Oil thread (vehicles)

[figbat]

Don't get started on bicycle chain oil, whole world of pain.

At least in the numerous online oil debates in which I have participated over the years, nobody has presented "no oil at all" as an option! In this regard, everybody is agreed that some oil is better than no oil.

 

[DRM]

Very interesting, where I feel long oil changes can cause problems is the actual fleet lease companies themselves, how can I trust that they haven’t insisted that the dealer doing the service must put cheap oil that’s not right for the engine in the sump, the same people that will not allow a garage to replace the diesel fuel filter, only for the vehicle be brought back a week later as the filter was clogged causing a lack of acceleration, or only willing to replace one shock absorber that’s leaking fluid, not the pair, or telling tyre retailers to fit the spare and put the worn, illegal one back as a spare, all true experiences, this is the biggest problem to me.

 

[derrick]

I only do a 1000 miles a year, how often should i change the oil?

 

[dicko]

Duckhams 20/50 in the day but now it’s Castrol Magnatek 5w 40.

 

[sevenfourate]

Found it......well no I haven't

View: https://youtu.be/N2Bc3foGb8E

Haven't even watched the vid. But "normally" you (Drain - if replacing) then fill from the side (Or sometimes the bottom as they have a vertical tube inside) and until the G/box starts to overflow. That's it then; Done !

 

[MontyVeda]

i use a big old tub of bog standard motoring grease that i got from Wilkinson's in the days when it was still called Wilkinson's for my bearings. Cost £6 and I've still got 90% of it left. After a friend told me about his dedicated cycling bearing grease that cost a tenner for a tiny tub, I told him of my frugal purchase many years previously, that's still serving me well. "Ah well..." he began. "...the problem with motoring grease is it turns to liquid when it gets hot and spins out of the bearings"

 

[Profpointy]

Don't get started on bicycle chain oil, whole world of pain.

My non-expert opinion is that more or less any vaguely light oil is fine for bike chains. What matters is it actually having oil on it rather than it being dry and rusty

I'm open to genuinely expert opinion if I'm wrong

 

[Profpointy]

I always believed in putting "good quality" oil (meaning an oil brand I'd heard of and the numbers on the tin matching the book of words) but when my old A-series engined Metro was burning a lot of oil, I just used the cheapest I could get. No point changing the oil; it changes itself ! it was using a gallon every 300 miles or so, doubtless leaving a cloud of stinky black smoke in its wake. We didn't worry too much about such things back then, but not very responsible in retrospect.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

some oil is better than no oil.

That is what I have always worked on, would prefer to put the manufacturer recommended in, but in an emergency, something is better than nothing.

My neighbour worked for Comma for 30+ years, he was one who could put oil between his fingers & advise what it was & what was in it, I believed him, no idea if it was true or not

 

[figbat]

My neighbour worked for Comma for 30+ years, he was one who could put oil between his fingers & advise what it was & what was in it, I believed him, no idea if it was true or not

Nice idea, but no chance. If he’d tasted it, maybe… 🤔

That was, for the avoidance of doubt, a joke. Used oil is not nice stuff. Carcinogenic, irritant, environmentally polluting, please take care with it. Fresh oil is better but still not a good idea to bathe in.

 

[presta]

Does anyone else remember these Castrol lubrication charts, we had the ones for the Minx, Victor, and Mini:

At least in the numerous online oil debates in which I have participated over the years, nobody has presented "no oil at all" as an option! In this regard, everybody is agreed that some oil is better than no oil.

I used to oil my bike chain using the little pump action can that was filled with engine oil until I started long distance touring, when I switched to Finish Line just because I liked the bottle as a convenient container/dispenser for carrying in the pannier. Once it had showed it could be relied up not to leak, that became a reason not to try anything else.

I always believed in putting "good quality" oil (meaning an oil brand I'd heard of and the numbers on the tin matching the book of words) but when my old A-series engined Metro was burning a lot of oil, I just used the cheapest I could get. No point changing the oil; it changes itself ! it was using a gallon every 300 miles or so, doubtless leaving a cloud of stinky black smoke in its wake. We didn't worry too much about such things back then, but not very responsible in retrospect.

My father's Victor broke some piston rings when we were on holiday in Yorkshire once, so we came all the way back home to Essex trailing a cloud of blue smoke and stopping every few miles to top up. A couple of weeks later he traded it in 'as was' in part exchange for a Mini van.

 

[Smokin Joe]

I only do a 1000 miles a year, how often should i change the oil?

I'm no expert like the OP, but if I was doing only 1k per year I'd change it at least once, possibly twice. Your car does not get hot enough to burn off the internal condensation (Unless you do the whole mileage in one go) and you'll have some water in the oil.

 

[Jameshow]

I get my oil changed yearly with the MOT. Garage puts in whatever the see fine. Our cars do a fair bit of stop start journeys so better to be on the safe side.

Mini's drink oil so might have put to in oil myself!🤔

 

[fossyant]

I always believed in putting "good quality" oil (meaning an oil brand I'd heard of and the numbers on the tin matching the book of words) but when my old A-series engined Metro was burning a lot of oil, I just used the cheapest I could get. No point changing the oil; it changes itself ! it was using a gallon every 300 miles or so, doubtless leaving a cloud of stinky black smoke in its wake. We didn't worry too much about such things back then, but not very responsible in retrospect.

I was behind a Kuga on the motorway earlier doing that - not for long, I blasted past in the Aygo before it's little engine conked out from fumes

 

[slowmotion]

I had a secondhand diesel Vauxhall Combo for nine years. It typically got driven for less than 1500 miles per year. It was never given a service or an oil change. It ran very well.