oil- top up?

Hi All,
what is best oil to use to top up my 1977 2ltr type 4 engine, as i don't know what has been used in it and think i need to top up.

cheers Lee

 

<opens can of worms>

I use 15/40 mineral

<goes and sits down and waits for worms to leave can>

 

By the sounds of it you should do a full oil change, not just a top up.





I usually use the "Vintage" Halfords oil as it's the easiest to come by.

 

yep, do an oil change, you don't know whats in there. then you'll know where your up to oil change wise.

It's probably more important to keep your oil changes frequent than worry about what oil to use. I use a cheap,Wilcos, 20/50 mineral oil (because I've heard of scrapper ring and seal issues with modern synthetics in old style engines) and change every 2000mls

There's lots of opinion on here. Read up on it, want to die, move on ^-^

Oil is the coolant in these engines so it works hard. Older engines will carbon up the oil quicker as well. This plus no oil filter means frequent oil changes is the way.

Cheers
s

 

Thanks S

 

may as well check your g/box oil whilst your there, you never know till you do your own (in my opinion)

 

Helpful having a filter
Do the later engines still only use 2.5 litres of oil?
My bike uses that much, seems crazy using such a small amount of oil on an oil cooled motor! That's why I change mine so often.

Cheers
s

 

Yup, my type 4 glugs 2.5l of oil per oil change. I must say that once its settled and run round the engine a bit I do put another 1l in to top it back up and it seems fine.

 

T4's should take 3.5 litres with a filter change.

 

yep what birdy says, i buy 4.5 litres put 1 litre in a old clean gear oil bottle (with top extention) and the rest in the van that way you're bang on the level and have a handy top up bottle.

 

thanks gents.