I've been using Royal purple oil in my '03 MCS in both the engine and transmission(75w/90 gear oil) for over a year now, and over 15k miles, and I'm very satisfied with the performance, especially the transmission. On very cold days it goes into gear like as if the car was already running for 10 minutes, and my shifts are always very consistent and I never get any hesitation between shifts like the car would sometimes do when I had the stock oil in there. The engine oil 10w/40 seems to offer noticeably smoother performance than other sythetics I've tried, including Amsoil and Mobil 1. Anyone else out there try it? They claim 3bhp gain, which I of course don't beleive

 

I'm currently running Redline 5W-30 street formula in the engine, and still have the stock lube in the gearbox for now. The gearbox lube will get changed to Redline if/when a LSD goes in.

Dunno how the street formula does, but I have seen dyno charts for 948 and 1098 CC Spridget motors the indicate Redline race formula may be good for 1.5-3% power over the oils that were previously being run in these engines.

 

I'm sure Royal Purple is Ok and much better than Castroil however, I question their claim of 3bhp gain on 163hp motor using 10w40 weight.
I use Redline 5w30 and have for years. Its the only oil that is considered a Group 5 (100% Ester base). Yes, it does cost more but, I have no question that, if I wanted, I could safely go 15k miles between changes. In my case, I changed to Redline @ 2200 miles, first dealer change was @ 10K miles using my 5w30 Redline and, I'll change again in another 10K miles.

 

I actually had a very very very BAD experience with Redline gear oil and will never use their products again, I had a 1996 VW GTI VR6, and I changed the gear oil oil from 75w/90 stock to Redline, and in less than 500 miles of NORMAL driving, my transmission turned into metal chunks! I used to run the engine oil too, but after that experience, I'm all set. After fixing the transmission, I switched to Mobil 1 gear oil and got 45,000 miles out of it. If your gonna use Redline...don't use the gear oil!

 

Mobil 1 all the way.

it turns out top in every aspect

 

Hmmm... Sounds like your tranny was going beforehand... I know lots and lots of people running RedLine gear lubes for street, autocross, racing, and full blown track cars and none of them have experienced failures like you're describing. I do know that if you choose the wrong gear lube, it can wear the bushings faster and then things tear themselves up...

I was having issues with my Midlands gearbox in the MINI - replaced the 'lifetime gear lube' with RedLine MTL and the problems went away. When the tranny got hot, I was getting some grind when shifting into 2nd gear, most likely due to the factory gear lube gumming up the synchos. In fact, it's shifting better than it ever did...

I've done a full autocross season and several track weekends since then with nary a whimper.

P.S. I use Mobil 1 5W-30 - get it at Wal-Mart or Sam's in 5 qt. jugs for $17-19 depending on their sales.

 

Mobil 1 15-50W in spring, summer and fall and 5w-30 in the winter.

 

Redline 10W30 in the MCS and 10W40 or 20W50 depending on the season in my '72 BMW 2002.

 

I'm used to using 20-50 weight in all my vehicles. However, I'm one of those crazy guys who reads the manual and I don't see anything about using 20-50 weight.

Here in Guatemala I'm more worried about heat than cold. Anyone seen any MINI bulletins on using 20-50 weight.

Thanks/Saludos

 

Mobil 1 5W30 all year - in fact in evey car I've ever owned. I've driven all of them for between 150,000 and 200,000 miles. I used 0W30 for one winter in another car...something very un-easy about seeing an oil pour like water.

 

I run with the "MINI" oil still, but I'm open to Redline or others...

When I was a kid, for Father's Day, one of the kids on the block wanted to change his Dad's oil (surprise), but couldn't find any in the garage... after he had already drained the dang thing! He then ran out of the house with 2 bottles of Wesson (vegetable oil) . I was like 7 years old, and I figured he knew what he was doing, being a big kid and all (10 or so)...

When the Dad asked where he got the oil, I'll never forget the look on his face!!! Now that I look back, he was a good Dad, as he didn't get pissed, he thanked his son, and went to the store to get some oil, in the other car . I'm guessing he got some kind of engine flush also...

Heck, these days this wouldn't be such a glarring mistake to make:

http://www.greasecar.com/

 

Royal Purple.

 

... I use Mobil 1 5w-30 in the MINI and Mobil 1 0w-20 in the Insight. Ha, got you beat.

 

The dealership uses Castrol syntec at normal intervals of about 10,000 and 25,000 and I add 5W-30 Mobil 1 at intervals roughly half way between those mileage points. I also have 5W-30 Amsoil ready to go next time around.

I think any full synthetic oil will do fine. Many of the above mentioned brands are OK. Probably the interval for oil change would make more difference than which brand.

 

I see Willie Nelson is running his diesel gig bus on veg oil. A sustainable fuel that can be produced domestically, probably would start a new industry, begin to liberate us from the terminal Terxas/Mideast oil/fossil fuel fixation.

 

Mobil 1 5w-50 here in Thailand. Do you think 0w-40 is better?

 

Mobil 1 5W30 all year. Change oil and filter every 5,000 - 5,500......

 

Redline 5W-30 here.

 

jlm, indeed: http://www.wnbiodiesel.com/

 

Redline 5W-30 here.

 

Just wanted to second scobib's comments regarding Redline gear oil. Very highly regarded at the track. I have had no problems and also have not experienced screaming noise that some have.

One wants to get the Shockproof Lightweight (which is actually their middle weight grade). Here is a link to Redline where you can read about the microscopic particles that are suspended.

http://www.redlineoil.com/products_g...D=20&prodID=61