Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi, I've been a Moggie owner for a few years now and recently I was told that I was using an oil that was too thin.

Please would you advise me as to what the best oil is for my Gladys, a April 1962 4 door, 948 cc petrol,
engine number 9M-U-H596318.

She has had an unleaded conversion done.
There's a lot of conflicting advice so I1m trying to find a general consensus.
Best wishes
JOHN

20W50, as it says in the workshop manual.

Seconded. Should help with oil leakage as well

There's a lot of conflicting advice so 1m trying to find a general consensus.

As Alex said 20w50, I have not seen anything else quoted for a standard Moggie Engine, where is the other advice coming from ?

Many thanks indeed.
The advice was to use "gearbox oil" (?) instead of 20w50, this from a firm on the web.

Best wishes

If by 'gearbox oil', they meant EP 90, then it's absolute rubbish. The Minor g'box needs the same 20/50 as the engine - at least for the later cars, since I know nothing of the early ones .

At the risk of re-starting a long discussion I'm using 15W/40.

If the engine & gearbox are in reasonable condition (i.e. no leaks), it seems to be suitable - I think Cam did a comparison of 20W/50 & 15W/40.

Certainly, I wouldn't use anything thinner (or synthetic).

I'd recommend using an oil with an API rating of "SJ" or better, though cheaper oils are available.

Colin

If the engine & gearbox are in reasonable condition (i.e. no leaks),

Thats just showing off Colin no leaks indeed

Can you point us to the 'firm on the web' with this advice to use 'gearbox oil' in the engine ?

Kevin

Thats just showing off Colin no leaks indeed

I was talking about the car -

I did find that a new copper washer om the sump plug (and cleaning all the grot off the threads) helps a lot.
The engine is only 6000 miles old - it shouldn't leak - ok there's the odd drop, but ...

Cheers,

Colin

Originally, the advice was to use SAE30 engine oil - now sold as Lawnmower oil. However, it's single-grade, and 20w50 multigrade has been used as the standard replacement since its introduction.

As has been said before the gearbox on all Minors bar the MMs takes 20w50 engine oil.

When I was very new to all matters Moggie related, I went trawling my local suppliers for SAE30 engine oil and all I got were a few funny (if not strange) looks from counter staff. A friendly guy at my local Carparts 4U advised 20/50 oil and sold me Castrol Classic which was £17.50 per gallon.
A few nice chaps on here suggested Castrol GTX which just happened to be on a stall at a local boot sale and I bought it for the princely sum of £1.50.
Since my early endeavours, I've come across a few decent looking 20/50 multigrades in places like Halfords and B&Q which is priced aound £7-£8.
For the time being I'm happy with my GTX, which I put in last week and I'll look for more in future. Oh, and just let me add....last year I bought/fitted the spin-off oil filter kit, and it's been a dawdle (and reassuringly simple ) to change the filter with no springs or washers to worry about.

You better hope that GTX tin was really filled with Castrol GTX oil!! Was the seal good, not broken ??

Absolutely...wouldn't have touched it otherwise.

Well done - good buy then! £17:50 is FAR too much to pay for oil for a Minor - Asda/Morrisons 20W50 is fine!

I think it was the green retro style Castrol Classic tin that did it....looks so good I've kept it in the garage.

a few decent looking 20/50 multigrades in places like Halfords and B&Q

Halfords 20/50 has no ratings - therefore is technically no better than the recycled muck from supermarkets. If you want a decent oil, you need to look for the ratings.
I've taken to buying 20/50 online (can get SJ rated for a fair price) - £17.50 is a bad joke!

Or try a small local car-parts place (not that there's that many of them left); they quite often have bizzaro brands of oil which *are* API rated, and are often nice and cheap.

I used to love my Granville oil, they did a nice 20W50, and a semi-synth 2-smoke for my MZ. Can't get either round here...

Have to say I just use the good old Duckhams 20/50..............coz I like the colour! only joking!

Haven't see Duckham's 20/50 in years....
The Missus once bought me some crappy 20/50 (in blue 1 litre bottles) from a "pound shop". I have to admit to using it to top up now and again, but I've instructed her not to bother buying it in future....I should have trained her better, I know!