Engine oil
- Thread starter PJFlynn
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So are you a Geordie, Labradorian, New Englander, Queenslander, Bihari, North Islander or ...? :wink: Norman White recommends straight 40 – I have that from him in writing, after he rebuilt my motor – so that's what I use, by Silkolene – oh wait no, an oil thread! [puts on foil hat, runs and ducks – sorry, I couldn't resist!] Seriously though, by The End I believe Norton recommended Castrol GTX, so look for a quality 20/50 multigrade or, assuming by 'North east' you mean somewhere that gets a bit chilly, you could choose a quality straight 40. But, this being an oil thread, I suspect there'll be a lot of differing voices. If, by 'Got my commando started', you mean from a rebuild, with certain caveats you could go synthetic, but I haven't seen any real benefit from moving away from dino oil. I managed to thrash a brand-new Triumph Sprint ST that took pure synthetic into an oil-burner by about 40,000 miles, which disappointed me. If it's not a rebuild, I'd stick to dino oil. It's horses for courses. One thing to bear in mind is, if what you settle on isn't available locally, you can always spend up and have it shipped. I have no choice but to get EP90 shipped for my gearbox, that or a 90-odd mile excursion for half a litre ... It can be fun, walking into Cosmo Motorcycles in Hastings for the first time is like straying into Aladdin's cave, but it's not always practical. Always good to hear of a working Commando, good luck with it!PJFlynn said:
Fast Eddie
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NortonMKIIA850 said:So are you a Geordie, Labradorian, New Englander, Queenslander, Bihari, North Islander or ...? :wink: Norman White recommends straight 40 – I have that from him in writing, after he rebuilt my motor – so that's what I use, by Silkolene – oh wait no, an oil thread! [puts on foil hat, runs and ducks – sorry, I couldn't resist!] Seriously though, by The End I believe Norton recommended Castrol GTX, so look for a quality 20/50 multigrade or, assuming by 'North east' you mean somewhere that gets a bit chilly, you could choose a quality straight 40. But, this being an oil thread, I suspect there'll be a lot of differing voices. If, by 'Got my commando started', you mean from a rebuild, with certain caveats you could go synthetic, but I haven't seen any real benefit from moving away from dino oil. I managed to thrash a brand-new Triumph Sprint ST that took pure synthetic into an oil-burner by about 40,000 miles, which disappointed me. If it's not a rebuild, I'd stick to dino oil. It's horses for courses. One thing to bear in mind is, if what you settle on isn't available locally, you can always spend up and have it shipped. I have no choice but to get EP90 shipped for my gearbox, that or a 90-odd mile excursion for half a litre ... It can be fun, walking into Cosmo Motorcycles in Hastings for the first time is like straying into Aladdin's cave, but it's not always practical. Always good to hear of a working Commando, good luck with it!PJFlynn said:
"There'll be a lot of differing voices"...
I'll say, especially when it comes to a good ole oil thread...
On average, approx 11 different opinions for every 10 posters !!
20/60 Redline Synthetic myself (MUST be their motorcycle specific oil as this has high zinc content) and Redline Lightweight Shock Proof in the trans.
Avail by post from Opie Oils or Old Hall Performance in UK. I use Old Hall.
To each his own at end o' t' day.
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+1 on the Tesco own brand, though latterly been using Silkolene multi, there were some good deals on 5 litre multi packs. They seem to have gone to 4 litre tins. It's that cunning trick a smaller Mars bar for the same price as the older bigger one.
Anyway , whatever oil changed on a regular basis.
Anyway , whatever oil changed on a regular basis.
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If you are located in Northeast US you might consider Valvoline VR1 Racing 20W50. I have been using it for several years in all my vintage bikes and it seems a popular choice for use in vintage vehicles. Available in a lot of auto parts stores. Zinc phosphate content is about 1300 ppm.PJFlynn said:
https://www.valvoline.com/our-products/ ... racing-oil
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Crap! The start of another oil thread but here goes. I' used Valvoline VR1 20-50 in both my 66 bug and my 73 850 for many years. I never had an oil related issue.About 4 years ago I switched the Norton to Mobil 1 V- Twin 20-50 full synthetic. The only immediate problem is that I developed a bit of weeping around the rocker spindle cover bolts. A bit of Hylomar on the threads solved this. Now onto some anal testing that I had done. I had an 80 mile loop that I liked to ride mostly year around. I started to record my oil tank temps after each ride. I did it for a full year with the Valvoline and then a year later with the Mobil 1. At 80F VR1=248 degrees. Mobil-1 229F. 70F VR-1=234 Mobil 221. 60F VR-1=218 Mobil=215. 50F VR-1=215 Mobil=214. Not too scientific but I was curious. If my observation and posting kick this thread into high gear I may need to fashion up my own foil hat.
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IMHO, anyone with an oil thread question should read this whole thread before being granted permission to post.
another-point-view-oils-ect-t25019.html
LOL
another-point-view-oils-ect-t25019.html
LOL
Funny thing about owner oil testimonies, if the engine doesn't turn into a hand grenade most will swear whatever oil they are using is the best, never considering how near to failure due to poor lubrication their engine is. I have seen some oil analysis that are particularly enlightening. Besides enough clean oil, it is important to keep oil temperature within the proper operating temperature range. Neither too hot, nor too cool.
eskasteve said:
What I find interesting about these temps is the differential between ambient air temp and hot oil temp. The Valvoline temperature gains over ambient temp DECREASES as the air gets cooler until 50°f where it jumps substantially. The Mobil temperature gains over ambient temp INCREASES as the temp gets cooler and at 50°f it jumps even more and equals almost exactly the Valvoline temp. I took some temps of my oil tank a while back using a meat thermometer but it was just for giggles and I did not plot anything. I wonder if in some way the inherent design of the Norton engines finning is more sophisticated than I thought.
concours
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JimC said:
Sadly, not many have interest in facts
engine-oil-analysis-reports-for-comparison-and-selection-t21778-90.html
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