Oil for a Duratec 2.0

[Bob and Carol]

Opie Oils have emailed with the news Motul Sport 5w-50 Fully Ester Synthetic is no longer available.

As this is the oil that is documented for my 420R, please could anyone out there recommend an oil that is equal or better.

[ScottR400D]

Just ask Opie for a recommendation Bob. Your car only came with a recommendation for Motul because that's who CC have a deal with at the moment. 

When I bought my car it was Comma, then it was Millers, who were superseded by Motul. 

I've used Millers Nano CFS for some time without any issues but Opie will give you a good steer.

 

 

 

[PlastererPete]

As Scott has already said yours has Motul because thats the best deal for CC. My 2005 CSR runs Comma 5w-50 Motorsport oil because thats what it got given at "birth" so to speak. My late father (who had the car for 12 years) never deviated from the original oil. But any decent oil of the same spec should be fine. 

[22daz]

I use Millers CFS 10w60 NT+ Full Synthetic in my 420R

22daz

[Doc007]

What made you choose that oil?  It's the oil recommended by Cosworth for their crate built motors. But not sure why it differs from Caterham's recommendation.

 

[Hampshire West AR]

I use this in my R500.

https://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-147389-comma-motorsport-5w-50-fully-synthetic-racing-car-engine-oil.aspx?variantid=246648

[ScottR400D]

#5 Caterham only recommend whoever's oil they're promoting at the time. 

There are a host of good quality oils that will do the job well. 

[ScottR400D]

#5 Caterham only recommend whoever's oil they're promoting at the time. 

There are a host of good quality oils that will do the job well. 

[7 wonders of the world]

I use 10w/60 here:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/293087231094

Used Exol for over 25 years on al our cars 

 

[Bob and Carol]

Thanks everyone for your comments and the links.

[22daz]

I dropped a message over to Opie oils technical dept to ask their advice.

My thoughts on using a 10w60 were for ultimate protection at high temperatures on track. They agreed would be safe around and beyond 125 degrees. However they also suggested that a 5w50 would effectively flow around the engine more easily and actually remove more heat which was interesting. It would also perform better during initial startup. 
I have an oil to coolant heat exchanger which warms my oil very quickly so this part doesn't concern me too much. 

But it's all food for thought. 

22daz

[Nigel Blandin]

I used to shy away from Comma, but apparently it's Mobil in disguise. 

[Bob and Carol]

When I started looking at a replacement for the Motul Sport 5w-50 Fully Ester Synthetic, I emailed Caterham as I thought best to ask them so to keep within the warranty of the car as it is only just over one year old. As with all the emails I have sent to Caterham, no reply, same with the garage that supplied the car to me, hay-ho.

Hence the start of this post.

Listed in Caterham’s 420 workshop manual that I found using Goggle, was Millers Oils XF LongLife 5w-50 Fully Synthetic (Formerly XFS) and another listed was also a 5W-50 oil, so I thought that was the grade to stay with and fits in nicely (although I didn’t know that at the time) with what 22daz documented in #11 about using a 5w.

I liked the idea of keeping the Ester part of the oil that was in the Motul Sport 5w-50 Ester Synthetic as I have been told Ester withstands higher temperatures and clings to metal surfaces. I thought this would work well with how I use the car, i.e. long spells between engine starts then maximum load and revs when I do as I only use the car for track days.

When I changed the oil for the second time having done just under 1000 miles, I was surprised at how dark the colour was giving me the impression it had been under stress in its short life, so have gone for the grade higher than the Millers Oils XF (as listed in the 420 workshop manual) and the one Opie Oils recommended being the best of the best, Millers Oils EE Performance 5w-50 Fully Synthetic Engine Oil

It has just turned up this morning and I was pleased to read “recommended by Caterham”

I would add that I know nothing really about oil and only document the above should it help others.