Choosing engine oil

Any advice out there from the experts on what oil a turbo mini likes best?
I'm guessing there is a big compromise between what the turbo might like against what works best getting chopped around in the gearbox?
Old wisdom for naturally aspirated cars was to stay away from synthetics, but to change at 3000 miles.
Does this hold true, or do people now go for semi or full synthetics?
Brands? Viscosities? Change intervals?

Cheers.

i dont know how much help i can be but ill give you my experience and opinions.

i always used a 20/50w oil non synthetic in the mini , i used the kmart motor pro brand as recomended by graham russel. I have now heard thats its not the go anymore and castrol is better?

im unsure as i havent driven my mini since 2009..

When im back on the road i think i will be trying this>>

http://www.penngrade1.com/

supposed to be very good for performance engines but i havent tried. The dealer in australia is >>

Motorsport Connections PTY, LTD
Unit 15, 4a Foundry Rd
Seven Hills, Sydney NSW 2147
Australia

The Kmart oil in your turbo motor(s)??
Any idea why he likes "junk" oil?
I would have thought Castrol GTX at a minimum would have been recommended.
Interesting.

Yeah k-mart oil !! I dont know apparently was good stuff he had tested. I never had any problems but i dont think i will use again.

funny thing that. I remember hearing of the "cheaper" oils such as Kmart sometimes being made in the same factories as castrol and the like. It has good and bad times, it all depends on who gets the contract from Kmart, so for a while it will be made by a cheaper producer but then when the contract expires, someone like a castrol might get it and you get good oil. It isnt something publicised and I can't remember how you can tell, there may possibly be something about where its produced on the label?
There was a big explaination on one of the other (non-mini) forums a while ago. It's a strange idea having the cheapest oils sometimes being the best!

not an expert by any means but ive for the most part used Penrite HPR30

http://www.penriteoil.com.au/engineoils-products.php?id_categ=1&id_products=4

seams to be the best stuff ive used to keep the box quite and shifting nice when cold also from memory was able to get quite hot but not drop to much pressure

you can use castrol activ 4T motorbike oil. its dearer than car oil but has properties in it to protect the gearbox. i heard of this being used in alot of minis, road and race. i also heard this from the castrol rep one day when he came to work.
he said he had a mini and never had any problems, the problem with many oils now days is that alot of zinc has been taken out of the oil mixture causing alot quicker wear on parts.

thats just my bit,

robert

norm74 wrote:you can use castrol activ 4T motorbike oil. its dearer than car oil but has properties in it to protect the gearbox. i heard of this being used in alot of minis, road and race. i also heard this from the castrol rep one day when he came to work.
he said he had a mini and never had any problems,  the problem with many oils now days is that alot of zinc has been taken out of the oil mixture causing alot quicker wear on parts.

thats just my bit,

robert

Interesting   , I use this for my motorbike but never thought about it for the mini. But i was told not too use car oil for the motorbike as it can damage the gearbox .

how about some of the gearbox additive you can buy that are for normal boxes?

i had used the penrite HPR30 and it seemed to be good but then again i had a double roller bearing failure that trashed the whole lot whether that was the oil or just rough play?

i had tryed other brands and grades but they seemed to make the box noisy so didnt buy them any more n went back to hpr30

ohh anyone know if we aussies can walk in and buy millers CTV? that seems the nuts in uk

I am looking at two options either Gulf Western 25w70 older style performance engines or the Castrol Mini oil 20w50 not sure if you can get it here though, and see how it works.

I have used KMX as GR recommended and have done for years and never had an issue, though I have been burning a bit more of late and it can puff a small amount of smoke at idle when sitting for a little bit. never been two worried as the engine is a good 10 years old now and does cop a bit of a hard time when I drive it so, it is expected a little.

anyone tried these?