Engine Oil Weight?

[Joe Papa Sr]

To go back to 1st post, straight 30w is a recipe for disaster.

10-40 or 10-50 is ideal, but realistically, 20-50 is agreeably better, since many of us here are concerned with excessive leaking with lower viscosity. Again, ideally, we should fix leaks, and run 10-40/10-50. The engine likes 10w best on startup, when MOST of wear occurs.

On additives, I know some here need to keep alive the proverbial sacred cow, but oils nowadays dont need them, moist of which Ive always called elixirs/snake oil. Dont waste your time on "research", as much mis info/myths circulate out there.

Realize, that 20w-50 does NOT lubricate as well as 10w-50 UPON COLD STARTUP.

[Mound Dawg]

I used to use Valvoline VR-1 Racing 20w/50. Keeps the oil pressure up on the race track and doesn't burn off quite so badly as the recommended 15w/40 did in my old (180,000+ mile) Twinspark 75. I used it in the Fiat too with no ill effects. As the TS engine has exactly the same bottom end as the old 105 engine I'd recommend it for yours too.

These days I use Millers CSS 20w/50 but only because that's what we stock at Alfaholics. Two 5 litre cans arrived damaged so we couldn't sell them, Andrew let me have them at a knock-down price. Richard said afterwards that he'd have used them in his GTC if he'd known about them. The downside of him working from home!

The boys use something a bit more racy in their cars though. But then Andrew has a Caterham Superlight and Max's Twinspark has 200+ bhp...

[msiert]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mound Dawg I used to use Valvoline VR-1 Racing 20w/50. .

[paul b]

I use Penrite HPR40 for competition (tarmac rallies and circuit sprints) in my 1975 GTV 2000. Would use HPR30 for normal road use. The higher 'hot' rating of 70 or 60 respectively is very handy at keeping pressure above 50psi when pushing hard, while the 'cold' viscosity is ok in a relatively big clearance engine like the ALFA's (here in Aus anyway, where ambient is usually in the C15+ (F60+) range.
Frequent change seems helpful if driven hard, normal intervals for daily use. No dramas over 10 years of using it.
Paul.

[asummers]

Doesn't Mobil 1 make a 15w-50? Wouldn't this be even closer to the recommended 10-50? I just got another Spider and haven't put oil in it yet, but I used to use castrol 20w-50 in the last one I had 8 years ago. Any problems with Mobil 1?

Thanks

Andy

[radamm]

There are 2 Mobil1 15w-50s. The "red label" has the levels of zinc we need in the Alfas. The other is an "Extended Performance" version. As I understand, it does not have enough zinc.

[Gubi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by radamm There are 2 Mobil1 15w-50s. The "red label" has the levels of zinc we need in the Alfas. The other is an "Extended Performance" version. As I understand, it does not have enough zinc.

[Mound Dawg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by msiert I use Valvoline 20/50 VR-1 Race oil too. Earlier in this thread a guy said that it needed to be changed at a much earlier interval then normal street rated oils? I haven't found any support for this claim anywhere? Sense I put less then 1,500 miles a season with 3-4 DE Events, I do one oil change per season. Have you heard anything like this?

[msiert]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mound Dawg Yeah, I think it's because it's a race oil it doesn't have the same "life" as road type oils so you need to change it more often. Should do 1500 miles ok though!