oil......mineral v semi synthetic

[chrispyduck]

Just changed my oil

Despite only covering a few hundred miles last year i still kept to my routine annual oil change however this time i decided to use Shell Advance Mineral oil instead of the Morris Semi Synthetic

What are the limitations of mineral oil and am i likely to notice any difference

[Ginger Bear]

Chrispy,

You'll find these old Zed's are so 'over engineered' they'll probably run on old chip oil, not that I'd recommend that of course.
The underlying issue is that these bikes have a wet clutch, so a bike specific oil is advisable, since so many car oils have 'friction modifiers', which aren't designed for a wet clutch.

Just think back to what oil was available when these bikes were new? Any modern 'basic' oil will be a vast improvement & unless you're running a highly tuned motor, I'd stick with something sensible & change it & the filter every year.

...... Mmmmm, seem's I've 'gone on a bit'..............

[Tonto]

Chrispy: I would defo go for the mineral: a few months ago I tried my A4 with semi synthetic - result was instant clutch slip.
Quick change to Castrol Evo 10-40 mineral, and she ran like a tot (well that was until my front disks warped )

[Pigford]

You could run Fully Synthetic mineral oil - if its designed for a wet clutch....


Debbens recommend this stuff: http://www.performanceoilsltd.co.uk/ams ... cycle.html

I used it in me Z1000 for a few years..... no probs... even running a few 1/4 miles at Santa Pod

[saab9002]

Chrispy: I would defo go for the mineral: a few months ago I tried my A4 with semi synthetic - result was instant clutch slip.
Quick change to Castrol Evo 10-40 mineral, and she ran like a tot (well that was until my front disks warped )

I did the same on my GPZ1100, result; two oil changes in 50miles

Chris

[dave cullen]

asda doing 4 litres of 10-40 or 15-40 semi synthetic for £12, they did have mineral oil as well im sure;

home bargains had 4 litres of gulf 10-40 for £10, great prices

(I use mineral oil in my Z's have done for 35 years, never had a problem, whatever is on sale in asda or tescos!)

[Toyboy]

Buy the best you can afford. It's still cheaper than an engine rebuild. I use mineral for breaking in new rings. Then a good semi synth without the stuff that makes clutches slip they put in car oil. Cheap oils break down quicker and leaves a nasty mess in your sump

[Ginger Bear]

Cheap oils break down quicker and leaves a nasty mess in your sump

A bit like this

[andyb1962]

Cheap oils break down quicker and leaves a nasty mess in your sump

A bit like this

If you dont do many miles and change it every year. it should not be a problem. Even " cheap" oils are modern and better than most oils of the 70's

[dave cullen]

my point exactly, most of our bikes (not all before the howls of protest) do little mileage, arent thrashed and get oil changed every year, so a mineral oil off the supermarket shelf is pefectly adequate

[Ginger Bear]

Just think back to what oil was available when these bikes were new? Any modern 'basic' oil will be a vast improvement & unless you're running a highly tuned motor, I'd stick with something sensible & change it & the filter every year.

That's what I was trying to say at the beginning of this thread.

[Pigford]

I use posh stuff as mine gets used & thrashed (sometimes) .... and oil is the LIFE BLOOD of an engine and I won't skimp


That said - a cheap Mineral Oil manufactured nowadays is probably much better than a good one back then

The AMSOIL is specifically designed for ROLLER BEARING cranks and WET CLUTCHES... (H-D's ) so it's ideal.

http://www.performanceoilsltd.co.uk/ams ... cycle.html

A lot of the hi-spec synths are too slippy and can ruin ROLLER bearings as the bearings just SLIDE, rather than ROLL

PAYS YER MONEY - MAKES YER CHOICE

[KeithZ1R]

Just think back to what oil was available when these bikes were new? Any modern 'basic' oil will be a vast improvement & unless you're running a highly tuned motor, I'd stick with something sensible & change it & the filter every year.

That's what I was trying to say at the beginning of this thread.

Which is exactly what I do every 1500 miles with GTX laterly and GTX semi Synth now and despite popular belief I suffer no clutch slip at all

[dave cullen]

so you want to get to asda then keith!!

[chrispyduck]

loving the responses

I reckon oil from Asda is best kept for the kitchen

I will continue with semi synthetic although have Shell mineral for this year which i am sure will be fine even with a few planned laps of Mallory at festival 1000 bikes.

Was oil really that bad in the 70s.........i used to thrash around on my GS550 using Castrol GTX.....