Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) Recommended engine oil for a 4/4 engine 1.6 TI VCT

I'm about to do an oil change on my 4/4 1.6 TI VCT. I've been thinking about the old threads on oil here. Currently I have a guest from Chicago, a friend who works in the audio industry as an engineer. He also has a friend who works in the engine development at Ford USA. I asked his advice. My guess was that shear strength means that the camshafts are protected. Ford oil do not do it just because they want to reduce the overall fleet gas consumption. You have a little more resistance with a shear strength and therefore a little higher petrol consumption but a far better protection of the cam shafts. The Ford spec oil has lower friction but when the engine is running at temperature the oil loses its protection (partly) and the film is too thin. Especially if you drive sporty with a lot of high revs as I like to do so.

And here is his fresh answer to my Q, even if he works for Ford:

„Definitely upgrade to a thicker hot weight oil 5W30 or 5W40 even for long extended periods of high rpm. Also use a good synthetic with high HTHS (shear strength at temperature)“

So I know I now will test a good oil, more so of Mercedes HTHS specification than a Ford specification. I will post how it works.

Heinz, that agrees with what Millers Oils advised me for the S1 Roadster some years ago, and despite MMC printing semi syn on the oil filler cap, Millers advised always use fully synth every time

Heinz, does the answer from your friend also take into account that - in the TI VCT / Sigma engine - the oil has another 'job' to do in that the engine oil pressure also operates the camshaft timing through oil-fed hydraulic actuators.

I would be wary of changing any characteristics of the oil which could impact this cam timing mechanism - unless your friend has factored in this unique feature of the Sigma engine.

Stuart, my friend who is over here gave him the exact engine type but I will ask him again to double check and will reply on here.

Hi Heinz, I am not doubting the expertise of your friend's friend - but it is worth bearing in mind that the American naming convention for this engine puts it in the 'Duratec' series - although the valve timing solution it uses does not really belong to this engine family at all.

I am interested to learn the answer - these engines work hard and need maximum protection when running hot.

Heinz

Your American friend does not have the choice of good guality oils we have in Europe.

He is talking about what we would call A1/B1 oil that was light weight but not with as much antishear additives as in a heavier A3/B3 for long drain inrervals or A3/B4 the same but with anti thinng additives for a Turbo Diesel.

About eight years ago the A5/B5 class of car engine oils was added which is light weight, therefore better fuel consumption as in A1/B1 but had the extra antishear additives of the A3/B4 as well as being able to be used for long drain intervals and the anti thining additives for use on turbo engine.

Sorry your frieds advice is not as up to date as oil technology in Europe was 8 years ago.

An A5/B5 engine oil is what to use in that engine.

Just double checked, the A1/B1 oil description that your friend is talking about was removed from the ACEA listing in the 2016 publication of the sequence rules and oil blenders cannot claim an oil meets this standard after December 2018.

Therefore, all this type of engine oil should be taken off the shelf by retailers by now. A5/B5 is the oil to use for that engine.

Thanks for all the information, Stuart and Eddie. I will forward your posts to him and will see what he replies.

I forgot to mention, the Merc oils have more cleaning additives and sludge reduction additives. They are for diesel cars that do 20k miles or more between oil changes.

They offer nothing that the plus 4 engine needs to keep it in running order. They are based on diesel oil issues not clean short oil change petrol engine duties.

Millers have good advice - not sure if they export to Germany - but they must be good as they are based in God`s own County (Yorkshire for the uninitiated!).