what oil??

[HT]

being lazy - what oil grade for the mk1 couldn't remember if it was 15w/40w or 10w/40w??

[monkeymax]

I believe the Toyota recommendation is 10W/40 (By the way - you don't have the second W after the 40 as the W helps designate the viscosity of the oil at low temperatures).

I've used 10W/40 just fine and currently have 5W/40 semi-synthetic in it...
3.5L should be enough.

[HT]

Thanks Max - don't get too technical right now, just finished research plan hence the lazy Q!!

[BIGBOBO]

It might not be a great idea to use semi synthetic if it has been fed mineral oil for two decades.

I used semi synthetic and a week later I had three oil leaks (all hoses, easy to fix), mechanic told me it probably was because of the different kind of oil.

[monkeymax]

Good comment. Luckily I know that the owner previous to me was using semi-synth, and it wasn't leaking when I got it so I now just stick to that.

[System-G]

The AW11 should have always used semi-synth from day 1...

I think either your oil leak was due to too thin an oil or coincidence...

I have run semi synth on all my MK1's and some very thin motorsport oils on my track cars with little problems.

I sprung a leak in the crankshaft oil seal on my old track car shortly after using a 0W50 high performance motorsport oil. Seal replaced and the dizzy seal started seeping. Seal replaced all OK.

Because I started changing oil every 2000 - 3000 miles, I started using "No-Name" brand 10W40 - the cheapest I could find, but have since been experiencing oil pressure issues...

I now use fairly expensive 15W50 motorsport oil in the track car and Castrol 10W40 in the other N/A and SC.

[HT]

The AW11 should have always used semi-synth from day 1...

I think either your oil leak was due to too thin an oil or coincidence...

I have run semi synth on all my MK1's and some very thin motorsport oils on my track cars with little problems.

I sprung a leak in the crankshaft oil seal on my old track car shortly after using a 0W50 high performance motorsport oil. Seal replaced and the dizzy seal started seeping. Seal replaced all OK.

Because I started changing oil every 2000 - 3000 miles, I started using "No-Name" brand 10W40 - the cheapest I could find, but have since been experiencing oil pressure issues...

I now use fairly expensive 15W50 motorsport oil in the track car and Castrol 10W40 in the other N/A and SC.

Hi Garrick - so it would have been a semi from dayone? The only past probs oilwise was using fully synthetic (Mobil 1) in my high mileage (and under maintained mk1a) - it developed a bottom end problem within a couple of months!

[SuperRedMR2]

I have always used 10/40 since owning my current mk1

Its 3.3 litres

[HT]

I have always used 10/40 since owning my current mk1

Its 3.3 litres

Handy that oil is increasingly being sold in 4 ltr sizes

[midenginedmaniac]

I use comma Semi synthetic

[Lauren]

The AW11 should have always used semi-synth from day 1...

I think either your oil leak was due to too thin an oil or coincidence...

I have run semi synth on all my MK1's and some very thin motorsport oils on my track cars with little problems.

I sprung a leak in the crankshaft oil seal on my old track car shortly after using a 0W50 high performance motorsport oil. Seal replaced and the dizzy seal started seeping. Seal replaced all OK.

Because I started changing oil every 2000 - 3000 miles, I started using "No-Name" brand 10W40 - the cheapest I could find, but have since been experiencing oil pressure issues...

I now use fairly expensive 15W50 motorsport oil in the track car and Castrol 10W40 in the other N/A and SC.

Hi Garrick - so it would have been a semi from dayone? The only past probs oilwise was using fully synthetic (Mobil 1) in my high mileage (and under maintained mk1a) - it developed a bottom end problem within a couple of months!

Surely from day one you'd use a mineral oil as back in the 80s you had to run cars in.

I'm not sure that there were that many semi-synths available 20 years ago. I know from my first MK1 with all the service history that it was always given Duckhams QXR... no idea if that was semi-synth or not.

[SuperRedMR2]

yeah they reduced it to 4 litre cans - handy - but keeping the same price is ridiculous

[HT]

The AW11 should have always used semi-synth from day 1...

I think either your oil leak was due to too thin an oil or coincidence...

I have run semi synth on all my MK1's and some very thin motorsport oils on my track cars with little problems.

I sprung a leak in the crankshaft oil seal on my old track car shortly after using a 0W50 high performance motorsport oil. Seal replaced and the dizzy seal started seeping. Seal replaced all OK.

Because I started changing oil every 2000 - 3000 miles, I started using "No-Name" brand 10W40 - the cheapest I could find, but have since been experiencing oil pressure issues...

I now use fairly expensive 15W50 motorsport oil in the track car and Castrol 10W40 in the other N/A and SC.

Hi Garrick - so it would have been a semi from dayone? The only past probs oilwise was using fully synthetic (Mobil 1) in my high mileage (and under maintained mk1a) - it developed a bottom end problem within a couple of months!

Surely from day one you'd use a mineral oil as back in the 80s you had to run cars in.

I'm not sure that there were that many semi-synths available 20 years ago. I know from my first MK1 with all the service history that it was always given Duckhams QXR... no idea if that was semi-synth or not.

Hmm makes me wonder how much advantage in semi's over mineral's bearng in mind its nearly 19 years old and has done over 100k.