Engine Oil
- Thread starter DAV8
- Start date
2453kevinowen
Member
I bought this oil for mine http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_165581
Yes Millers Classic is fine. And available for order online along with their octane boosters and lead replacement.
http://www.millersoils-online.co.uk/1_Millers_frame_CLASSIC.htm
There are large amounts of info on engine oil here:
http://www.classicroverforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=8480
You'll see it is a bit of a minefield, especiallly for cars of our age!
Kevin, Halfords is definitely not up to the mark!
To summarise. The Rover V8 is a flat tappet engine and requires a 20W/50 oil with a high level of ZDDP. Examples are Millers Classic 20W50, Mobil 1 15W50, Castrol Classic XL 20W50, Penrite Classic Light 20W50, Valvoline VR1 Racing 20W50.
Irrespective of what you might read in service schedules, the Rover V8 requires oil changes at 3,000 mile intervals. The filter should always be changed at the same time.
Confusion sometimes occours when people read manuals, or talk to mechanics who are used to dealing with Range Rover or Discovery V8's. These engines, although Rover V8's, have a different front end to the P6 with a far more effective oil pump. They also run at much higher temperature than the P6. They therefore use very different oil specs to the P6.
Chris
http://www.millersoils-online.co.uk/1_Millers_frame_CLASSIC.htm
There are large amounts of info on engine oil here:
http://www.classicroverforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=8480
You'll see it is a bit of a minefield, especiallly for cars of our age!
Kevin, Halfords is definitely not up to the mark!
To summarise. The Rover V8 is a flat tappet engine and requires a 20W/50 oil with a high level of ZDDP. Examples are Millers Classic 20W50, Mobil 1 15W50, Castrol Classic XL 20W50, Penrite Classic Light 20W50, Valvoline VR1 Racing 20W50.
Irrespective of what you might read in service schedules, the Rover V8 requires oil changes at 3,000 mile intervals. The filter should always be changed at the same time.
Confusion sometimes occours when people read manuals, or talk to mechanics who are used to dealing with Range Rover or Discovery V8's. These engines, although Rover V8's, have a different front end to the P6 with a far more effective oil pump. They also run at much higher temperature than the P6. They therefore use very different oil specs to the P6.
Chris
2453kevinowen
Member
Thanks Chris for that advice,
I bought the oil from Halfords ,
I will take it back and get one of the recommended ones.
What intervals should I change the oil on my car (2000 tc)
I bought the oil from Halfords ,
I will take it back and get one of the recommended ones.
What intervals should I change the oil on my car (2000 tc)
Kevin, I'm definitely not an expert on the 4 cyl engines! I'd be inclined to do it at much less than the recommended service interval, but there aren't known to be any catastrophic issues with high mileage oil in the 4 cyl in the way there definitely are with the V8. And of course change the filter every time!
I think, from what I've gleaned on here, that the two key issues with the 4 cyl are:
1 change the big end and main bearing shells at regular intervals - 80k?
2 change the coolant regularely and flush the block thoroughly at the same time. This to try and obviate the build up of sludge in the block behind the sideplates. The 4 cyl is a composite engine, iron block and ally head, so is susceptible to this where the all ally V8 is not.
The same discussion as to choice of oil applies to the 4 cyl as to the V8 - both are flat tappet engines designed for high zddp oil.
Chris
I think, from what I've gleaned on here, that the two key issues with the 4 cyl are:
1 change the big end and main bearing shells at regular intervals - 80k?
2 change the coolant regularely and flush the block thoroughly at the same time. This to try and obviate the build up of sludge in the block behind the sideplates. The 4 cyl is a composite engine, iron block and ally head, so is susceptible to this where the all ally V8 is not.
The same discussion as to choice of oil applies to the 4 cyl as to the V8 - both are flat tappet engines designed for high zddp oil.
Chris
2453kevinowen
Member
Thanks Chris
Your information its much appreciated.
Your information its much appreciated.
Brian-Northampton
Administrator
chrisyork said:
They're a bit more disposable that that Chris - I'd recommend 50-60K. On the Series 2 TC with the round dials, the oil pressure gauge gives it away, but the S1 TC and all SC cars are a bit blind unless an aftermarket oil pressure gauge has been fitted.
The 4 pot engine keeps (reasonably) the same oil pressure at hot/cold/idle/running. When the oil pressure gauge very noticeably drops when hot idling, then it's time to change them.
Cheers,
Bri.
Brian-Northampton wrote,...
Hello Brian,
Why do the main bearing shells on the 4 cylinder engines require replacing so frequently? Is there a design problem that results in insufficient oil reaching the shells or is it something else?
Ron.
Hello Brian,
Why do the main bearing shells on the 4 cylinder engines require replacing so frequently? Is there a design problem that results in insufficient oil reaching the shells or is it something else?
Ron.
SydneyRoverP6B said:
I think what's being recommended as a repair here is a "keep it running on a budget" DIY fix; the expensive route would be to get the crank ground, block align-bored + all bearing clearances plasti-gauge checked (etc. ) A fully rebuilt engine should run 100K plus with proper maintenance, replacing the main + big-end bearings every 50-60K to keep the oil pressure up is the cheaper option but doesn't reflect on engineering shortcomings of the original design
GW
Brian-Northampton
Administrator
SydneyRoverP6B said:
I've absolutely no idea Ron, perhaps TokyoP6B has the right idea. For once in this aspect, the Haynes Book of Lies has some good advice. IIRC They recommend changing the big ends every 30K and the mains every 50K to ensure long service.
Changing the mains/big ends on the 4 pot is dead easy and only a mornings work (OK OK so I took my time and spent all day doing it, but then I am learning as I go along), and the only thing that needs to be removed from the car to do the job is the sump! After about 65K miles, my mains were worn down to the copper. There are many scare stories (including from our own Webby) that a 4 pot that has had it's bearings ignored can throw a rod through the block.
Full write up in the 4 pot engine section.
Cheers,
Bri.
Interestinng question Ron, and I don't know the answer either! The notion that the bearing shells were a wear item was in place right from the inception of the car. I can offer two speculations as to the cause.
First is that this is actually a very old engine, having been more or less design frozen by 1960. And it was designed in the tradition of Rover, where white metal, non shell, bearings were a current experience at the time. So bearing replacement was still considered a normal part of running a car. I'm not convinced by that - after all BMC had been on shell bearings with the A series and B series for years by then.
Second is that this is the price that was paid for the huge openings left in the block for lightness and covered by the sideplates. I could imagine the block being noticeably less rigid than the norm. This is supported by the specification of a cast aluminium sump instead of a pressed steel one.
Tokyo P6B, I agree in principle, but this engine seems always to have been an exception. As noted, the frequent bearing change regime was a factory instruction from launch. The engine was built on brand new tooling, so you wouldn't expect poor bearing alignments to be the cause of the problem for early cars at least.
Chris
First is that this is actually a very old engine, having been more or less design frozen by 1960. And it was designed in the tradition of Rover, where white metal, non shell, bearings were a current experience at the time. So bearing replacement was still considered a normal part of running a car. I'm not convinced by that - after all BMC had been on shell bearings with the A series and B series for years by then.
Second is that this is the price that was paid for the huge openings left in the block for lightness and covered by the sideplates. I could imagine the block being noticeably less rigid than the norm. This is supported by the specification of a cast aluminium sump instead of a pressed steel one.
Tokyo P6B, I agree in principle, but this engine seems always to have been an exception. As noted, the frequent bearing change regime was a factory instruction from launch. The engine was built on brand new tooling, so you wouldn't expect poor bearing alignments to be the cause of the problem for early cars at least.
Chris
Hi All,
Just a quick update on Millers Classic 20W50 engine oil. I contacted Millers via e-mail and received a reply from a very helpful Ian Mosby, he gave me the following details about the 20W50, it contains - Zinc is approx 1000ppm and Phophorus is approx 780ppm, all this is well within the requirements of the Rover V8 engine
Regards
Dave Raybould
Just a quick update on Millers Classic 20W50 engine oil. I contacted Millers via e-mail and received a reply from a very helpful Ian Mosby, he gave me the following details about the 20W50, it contains - Zinc is approx 1000ppm and Phophorus is approx 780ppm, all this is well within the requirements of the Rover V8 engine
Regards
Dave Raybould
happy days
Active Member
Are the oil filters easy to get hold of, going to change my engine oil for Millers as i dont know what oil is in the engine. Millers certainly improved the g/box
darth sidious
New Member
DAV8 said:
That's reassuring!
