I am curious if you could share your experiences and choice of which oils you use for both break in and general use?
I understand different engines and applications will require different oils. I find the following information fairly interesting:
http://www.lnengineering.com/oil.html
This quote is from Jake Rabys forum site, and although he is a good salesman (as dave agrees!), I still find his r&d work to be very comprehensive (even though it sometimes does validate his own products etc).
I see it though that a recommendation of a particular oil doesn't line his own pocket so I thought I'd share the info:
"If you are not currently aware of recent changes to motor oils, please be advised that the current API SM or API CJ-4 motor oils are not acceptable for use in your air cooled engines as they were previously.
We have been closely monitoring issues with cam and lifters as well as bearing surfaces for many years now. Most recently, changes to motor oil formulations have made these problems worse. After almost a year of testing motor oils and hundreds of observations, we now believe that an API SG, SH, or SJ motor oil is ideal for both the longevity and reliability of your air cooled engine.
For all customers ready to break in their engine, we mandate using Brad Penn 30 WT Break-in oil. After 100 miles of operation or for those currently running other motor oils, customers should switch to Brad Penn 20w50 for mild to hot climates; those with cold start up temperatures below 32F but no hotter 72F ambient air temperatures, Brad Penn 10w30 is acceptable. Customers should adopt a 3000 mi or 6 month oil change interval- whichever comes first.
Brad Penn Racing Oils are formulated with the optimal levels of anti-wear additives and detergents. In dyno testing, long term street use, and the abuse of racing, Brad Penn has shown a remarkable ability to handle excessive oil temperatures without breaking down or forming sludge, with minimum of viscosity loss, while protecting critical engine components. This makes Brad Penn ideal for use in all air cooled engines.
For those unfamiliar with Brad Penn, it is made by the American Refining Group, located on Kendall Ave. in Bradford, PA. That fact alone hints on this company’s origins, as they were the original producers of Kendall motor oils we came to depend on for decades. When the Kendall brand was sold to another company and Kendall oils ceased to perform to our satisfaction, the American Refining Group took over operations and renamed the product Brad Penn. Unfortunately it has taken us so many years to discover this long lost friend."
Dasdubber DAS Resto Haus
5,746 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·
