Question about engine additives

[itchy trigger]

wouldn't even oil hinges with castrol

back in the far distant past when I was a mechanic on my mates FF, we used to get the guys with castrol sponsorship coming to buy oil on the QT out of the big duckhams drum that was in plain view in the back of the truck

mate had one of the first twin cam escorts on the road, it was forever in the garage with a misfire/rough running, chatting one day when I picked him up from work (car was in the garage again) asked what oil they were putting in, the ford recommended GTX, said tell them to put Duckhams in, cured , it was sticking valves

 

[figgy]

Itchy trigger what oil and additives do you recommend if any in this day and age.

Comma oil years ago was regarded as cack but today recommended for classic cars. Shows how things change.

[itchy trigger]

put silkolene in the quad, guy that services the toyota and mercedes puts in shell, don't know which type leave that to him

[ditchman]

On 19/05/2019 at 00:14, figgy said:

Itchy trigger what oil and additives do you recommend if any in this day and age.

Comma oil years ago was regarded as cack but today recommended for classic cars. Shows how things change.

always use comma in my landy...........(mineral oil).......certainly runs quieter than the semi synthetic i used

[la bala]

3 hours ago, ditchman said:

always use comma in my landy...........(mineral oil).......certainly runs quieter than the semi synthetic i used

Same for my Landy, It puts me in he mind of the old Duckhams.

[itchy trigger]

1 hour ago, la bala said:

Same for my Landy, It puts me in he mind of the old Duckhams.

Duckhams that's whats in my lawn mower, thought it was the green 20 50 in the tin but its not its the hypergrade, still got about a quart left, must be some years old its what I used to use in my 124 series e class estate

Edited May 20, 2019 by itchy trigger
phrasing

[TIGHTCHOKE]

3 minutes ago, itchy trigger said:

Duckhams that's whats in my lawn mower, thought it was the green 20 50 in the tin but its not its the hypergrade, still got about a quart left, must be some years old its what I used to use in my 124 series e class estate

Did it improve the MPG or the top speed?

[oldypigeonpopper]

hello thought i would mention, TESCO are doing half price on redex for petrol and diesil and carb cleaner, cheers

[figgy]

I remember it in the tins, in the original duckhams colours.

My dad used to use Hunting gold X looked like golden syrup to me.

 

Edited May 21, 2019 by figgy

[Saltings]

10 hours ago, ditchman said:

always use comma in my landy...........(mineral oil).......certainly runs quieter than the semi synthetic i used

morris oil for me but getting expensive,  semi synthetics fully synthetic the norm to date i run a 52 plate mazda pickup 218000.00 runs better on 20/40 or 20/50 mineral oils change at 5000 regardless uses nothing between changes / synthetics used a litre or more for 5 k , way quieter on mineral oils so mineral oils for me 

[bornfree]

5 hours ago, Saltings said:

morris oil for me but getting expensive,  semi synthetics fully synthetic the norm to date i run a 52 plate mazda pickup 218000.00 runs better on 20/40 or 20/50 mineral oils change at 5000 regardless uses nothing between changes / synthetics used a litre or more for 5 k , way quieter on mineral oils so mineral oils for me 

my last transit developed a thirst for synthetic 10/30 oil at around 100,000 miles about 1/2 litre every 1000 miles. so i changed to 15/40 mineral oil and it barely needed any between services and was still going strong when i sold it at 210,000 miles.

[ditchman]

it is advised that comma mineral oil is better for non turbo-charged engines....or engines that are NOT high performace turbo charged..........i pay about £20 quid for a big can of comma.........from the oil shop next door to JSF in norwich..........they also sell castor oil for antique cars and such........when i was at the shell station in acle i saw a 1 litre can of engtine oil priced at nearly £40 bloody quid...(£38 something)..........

[figgy]

Oils have become a bit of a rip off.  Unless you have a Ferrari or similar any brand of oil that meets the codes and standards is fine. 

All my older cars were ran on 20-50 as they ran better and didn't let the blue smoke out with them.  Tried a synthetic when they first came out. Sounded like I tried to run the engine on water. Had to flush it all out with a few oil changes to get the car ok again. 

Back to op question would his Merc engine benefit from comma 20-50 to take up any wear slack or a modern 05-30 to get through any small holes restricted by sludge build up ?

I would remove the two cam covers and check the cams for wear and check the oil feed holes on the cam lube rail. Drill out any blocked ones. Cheap enough and easy enough job to do.

Edited May 21, 2019 by figgy

[Gordon R]

Figgy - I have owned about 15 Fords, with the Pinto engine in them over the years. I replaced the camshaft on a fair number - oil feed pipe blocked. Fords eventually came up with a brilliant solution - bigger holes in the feed pipe. I did fit the modified pipe, but did consider drilling the holes myself. My reservation was that bits of metal would end up inside the feed pipe itself. How do you get around that or do they not cause a problem?

[la bala]

22 hours ago, ditchman said:

always use comma in my landy...........(mineral oil).......certainly runs quieter than the semi synthetic i used

 

[figgy]

15 hours ago, Gordon R said:

Figgy - I have owned about 15 Fords, with the Pinto engine in them over the years. I replaced the camshaft on a fair number - oil feed pipe blocked. Fords eventually came up with a brilliant solution - bigger holes in the feed pipe. I did fit the modified pipe, but did consider drilling the holes myself. My reservation was that bits of metal would end up inside the feed pipe itself. How do you get around that or do they not cause a problem?

Vacuum as you drill them out, try and get as much as you can.  Put a cloth round them and pull the main center lead off the distributer cap so engine can't fire and spin the engine a couple of time to push oil out through the holes, this should clear any remaining swarf. Any little bits would be caught in the oil filter or sump plug magnet.

The rover 827 suffered the same troubles and drilling  out solved the issue.

Don't make the holes too big either as you don't want too much oil everywhere. I've had it spray small globs out the oil filler into my face when I removed it to check all was working ok with engine running. Throwing it off the cam lobes.

Edited May 22, 2019 by figgy

[bornfree]

18 hours ago, Gordon R said:

Figgy - I have owned about 15 Fords, with the Pinto engine in them over the years. I replaced the camshaft on a fair number - oil feed pipe blocked. Fords eventually came up with a brilliant solution - bigger holes in the feed pipe. I did fit the modified pipe, but did consider drilling the holes myself. My reservation was that bits of metal would end up inside the feed pipe itself. How do you get around that or do they not cause a problem?

the pinto's real problem was cold running caused by the thermostat position they never ran hot enough. fine on rep cars than ran up and down motorways all day but on stop start use sludge and condensation built up and eventually blocking the oil rail. i worked for a company that ran a fleet of them in transits and we fitted a top hose with the thermostat in it, solved the problem and the heater worked as well [a first on a ford }

[itchy trigger]

On 20/05/2019 at 20:57, TIGHTCHOKE said:

Did it improve the MPG or the top speed?

never check the MPG but top speed is still as fast as I can push it,  that is slowly getting less

 

no type of oil seemed to cut down the piston slap on those old merc 's, or the timing chain rattle for that matter even fitting new ones

[Gordon R]

Quote

the pinto's real problem was cold running caused by the thermostat position they never ran hot enough. fine on rep cars than ran up and down motorways all day but on stop start use sludge and condensation built up and eventually blocking the oil rail. i worked for a company that ran a fleet of them in transits and we fitted a top hose with the thermostat in it, solved the problem and the heater worked as well [a first on a ford }

Thanks for that - interesting.

Figgy - thanks for the advice - it makes sense.