Oil

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Yup. And another “insurance” is an oil cooler.

Precisely why I moved my coil out of the way, make space for a cooler! Though my intention is only to plug it into cyl head feed.

But we digress...
 
A little off topic but an interesting note nonetheless. When my Commando and I were young, it was ridden hard all the time. I noticed right away that it consumed no oil until 1,000 miles. Then consumption began. I change Commando oil every 1,000 miles. Flat tappet engines and aircooled engines are hard on oil.
 
Valvoline has a product called VR1 racing oil. It sounds expensive but it isn't
Formulated for flat tappet engines so it is high in zinc. Available at Walmart, Napa, Amazon etc.
I run 20/50 in my old bikes

I use the 20/50 valvoline VR1 racing oil too, for the same reasons. High zinc content made for flat tappet pushrod engines. Good shit, certainly worth considering if you are just buying oil "on the shelf" at an autoparts store, rather than some specialized oil which may be harder to find....

In the race cars we used Agip oil. My crew chief said it was "good shit"... lol
 
Manufactured to far exceed the requirements of API SL/CF and ACEA A3/B4

SL 2001 Gasoline Engine Service Category SL was adopted to describe engine oils for use in 2001. It is for use in service typical of gasoline engines in present and earlier passenger cars, sports utility vehicles, vans and light trucks operating under vehicle manufacturers recommended maintenance procedures. Oils meeting API SL requirements have been tested according to the American Chemistry Council (ACC) Product Approval Code of Practice and may utilize the API Base Oil Interchange and Viscosity Grade Engine Testing Guidelines. They may be used where API Service Category SJ and earlier categories are recommended.

In 2001, SL-rated oil still contained 1,000 ppm of phosphorous, and it is the phosphorous that limits are set on.
 
No ZDDP / zinc info then?

I would guess that, as the oil is designed for use in ‘present’ passenger cars which have no real need for zinc and which have catalytic converters which zinc will damage, there will be little or no ZDDP / zinc in it.

As I said already, other than that, it looks like very good stuff. IMHO, if I were to use it in a flat tappet engine like ours, I’d use a ZDDP / zinc additive as well, then I’d know I had all bases covered!
 
The phosphorous limit sets the ZDDP level as ZDDP is ZDDP (Zinc Dialkyl Dithiophosphate).

You can always ask.

For Technical assistance call +44 (0) 1484 475060 or email technical@millersoils.co.uk

The engines I saw it used in first were the 1600 and 2000 engines used in the 60/70's Ford Escort rally cars, heavily tuned they suffered from blue exhaust smoke/rapid oil level loss when hot and this oil was the cure.
 
This is easy, the best oil to run is "clean" oil.

As for coolers, I would be interested to know the temperature of the oil in your tank after(during) a good ride.
 
Seems counter intuitive but coolers may do more harm than good, especially if used year round when the weather is cooler. The oil in the tank needs to reach at least 180 F to burn off combustion by products. These by products contain corrosive acids and can do damage internally on the engine. Unless you do a lot of highway riding at air temps above 90 F degrees you shouldn't need an oil cooler.
 
Hence my thoughts to put a cooler in the cylinder head feed, it only cools some of the oil so is unlikely to over cool it, and it helps cool the head.

My thoughts behind cooling the head are simple, the basic design of the head isn’t that far removed from what was initially designed as a low compression 500. So my 10.5:1CR 850, and even worse when it becomes a 920, is really asking a lot from that original design. It seems to cope well enough, but a little additional cooling there would seem to have zero down side and potential upsides, to my mind at least.
 
Hence my thoughts to put a cooler in the cylinder head feed, it only cools some of the oil so is unlikely to over cool it, and it helps cool the head.

My thoughts behind cooling the head are simple, the basic design of the head isn’t that far removed from what was initially designed as a low compression 500. So my 10.5:1CR 850, and even worse when it becomes a 920, is really asking a lot from that original design. It seems to cope well enough, but a little additional cooling there would seem to have zero down side and potential upsides, to my mind at least.
But surely the cooler will be under pressure ? Mine is rigged so the cooler inlet and out let are higher than the tank outlet , just one tap to turn on and off on the return side of the pump. So you can let the oil get really hot before switching the cooler in and let water etc boil off.. Generally aim to run at 70 to 80 centigrade... It is surprising how long it takes to come up to working temperature,and a cooler thats plumbed in permanently open will extend the warming up period..
 
Don’t expect an oil cooler to cool your engine.

It’ll cool the oil. If the oil isn’t too hot, you don’t even want to cool the oil.
 
Seems counter intuitive but coolers may do more harm than good, especially if used year round when the weather is cooler. The oil in the tank needs to reach at least 180 F to burn off combustion by products. These by products contain corrosive acids and can do damage internally on the engine. Unless you do a lot of highway riding at air temps above 90 F degrees you shouldn't need an oil cooler.


Not so if a thermostat is used with the oil cooler. It only takes one time to “bake” the oil. Once the oil reaches flash point ( easily done in the head ) engine degradation begins.
 
But surely the cooler will be under pressure ? Mine is rigged so the cooler inlet and out let are higher than the tank outlet , just one tap to turn on and off on the return side of the pump. So you can let the oil get really hot before switching the cooler in and let water etc boil off.. Generally aim to run at 70 to 80 centigrade... It is surprising how long it takes to come up to working temperature,and a cooler thats plumbed in permanently open will extend the warming up period..


Thermostat?
 
No prefer to switch manually , it gives feedback as to just howmuch heat is being generated which in turn is peace of mind on high speed cruising.. ie at around 90 -95mph .. Those were the days camera free
 
Don’t expect an oil cooler to cool your engine.

Why not?

Oil has a huge role in cooling the engine, especially the cylinder head.

If the oil to the head is cooler, there’ll be a greater heat differential, a greater heat differential will mean the oil absorbs more heat from the head.

At least that’s my understanding.

Mikes point about pressure is a good one though, I’ll need to check the cooler is ok in this application.
 
No prefer to switch manually , it gives feedback as to just howmuch heat is being generated which in turn is peace of mind on high speed cruising.. ie at around 90 -95mph .. Those were the days camera free


So how do you monitor the oil temp before you switch on/off? Isn’t that what a thermostat does?
 
Why not?

Oil has a huge role in cooling the engine, especially the cylinder head.

If the oil to the head is cooler, there’ll be a greater heat differential, a greater heat differential will mean the oil absorbs more heat from the head.

At least that’s my understanding.

Mikes point about pressure is a good one though, I’ll need to check the cooler is ok in this application.

Some Enfields pump the entire scavenge flow through the head. Cooling that before it reaches the head might give worthwhile engine cooling.

I doubt that the dribble of oil that goes through Norton, Triumph and BSA heads can do much worthwhile cooling. If someone replies with measurements and facts and figures, I’m happy to be proved wrong.
 
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