'35 Rolls engine oil?

[TFatC]

Hopefully the masses on here can help with this one.

I have a 1935 Rolls 20/25 limo and it is taking some friends and myself from Aberdeen to the classic Le Mans this year!

Obviously I need to get everything as near 100% as I can before setting out, so a full service is in order. The guy I bought it from always used 20w/50 in the engine, and as only a top up has been required, I have used the same.

My 1930 Morris Cowley Speedster ran much better when I changed to a straight 30 grade from 20/50, so I was wondering if the Rolls would benefit from the same? What do others use or what is recommended?

TIA for any advice.

Any excuse for a pic!

[a8hex]

TFatC said:

TIA for any advice.

Any excuse for a pic!

Can't help with any advise on the oil, but with a car like that you don't need any excuse for a picture.

Lovely, thanks for sharing.

[crankedup]

If the previous owner has been using a 20/50 oil (for how long?)I would continue to use same. The fact that you will be using the car for a long distance journey would also encourage me to use the 20/50 oil. Owners of vintage cars, including myself untill recently have pondered the question you ask for years, the answer is that modern oils full of detergents used in an old little used engine can 'wash' old settled debris from engine internals and cause havoc. Have a look at Penrite and Castrol websites to see what they say. (bloody nice car by the way)

I use Castrol or Comma SAE 30 in my 1925 Bayliss Thomas and A7 'Swallow' saloon.

Edited by crankedup on Monday 14th April 15:14

[lowdrag]

Obviously multigrade oils didn't exist when the car was built but a standard mineral 20/50 like Duckham's should do fine. In the old days there were summer and winter grades which we changed in spring/autumn but really that would be going a bit far now and one never knows what the weather might bring! A winter grade would be too thin and a summer grade might also not quite not be what you need. My Jaguar engines have fared well on Duckhams over the years to the extent that one, my E type, 27 years and counting but rebuilt in 1989, still uses only a pint every 3,000 even now after 80,000 miles. A lovely car yours and she should make for excellent transport. Congratulations! I've know idea how much your Rolls uses but a couple of extra 5 litre cans wouldn't go amiss!

[Nuova500]

crankedup said:

The fact that you will be using the car for a long distance journey would also encourage me to use the 20/50 oil.)

The fact that he's using the car, not keeping it as a garage queen encourages me.....

[williamp]

i cant add anything to this thread which hasent alredy been mentioned, so I will:

agree on the oil, and I agree on the car. Gorgeous.

[falcemob]

What body is that? I drive a 1936 with James Young body. I think we use ordinary 20/50 in it. A word of warning, if you don't do it already, is to take the flying lady rad cap with you if you leave the car unattended, the last one my uncle had to buy when some scrote knicked one was £900.
BTW you must have been bad in a previous life, I can think of no worse punishment than driving one of those over 900 miles.

Edited by falcemob on Monday 14th April 17:42

[crankedup]

Another beautiful car! but its not only the R.R. mascots that can be nicked! When I leave my A7 'Swallow' unattended I remove its 'Swallow' mascot and bung an champagne cork into the rad' filler neck, works a treat

[austin]

Agree that there is no need to fix anything that isn't broken.

My Ulster runs on whatever is cheapest from the supermarket / Halfords (IIRC 20/50? for old engines!)

It used to be run on Castrol R but the cost and last overhaul put me off, not had a problem in the last 3 years but always carry some in the boot.

Good to see the car being used, having just read the "with Moss in the Mille Miglia" article by Jenks I am tempted to do it in the Ulster, (it won it's class in the thirties and the car was then bought by a certain Mr Ferrari.)

[TFatC]

Many thanks for the advice - looks like I will stick with the 20/50 as she shows good oil pressure and runs silently. (It is a Mulliner body BTW)

Thanks also for the comments, very pleased with her. Bought off an advert on PH just before Christmas, drove home (via a few friends) over new year. Previous owners longest run in 6 years of ownership was 30 miles. Distance covered on the way home - 676 miles! Never missed a beat, despite the blizzards north of Edinburgh on the way back, but I will HAVE to fit a heater if doing long runs in the winter!

No point in having them if you do not use them!

Edited by TFatC on Tuesday 15th April 10:46

[falcemob]

Be careful with the sort of petrol you use if you are doing that kind of mileage, of course this'll depend on the type of valve seats and guides you have fitted. The one I drive has standard seats and the owner only used unleaded with no additives.
I found this out as it became incredibly hard to start and wouldn't tick over when hot.
It turned out the seats had worn and the valve clearances closed so the valves weren't fully closing when hot.

[guru_1071]

what a beauty!

my dad has a couple of 20/25's and very occasionally (i.e nearly never) he has let me drive them.

great cars, beautifully made.

enjoy your trip

[Porlock]

Lovely car. i rebuilt a 20/25 engine a few years back, took 52 hours to clean assemble and put back in the chassis. The crank lubrication goes via bobbins in the webs/journal ends with holes in them, if the bobbins get clogged (as they are bound to with time) the oil pressure increases. so I would keep an eye on the pressure if at any time it improves it may be due to this.

i would suggest regular oil changes and decent quality oil, if the previous owner has used 20/50 for many years I personally would stick with it.

[Balmoral Green]