hi have been looking through the threads regarding engine oils, however most of them seem to refer to later model magna's. the motor in my tr (4cyl) has only done 40,000klm since full reco new piston's etc. ihad it serviced at a workshop but i don't know what weight oil they used and i'm not really happy with cars performance.been thinking of using amsoil again but was wondering if this was overkill for a 2.6 otherwise i was gonna try an oil called ulx 110 so supposed to be really good oil. just thought i'd ask to see what people think , i'm a light weight oil man myself.

I'd just go for a 10W40 fully synthetic oil.

I used a 20W - 50, I would not reccomend anything lower than a 15W - 40. But thats just my opinion. I also use a bottle of Moreys/Lucas oil additive for peace of mind.

I use 20/50 + Moreys Oil Stabiliser.

HOWEVER, depending on where you live you might want to refrain from using the oil stabiliser. I'm going to stop using the stabiliser soon as it's getting to be quite cold overnight in melbourne and the thick oil isnt doing any favors for the engine in the morning.

In summer I use the stabiliser, in winter i dont.

If your engine has just been rebuilt you wouldn't want a thick oil like 20-50 or stabilisers. That stuff's for worn out motors. I have the factory lubrication chart for my old 2.6 TR and it says for vehicles opertaing in minus 20c - 40c atmospheric temps to use a 10-30 oil. I'll scan the chart today and post it.

Oil won't change your performance much but in general the thinner the oil the freer the engine will spin.

Doesnt the 4cyl require a heavier oil as the oil pressure runs the timing tensioner or something like that?

Here's the lube chart from my 92 model 2.6 litre TR:

http://i40.tinypic.com/a2yud2.jpg

If I had a new motor I would definately pick 10-30 or 10-40. Thicker oil will not flow so well around the engine and therfore give less lubrication. It would also be harder for the oil pump to push.

If I had a new motor I would definately pick 10-30 or 10-40. Thicker oil will not flow so well around the engine and therfore give less lubrication. It would also be harder for the oil pump to push.

a thicker oil would give less lubrication?

I use 20-50 because In melb the temp can change quite suddenly. I've used 10-40 and 15-50 with immense counter balance shaft chain ratlle due to the hydraulic chain tensioner not having the oil pressure behind it do keep the chain taught. In the morning here, where last night it was 4 degrees, a thinner oil is better, however as the engine heats up, it needs a little thicker to lubricate better. IMHO 20-50 is a good in the middle thing when it's not too thick and not too thin for every day driving in varied conditions.

Re TUFFTR; yes, the hydraulic chain tensioner relies on oil pressure to tighten the chain.

PS; My engine is a low km engine at approx 75,XXX kms. It requires 20-50 oil. thinner and chain starts to loosen.

I reckon the lower rattling noise you experience is the viscosity of the oil coating the parts and deadening the sound created by their vibrating against each other rather than anything to do with pressure pushing on the tensioner. And you are right, on rattly Astron engines there is something to be said for this effect.

As to thick v thin oil an pressure, imagine a syringe filled with honey and onther filled with water. Which will be easiest to push the plunger? The thin or the thick fluid? The thinner fluid is easier to pump and would result in faster, better flow around the engine. Though this might not help with the timing chain rattles on astrons, but this was always more a desisign flaw of that engine and the tensioner plunger design than anything else.

Here is a very long article on engine oils, pressure, and viscosity that will bend your mind. A lot over my head but I accept his statements about thinner oils and pressure.

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/faq.php?faq=haas_articles

On the whole I'd still go with the lighter oil and consider a change if timing rattle re-appeared. I don't think using a thick oil will the delay the onset of timing rattle caused by worn parts or the dodgy design of the tensioner system.

Yup so going off that chart my choice of 20-50 is good, thanks for the chart, covers from -10deg - 50+ deg

Plus my engine temps are higher than a std 2.6 so I need the higher 50 rating for peace of mine, the thicker oil giving less protection is lies? Moreys/lucas is like a honey concentrate which mixes with your oil to help stabilise it and help with cold starts, so doubt some how seeing as this is used for drag engines and burnout cars that it isnt doing the job

Obviously your turbo motor is going to generate a lot of heat and possibly you'd want a 50w oil for that. Are you using a fully synthetic oil?

I'm not sure I'd agree, though, that a 1000hp drag engine has the same lubrication requirements as a 120hp astron.

For the record I'm using Castrol GTX3 15-40 in my V6, changed every 5000.

Yeah I understand what your coming from, but Ive run 10W with my astron engines (have had 3 2.6's before this one) and I found anything less than a 15W just burns through the oil too quick? Have been using a 20W-50 for years and cant fault it, engine is quiet on start up, have never had rings or oil pumps go on me, and have since the last 12 months or so been adding about half a bottle of moreys in. This is purely based off my experiences with oil, have 2 preffered brands: Castrol (cheapest) and Fusch oils (pure love)

changed oil today using ulx 110 10w40. the car seems and feels a lot better. thanks for all your help guys.

Yeah I understand what your coming from, but Ive run 10W with my astron engines (have had 3 2.6's before this one) and I found anything less than a 15W just burns through the oil too quick? Have been using a 20W-50 for years and cant fault it, engine is quiet on start up, have never had rings or oil pumps go on me, and have since the last 12 months or so been adding about half a bottle of moreys in. This is purely based off my experiences with oil, have 2 preffered brands: Castrol (cheapest) and Fusch oils (pure love)


the 20w-50 is an older weighted oil, back from 1980s. not generally recommended for anything past 1990.

ive used a range of oils from 20w-60 to a 5w-60 and have found the 5w to be best, despite what some may think.
im currently using penrite SIN 5 (5w-60) and havent looked back. the car has never been quieter to be completely honest.
but in saying that it comes down to application and preference :)

i also learnt that if your rating is for eg, 5w-60,
5w is the weight of the oil
and 60 is the strength or heat rating, so the higher the number, the stronger the oil is and thus the longer it stays at its specified rate before thinning out.

i also learnt that if your rating is for eg, 5w-60,
5w is the weight of the oil
and 60 is the strength or heat rating, so the higher the number, the stronger the oil is and thus the longer it stays at its specified rate before thinning out.

Huh?


From all I've read and understand about oil, the lower number (e.g. the 5w) is the viscosity of the oil at 'cold crank' or "winter temperatures" (W stands for Winter), whereas the second number (e.g. 60) is the viscosity of the oil at 100°C.

Have a read through this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_oil) (scroll down to "Multi-Grade")


tr1: Use the chart in the picture posted by TR 300000. Generally you'd be safe with 10w-40, but speak to the mechanic that did all the work to be sure.

Huh?


From all I've read and understand about oil, the lower number (e.g. the 5w) is the viscosity of the oil at 'cold crank' or "winter temperatures" (W stands for Winter), whereas the second number (e.g. 60) is the viscosity of the oil at 100°C.

Have a read through this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_oil) (scroll down to "Multi-Grade")


tr1: Use the chart in the picture posted by TR 300000. Generally you'd be safe with 10w-40, but speak to the mechanic that did all the work to be sure.

all of the above i posted was from the Penrite chemists.. i said the exact same thing as you

all of the above i posted was from the Penrite chemists.. i said the exact same thing as you

Read carefully, its completely different. Your engine would sound like a diesel if you had a straight 5 viscosity oil.

Ollie

Read carefully, its completely different. Your engine would sound like a diesel if you had a straight 5 viscosity oil.

Ollie

what am i reading exactly?

the second number is the viscosity of the oil at NOT.
however it is determined by the strength of the oil which is also represented by the second number.
if you want a number to be precise it can be easily calculated.
oil gets thinner as it gets hotter, the second number determines the viscosity of the oil by its strength, or heat rating.
we are both right, i just asked more indepth of how it works...

and my diesel is pretty damn quiet then... i should get it patented lol
if you think my engine should be sounding like a diesel, have a chat to rav... he'll vouch for my engine being uber quiet and smooth

The two numbers are both viscosity. Nothing really related to strength. One is a viscosity measure at a certain temperature (coldish) and the other at higher temperature, somewhere around what you would expect when the engine is at normal operating temperature. A 5w-60 oil is pretty viscous at a cold temperature which is good as you get good flow at startup, yet will stay fairly thick when it is warm (oils get thinner as they warm up, a good multi-grade oil will reduce this). So I am sure you engine will be quite and smooth. I am saying that if the oil viscosity was 5 when it is at a normal temperature like you suggested, your engine will resemble a diesel.

This is basically what domenEK said, and different to what you were suggesting in your following post.

probaly going back to 15w40 or 15w50. while the ulx 110 is a fantastic oil i think it maybe slightly on the light side for this reco engine, and after learning what i did today ( the last owner cooked the motor after running the motor out of coolant ) hence me having a blown headgasket the day after i bought it. motor is ok on the flat but does struggle a bit in the hills but it is a tr wagon on gas. also under revs it sounds as if their is a rattle there but engine uses no oil or blow smoke. so probaly back to castrol gtx 3 or valvoline 15w50 durablend

The two numbers are both viscosity. Nothing really related to strength. One is a viscosity measure at a certain temperature (coldish) and the other at higher temperature, somewhere around what you would expect when the engine is at normal operating temperature. A 5w-60 oil is pretty viscous at a cold temperature which is good as you get good flow at startup, yet will stay fairly thick when it is warm (oils get thinner as they warm up, a good multi-grade oil will reduce this). So I am sure you engine will be quite and smooth. I am saying that if the oil viscosity was 5 when it is at a normal temperature like you suggested, your engine will resemble a diesel.

This is basically what domenEK said, and different to what you were suggesting in your following post.

sorry, but im lost, thats pretty contradictory.

my previous post agreed with both you and previous poster, i simply stated the heat rating.

changed oil to valvoline duralube semi synthetic 15w50 with wynns gold engine treatment. motor now a lot happier quieter and smoother.

Nice one... like I said, the astrons dont really like anything lighter than a 10W for some reason... 15W or 20W run nicely

Nice one... like I said, the astrons dont really like anything lighter than a 10W for some reason... 15W or 20W run nicely

ill bash ya
:P

lol whats that comment for? Im being honest, ive only owned an astron for the last 5 years, 4 engines between 3 cars and out of all the self servicing ive done, a 15W - 40 or 15w-50, or 20w-50 run the smoothest and have lasted the longest. I found running a 10W or 5W that the oil would 'burn' through quick and it wouldnt be too long before I would need to change my oil again due to loud tappet noise or black oil. This is coming from a GK Sigma that spent most its life around 7,000rpm most days, my 1st gen TM Elite and my current TR 2.6 turbo which also spends most its life around 5,500rpm (ECU limmit)

Sigmas rock. Care to share? Engine mods?

lol whats that comment for? Im being honest, ive only owned an astron for the last 5 years, 4 engines between 3 cars and out of all the self servicing ive done, a 15W - 40 or 15w-50, or 20w-50 run the smoothest and have lasted the longest. I found running a 10W or 5W that the oil would 'burn' through quick and it wouldnt be too long before I would need to change my oil again due to loud tappet noise or black oil. This is coming from a GK Sigma that spent most its life around 7,000rpm most days, my 1st gen TM Elite and my current TR 2.6 turbo which also spends most its life around 5,500rpm (ECU limmit)

it was a provokative joke.. hence the emoticon... haha. apparently everyone has there own opinion.. aparently haha

Ive got a new oil filter and a bottle of Castrol gtx2 20W-50 for my TS and I am going to change them some time next week as soon as I can find a spanner big enough. Is it just me or is the nut on the oil drain of these magnas the biggest of any car?

Ive got a new oil filter and a bottle of Castrol gtx2 20W-50 for my TS and I am going to change them some time next week as soon as I can find a spanner big enough. Is it just me or is the nut on the oil drain of these magnas the biggest of any car?

if 4cyl, 90% sure it's a 22 or 24mm size...

It's a shallow nut too, and very easy to round off of you let the socket slip. Make sure you push up on the socket with one hand so it doesn't slip off. I put a copper washer under mine too. Makes it easier to undo next time.

Ive got a new oil filter and a bottle of Castrol gtx2 20W-50 for my TS and I am going to change them some time next week as soon as I can find a spanner big enough. Is it just me or is the nut on the oil drain of these magnas the biggest of any car?

haha yeah mate its a bit of a monster, 24mm.. its well fun.

its even better when you smash your knuckles on the subframe when the nut cracks haha

(4cyl TS) Just wondering, from empty how much oil (in litres) should I put in? How much does it hold?

Sigmas rock. Care to share? Engine mods?

If you got msn add me on that or else PM me, I dont want to take this thread off topic :) but believe it or not, not many mods...

(4cyl TS) Just wondering, from empty how much oil (in litres) should I put in? How much does it hold?

4.6L with a full oil filter

Was that an answer to both questions at once? Do I fill it right to the top?

Was that an answer to both questions at once? Do I fill it right to the top?

the questions were virtually the same. 4.5L with the oil filter installed.

DO NOT fill to the top, 4.5 Litres of oil, no more no less. if you fill to the top ur pretty much drowning the motor, it wont turn over and you'll probly kill your pump

Yes, fill it to the top - top mark of THE DIP STICK that is.

Pour in 3.5 L of oil, let settle, use dip stick, add more, check with dip stick, when at top mark run engine, stop, let settle, check again. If you have an oil burner for an engine it doesn't hurt to go 1 cm above top mark.


Question: What does a corolla engine with 12L of oil in it sound like?

Answer: GLOOB GLOOB GLOOB GLOOB GLOOB GLOOB GLOOB GLOOB GLOOB GLOOB GLOOB GLOOB GLOOB

sorry, i thought u meant 'fill to the top' as in fill it so its brimming with oil... please dont do that... its not pretty

You'd be suprised to find out how many people fill their engines to the top with oil. After 7 years of RACV roadside servicing (on and off) there were plenty! I remember one guy with a Vectra, I asked "how much oil did you pour in?" his answer was "don't know". I asked "how much was in there before you added the other oil?" he replied "don't know" I saw where this was going so I decided to drain whatever didn't flow out of the dipstick tube. I think from memory I drained approx 8 liters of oil...not counting the huge slick I had to clean up on Nepean Hwy after I ran out of containers to drain into!! hahahaha

You would be surprised the amont of times as a mechanic I have seen this

One stands out, this lady once had her camry towed to me, she had looked in the oil filler cap and it "looked dry" so she went off, brought a big bottle of oil and dumped it all in. Engine was not full to the top by any means but she started to wonder when she lost power and had a big clunk. That clunk was the crank breaking. ran on 2 cyl for a few seconds with the front cyl doing it's own thing occasionally being picked up by the jaggard tear on the crank and doing all sorts of weird things until the piston fell apart.

Cars need oil. If a little bit of oil is good, lots must be a lot better. And whats this stoopid dipstick for anyway?

Bought a relative a nice '97 Lancer. All fluids were checked at the car yard. All spot on. Looked at it 2 months later. Power steering reservoir full and overflowing, sump 5 cm over top mark. I asked her who did that, she said "donno". I walk away shaking my head. Read the *** owner's manual ya #$@#$#@@# female! Its in the glovebox! (But she does know how to feed the 10 CD stacker in the boot.)

ohhh shamme :( horrible stories...