How much oil
- Thread starter Adtheman
- Start date
Adtheman
Well-known user
Thank you I did read this as 5 quarts which I believe is 4.75 lts but I just wanted to check with someone who had experience of changing as you can’t always trust everything you read on internet. Am I right in thinking that race car project is yours? It’s looking amazing some very nice work there
Chuffer
CCCUK Member
Indeed I hope so too as Rosbbc says . The selection of correct oil is a bit of a mine field with so much info and variations in opinion out there . I use Valvoline VR1 20W 50 which from memory on past research has 1000ppm ZZBP ( zinc , phosperous etc ) or slightly higher . It`s a racing oil suitable for older engines and performance street cars . I seem to recall that Valvoline recommend 3000 mile oil changes on street cars which is not an issue as only do 2 to 3 thousand miles anyway .
kentvette
CCCUK Member
The book does indeed say 5 US Quarts. I changed the oil on my '78 last week and I have noted in my manual to add only 4 IMPERIAL quarts in the first instance. This is with the correct PF1218 filter, not the short PF454. I have found that 4 Imp quarts will take it to the "full" mark. That may be because the sump is full of crud(!)
but in any event, I don't want it overfilled.
As for the oil, I have used Millers Classic Pistonease 20-50 Mineral for years now. When I lived in the UK I did use Valvoline for a while, but it's too difficult to get now and Millers is at the least as good. Unless the engine has been recently rebuilt its important to stay with a mineral oil and one that has the appropriate ZDDP. The amount of that is dependant on the other properties in the oil, so it's no longer fully accurate to say it must have a certain PPM, but Valvoline, Millers. and now even Duckhams Mineral oil are all within the required spec for our older engines.
I'll resist the temptation to say that an oil and filter change really is job for the "home mechanic"
but in any event, I don't want it overfilled. As for the oil, I have used Millers Classic Pistonease 20-50 Mineral for years now. When I lived in the UK I did use Valvoline for a while, but it's too difficult to get now and Millers is at the least as good. Unless the engine has been recently rebuilt its important to stay with a mineral oil and one that has the appropriate ZDDP. The amount of that is dependant on the other properties in the oil, so it's no longer fully accurate to say it must have a certain PPM, but Valvoline, Millers. and now even Duckhams Mineral oil are all within the required spec for our older engines.
I'll resist the temptation to say that an oil and filter change really is job for the "home mechanic"
Corvetteville
CCCUK Member
Miller's mineral for me too. Opie oils + 10% discount.
Chuffer
CCCUK Member
Ye gods ! Kentvette , You mention a home mechanic , does that mean there are other sorts of mechanic ? I hope I haven`t been toiling laboriously all these years and didn`t need to
As for obtaining Valvoline VR1 , I have had no trouble so far and found it easily available on Amazon / Ebay as I need some more soon my next service . When I first appeared at my mates workshop where he preps and builds race cars and I keep my Corvette carrying a can of VR1 to do a service on it , he said " I see you managed to the right stuff then ".
As for obtaining Valvoline VR1 , I have had no trouble so far and found it easily available on Amazon / Ebay as I need some more soon my next service . When I first appeared at my mates workshop where he preps and builds race cars and I keep my Corvette carrying a can of VR1 to do a service on it , he said " I see you managed to the right stuff then ".
Roscobbc
Moderator
Usually pop in to Burton Performance on the A12 Eastern Avenue at Ilford and buy it over the counter.Ye gods ! Kentvette , You mention a home mechanic , does that mean there are other sorts of mechanic ? I hope I haven`t been toiling laboriously all these years and didn`t need to
As for obtaining Valvoline VR1 , I have had no trouble so far and found it easily available on Amazon / Ebay as I need some more soon my next service . When I first appeared at my mates workshop where he preps and builds race cars and I keep my Corvette carrying a can of VR1 to do a service on it , he said " I see you managed to the right stuff then ".
kentvette
CCCUK Member
Ye gods ! Kentvette , You mention a home mechanic , does that mean there are other sorts of mechanic ? I hope I haven`t been toiling laboriously all these years and didn`t need to
As for obtaining Valvoline VR1 , I have had no trouble so far and found it easily available on Amazon / Ebay as I need some more soon my next service . When I first appeared at my mates workshop where he preps and builds race cars and I keep my Corvette carrying a can of VR1 to do a service on it , he said " I see you managed to the right stuff then ".
Well, there's only the one sort of mechanic for me - that's the "home" kind and, its Joe Muggins!Funnily enough, I see that Opie do Valvoline, which I have not been aware of in the past. I doubt I'll be changing now though, Millers has served me well for getting on 20 years now I realise. Blimey, I'm getting old!
Buy the way, I was interested in your steam loco story in Vette News a little while ago. You didn't do the footplate video of the Flying Scotsman did you? I was well into road steam when I was younger, but didn't get to become a driver or anything. Alas, the steam age passed France by, so we never see a road loco or even a traction engine now.....
Chuffer
CCCUK Member
Funnily enough, I see that Opie do Valvoline, which I have not been aware of in the past. I doubt I'll be changing now though, Millers has served me well for getting on 20 years now I realise. Blimey, I'm getting old!
Buy the way, I was interested in your steam loco story in Vette News a little while ago. You didn't do the footplate video of the Flying Scotsman did you? I was well into road steam when I was younger, but didn't get to become a driver or anything. Alas, the steam age passed France by, so we never see a road loco or even a traction engine now.....
Hi Monsieur Kentvette , Ca va ? I have heard of Joe Muggins , is he any good ? If so maybe he can fix my cars for me
. If you have been using Millers for 20 years you must be nearly as long in the tooth as me . Some car owners I know would have carried out two oil changes in that time !!By the look of all these latest posts Valvoline VR1 is coming out of the woodwork all over the place !!
Glad you enjoyed my ramblings in Vette News . I wasn`t involved in the Flying Scotsman footplate video . Do you mean the filming of it when it recreated its famous non stop London to Edinburgh run a few years back that featured on TV amongst other media ? I have been involved in other filming over the years and probably been photographed more times than Robert Redford over my railway years , but then i am better looking I guess
I don`t know if you saw the filming of that idiot Jeremy Clarkson on TV when the new build loco `Tornado ` did a 100mph test run . Trust me , the blackened faces were not made up for media effect , that`s how you look after covering a couple of hundred miles at speed on the footplate ! You start off squeeky clean like the my photos in the magazine and end up coal black from head to toe after breathing in clag like we are generating in the shot below of us leaving Glasgow Central Station heading for Crewe . I am on the second loco .
All the smoke soon stops going straight up and blows along the boiler in the slip stream at anything over about 50 mph !
The French had great steam loco engineers like Andre Chapelon who were well ahead of their time but French railways went over to diesel and electric traction well ahead of the UK because their railways were blown to hell and back during WW2 . The same applied to Germany too .
Chuffer
CCCUK Member
Hi Oneball , I use a short filter But my C3 had an engine swap during its past life to 1985 305 cu inch from a Camaro IROC - Z and thats what was described for it .
kentvette
CCCUK Member
Hi Monsieur Kentvette , Ca va ? I have heard of Joe Muggins , is he any good ? If so maybe he can fix my cars for me
By the look of all these latest posts Valvoline VR1 is coming out of the woodwork all over the place !!
Glad you enjoyed my ramblings in Vette News . I wasn`t involved in the Flying Scotsman footplate video . Do you mean the filming of it when it recreated its famous non stop London to Edinburgh run a few years back that featured on TV amongst other media ? I have been involved in other filming over the years and probably been photographed more times than Robert Redford over my railway years , but then i am better looking I guess
I don`t know if you saw the filming of that idiot Jeremy Clarkson on TV when the new build loco `Tornado ` did a 100mph test run . Trust me , the blackened faces were not made up for media effect , that`s how you look after covering a couple of hundred miles at speed on the footplate ! You start off squeeky clean like the my photos in the magazine and end up coal black from head to toe after breathing in clag like we are generating in the shot below of us leaving Glasgow Central Station heading for Crewe . I am on the second loco .View attachment 7188
All the smoke soon stops going straight up and blows along the boiler in the slip stream at anything over about 50 mph !
The French had great steam loco engineers like Andre Chapelon who were well ahead of their time but French railways went over to diesel and electric traction well ahead of the UK because their railways were blown to hell and back during WW2 . The same applied to Germany too .
Hi. I didn't see the Clarkson thing, but there was a film of a run on the Flying Scotsman, with no commentary, juts the footplate sounds and occasional chat. I've just been reading a mag about traction engines and the writer was bemoaning how (I think) Ruston engines always managed to cover the driver in oil from the cranks! We used to keep special jackets for attending TE rallies, so we didn't get smutts all over all our clothes
I'm not well versed in French railway stuff - I do know they had a super narrow gauge network, but on the land/road, they seemed to go from horse power to diesel. I passed up a chance to do something similar to you as I was down in Ashford when the Tenterden Town Railway (as it was then) was in its very early days and they needed volunteers on weekends.
kentvette
CCCUK Member
I used a short filter (PF454) for a year or two, but managed to get a supply of the long 1218's from the Corvette Club France. I think I have two left after this years change. Given our old engine's 127k miles, it needs all the help the bigger filter can give!
Oneball
CCCUK Member
The way it took off from a standing start was pretty quick for any lorry even a modern one.