Hi everyone, I am new to the veedub scene and just bought my first dub a few months ago. I have a 1976 microbus 1800cc. Can anyone tell me the best engine oil to use. I went to my local VW mechanic to get an oil change kit and he recommended I use Diesel 15w-40. Am not sure what type of engine oil is in the bus just now. Is it ok to use the 15w-40 to top up the oil in the meantime or should I do a complete oil change. Cheers

Ok to top up with, the diesel has been recommended as it has some good slippery stuff (ZDDP) in it that has been removed from later generation oils, there are many oil manufacturers out there with the right stuff, but I use and recommend ACE 30 (20W-40) which is Australian made/owned and designed for our air cooled engines (hence the name Air Cooled Engine oil)

Matt,
Were do you get the ACE30?

I read on aircooled tech talk that they recommend using a Synthetic (or semi) 20W-50 for new engines?
Any merit in that for the first few run ins.

BTW, I got stalked the other day. When I pulled up a fella jumped out and told me he had just inherited a 71 bus.
He did not it to look nice ("just like mine ).

He did want it to go fast though. I gave him your details Matt for the engine and Dave Butler for gearbox if you don't do them.
So expect a call soon form a fella who met a fella........

Cheers mate, I don't recommend Syn till after run in preferbly, but I'm also mainly using mineral oil. Synthetic is best in trannys but keeping it inside is a problem.
I sell ACE or look on the QPL (Quality Performance Lubes, located Baccus Marsh Vic) website for a distributer or they may supply direct.

Funny,
I was told Synthetic for the engine and Hypoid for the gearbox. Total reversal to you.

Alright then. You sell the ACE but you are on the Sunny Coast yeah?
Can you PM me a number so I can have a chat about with you about getting some ACE30.

Not sure I would drive all the way to the coast to get oil but my folks are often in Noosa. Maybe able to sort something out.

Cheers.

No worries, ph # is on the bottom of each of my posts

Well derrr brad.
Call you later.

Thanks, thats a great help.

check out classic oils from penrite the racing series 15w50 awesome 1350 parts of zinc if you need something thicker 25w60 nulon 1500 parts of zinc

Thick oil hurts engines from lack of volume. It is the volume of oil that is the only source of piston cooling so choose carefully. Also the wider the viscosity range, the more additives hence less actual oil in the brew

I don't know why people stay with mineral based oils other then rotarys with oil feed still connected, that's why they make syn products and ester blends like the racing series low vis high protection high zinc less friction more power I don't know why people are scared to protect their pride and joy... . I hear it everyday oils are oils, but I change the oil every 5 km so I can, cheap mineral in my car that's what I used for 20 years and and never hurt the engine but how ever oil manufactures never keep the same blend with base oils as they always need to make it stretch to the next model of car as matt said choose carefully

Synthetic oils do not transfer heat very well and are not recomended for air cooled engines. Ring the lubrication engineers at Mobil etc.

You will notice that the oil temperature is much lower with synthetic oils as it is not transferring the heat from the engine.

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/ 

just on the use of diesel oils in petrol engines. A number of fleet cars where I worked in the late eighties ended up with some very rattley engines. I was told it was because the fleet mechanic decide to stock and use just one oil, diesel oil in all cars, and that the diesel oil has more detergents and was stripping the bores too clean.

any knowledge on that point?

Brad Penn Green Oil
Valvoline VR1 Racing

http://www.aircooled.net/synthetic-vw-oil/ 
http://www.lnengineering.com/joegibbsracingoils.html 
I have been running penrite in all my engines but i will try the Joe Gibbs DT50 at my next oil change

just putting it out there.................... with the vw motor it's air cooled not oil cooled correct

Both.

found that lucas also make a syn and mineral based oil for the trusty vw ive just purchased a infra red temp gun so ill do some testing in a couple of weeks on head temps between mineral and syn oils lucas could be donating a bottle for me to try in the trusty buggy so I use that as a starting point as for the zinc massive amount

Mobil 1T V-Twin 20W-50 anyone used this ............................. sounds good I asked the mobil tech guys they recon this is the go a bit weird cause when asked a month or so ago they said no to syn oils interesting

Guys

If you used Joe Gibbs break in oil, can you switch to other brands after?

Cheers


Newt