Best oil for the A-Series

[Boyscout]

Those are still good levels! Maybe someone can test SAE 40 for us and give feedback, especially on cold starting

[Vinay-RS]

Yeah, cold starting is an issue, although even in winter our temperatures don't get that low. As far as I'm aware, an SAE 40 oil should have a decent flow rate at temps of 10-20 degrees.

[Enzio]

Thanks for the details, some really good info here guys.

[Sean1380]

looks like i am moving away from Castrol !!!

[Miniac]

looks like i am moving away from Castrol !!!

May I ask why Sean? As I've been looking into the possibility of using Diesel or Motorcycle oils(this one could become expensive)

[DomMINIque]

Delo Silver SAE 40 = 0.06% (600 ppm) from their web page https://cglapps.chevron.com/msdspds/PDSD...Format=PDF so it is not that high really
Delo 400 Multigrade = 0.15% (1500 ppm) from https://cglapps.chevron.com/msdspds/PDSD...Format=PDF now this is a good level

I spoke to someone from Castrol and the figures for both GTX HM 20W50 and SAE40 are lower:

Castrol SAE 40 = 0.11% (1100 ppm)
Castrol GTX High Mileage 20W50 = 0.10% (1000 ppm)

Miniac, I think Sean's reason is simply because of the above. The Delo 400 has quite a bit more ZDDP in it.

[Sean1380]

That's exactly it Dom, ZDDP is higher on the Delo 400.

Oh and always use multigrade oil in a Mini.

[Dion]

Has anyone got any pictures articles showing the results of using the wrong oil in an A-series engine. All this talk of ZDDP, flat tappets and shared engine/gearbox oil is very interesting, but I'm yet to find someone who has experience premature wear due to using the wrong oil.

[Sean1380]

I got this off the net:

Those who hold onto the myth are ignoring the fact that the new Starburst oils contain about the same percentage of ZDP as the oils that solved the camshaft scuffing and wear issues back in the 1950s. (True, they do contain less ZDP than the oils that solved the oil thickening issues in the 1960s, but that's because they now contain high levels of ashless antioxidants not commercially available in the 1960s.)
Despite the pains taken in developing special flat-tappet camshaft wear tests that these new oils must pass and the fact that the ZDP level of these new oils is comparable to the level found necessary to protect flat-tappet camshafts in the past, there will still be those who want to believe the myth that new oils will wear out older engines.
Like other myths before it, history teaches us that it will probably take 60 or 70 years for this one to die also.

[Miniac]

So basically we should just use what we take a personal preference to in terms of oil according to the above excerpt?