide more protection and seeing as it is rarely below 32f here then the extra thickness between a 5w and a 10w would be small so maybe the 10w-40 would be a better choice.

I am not looking for the highest performance but I am looking for excellent protection for my engine as I am hoping to keep her for years I probably should have said that at the start.

 

Hi mate i am in england and i have the same engine in my reliant kitten at the mo i am using 5w 30 but i reckon you would be best at 10w 40 given the mileage

 

Hiya,

Thanks for that, yes I think I will as it goes in my other car too so it will help with the costs too. Where about are you in England?

Is this your car? http://passionford.com/forum/general...s1-engine.html

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/pro-street...:B:SHOP:GB:101

 

Im in sunderland yeah thats my car where abouts you from

 

Any convential 5-30 will do. If you have excessive oil consumption, you might try something thicker, but at 154k, you're not going to save your engine by choosing higher viscosity.

 

I'm in Watford, Hertfordshire.

RevGTO, can you explain your reasoning for thinner oil for the higher mileage engine please?

I don't think I have much oil consumption but will check regulary to see.

 

5-30 is what the factory calls for. Thicker viscosities won't do anything for you unless you face extreme high temperatures or have a significant oil consumption problem. They don't always help in the latter case, either.

 

I'm in England as well and I used 0-40 Mobil 1 regularly.

 

Hiya,

OK thanks for the input. I will reconsider my plans.

Thanks

 

Just found a great deal on ebay for GM 5W/30 oil, so I ordered 20 litres or just over 5 US gallons.

Thanks