Oil recommendations

[Jim kinker]

I'm thinking the VR1 20-50 might be what I need..I was gona go with the Brad Penn as I use in my Early 427 ford but being a simi synthetic would be wrong for my 60k original engine....

[RSTarga]

VR1 is a full synthetic

[Jim kinker]

I see they do have a VR-1 20w50 conventional oil.

[Boulder Bob]

Jim- And in my opinion (and others will sure to chime in) stay away from any synthetic oils, straight or blends. Many a non or little leaking engine starts to weep after using synthetics.

Now that I am using Brad Penn 20W50 I am definitely weeping more. What is a good non synthetic for my '73 S that has some zinc?

[Frankr]

VR-1 non syn 20/50
http://www.valvoline.com/our-product...vr1-racing-oil

[RSTarga]

Yes, I was mistaken, VR1 comes in both full synthetic and conventional forms.

[Boulder Bob]

VR-1 non syn 20/50
http://www.valvoline.com/our-product...vr1-racing-oil

Thank you very much

[911MRP]

...Shell Rotella

Reviving an oldish thread with even older 1973 vintage information.

In 1973 the then new first-series Carrera RS used Rotella, in fact the first series UK press demonstrator car was supplied with a spare gallon of Rotella oil in the boot, as noted in these two separate road test reports of the model dating from 1973:




Extract from an oil review in a PCGB article reviewing Porsche oil choices. Article was published in the Autumn of 1973:
Shell Rotella was featured and described this ad in "commercial motor" from Sept 1975.

Difficult to read but TX was transcribed by the image's poster as follows:
"Shell Rotella TX Oils. These are the oils for the hardworked mixed fleet. Shell Rotella TX Oils are premium lubricants designed for the higher powered naturally aspirated and turbocharged diesel engines. They also fully satisfy the requirements of high performance petrol engines. Exceptional engine protection, even at sustained high speeds and loads. High temperature diesel and petrol engine lubrication performance to MIL-L-2104C. Series 3 and MILL-46152 specifications. Also available in single grades. So, even if you combine petroldriven vans on local deliveries with high power diesels on long distance trucking, you can enjoy one-oil fleet lubrication. Once you've tried our 20W/40 shear-stable multigrade, you'll never turn back."

I'm certainly no automotive oil formulation specialist and lubricant technology has moved on so I'm not recommending it today but thought it was interesting historical info to share.

A couple of old Rotella Automobilia tat to gather dust as a touch of nostalgia..imperial one gal. and five gal. size plus a neat top up container:




Steve

[dummkopf]

...Shell Rotella

Reviving an oldish thread with even older 1973 vintage information.

In 1973 the then new first-series Carrera RS used Rotella, in fact the first series UK press demonstrator car was supplied with a spare gallon of Rotella oil in the boot, as noted in these two separate road test reports of the model dating from 1973:




Extract from an oil review in a PCGB article reviewing Porsche oil choices. Article was published in the Autumn of 1973:
Shell Rotella was featured and described this ad in "commercial motor" from Sept 1975.

Difficult to read but TX was transcribed by the image's poster as follows:
"Shell Rotella TX Oils. These are the oils for the hardworked mixed fleet. Shell Rotella TX Oils are premium lubricants designed for the higher powered naturally aspirated and turbocharged diesel engines. They also fully satisfy the requirements of high performance petrol engines. Exceptional engine protection, even at sustained high speeds and loads. High temperature diesel and petrol engine lubrication performance to MIL-L-2104C. Series 3 and MILL-46152 specifications. Also available in single grades. So, even if you combine petroldriven vans on local deliveries with high power diesels on long distance trucking, you can enjoy one-oil fleet lubrication. Once you've tried our 20W/40 shear-stable multigrade, you'll never turn back."

I'm certainly no automotive oil formulation specialist and lubricant technology has moved on so I'm not recommending it today but thought it was interesting historical info to share.

A couple of old Rotella Automobilia tat to gather dust as a touch of nostalgia..imperial one gal. and five gal. size plus a neat top up container:




Steve

Wow!!! I have a 55 gal drum of Rotella T30 for my older tractors! One has over 10K hrs on the original engine. It runs perfect!!!

So it is the zinc content right? I would think a zinc additive would work?

[911MRP]

Hi Paul

I wouldn't personally use nor feel qualified to recommend using these older oil type oil these days. Others here might give advice if they're experts on lubricants and zinc additives etc. I'm not! Even if that oil is ok there is probably better stuff around these days given developments in lubricants.

For what it's worth I've read somewhere new Shell Rotella contains less % weight zinc in more recent formulations than the Rotella product formulation of old that many trusted and thought by some to be good for assembly/ break-in.

My old first edition little 72 73 Tech Spec booklet says:


That era cars have the Shell sticker on the air box so no surprise it was Shell product.
but intrigued when noticed Rotella being specifically referenced as the oil being used by Porsche 911 Carrera RS / performance cars in three different British publications all dating from 1973.

SAE 20w/20 like my 5 gallon container for winter use.
SAE 30 is listed in the roadtest details of the Porsche Cars GB supplied demo press fleet which make sense for a car tested around May 1973 in this part of the world:


UK doesn't get to -15c so in practice unlikely need SAE 10 here, especially now these cars are classics so oftentimes are laid up over the winter.

Couple of extracts from API give a chronology which probably explains why SD and MS gets specified by Porsche in the 72 73 Tech Spec booklet, given the timing of API standards vs. the 911 engine design and evolution:





So on "evidence" from back in the day, it seems reasonable to conclude Shell Rotella API HD MS SD SAE 20W/20 for winter and SAE 30 in Summer was what Porsche Cars Great Britain used for RS here in UK when the model brand new... although other geographies might have varied due to climates etc.

Maybe Rotella was oil used for factory oil fill given the Shell intake sticker and that tech spec book information? Can't say 100 percent but these vintage snippets above all seem to suggest that was the case. Filling oil 1973:

Supplying Shell Rotella on a then top of range 911 obviously surprised these experienced British journalist road testers as they both comment that RS uses Rotella "commercial grade" a "relatively straight" oil in their separate magazine road test write ups. Possibly oil type deemed worthy of comment because a service classification of SD not usually considered suitable for use in gasoline-powered automobile engines built after 1971 so what was supplied to top up Porsches latest road-racing homologation special in 72/3 was not considered a leading edge engine oil.

There are probably oil specialists on the forum who can give an expert view on such things but the information from my in-period sources seems to suggest this was the case.

My vintage Rotella containers I've pictured are just Automobilia because I like the look of them in my garage -- more pertinent since Rotella was noted as the engine lube Porsche Cars GB supplied for top-up purposes when RS was new back in 72 early 73. The big containers are both empty but the little plastic Rotella container is a handy shape and size for topping up.

Can't make out the Shell drum's product name in centre of of this old shot which IIRC is from 1973 factory publication, but seems to be "Ro?? "

Whatever it says doesn't look like drum is the old Shell Super Oil or the recently reintroduced for classics Shell X100 Shell.


Best

Steve