mongrelcat

Had the oil changed today and shop accidentally used 0W-40.

I've used 15W-50 since owning the car and I believe that is the correct weight. Or at least that's my preference from findings here and speaking with various shops.

So I'm debating either running a couple thousand miles and treating this fill as a sort of flush, then changing it out. Or, I can switch back to 15W-50 now.

It's just starting to get cold here, supposed to be down below freezing in the next week, so maybe the timing is good and well and I leave it till Spring, but I plan to do two track events and a skills day in that time...

What would you do? Thanks.

ca993twin

You had me right up to "...two track events and a skills day...". Based on that alone, I would go back to a 15-50. But that's just me.

Steve Weiner-Rennsport Systems

JHMO, but I'd get that 0w-40 stuff out of there right now.

It lacks sufficient additives to protect expensive engine parts and its FAR too thin to protect the main bearings from excess wear on start up.

In short, its the "wrong stuff" for air-cooled engines. There are some good 15w-40 oils that are fine for these cars such as Brad-Penn.

mongrelcat

Damn. OK, thanks to you both, will do.

cpdjfd107

Steve, the shop that did my oil change prior to it getting shipped to me used lubrimoly 10w 60. what is your opinion on that, should I change that? Car is almost ready for winter storage, I have approx 600 miles on this oil. Sorry for the tgread hijack

Ed Hughes

Isn't the shop on the hook for this? The filters will not need to be changed, but lesson learned for them.

mongrelcat

Yep, they're covering it.

jhg41977

What Steve said. I can send you pics of what I think it did to my cams

Steve Weiner-Rennsport Systems

Hi,

That L-M 10w-60 is an API SL-rated product which should be fine for these cars. I don't have all the specs on that product here, but as long as its Zinc & Phosphorus are both 1100ppm or better, you'll be OK.

Remember, other 4-valve engines do not require as much ZDDP as our air-cooled ones do so don't let a shop tell you "whats good for the goose is good for the gander".

NYC993

Not that hard to switch out if you are keeping the filters. How did you find out?

mongrelcat

Thanks for the info. I'll PM you.

Yeah, I don't know if they plan to swap out the filters but I don't see the need.

I found out because I asked them to only fill up 9 quarts and leave the last one for me to finish with, once the car was fully warm, to avoid overfilling. After a 30 minute drive I went to add the last quart and voilà. It was a simple miscommunication between the manager and the mechanic.

Edward

Keep the filters in place ...your shop can do it in a jiffy (um, not jiffy lube, that is ).

Edward

timothymoffat

Always wondered how that would go down.

Pags993

^^ Before or after they tried to sell you a coolant flush and fill?

gtroth

How is 0W40 far too thin and 15W40 just fine?