"Last-resort" engine oil?

**Velox** · 2nd July 2005, 01:14

Ok - I need to top up my engine oil (it's real low) before 8:30 tomorrow morn and I've just found that there only seems to be some weird oil in the garage and my usual supply has vanished! The stuff that's there is cheap and nasty Repco 20W50 and it says it's for "older engines". Does anyone know if it's ok to use in my bike? It wouldn't be more than 1/4 of the total amount of oil usually in there.

So any advice before 8 tomorrow morning would be really cool!!!

**John** · 2nd July 2005, 01:47

I believe that your bike runs a 15/40 or similar?

In all reality, no it wont matter to (loosely used) much but since you are mixing oils its best to change it as soon as you can afterwards, just make sure you let it warm up at low RPM in the morning, don’t get to high to quick - should be ok either way.

Edit: what does the bottle of oil say, SAE 20/50?

**Velox** · 2nd July 2005, 01:53

Originally Posted by John

I believe that your bike runs a 15/40 or similar?

In all reality, no it wont matter to (loosely used) much but since you are mixing oils its best to change it as soon as you can afterwards, just make sure you let it warm up at low RPM in the morning, don’t get to high to quick - should be ok either way.

Edit: what does the bottle of oil say, SAE 20/50?

Cheers for that!

I can't remember what I usually use - I just know what container of oil is mine! That's bad, I know.

It just says "Repco Super Engine Oil 20/50" Not a lot really.

**Motu** · 2nd July 2005, 09:04

Repco is normaly rebranded BP,but of course they will use the supplier who gives the cheapest deal,and they don't tell you who the supplier is.Beware of the budget oils,they will be crap - but Super 20/50 will be reasonable,20/50 a bit thick for your bike in winter,but if it's only a little bit I don't see a problem.

**Velox** · 3rd July 2005, 00:16

Thanks fellas. I chucked in about a cup and it didn't blow up on the ride today, so all's good!

**quietguy** · 3rd July 2005, 11:05

Best effort I've ever heard of was an off road guy on a 600(I think) who was in the International Six Days Enduro and had an oil leak so stopped at an intalian farmhouse and poured some extra virgin olive oil into his single cylinder beast and carried on. He got to the checkpoint ok but later in the day ran out of oil again so jumped into a handy supermarket and bought more of the "good oil"

**Pixie** · 6th July 2005, 00:37

Originally Posted by quietguy

Best effort I've ever heard of was an off road guy on a 600(I think) who was in the International Six Days Enduro and had an oil leak so stopped at an intalian farmhouse and poured some extra virgin olive oil into his single cylinder beast and carried on. He got to the checkpoint ok but later in the day ran out of oil again so jumped into a handy supermarket and bought more of the "good oil"

Vegetable oils often perform better than mineral.They have the disadvantage of forming varnish when they oxidise,though.
Castrol is originally the brand of the Wakefeild Oil Co.Comes from caster oil.

**Motu** · 6th July 2005, 07:42

Originally Posted by Pixie

Vegetable oils often perform better than mineral.They have the disadvantage of forming varnish when they oxidise,though.
Castrol is originally the brand of the Wakefeild Oil Co.Comes from caster oil.

Caster is what keeps your bike pointed in the right direction - castor is the bean with the foul taste that gives you the shits,but has the smell of motorcycle heaven.It travels to heat,not away from it.....in a worm drive truck diff you can use the thickest EP oil you can find,and it will still get squeezed out from the high pressures - but 30 weight castor engine oil is up to the task.The best modern synthetic oils used esters,derived from vegtable sources.

**pete376403** · 6th July 2005, 14:31

Was aslo the recommend oil for Peugeot 403 (?) - (oldish one). A company I worked for had to buy a 20 litre tin when they needed (about a cupful) to top up the diff. Guess who "found" the balance for his speedway bike