B18 Vtec oil

[GTOBEN]

Hi all
I am new to this forum and usually hang around on the cerbera and mini side. I have just put a Honda B18 Vtec engine into a mini and need to replace the engine and gearbox / diff oil. Can someone point me in the right direction as to what to buy?

Thanks

Ben

[10 Pence Short]

For the engine any decent semi-synthetic with the right temperature range should be fine. Personally I would avoid fully synthetic with older Honda VTEC engines.

For transmission oil I'd stick with the OEM stuff.

[Yugguy]

10 Pence Short said:

Personally I would avoid fully synthetic with older Honda VTEC engines.

.

Interesting you say that, why? Too thin? If I understand correctly the vtec works by shooting oil up guides to change the cam profile, so you'd think thin would be better.

But I'm ready to be corrected.

[Uncle John]

10w/40 is my recollection.

[danrc]

Not too sure about the engine but for the transmission go for Landrover oil. Its cheap and exactly the same as the Honda stuff. Have you tried Olpie oils in the GG section?

[v.6]

Yugguy said:

10 Pence Short said:

Personally I would avoid fully synthetic with older Honda VTEC engines.

.

Interesting you say that, why? Too thin? If I understand correctly the vtec works by shooting oil up guides to change the cam profile, so you'd think thin would be better.

But I'm ready to be corrected.

Ive also run fully synthetic in my VTEC NSX with no apparent problems. I even put something along the lines of a 0/0 race viscosity in it during 90K service (can't remember does that exist?) cost me around 40 euros 5Ltr anyway but it quoted optimum heat range characteristics etc.

[havoc]

I'm aware of owners of older (>5 years) cars who've had problems when using a certain 0W 'brand' oil.

I usually go for a 5W-40 or 10W-40 "synthetic" or "semi-synthetic"

As for the logic behind Dan's point - I think it's something along the lines that as an engine ages, some of the seals wear a bit. Thicker oils can't get through these ultra-fine gaps, but thin oils can...
...certainly a lot of 'classics' run 20W-xx multigrades, even performance cars such as the Lotus Sunbeams...

[v.6]

This was the feedback from Castrol Magnatec website recommended for NSX 1991-1997, based entirely on temperature characteristics from what I can see?
Engine oil viscosity recommendations <2000: Below 35°C, 5W-30*; -20°C to 35°C, 10W-30; above -20°C, 10W-40; above -15°C, 15W-40/15W-50; above -10°C, 20W-40/20W-50. * Except cars fitted with H22A1, H22A2 engines which may only use 5W-30 below 0°C

[minimatt1967]

Millers XSS 10w40 goes great in my Civic VTi 1.8!

[10 Pence Short]

I took my advice on the oil from a chap called Dave Morphy, who's the technical director at Lancaster Honda. He's a Hondaphile and consistant finalist in Honda technician awards- he's won Honda EU tech of the year in the past. His opinion was to avoid fully synth on the high revving engines, particularly those which have done a few miles, as it's a bit thin. Considering the negligent performance benefits of fully synthetic, I saw no reason to doubt his advice.