Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 synthetic v twin engine oil

Given the oil does most of the cooling, a synthetic makes better sense than a mineral oil as the base fluid is inherently more thermally stable and also more responsive to the anti-oxidant additives in the formulation. In hot weather, long hard uphill runs or slow crawls in traffic will give max thermal stress making a synthetic a sensible choice....most of the time on UK roads, a good mineral will likely be enough.....your engine, your choice! The viscometrics will be similar if it is sold as a 20W-50.

I agree that that's the case for a water-cooled engine, but per JMD's above post, not for an air-cooled one.

I have been averaging 5,000 miles per year, so that does add up to one change over the summer, before the winter change.

I recall some 3 decades ago talking to the manager of a former standard oil refinery now making additives for oil (we were in rotary). Anyway they made and sold the additives which several other companies added to their brand of oil. In essence he said, "not all oil is the same"....

I would tend to agree with the above that not all oils are the same as is with gasoline too, but modern oils are made to withstand 15,000 miles + before oil changes. 5000 is certainly a very healthy average mileage but no where near the life of the oil even in a hot V Twin engine especially if you are changing it twice in a year. If helping to keep a hot V Twin air cooled engine cool is required then an oil cooler is going to be far more effective than the components of mineral v synthetic or additives. Having owned a Morgan for over 42 years (all be it a water cooled engine) I have never heard or read of any issues with any Morgans 3 or 4 wheeled where what oil has been used has caused engine failure or excessive wear and I bet in another 20 years I still won't have heard it for the current 3 wheeler, as long as a regular change regime is adhered too!!! Just like debating religion or politics there will be many different views but changing someone's direction highly unlikely, so we will probably all stick to what we believe is right, works for us and is within budget.

I agree with all of this. An oil cooler would do more good than throwing high dollars at high-end synthetics at the car. Technically, it is an oil cooled engine with air fins as a bonus.

It's the fins that actually transfer engine heat to the environment.

The important thermal function of the oil is to keep the areas around the combustion chamber and exhaust valves from overheating by transferring heat to the cooler parts of the engine, the fins on the head in particular.

Picky, picky, picky.

I love this site. It gives me an avenue to be stupid, dumb, ignorant in all its ways and excel in those particular fields. I'm just trying to not get run off the roads...

I'm a nerd, for me saying "technically" is like dangling meat in front of a lion.

Don't forget all the bearing surfaces without which noting else works.

What aspect makes it V-twin? I get semi and fully synthetic and I get 20W50 but I cannot find anything on how it’s Vtwin special formulation?