Motor Oil Grade for Dino.

I use 0-60 Helix. 15-50 Q also seems to work well. I have used 40W Rotella in the past.

 

Castrol GTX 20-50 (My vote is in.)

 

MOTUL 300V Le Mans 20W60

 

I just checked the manual. "Shell Super 100" for normal use and Shell 10W-30 for very cold (below 5F!) weather. Of course, Shell was a sponsor, so that's why they're recommended. I'm guessing that Super 100 was a 20W-50, but it doesn't say so in the book.

 

What about the whole ZDDP issue? My understanding is that the 20-50 high mileage oils are still okay, such as Castrol or Valvoline high-mileage.... Unless you want to go Brad-Penn, etc...

 

there are several threads on the additive question. Yes, it is also my understanding that the high mileage, and motorcycle use oils both have higher levels.

As to which oil to use? 20W-50 all the way.

Uro - it is what is in there now, it is what has been in there since the day I bought it. I've used Royal Purple and Castrol. I did not make the switch to high mileage oil when the talk of additives started. I considered going to Brad-Penn last change, but did not.

OH, and DON'T USE SYNTHETIC. Your car will leak like a guy with a bad prostate if you do.

DM

 

A few years ago when I was in the market for a Dino I checked with a Shell oil engineer who told me Shell Super 100 was 10W-40. He also recommended (of course) a Shell product--Rotella T Synthetic 5W-40--for use in the car IF the engine had already been rebuilt and the original seals replaced.

Regarding the ZDDP issue, the Shell Rotella mentioned above is a heavy duty engine oil meant for mixed fleet (diesel and gas) use and has plenty of zinc and phosphorus. I'm now using this oil in my 328. No need to go to a 20W-50 unless other reasons drive such a decision.

 

I ordered a case of the Swepco oil. The Ferrari mechanic here (out East) had never seen it. Seems the West coast guys swear by it, and it's all that was ever used in my car. Folks at Southwest Petrol couldn't have been nicer about shipping it to me.

 

Just for giggles, Google "Exxon Elite", its a 20W50 aviation oil that lays claim to being the only third generation av oil out there. Its a semi-synthetic and highly reputed but I haven't tried it yet in my Dino. Go to the wear charts and check out the comparisons, very impressive. It could replace the 15W50 AeroShell I have in it now.

 

Not only did I use Castrol GTX 20w50 in the Dino (246) engine and in all my Fiat engines, but I've used it in most of my gearboxes as well: both ZF and Fiat transmissions (fyi, a 50w motor oil is like a 90w gear oil). Probably 150,000 miles of driving old Italians over the last ten years or so with no problems.

Sometimes I'll use Kendall motor oil in the engine instead when I happen to have it handy. But the Castrol I can buy anywhere so it gets used 90% of the time.

 

Not my experience. I run a synthetic 10w50w and absolutely no leaks. Suggest you get your prostate looked at

 

I use Motul 300V since 1982...

 

Motul 300V LeMans in all my cars.

 

I voted. I have had good experience with Redline gear oils, and am shifting to their synthetic motor oil shortly.

Andy

 

I forgot to add the weight. It seems to work wonders.

 

With all due respect, this thread is the blind leading the blind. Go to www.bobistheoilguy.com and do some reading.
While oils like GTX used to be fine for Dinos, manufacturers have been forced to decrease zinc and phosphate levels in oils sold for current gas engines. Cars with non-roller bearing cam followers like ours need more zinc -- which is what the oils approved for both gas and diesel engines provide.

Regarding weight-- it depends on how you drive the car. If you track the car or drive somewhere where you see high oil temps a lot, the 20-50 probably makes sense. Back when these cars were new owners would likely run on the autostrada for a few hours at 130mph and they needed the high viscosity for that use. (But I have also read that the Shell 100 was more like 10-40 than 20-50.)

The high-mileage 20-50s are VERY high viscosity (over 18 as I recall) and you will get poor lubrication upon startup. (10-40 is in the 14's, 20-50 about 16, if I recall correctly.)

The best choice of any old car is one of the gas-diesel approved ones like Rotella, Delo, or Delvac.

I used to use Castrol GTX 20-50 under the mistaken belief that that was what I should use, then I switched to Mobil 1 red top 15-50 because it had good low-temp viscosity numbers until Mobil reformulated it to the junk "EP" gold top, then I switched to Rotella T synthetic 5-40.

I did not note any significant change in oil leakage when I switched to synthetics-- these engines tend to "weep" oil anyway.

Whatever you do, do NOT use an oil marked "energy conserving" in your old car.

Jim

 

I won't comment on bob the oil guy, but you do make a good point about the zinc. It's easy enough to use one of the commonly available additives (lucas or 4-cyl stp for example) if there are any owners out there driving the cars enough to be worried about premature cam wear. I don't have the Dino anymore but I do put about 20k miles a year on a lesser Italian with the same cam and shim setup every year and personally I'm not that worried about lack of zinc.

 

ZDDP is what has been traditionally used to deliver phosphorus to the valvetrain. What the API reduced was the limits on phosphorus, not zinc.

 

http://www.bradpennracing.com/