Engine oil

Brad, you might well "get what you paid for" but are you paying too much? Without exhaustive research and a slew of 100,000 mile side-by-side comparisons, I'm not convinced any benefit will be realized by simply selecting from the high-priced end of the shelf versus the lower-priced end....especially since most Jags are driven as though they were made out of glass and have the oil changed every 3,000 miles!

Not arguing. Just sayin' :-)

About a mllion years ago (it seems) I always bought Castrol GTX for my Jags. I dunno, it just seemed like "Castrol" and "Jaguar" went together like a hand in a glove. I felt pretty good doing it, too...as I did using OEM Jaguar oil filters at $10.50 each :-). I never really *knew* if Castrol was truly better for my engine. Never checked.

Time marches on, I'm not rich, and Jag V12s take almost 12 quarts of oil. When Castrol hit $5.00/quart the Chevron, Shell, and Valvoline alternatives at $2.49/quart started lookin' pretty good to me so, yeah, I jumped ship. If something horrible was supposed to happen to my engine as a result of my disloyalty and heathen-like decision, I never heard, felt, saw, or smelled it :-)

I'm pretty well convinced that a person would have to do some intense research ....excluding sales brochures and NASCAR testimonials.....before determining which oil is "best" for a Jag or any other engine. Even then the variables of driving conditions, engine condition, service intervals, and the like would have to be considered. At the end of the day I'm not sure "You get what you pay for" would necessarily be the best way to make the decision.

Oh well, I've rambled long enough. I'll stick with the notion that nowadays there are no bad oils and a Jag V12 would be OK with any name brand ....with a ZDDP additive thrown in for exra protection and that warm and fuzzy feeling.

I make no claim to my thoughts being more correct or less biased than anyone else's :-)

Cheers
DD

Other than repairing someone elses screw up, you don't tear down clean engines for rebuilding. Same with differentials. They are all as nasty as can be. I am a believer in nice clean oil of the best grade possible. I run synthetic in all of my vehicles. It withstands "coking" better than convential oils and does not sludge as easily. They say it also has a better cling on engines so start up lubrication is improved. This is important on engines that sit a lot. Can't really comment on what the inside of one of my personal engines looks like as they have not worn out yet.

If you really want to see some oil fights, a better site is www.bobistheoilguy.com. ;>))

FWIW, I run Castrol 20w/50 dino oil in my V-12.

Bill

No offense intended to Bill and I laud his extensive experience and dedication to the hobby. That said, I disagree with his premise that "the cheapest" oil is the way to go. It is simply nonsensical, unless you simply cannot afford the alternative. I've been in the car hobby for a long time as well and there are certainly many people who maintain their cars, hobby or otherwise on a shoe string budget and that is all well and fine. But when someone asks for advice on what oil to use in a Jaguar V12, "the cheapest" is simply not the right answer, IMHO.

Here's a recent picture of my progress in 1952 XK120 restoration. I installed my torsion bars on Sunday and am waiting on chrome to come back so I can install the emergency brake and handle.

I just pulled the head off the engine and am pulling off the oil pan, etc. later today. I will complete the engine rebuild by the end of the month then mount it on the chassis along with the additional running gear and new stainless steel exhaust. Then I will start the engine and make adjustments.

I hope to have my body work and paint work done by October then mount the body back on the chassis. I am hoping to show the car at next season's concouse events.

Bob

Just for the record, I have taken several Jaguars to William (Bill) Brady's shop in Sherman Oaks for major and minor work over the years. Bill specializes in Jaguars, Land Rovers and Rolls Royces. I have known Bill since the early 1980's and trust his advice implicitly.

Personally I feed my cat's the best grade of oil because it gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling when I hear them purr with delight. However, I see nothing wrong in Bill's advice.

Bob
La Verne, CA

William - The only reason governments use recycled oil is because of cost, not performance. They do not have to worry about the long term performance of equipment because when it expires they simply replace it. The recycled oil is not used in state of the art equipment. It is used in the likes of ground support equipment (GSE) and such. Machines that require state-of-the-art lubricants, like aircraft, use only "virgin" synthetic oils for lubrication. Sure, you can save money by using non-synthetic and recycled oil, but as in all cases, you get what you pay for. The life of Howard's V-12 will be directly proportional to the quality of oil he chooses and how often he elects to change it.

Thanks to everyone for the advise. William, it is a 74 Roadster

Hello Brad, After 50 years in this business at EVERY level I believe I know what I am talking about. If you have a different point of view, state what it is and let others decide. I have never been accused of offering or writing NONSENSE. Almost 40 years ago I was involved in an experimental BP programme focusing on the uses of recycled oil. After extensive testing it was found that the recycled oil had a higher break down level and was a better lubricant than "Virgin Oil" The outcome surprised most of us, but as a result, many European Governments and particularly Military establishments switched to RECYCLED ONLY, that is still the case today. Not only has it spread to civilian use but the vehicle service industry is able to sell it's used oil OVER & OVER again, Lookup oil recycling in the USA and see what happens to ours! By the way multi grade oils are a compromise!

The subject of motor oil always brings out various opinions.

I'm no authority but I doubt that it's even possible to buy a poor quality motor oil these days. That is, I can't think of any brand (or price range) that will cause direct harm or damage. Personally I buy whatever name brand is on sale that day. Valvoline, Shell, Castrol, whatever.

That said, different formulations to have different attributes that you might want to reseach. For example some owners of older (non-catalytic converter) cars look for oils that have a high ZDDP content....something the majority of modern oils have much less of. This lack of zinc could conceivably increase engine wear over the long term....over the course of 75k or 100k miles, perhaps? It's been the subject of much debate in the last few years. I'll add that you can buy ZDDP additives to supplement a low-zinc oil. Easy deal.

Synthetics are particularly good with respect to tolerating heat and many claim it helps prevent wear on cold starts....something that might be worth considering if the car sits for long periods between drives.

Your Jag doesn't *require* anything exotic and I'll wager anything sold today is better than what the factory used in 1974....although the issue of zinc content might cast that remark in a different light. In any case, I have doubts that paying a higher price for your oil will necessarily be of any benefit, especially if the car stays off the race track, runs cool, and the oil is changed regularly. There's always the feel good factor of treating your car to expensive products....sorta like buying the most expensive tennis shoes for your kids :-)

You can spend months researching the subject. Of course every manufacturer claims to be the best and many owners have their own favorites and loyalties....sometimes based on research, sometimes based on nothing more than grandad's admonishments.

In the end, for a pre-cat converter car, I'd go with the cheapest name brand and use a ZDDP additive for good measure.

Just my two cents.

Cheers
DD

The cheapest? Really? Please, please do not listen to such nonsense. I would recommend Castrol Edge 10W-60 full synthetic and change it every 5,000 miles (or less). Change it annually if you do not drive at least 5,000 miles per year. 10W-60 may not be readily available at your local auto parts store, but they can order it for you. If they say they can't then go to another store.

Other full synthetics, Mobile1, etc., of the same viscosity will work too. You have a valuable classic there. Don't "go cheap" if only to save yourself headaches and to preserve it for future generations.

Congradualtions, you have one of the Best E types made, what year and body is it? As for oil, my opinion is the cheapest! As long as it is from a good source, Pep Boys etc, The really important thing is to change it regularly, every 3000 miles 0r twice yearly for low usage cars. Also depending on climate you can change with the seasons. I use straight weight oils and in los angeles a 30 or 40 .AND, do not warm it up by letting it run on choke, drive the car as soon as the oil pressure is registered.