So, what oil do you use?

[Andy_k]

Thats down to the garage i think, im sure you can get it on a 2 poster with the right bits of wood.

[zevans]

In my 8 I\'ve used Mazda\'s own (anyone know who makes that really?) and been topping up with either more of Mazda\'s own or Esso 5w/30 semi-synth - because so far it\'s the only 5w-30 I\'ve seen anywhere excepting Carlube (and can\'t bring myself to put Carlube in...)

Smooth as a baby\'s bum and not consuming too much. I\'m about to change it again because it was last done just before a track day and I\'ve done 2.5 k since!

[oilman]

It\'s made by Total and it\'s Total Quartz 9000 5w-30.

I actually sell this stuff but use Fuchs/Silkolene XTR 5w-30 in my RX8. Done 12,000 miles now and she\'s running fine.

Cheers
Simon

[Fish]

I forgot to say I use Redline Heavy duty for the diff and gearboxes of both my cars.

Fish

[MillSpeed]

Castrol GTX 10w40 in mine.

[g11ary]

cant believe, was in Asda yesterday and they have 4.5 ltrs £2.60

[Den]

I\'ve always used BP mineral to keep it topped up, 10-40 i think it is. As for oil changes i take to the local kwik fit, not sure what brand they use but i\'m nearly sure its 10-40 aswell.

[zevans]

Originally posted by oilman
It\'s made by Total and it\'s Total Quartz 9000 5w-30.

I actually sell this stuff but use Fuchs/Silkolene XTR 5w-30 in my RX8. Done 12,000 miles now and she\'s running fine.

Cheers
Simon

Thanks...

What\'s the price differential between the two?

[clive]

Personally l have used 76 Racing 10/40 (mineral) for the last few years.

I have told our members for years now, stick to a 10/30 or 10/40
mineral oil, and have worked on the theory of, if it ain\'t broke don\'t fix it as these engines don\'t ever appear to suffer from any problems with their oil systems providing you change it regularly.
( 3,000 miles)

Getting into synthetic can get very complicated and at best can get confusing and at worst you could break the sealing on your tips leading to a reduction in compression.


Mineral keeps it simple ! and as Gary says it\'s even available in Supermarkets.

I have been surprised by Mazda\'s use of low  viscosity oil in the RX-8, indeed l have worked with one of their Main dealer\'s  with one of the \'\'non starting\'\' RX-8\'s, and by putting conventional \'Rotary\' grade oil into  it cured it\'s starting, this is because the Rotary relies on the \'\'guts\'\' in the oil holding out the tips onto the walls of the Rotor housing thus ensuring a good seal and thus good compression.  

Hope this helps

[oilman]

Bear in mind that most synthetics are not synthetic at all, they\'re hydrocracked (modified mineral) oils and contain no proper synthetic basestocks (poly alpha olefins, esters) but just your plain old mineral oils more finely refined.

These oils are suitable as they are not synthetics at all.

A semi-synthetic 10w-40 is basically the same as a mineral 10w-40 but with better film strength and lubrication properties.

“HYDROCRACKED” (HC) or MOLECULARLY CONVERTED (MC) BASESTOCKS

There are many petroleum oils available on the market that are so pure and refined, they can now be passed off as synthetics.

They are not made from true synthetic basestocks (at least not in the way that synthetics have traditionally been defined), but they have so little in common with traditional petroleum basestocks, it is really somewhat silly to classify them as petroleum oils.

Petroleum oil basestocks can be put through a super-extreme refining process called “hydrocracking”. In some cases, as in the case of one particular name-brand "synthetic" oil, these highly refined petroleum basestocks can actually be termed and sold as "synthetic".

It is completely legal for lubricants manufacturers to label these oils as "synthetic".

These are extremely high performance petroleum basestocks, but they are not truly synthetic the way that most people understand the term and will not necessarily perform to the same level as a premium synthetic oil like PAO (poly alfa olefins) or Esters.

Hydrocracking involves changing the actual structure of many of the oil basestock molecules by breaking and fragmenting different molecular structures into far more stable ones. This results in a basestock which has far better thermal and oxidative stability as well as a better ability to maintain proper viscosity through a wide temperature range - when compared to a typical petroleum basestock.

Although contaminants are still present, and these are still petroleum basestocks, contamination is minimal and performance characteristics are high. This process also can turn a wider range of crude oil stock into well-performing petroleum lubricant basestocks.

Cheers
Simon

[oilman]

Originally posted by clive

I have been surprised by Mazda\'s use of low  viscosity oil in the RX-8, indeed l have worked with one of their Main dealer\'s  with one of the \'\'non starting\'\' RX-8\'s, and by putting conventional \'Rotary\' grade oil into  it cured it\'s starting, this is because the Rotary relies on the \'\'guts\'\' in the oil holding out the tips onto the walls of the Rotor housing thus ensuring a good seal and thus good compression.  

Hope this helps

I\'m not surprised by this Clive as a "thin" oil is fine as long as it\'s shear stable and is changed on a regular basis.

The main reasons for the move (generally with all OEM\'s) to 0w and 5w oils are:

Fuel Economy
Emissions
Cold start protection

5w-30 works fine in the Renesis engine and as I\'m using around 1L per 1000 miles the oil doesn\'t have time time shear.

Cheers
Simon

[oilman]

Originally posted by zevans
Thanks...

What\'s the price differential between the two?

Silkolene Fuchs XTR 5w-30 (incl vat and carriage)

10x1 litres £51.19
2x5 litres £49.89
4x5 litres £76.99
25 litres £87.49

Cheers
Simon

[peterch]

I use servol 10w30 produced by Morris\'s of Shrewsbury.