60 weight oil for tensioners

[Norm01]

Well I dropped by my auto parts store looking for 60 weight oil to rebuild my tensioners and couldn't find any. Any ideas on which brand to use and where to get it.

[304065]

60 weight not as important as having Jaegermeister

see this thread

http://www.early911sregistry.org/for...571#post714571

[edmayo]

Well I dropped by my auto parts store looking for 60 weight oil to rebuild my tensioners and couldn't find any. Any ideas on which brand to use and where to get it.

Try motorcycle shops.

[Norm01]

Try motorcycle shops.

Thanks Ed, I think you're right since most of my online searches kept leading to motorcycle oil. I'll check it out this weekend.

[Bernie B]

My $0.02 worth. There is a more modern way, use a good synthetic motor oil. Mobil-1 is our house brand, I use the 10-40 but one can also use the 15-50. I would venture to say the tensioners will react a lot quicker without the molasses. They will certainly will run cooler, not stress the O-rings and seals as much and lubricate them-self's internally much better. I prefer the 930 isolated tensioners over the Carrera pressure fed and have rebuilt more that I can remember without a failure to date. However a failsafe / safety kit is highly recommended no matter what you choose.

[Norm01]

My $0.02 worth. There is a more modern way, use a good synthetic motor oil. Mobil-1 is our house brand, I use the 10-40 but one can also use the 15-50. I would venture to say the tensioners will react a lot quicker without the molasses. They will certainly will run cooler, not stress the O-rings and seals as much and lubricate them-self's internally much better. I prefer the 930 isolated tensioners over the Carrera pressure fed and have rebuilt more that I can remember without a failure to date. However a failsafe / safety kit is highly recommended no matter what you choose.

I've got lots of Mobil 1 0W40, would that do? and I do have the collars on them.

[RSTarga]

Ed has a lot of experience. I'd follow his advice.

[Norm01]

Ok Ed, what do you think. Would you try Mobil 1 10W40 or 0W40

[M_deJong]

A hydraulic damping system works on the basis of orifice size and oil viscosity. Changing a system designed for straight 60 weight oil to a low base viscosity multi grade does not compute for me. The damping characteristics will change.

[edmayo]

Ok Ed, what do you think. Would you try Mobil 1 10W40 or 0W40

Actually that was already tried when the tensioners were new, so in the seventies when tensioner failure was not uncommon we decided to try a higher viscosity oil in the hopes that it wouldn't seep past the seals as easily. I don't know that we ever saw a failure with those tensioners. Then over the years Porsche kept improving the tensioner and the idler sprocket support arms, and then the aftermarket came up with the guards as a device to prevent total collapse. With all of that I would say that a tensioner failure is very rare now. So to answer your question I've already been there when thinner oil was used and prefer not to use it, but you should do what suits you.