engine oil?

[sunny]

Due for a oil top up, what is the best oil to go for? I've got a 1980 Aircooled......

[Helga]

Morris sae 30 oil: just kampers sell it for about 18 quid for 5 litres. I have used various oils and this performs the best, fewer leaks and smoother operation.

[CovKid]

If I had a penny for every time this darned question has been asked, please please, someone do a WIKI for this.....

Multigrade perfectly fine. Take your pick - thats short answer.

[Red Westie]

Indeed....non of that ancient monograde "pooh"
15W/40

[CovKid]

[Helga]

ha ha

[CovKid]

I guess the monograde may be thicker but I think its gained an over-rated reputation. I used to use Shell Rimula diesel oil in my old bug and it loved that stuff but run the T25 on el cheapo Brand X multigrade and change it often. At £7 a go, and considering you still have to change oil regularly even wth a Fandango Super Sludge Magnetic Wonder Oil, it makes more sense to buy a cheap oil and just change it often. Modern multigrades (even the cheaper brands) equal or exceed the specs suggested by VW when the T25 was in production. Those that want to feel they are 'treating' their engines with Fandango are free to do so but regular maintenance, sensible driving and frequent oli changes are what really count in the end.

[Nicola&Tony]

If I had a penny for every time this darned question has been asked, please please, someone do a WIKI for this.....

Yeah, surprised to see this isn't covered in the wiki (unless the oil mentioned in the oil change section is suitable for Aircooled?). Thought it would be in the "new owner questions".

Tony

[Nicola&Tony]

I was gonna post a link to one of the past threads on the topic that I've got saved in me bookmarks, but none of the links work anymore.

So I tried to search the live forum and the archived forum for "oil" (if I find some I could be rich! ), but it gets zero search results! What's happening, am I spelling it wrong?!

Search facility is still working 'cos I put camper in as a search term and it gets results, but oil doesn't! Confused dot com!

Tony

[Cruz]

Oil is too short a word for the search facility. Try oils

[CovKid]

Will try and type up a more definitive guide on oil next week but please lets not start yet another never-ending thread on oil. I'll collate all the previous comments on this and WIKI them next week. Shortened, most don't recommend synthetic but multigrade oil of whatever brand will be fine. These are not high-revving performance engines. Just change it regular.

[Red Westie]

Volkswagen would give you Quantum Blue...not a monoshite in sight.

[Helga]

You know I'm really confused now... I realise that this shouldn't turn into another endless thread on oil, plus of course everybody has an opinion... BUT

There MUST be a definitive answer as to which oil is best? It stands to reason... My mechanic (VW mechanic for 30 years) says for Aircooled engines Morris sae30 is best, plus so does VW (according to Just Kampers anyway),,,

But everyone has a different opinion, which means people like me, ha ha, with limited tech knowledge spend half our lives swapping our oil everytime we hear a new bit of advice!

Same with changing oil schedule... I do mine evry three thousand or every six months, which ever is soonest, with full change (filter and sump strainer (mine is an Aircooled) every 12 months... Now is THAT right?

I'M REALLY CONFUSED!

[dugcati]

Helga your doing the old "ask a thousand fisherman how to catch a fish and you'll get a thousand answers" thing

The unfortunate truth about this question is that you will never find a definitive answer because there isnt one unless you assume VW's opinion to be the definitive - everyone takes there opinions based on personal experience/media info/recommendation/brain washing and what they think their van tells them it needs....

Most people I would guess use 15/40 synthetic, some still use straight 30 and then others get off the wall with other oils.. there is no correct answer if you wanna stay with the original VW spec then there's nowt wrong with that at all, if you wanna use reet cheep oil and change it every 50 feet then that's fine too

[CovKid]

Dugcati is right. There is no perfect answer which is why every time this subject comes up it goes on and on and on and on. If you just want an easy answer, a good quality multigrade oil will be fine and change your oil and filter at least twice a year. You won't go far wrong with that but as we're pointing out here, we all have our own ideas of whats right depending on how much use they get which is why multigrade is at least accommodating. None of us agree, but I think a multigrade is a mix of all these singular ideas.

I've owned VW's for 25 years and mostly used multigrade if thats anything to go on. Never had an engine blow, they all went on to become pensioners quite happily.