Motor Oil for Collector Cars

Motor oil – what to use, when, and why - is a surprisingly contentious topic, especially when it comes to collector cars.  I’ve seen so-called gentlemen get into fistfights over the stuff at more than one holiday party, when the effects of Mobil Synthetic Blend and Smirnoff vodka prove more than one could handle.

As New Years approaches I thought I’d share our philosophy at Robison Service, particularly as regards collector cars.

• We should begin by looking at what we want the oil to do, in a vintage vehicle
• We want an oil that has high natural strength – otherwise referred to as film strength or barrier strength.  This is the oil’s ability to prevent metal on metal wear in the moments before the oil pump begins delivering pressurized oil to the bearings.
• We want an oil that’s fairly thick at running temperature, because older engines have sloppier clearances, but not so thick as to be a drag on performance
• We want an oil with zinc additive for the metallurgy of vintage motors
• We want an oil with strong detergents to clean what are often dirty old motors
• We want an oil that’s free of waxes and compounds that form sludge in long storage and short cycle use.

There are not many oils marketed for this purpose.  The one we are using more and more is Castrol Syntec Edge 5-50 Classic Car Formula.  It’s replaced the older Castol GTX for vintage cars.   Mobil – to the best of my knowledge – does not have a comparable oil.

Readers of my columns know I’m a big believer in synthetic oils.  Their superior strength and durability are beyond dispute.  Some vintage car owners argue that durability does not matter in a car that’s driven 1,000 miles a year with annual oil changes, but the other features of synthetics DO matter. 

Synthetic oil is thinner when cold and stays thicker when hot.  That means a synthetic 5-50 is more pumpable than a conventional 20-50 on cold start, yet is actually thicker at 200 degrees when the motor is running.

  

The fact that synthetics are thinner when cold means the oil pump will begin circulating oil faster.  Engineers suggest that most wear happens in the seconds before the oil system gets up to pressure so that’s a vital benefit.

Older engines need a different set of additives than those optimized for new cars.  Syntec Classic is one of the few oils to offer vintage-tailored additives.

There are so many different grades of oil now, for so many purposes, that it’s difficult to make a choice for these older vehicles that predate the modern specifications.  We do our best, but we recognize there may be more than one answer.  The main thing we want to avoid is wrong choices that can damage engines.

What oil are you using in your collector car, and why?

Coming Soon - New standards for describing motor oil on invoices

Author's note:  This is an example of the sort of knowledge today's auto technician needs to possess.  I'm very proud to say we are training the technicians of tomorrow - right in the Robison Service Auto Complex - through the most extraordinary special ed high school - TCS Automotive Program  Read more about the program here   Check it out, next time you are in for service.

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The U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology has made some new recommendations for motor oil information on invoices. These uniform standards direct us to list SAE oil ratings, brand and weight on customer invoices.  Twenty states automatically adopted the standards, and we at Robison Service are going beyond the requirement effective immediately.

For years I have been writing and talking about the importance of correct oil.  Most of the car lines we work on require special synthetic oil formulations, and it seems like every one is different.   Yet most motorists remain totally oblivious to the different requirements and specifications.  What's worse is that many service professionals are not a whole lot more knowledgeable.  "Oil is oil," they say, but they are wrong.

Even saying “I want synthetic oil,” isn’t enough.  You must specify the right synthetic oil because it comes in dozens of grades for different cars and trucks. Choosing the wrong oil can be harmful – even fatal – to your engine.  We’ve see more than one motor destroyed by incorrect oil choice.

The new government standards became effective July 1, 2013, for states that approve, and are outlined in the Uniform Regulation for the Method of Sale of Commodities.  By requiring repair shops to spell out what they use, the hope is that they will use the correct stuff.  Will that happen?  I don't know, but it's a step in the right direction.

At Robison Service, we’ve always told clients the brand and type of oil we install.  For us, using the best possible lubricants has always been a source of pride.  In years past, our invoice for a Mercedes might have said, Mobil 1 0-40, 9 quarts.  Mobil 1 0-40 is the particular type of oil specified for many Mercedes cars and that description told consumers they were getting the right stuff for their Benz.

Now our invoice is a little more detailed.  Today that same line would read Mobil 1 ACEA A3/B3, A3/B4 API SN, SM, SL 0-40 synthetic oil MB229.3/229.5 VW 502 Porsche A40 BMW Longlife 01, 9 quarts.

The ACEA and API codes are the industry standard ratings for that particular oil.  The MB, BMW, VW and Porsche codes mean this oil was tested and approved by those manufacturers. Decoded, they tell you what cars Mobil 1 040 is right for.  We stock nine different blends of Mobil 1, each for a different application.  There are also a few cars that don’t use Mobil 1 – like the newest M-series BMW.  We have even more exotic oils in stock for them.

I use the word "exotic" because few oils meet the specifications of high end carmakers.  Walk the aisles of your local mass merchandiser.  Read the labels on the backs of the fifty-some different oils they should have in stock.  You will be lucky to find one single product that meets the Mercedes 229 spec, and you may not find any!  The same will be true for the VW or BMW requirements.   If you install an oil that does not meet specs for your car you are taking a big risk.

Every oil has its own unique description.  A BMW M3, a Mercedes E350 and a Range Rover all need synthetic oils, but the specific requirements for each car are different.  The result: we stock three different synthetics for those cars alone, one for each make and model.  And that's just motor oil for three sample vehicles - there is just as much variation in transmission fluid, coolant, and every other fluid in a modern automobile. A shop like ours has a lot of different fluids in stock!  

Oil technology is complex, and engines can be damaged when the wrong oil is used.  The requirement for a detailed description on the service bills allows motorists to look and see if the correct lubricant was used.

A 2003 Mercedes engine damaged by using the wrong oil

There are quite a few benefits to using the right fluids in a modern car.  The biggest benefit is that the use of correct oils and regular service can virtually eliminate wear.  Take a look at these two images, showing the same area on two engines; one had the wrong oil, and not enough changes.  The other one used the correct Mobil 1, changed every 7,500 miles from new.   As you can see, one motor is junk while the other looks as clean as the day it left the factory.

This 100,000 mile engine looks new, thanks to good service and the right oil

You will always get the right fluids at Robison Service, and with any luck, this change may encourage others to follow that lead.

John Elder Robison is a NY Times bestselling author and the founder of J E Robsion Service of Springfield, MA.  Robison Service is a long established Bosch car service specialist, with expertise in BMW, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes, Porsche, and Rolls Royce/Bentley motorcars. Find them online atwww.robisonservice.com or in the real world at 413-785-1665