Mobil 15w50 replacement ?

[gghc87]

As Mobil 15w50 is no longer available do we know if Lotus are now recommending the new Mobil "extended life" 10w60 for the 4 pots ?

[MPx]

I've been recommended Valvoline Racing Oil 20 50 on several occasions by different specialists, so that's what's been put in my TE for many years now (and Sunbeam when I had it). Seems to work well enough in that age/version of the engine - use synthetic thinner stuff in the later cars.

http://www.merlinmotorsport.co.uk/p3875/VALVOLINE-VR1-RACING-OIL-20W-50-(5-Litre)/product_info.html

[molemot]

I've been using Castrol Edge synthetic 10w60 in the '82 Turbo for years now...good stuff.

[comem47]

I got a deal I couldn't pass up . A few months ago Valvoline ran a special rebate on their VR1 20W50 racing synthetic which claims 25% more zinc-phosphorus than other oils and after shelling out $50 for 6 qts , I did indeed get a rebate for $50 after almost 2 months. Saving it for my next oil change.

[gghc87]

Thanks for the replies so far Guys. I was looking to swap over to the Castrol 10W60 as Lotus recommended it but it seems this is also out of production and I wanted to switch over to an oil more long term for convenience .

The Mobil 10W60 seems be the closest and I understand is a replacement for the 15W50, hence my original post so I was wandering what experience anyone else had had.

[s2mikey]

I've been recommended Valvoline Racing Oil 20 50 on several occasions by different specialists, so that's what's been put in my TE for many years now (and Sunbeam when I had it). Seems to work well enough in that age/version of the engine - use synthetic thinner stuff in the later cars.

http://www.merlinmot...oduct_info.html

I agree 100%. My '87 Esprit has been run on the Valvoline VR1 20/50 since day 1. Its listed specifically in my owners manual and its got a good amount of that ZDDP stuff that these engines like. I get great oil pressure, no leaks, and with extremely frequent changes(every 1500 miles or so), there is no real benefit with using a full synthetic.

There is no reason to chase down overopriced Mobil 1 products. The VR1 IS the elixir for the 907/910 engine.

Edited September 8, 2011 by s2mikey

[Mike6]

As Molemot says the oil you want is Castrol Edge 10/60. We have a discount when ordering through Opie Oils.

[dodgy]

I'm with Mike and Mike, Valvoline 20/50 racing.

Just brought 5 litres for £25, Once my pump is fixed, its going in

the thinner the cold viscosity the more chance of it finding a hole to leak from when its standing. If vr1 20/50 is recommended by Lotus in the workshop manual, It's got to be OK

[Sir Paolo]

I think Mobil have commited commercial suicide since re-branding their Motorsport 15/50. The extended life seems to be aimed at older high mileage engines (even if it has the same lubricating properties as the previous branding).

I too will be looking at Castrol Edge 10/60 in the future.

Bear in mind though that a Lotus recommended oil may not necessarily be the best for longevity or engine protection. A lot of manufacturers recommendations are based on commercail arrangements with oil compannines, and the 900 serioes engine has been out of production for a good while now.

[s2mikey]

I think Mobil have commited commercial suicide since re-branding their Motorsport 15/50. The extended life seems to be aimed at older high mileage engines (even if it has the same lubricating properties as the previous branding).

I too will be looking at Castrol Edge 10/60 in the future.

Bear in mind though that a Lotus recommended oil may not necessarily be the best for longevity or engine protection. A lot of manufacturers recommendations are based on commercail arrangements with oil compannines, and the 900 serioes engine has been out of production for a good while now.

Well - If Lotus recommends it, I cant see how it would be a bad choice. Im staying with the VR1 20/50. I have good oil pressure, no leaks, no strange engine noises or anything else so Im staying with it. My car has 52K and has only been run on that oil.

[Tony K]

I'm also a proponent of the Valvoline VR1 20W50 for the same reasons as Mike states. And let me add to his comments that the valves are quieter with VR1 than Mobil 1 and a few others.

If anyone hasn't yet, do some reading on ZDDP. . .

[Sir Paolo]

Well - If Lotus recommends it, I cant see how it would be a bad choice. Im staying with the VR1 20/50. I have good oil pressure, no leaks, no strange engine noises or anything else so Im staying with it. My car has 52K and has only been run on that oil.

I didn't say VR1 would be a bad choice, I simply said it may not be the BEST.......................

I also stated that manufacturers recommendations are often based on commercial liaisons with oil companies - which is true.

[richardvg]

The Castrol Edge Sport is the only one that will sustain the oil pressure at higher temperature...you wont be sorry .

Furthermore there is no way this is out of production.

not Edge ,but Edge Sport 10w60

[PierreLP]

I think Mobil have commited commercial suicide since re-branding their Motorsport 15/50. The extended life seems to be aimed at older high mileage engines (even if it has the same lubricating properties as the previous branding).

I too will be looking at Castrol Edge 10/60 in the future.

Bear in mind though that a Lotus recommended oil may not necessarily be the best for longevity or engine protection. A lot of manufacturers recommendations are based on commercail arrangements with oil compannines, and the 900 serioes engine has been out of production for a good while now.

This change caused an issue for one of the big single seater formulas. Three engine builders have all reported that the Mobil 10w60 causes drag.

I tried Bardahl in my race car early last year and the difference in performance was so marked that I decided to import the products into the UK. I now use it in all my Lotus cars and it's no coincidence that Andy Dolan started winning Elise Trophy races as soon as he switched to Bardahl oil. It is the best quality oil available because "it uses the best additive packages available including Lubrizol" according to an independent oil lab ( who tested the oils) and a guy at one of the certification organisations.

If you are buying Valvoline make sure it is manufactured in the USA and not Holland.

At the end of the day most synthetic oils will do an ok job. I know that I use the best available and that's why I give a 100% money back guarantee and will put the oil up against any other in the Shell 4 ball test or Timken wear/friction test....

This is not an advert I'm just giving the best advice. I work with chemical engineers, well known engine builders and recently two car manufacturers. I'm not just a retailer selling product, I'm working with people to find the best solution.

The Castrol Edge Sport is the only one that will sustain the oil pressure at higher temperature...you wont be sorry .

Furthermore there is no way this is out of production.

not Edge ,but Edge Sport 10w60

Not correct.......there are plenty of people iwho have tried Castrol Edge Sport and the Bardahl XTR C60 10w60. They now use the Bardahl.

This change caused an issue for one of the big single seater formulas. Three engine builders have all reported that the Mobil 10w60 causes drag.

I tried Bardahl in my race car early last year and the difference in performance was so marked that I decided to import the products into the UK. I now use it in all my Lotus cars and it's no coincidence that Andy Dolan started winning Elise Trophy races as soon as he switched to Bardahl oil. It is the best quality oil available because "it uses the best additive packages available including Lubrizol" according to an independent oil lab ( who tested the oils) and a guy at one of the certification organisations.

If you are buying Valvoline make sure it is manufactured in the USA and not Holland.

At the end of the day most synthetic oils will do an ok job. I know that I use the best available and that's why I give a 100% money back guarantee and will put the oil up against any other in the Shell 4 ball test or Timken wear/friction test....

This is not an advert I'm just giving the best advice. I work with chemical engineers, well known engine builders and recently two car manufacturers. I'm not just a retailer selling product, I'm working with people to find the best solution.

Not correct.......there are plenty of people iwho have tried Castrol Edge Sport and the Bardahl XTR C60 10w60. They now use the Bardahl.

By the way I don't want to get into a petty forum argument

[s2mikey]

The Castrol Edge Sport is the only one that will sustain the oil pressure at higher temperature...you wont be sorry .

Furthermore there is no way this is out of production.

not Edge ,but Edge Sport 10w60

How so? Ive never had an any oil pressure issues after long runs or any other time? Imnot saying the Castrol is bad - far from it. I just cant see using anything other than my trusty VR1 20/50. Its thick and heavy - just like Turbo Esprit oil is supposed to be

Edited September 13, 2011 by s2mikey

[Sir Paolo]

How so? Ive never had an any oil pressure issues after long runs or any other time? Imnot saying the Castrol is bad - far from it. I just cant see using anything other than my trusty VR1 20/50. Its thick and heavy - just like Turbo Esprit oil is supposed to be

I wouldn't chose an oil purely on thickness. Sure it has to retain viscosity at high temperatures, but you also need it to flow fast when starting from cold when most engine wear occurs.

[molemot]

20/50 was an oil for it's time...and that was about 1965. The thing is, oil chemistry is constantly evolving and what the manufacturer recommended when the car was new had to come from what oils there were at the time...so no way Lotus could recommend 10/60 for a new Esprit, when all there was available was 20/50. For those who aren't au fait with the numbers....the low number is the "cold" one, and means that the multigrade has the same viscosity (thickness) as a 20 weight oil at that (low) temperature...and the high number means that the multigrade has the same viscosity as a 50 weight oil, at that (high) temperature. So the oil doesn't actually get thicker as it gets hotter......(!) 10/60 oil puts less drag and thus turning resistance on the motor for cold starting,and a higher effective viscosity at high temperature which gives higher oil pressure. Also it will be a synthetic oil which helps turbos, as it isn't affected by the high turbo temperature on shutdown, which can cook normal oils.

It's not that long since all you could get was straight 30 weight...would anyone still be using that "because the manufacturer recommended it"?

[s2mikey]

20/50 was an oil for it's time...and that was about 1965. The thing is, oil chemistry is constantly evolving and what the manufacturer recommended when the car was new had to come from what oils there were at the time...so no way Lotus could recommend 10/60 for a new Esprit, when all there was available was 20/50. For those who aren't au fait with the numbers....the low number is the "cold" one, and means that the multigrade has the same viscosity (thickness) as a 20 weight oil at that (low) temperature...and the high number means that the multigrade has the same viscosity as a 50 weight oil, at that (high) temperature. So the oil doesn't actually get thicker as it gets hotter......(!) 10/60 oil puts less drag and thus turning resistance on the motor for cold starting,and a higher effective viscosity at high temperature which gives higher oil pressure. Also it will be a synthetic oil which helps turbos, as it isn't affected by the high turbo temperature on shutdown, which can cook normal oils.

It's not that long since all you could get was straight 30 weight...would anyone still be using that "because the manufacturer recommended it"?

No doubt the 10w number means better flow at cold but I suspect most of us arent driving the Esprit when its 30 degrees or less outside. And, even we do - the starting and warm up takes place in a garage which slightly warmer than outside. Last year I drove my car right up through Thanksgiving weekend and the temps hit the low 40's. I made sure to ler her warm up and of course keep the rpms under 3K for the first 15 minutes or so.

20w is still perfectly fine for 35-40 degree temps. Heck -it says it can go down to like 10-15 degrees and be fine but that would be pushing it. And, of course, who the hell will be driving their car in 15 degree weather? No way! The extra ZDDP is also a big plus for the Valvoline VR1 and these engines need it. Thats another reason to use it.

[molemot]

I've been regularly peering at the insides of my 82 TE for 25 years, now. It's always run on synthetic; latterly Castrol Edge Sport 10w60...and I can report no signs of wear on the parts for which ZDDP is supposed to be essential. The stuff was invented by Castrol in the first place..I've had a look around the web and there does seem to be nodules of panic about ZDDP in various places. So I suppose oil selection comes down to yer pays yer money, and yer takes yer choice!!

[Sir Paolo]

15deg? Positively tropical for us in the UK (ha ha).

The thing is that it's not about how hard you drive your car when it's cold, it's more about how quickly a cold oil can circulate round a cold engine.

As was well explained by molemot, a wider temperature/viscosity range provides better all round protection for your engine.

Also, unless you are using a fully synthetic oil, viscosity ranges deteriorate quickly with use. A non-synthetic 20w50 oil could be something like a 25w45 after only a 1,000 miles! But you wouldn't necessarily notice any difference just by looking at your oil pressure gauge - despite the loss of protective qualities.

[richardvg]

Startup is the major wearing component of the modern engine.Not only does the newer synthetic oil assist with high temperature and low temperature viscosity stability but it also gives a better oil "lining" (continuous ) to the engine .

One can argue that 20w50 serves its purpose but that is all it does.I challenge anyone to the durability test and the synthetic will alway come out tops ....proviso it is a good one of course.

[s2mikey]

Startup is the major wearing component of the modern engine.Not only does the newer synthetic oil assist with high temperature and low temperature viscosity stability but it also gives a better oil "lining" (continuous ) to the engine .

One can argue that 20w50 serves its purpose but that is all it does.I challenge anyone to the durability test and the synthetic will alway come out tops ....proviso it is a good one of course.

What about the extra zinc/zddp that ther VR1 has that helps with cam tappet wear? Regular Mobil 1 has none or very little since they stripped it out of most oils due to environmental concerns. Mobil 1 does have a racing oil that has similar zddp content in it but Im not sure what weights you can get.

There is no arguing the merits of synthetic oils but it could also be argued that engines and oils are a product of their time. Is Mobil 1 really good for a 25 year old engine? Is it OK to use in a 50 year old musclecar engine? Where do you stop? I wonder. Is it too thin? I understand the startup deal but its not like the 20w is like tar. And, as I said, 99% of Esprits or any other exotic are not being run in 20 degree temps so the cold start data has limited value. I also know that switiching to Mobil 1 has caused leaks to appear that werent there before. very possible with "looser", older engines with old gasket materials.

No biggy - the oil issues has been being argued since day 1. All good stuff

Edited September 14, 2011 by s2mikey