Engine oil
- Thread starter dero
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As has already been mentioned it is important with any flat tappet engine (rather than roller) to ensure that you use a high zinc oil to prevent cam and follower wear. After years of providing protection against wear, zinc was generally removed from engine oil as it destroys catalytic converters. Some manufacturers manufacture engine oils that are high zinc content specifically for older motorcycles. Diesel oils are high in zinc but are also high in detergent. The detergent can lift grunge deposits and have them lodge in small oilways (such as bigends) where the grunge deposit can prevent proper oiling with nasty consequences. If your engine has been stripped and everything properly cleaned then diesel oil is ideal.What no one has mentioned is that oils for LPG engines are also high zinc and are suitable. I use Penrite Gas 25W-60 and have done for a while now.
Ando
Ando
While the oils of today are no doubt superior to the stuff we put in old bangers some 40 years ago, I would avoid using oils that were primarily intended for use in plain bearing water cooled engines. Andover Norton recommend straight 40 HD oil for this reason because they say high temperatures with high pressure in a roller bearing engine will cause multis(20w'50) to give up quickly and leave you with the base oil 20w.
Penrite make a number of oils suitable for 4 stroke motor cycles, including the older classics. These include HPR Gas 20W-60, Enduro 25W-70 and HD SAE 50-70 to name a few.
The Penrite technical article says both the HD and Enduro oils are "also ideal for Classic British motorcycles including single cylinder 350 to 500cc low revving enines and 500 to 650 cc Parallel twins". Penrite also says the HPR Gas 20w-60 is suitable for four stroke motorcycles with integrated clutches/transmissions and is Penrites primary recommendation for post 1992 Harley Davidson m/cycles. Penrite also recommend HPR Gas for use in Bonneville T140 and TSS 750, 1973-1988.
All of the abovementioned oils have in excess of 1000ppm of zinc, which is more than adequate for wear protection on tappets etc.
I currently use HPR Gas in my Bonneville, Commando and Harley.
Bazz
1970 T120R Bonneville
1973 750 Commando
1993 Harley Dyna Wide Glide
1979 BMW R100S
Penrite make a number of oils suitable for 4 stroke motor cycles, including the older classics. These include HPR Gas 20W-60, Enduro 25W-70 and HD SAE 50-70 to name a few.
The Penrite technical article says both the HD and Enduro oils are "also ideal for Classic British motorcycles including single cylinder 350 to 500cc low revving enines and 500 to 650 cc Parallel twins". Penrite also says the HPR Gas 20w-60 is suitable for four stroke motorcycles with integrated clutches/transmissions and is Penrites primary recommendation for post 1992 Harley Davidson m/cycles. Penrite also recommend HPR Gas for use in Bonneville T140 and TSS 750, 1973-1988.
All of the abovementioned oils have in excess of 1000ppm of zinc, which is more than adequate for wear protection on tappets etc.
I currently use HPR Gas in my Bonneville, Commando and Harley.
Bazz
1970 T120R Bonneville
1973 750 Commando
1993 Harley Dyna Wide Glide
1979 BMW R100S
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Rohan, The idea was for people to read the article and hopefully understand a bit about oils.
Not to neccessarily try to buy Mobil 1.
AC.
Not to neccessarily try to buy Mobil 1.
AC.
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Gerry would catch air on a special cresting turn on his Cdo in Italy. He bought Ms Peel's kidney hole brake rotor by Heinz K. but had aortic aneurysm after a UK ride with his brother while enjoying home BBQ. He was looking forward to putting it on but never got to. We got to meet '04 in Ohio. Now we see off the shelf Mobil 1 ain't what it was in his article, so I've given up on it.
The detergents are a good thing in our blow by engines and will not break loose clots like in old days of putting old non detergent engine on new diet of modern oil package. Best time to use hi detergent is on initial run in to get it out of the system then change after initial heat up. Oil filter keep the passages clear but do nothing for the wear particles size getting through, only new oil or fine bypass filtering does.
Gerry was one of my closer BI buddies now gone, He almost had to quit the Cdo hobby in '02 d/t pending knee replacement surgery but showed him how to regrow neck and it fixed his knee to stay on it on bike and hikes on travels. Wish we'd known about the aorta lurking. Ride it like its the last time every time.
The detergents are a good thing in our blow by engines and will not break loose clots like in old days of putting old non detergent engine on new diet of modern oil package. Best time to use hi detergent is on initial run in to get it out of the system then change after initial heat up. Oil filter keep the passages clear but do nothing for the wear particles size getting through, only new oil or fine bypass filtering does.
Gerry was one of my closer BI buddies now gone, He almost had to quit the Cdo hobby in '02 d/t pending knee replacement surgery but showed him how to regrow neck and it fixed his knee to stay on it on bike and hikes on travels. Wish we'd known about the aorta lurking. Ride it like its the last time every time.
Dero,
I am using HPR gas 40 this is readily available and the GAS type oil has extra zinc, to help prevent valve guides drying out on LPG applications. But the extra Zinc is beneficial for flat tappet cams, so it helps with cam wear on Commando's.
Cheers Richard
I am using HPR gas 40 this is readily available and the GAS type oil has extra zinc, to help prevent valve guides drying out on LPG applications. But the extra Zinc is beneficial for flat tappet cams, so it helps with cam wear on Commando's.
Cheers Richard
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I prefer either Brad Penn or Silkolene, based upon the recommendations of Frank Diehl, the gentleman who did my restoration. Both of these oils have a ZDDP content in the 1400 PPM range. I also use an NOS Lockhart oil cooler connected via a JAGG oil cooler thermostat. (well WAS NOS until I started using it)
dero said:
Diesel oil in the four stroke engines should be avoided, every body knows that the DERV engine produces a lot of blow-by into the engine, hence the large amount of detergents in this oil to cleanse this out, I wouldn’t use it even if it was free.
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Its more than ok to run diesel rated oil in our Nortons for a number of reasons.
Especially initial run in/break in to clean up and suspend assembly crap and new surfacing metal dust and unsealed ring blow by. I ran out of the older gooder Mobll One we can get no more half a decade ago so put in Rottela I use in tractor and lawn mower and diesel gen set then looked it up to see if I'd fubbed up to find it a good thing that's become my standard last half decade. Generally I can only find 15-40 grade but that falls in zone of temps our cool running engines like.
I've montiored oil and head and exht temps idle to WILD to know it takes deadly danergous WOT low gear use for many miles to get oil, head and exht temps up to maxium that 50 grade might be a bit better but then again at these red line-ish rpms the oil flow is more than sufficient to keep part surfing on lower drag viscosity. You absolutely can not over heat a Norton sitting in still air in 100'F direct sun shine if just idling as fuel burn so low its the lowest temp running you will ever see and ANY throttle to just barely get rolling will spike temps in seconds up to low normal operating temps but at risk of so slow turning the oil wedge is iffy on the lifters and cam lobes. So in reality what feels like safe easy use can be most damaging.
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/
Especially initial run in/break in to clean up and suspend assembly crap and new surfacing metal dust and unsealed ring blow by. I ran out of the older gooder Mobll One we can get no more half a decade ago so put in Rottela I use in tractor and lawn mower and diesel gen set then looked it up to see if I'd fubbed up to find it a good thing that's become my standard last half decade. Generally I can only find 15-40 grade but that falls in zone of temps our cool running engines like.
I've montiored oil and head and exht temps idle to WILD to know it takes deadly danergous WOT low gear use for many miles to get oil, head and exht temps up to maxium that 50 grade might be a bit better but then again at these red line-ish rpms the oil flow is more than sufficient to keep part surfing on lower drag viscosity. You absolutely can not over heat a Norton sitting in still air in 100'F direct sun shine if just idling as fuel burn so low its the lowest temp running you will ever see and ANY throttle to just barely get rolling will spike temps in seconds up to low normal operating temps but at risk of so slow turning the oil wedge is iffy on the lifters and cam lobes. So in reality what feels like safe easy use can be most damaging.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shell_Rotella_T
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/
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hobot said:
But you can melt your oil lines to the head (the stock kind), if you let your bike idle after running it hot. My brother had this experience after getting pulled over for a speeding violation, and foolishly did not turn off the bike.
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