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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Racers: preferred oil?

On the racer we do a filter/oil change every race and have run out of oil and so need to top of my stockpile of oil.

What do you racer guys use? I've read that some guys use the Halfords stuff and personally I don't see much of an issue with this - it is, after all, made-to-spec stuff that gets dropped out at the end of less than 100 miles and doesn't deal with daily start ups, start downs etc etc... but I just wanted to see what all you others did?

Thanks!
Rich Amos (1 Sprite 1 Midget!)

Prob wont count but post run in on my engines I use Shell Helix but I can see that it would get expensive for you...
Toby Anscombe

Haven't raced for a number of years :-( but I and most of the people racing A Series engines that I knew were using Silkolene Pro4 Synthetic. The nice thing about it was that it was BLOOD red in colour, always seemed apropriate to me.. Only changed my oil and filter every 3/4 meetings without worries.
Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo

for the past few seasons I used Duckhams 20/50 - used to be £9.99 a tub from trago Mills but has gone up a bit now. changed avery 3-4 races and when the engine was stripped at the end of the season not a sign of wear.
John Collinson

I use Mobil 1 fully synthetic, either 15/50 or 5/50 if I can get it. Change it at the start of each season.
David Smith

My non-racer comment is to use cheap oil in a cheap engine....

Your car's engine is operating at high rpm under full load in a manner it was never designed for. I'd give it a good synthetic and change it every season. As for the oil filter I'd change that every season too.

I think that a good synthetic will provide better protection after a season's use than a cheap engine oil will after the engine has warmed up for the first time after it's been filled.

I think that using the same synthetic for a whole season might work out cheaper than regular post races changes of a cheap oil.

It's not so much ordinary wear and tear but rather than one time the engine gets too hot, or that marginal clearance that binds that one time or whatever.

And remember your engine really did sound particularly sweet - how long do you want it to sound like that?
Daniel Thirteen-Twelve

I'd leave the oil filter well alone between races......I was taken out by a car whose filter started spewing out oil because it hadn't been fitted properly. No need to change oil *every* race.

I started using a semi-synthetic 'cos one engine was a fresh build, and I was advised fully synth wouldn't allow it to bed in properly. The habit stuck.
Max Tyler

I've tried various oils in engines over the years and found different engines preferred different oils. For instance, I ran an Alfa Sud for someone years ago and it would ONLY last if run on Motul, The Alfa GTAs that I ran preferred Valvoline mineral 20/50. I know Minis like Castrol R30 and last well on that. The midget..... I'm to find out, in the road cars I use Millers Classic 20/50 and that is also in my race car at the moment, but I was thinking about using their semi synthetic 20/50 in the future. Only a strip down and continuity of use will give the answers.

Mark.
M T Boldry

I wouldn't recommend using Halfwits 20w50 in a racer.

We use Millers CSS 20w50 Motorsport Oil in the racer and have done for the past couple of seasons. Change it as often as you can afford to, ideally every other race.

Its not cheap but neither is an engine blow up or rebuild.

Try the very helpful chaps at Fluids in Motorsport as they seem to be the best price.

Nigel
Nigel Pratt

We use Valvoline Racing 20/50 and change the oil at the beginning of the season. There have been no issues with this and, having stripped the bottom end of Jason's race motor for a re-shell after 2 seasons very little wear was apparent.

A word of warning about synthetics. While they have excellent heat resistance properties, they historically did not stand up well to high shear/hammer loads such as as generated by 'old style' engines - especially those running larger bearing clearances ie race motors.

Back in the '80's when I was racing Spitfires there were a series of major performance failures and it turned out that every one was an engine running Mobil 1. A change to Valvoline and failures were a thing of the past.


Of course, Synthetics may have come a long way in the last 20 years but I stick with what I know - once bitten twice shy so to speak.
Deborah Evans

So the answer to Rich's question, from a hand full of racers is "something slippery and expensive". Almost like asking three economists and getting four opinions.
There is a strong following in Oz for Penrite mineral oils in our race engines. Since I've had no engine failures it must be doing the job, and for a lot less than the exotic stuff.
Mike Allen

Oh goodness, so many responses! I don't know who is right!
Rich Amos (1 Sprite 1 Midget!)

Ive always used castrol 20/50 and ypou can get it in 25ltrs so makes it more likely to change the oil!!! The advantage with castrol is that they still have ZDDP additives which valvoline removed as you cant sell oil for road engines with them in in the US. The thing is the ZDDPs are anti wear and protect your engine, like so many good things they get banned!!! (lead!!!) There was a good article in Revcounter about this a few years ago.

Chears

Mark
Mark Turner

Alright chaps. I'm going for Millers CSS.

Lets see how it does....
Rich Amos (1 Sprite 1 Midget!)

This thread was discussed between 26/04/2009 and 27/04/2009

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