60’000 miles on cheap supermarket oil...

[Ruairidh Dunford]

In 1999 I built up an engine for the Pearl Cabriolet to do a big tour through the Alps around Italy, Austria and Switzerland. 

It has been used extensively since then, I took the engine out two years ago, after covering just over 60’000 miles, because it was starting to rattle (this appears to be piston slop).

In all that time I only ever used the cheapest 20/50 supermarket oil changed every 2000 miles.  I wanted to see if it would prove detrimental in any way.  I found time today to strip the engine - I wiped the insides down with a cloth to get rid of the oil residue and was genuinely surprised at how clean it still was, considering.

Only real damage I could find was part of the piston snapped off.

Cheap as chips detergent oil seems to have looked after the insides remarkably well!


   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

[Ruairidh Dunford]

   

   

   

[Dave Wortley]

R,
That’s excellent. Won’t even bother with Halford’s Classic now. Just Wilco 20/50. Pistons look very good and lack of sludge pretty good. I think you meant piston ring rather than piston.
Cheers,
Dave

[Mike Costigan]

That's fine if you are starting with a clean engine, but I would be cautious using it in an engine that has been run on an unknown oil.

[Renaud]

Very interesting information Ruairidh. Thanks.
And a (silly) question: why the red rods? (apart to go faster of course...)

[Ruairidh Dunford]

I think you meant piston ring rather than piston.
Cheers,
Dave

No, it is actually part of the piston, look closely at the photo, the ring is intact.

[Ruairidh Dunford]

That's fine if you are starting with a clean engine, but I would be cautious using it in an engine that has been run on an unknown oil.

Absolutely Mike, why anyone would rebuild an engine fully and not clean it properly is beyond me.



Renaud - it was 1999 and I cannot remember why they are red. The flywheel is too - perhaps to indicate they had all been balanced together, I simply cannot remember.

[Ian Dunford]

I used to paint things red to remind me there was something seriously wrong with them!

[Ruairidh Dunford]

I know and was alarmed to see it!

Not that seriously wrong it would seem!!

[Alan]

They were good ones he wanted to stop you using. Didn’t work.