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MG MGA - Oil recomendation

What weight oil would you use for a 60 A in the Deep South? Would a synthetic blend be helpful or just stick with Castrol regular?
Thanks,
Jack
J Weiss

Hi Jack. Synthetic oil is excellent at preventing engine wear. But use synthetic oil ONLY if your engine is fully broken in. Rings wont seat correctly when using synthetic oil. 20 W 50 would be my recommendation for the deep south. 10 W 30 might be too thin in the heat. Cheers, Glenn
Glenn Hedrich

Jack,
Read this for information on the proper oil for your MGA.
http://www.lnengineering.com/oil.html
Tony
Tony Shoviak

Hi Jack

Do not use a synthetic oil in your old engine - it is too modern and filled with addetives that is not good for your engine. Moderne oils are designed to clean the engines internals - and you are not interested in that.

Use a 20W50 Semi Synthetic oil designed for old engines with the right additives for old gaskets.

Read evt. here:

http://www.millersoils.net/1_Millers_frame_CLASSIC.htm

Ole Aaen
Denmark
Ole Aaen

I totally agree with Ole.. do not use synthetic oil...and 20w50 is the correct grade . I have a MGA 1960 and use this grade here in Australia.
Neil Ferguson

I should have added that you should get an oil with an additive called zddp..it is being removed from most modern light engine oils ...but is needed for older motors. Castrol gtx 20w- 50 has it....and loads of other oils I would expect.
Neil Ferguson

Neil,
I was under the impression that ZZDP had been removed from Castrol GTX. Few oils today contain it because it promotes catalitic converter failure. About the only oils that still have it are formulated for diesel engines. I run Shell Rotella because of this.
Cheers,
GTF
G T Foster

GTF...you may be right . I just remembered reading an article on a specialist blog that said GTX was still Ok in US but it may have been out of date.. Over here in Oz I use a Penrite HPR 30 oil ( an Oz company) that does have the zddp additive and is for older cars such as MGA. Sorry if I mislead..suggest 'Googling' the subject ' motor oils +zddp' ..you get a load of good bumf.
Neil Ferguson

Followed my own advice ...this recommends various oils..including Valvoline VR1, Redline oils and oils for diesel engines. A good discussion document. ..also says Castrol GTX ( even though it has reduced ZDDP ) is Ok for engines that have been run-in...
http://www.ttalk.info/Zddp.htm
Neil Ferguson

Kendall GT-1 High Performance 20/50 is designed for our cars with additional zddp.
Kris Sorensen

I have been using Kendall GT-1 also. I was using the ZDDP additive with Castrol GTX,
but switching to the Kendall simplified things.

Ralph
Ralph

Last week I changed from Valvoline 10 40 racing oil to Comma classic 20 50 imediatly the oil pressure went up 10lb. I guess I should have used this sooner but 10 40 would have been ok for the running in period just finished.

David
David swaine

Ralph and Kris, where do you get Kendall oil? I have not seen that brand in Cowtown.
G McMillan

I use 20w-50. The Kendall of today is not the same Kendall of old, see http://www.bradpennracing.com/History.aspx
Brad penn oil is the same Bradford county Pa refinery where Kendall was produced for many years. I'm going to give it a try when I get my engine back together. One of the items noted by the rebuilder was a wiped out cam. Any good racing oil should have ZDDP – zinc dialkyldithiophosphate added. Diesel oil use to have plenty but now they too have cataltic converters and diesel oil is reformulated to have less ZDDP so as to not harm the converter.
.
Charles O'Brien

The Castrol Classic oil range are supposed to contain ZDDP according to this http://www.volvoclub.org.uk/castrol_with_zddp.shtml
Lindsay Sampford

We Aussies are great believers in Penrite oils (Australian Owned and made since 1926) for MGs (a great sponsor of historic racing and classic car clubs in Oz).
http://www.penriteoil.com.au/index.php
but then again I know a person who just has used the diesel engine oil specified in his excavator (digger/backhoe) with no ill effects!
Mike
Mike Ellsmore

STP oil treatment has ZDDP. mARVIN
Marvin Stuart

I purchased the Kendall oil from a company called Cresent Oil in Hamilton Ont.
Kris Sorensen

This thread was discussed between 03/05/2010 and 08/05/2010

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