Best of the best oil?

[Arudge]

Ian.

Another oil I was recommended was Shell Rotella. I've never used it as it's designed for heavy diesel trucks but apparently has particularly strong detergents, a possible benefit for older engines?

Thanks for your continued contributions, they have certainly given food for thought.

 

[Arudge]

Yep seems so. No problem as we will be changing around 10k anyway on the CLK. I've no way of checking but I reckon the ECP Bosch filter I fitted was a yellow paper one. As a matter of interest I have seen a paper filter (the element type like our MBs) on a Peugeot that was left in for almost 30k start to disintegrate so unfiltered oil could pass through.

Automotive oil filters arn' t full flow filters anyway, they'll aways bypass something. From stone cold they probably don't filter anything, the lot passes through the bypass.

 

[Droverunner]

Well yes fair point when it's working as designed but a hole in the filter effectively creating a permanent bypass is a poor situation. Mind you there are quite a few engine types (not car as far as I know) with no filter at all and they seem to last OK.

 

[Arudge]

Well yes fair point when it's working as designed but a hole in the filter effectively creating a permanent bypass is a poor situation. Mind you there are quite a few engine types (not car as far as I know) with no filter at all and they seem to last OK.

I don't think the old VW beetle had an oil filter, but i could be wrong. Obviously, a hole in the filter isn't helpful, but you can't help thinking that some have an unrealistic expectation of what can be achieved. The oil filter doesn't exactly filter down to 5 micron and the bypass deals with any excess pressure and sends the oil round the system anyway.

As an aside, this has been an excellent thread and i'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for challenging Ian for what i understood also. Ian is clearly knowledgeable and there is always something to learn, but i'm not a chemist and for this subject i think you need to be.

Thanks again.
Andy.

 

[oigle]

Ian.

Another oil I was recommended was Shell Rotella. I've never used it as it's designed for heavy diesel trucks but apparently has particularly strong detergents, a possible benefit for older engines?

Thanks for your continued contributions, they have certainly given food for thought.

When I was a Nissan dealer, we had a problem with piston rings not bedding in, in new 4 cyl petrol motors which were built here in Oz - it turned out to be insufficient ring tension in an botched attempt by Nissan to reduce internal friction in motors. It was in the era of new "friction modified oils". I needed some way to overcome this problem and I went looking for a straight 30 grade oil (given our warm climate) without friction modifiers. I was aware, from my Shell Rep days, that Rotella TX730, as it was called then, was considered by Shell to be an excellent all purpose oil for use by farmers or businesses that wanted one oil to suit all types of motors, be they diesel or petrol or heavy duty like tractors. I decided to try this oil and had immediate good results. The rings bedded properly and oil consumption dropped significantly. Motors stayed very clean internally as it has a high detergent quality. Once the motors had run 10000km or so on this oil, people could then use other oils if they chose to, as the bedding in had been done. Saved a lot of people from having to re-ring their motors.
Starting to use Rotella in older engines does come with the risk of cleaning all the accumulated carbon from the ring lands and may cause some oil to be burned in the short term. Should take up once the rings begin operating properly again, provided the rings aren't worn out. In modern engines, it is not really suitable - DPF's etc and I doubt it conforms to the later specs laid down by manufacturers.
As I said, I used Rimula 15W/40 in my ML270 for quite a while when towing my van. It is a great oil originally designed by Shell specifically for heavy duty use in Caterpillar diesels. It has since been taken up largely by the trucking industry here in OZ. Once again, no good with DPF. I have seen many diesel and petrol engines run on Rimula for huge mileages and when stripped, the engines are clean as a whistle. Never heard a bad word against it.

Ian.

 

[oigle]

Automotive oil filters arn' t full flow filters anyway, they'll aways bypass something. From stone cold they probably don't filter anything, the lot passes through the bypass.

My take on oil filters is a little different. Yes, modern filters do have a by-pass valve, but this is there strictly as a precaution should the filter become blocked. Oil can then continue to circulate, albeit unfiltered. In normal use, all the oil is filtered on each rotation.
Early days and there were unfiltered engines like VW as mentioned and some motors could have "bypass" filters fitted as options - we had them here in Oz on some GM products. Remember though that oil changes were recommended at very regular intervals in those days. Some as low as every 1000 miles. Very different now.

Ian.

 

[Yugguy]

The genuine oil filters I get from mb for my 646 are yellow.

 

[Wighty]

Looking at my clk200 petrol 2009 manual the other day , it can take 229.3/31 and 229.5/51

 

[Arudge]

When I was a Nissan dealer, we had a problem with piston rings not bedding in, in new 4 cyl petrol motors which were built here in Oz - it turned out to be insufficient ring tension in an botched attempt by Nissan to reduce internal friction in motors. It was in the era of new "friction modified oils". I needed some way to overcome this problem and I went looking for a straight 30 grade oil (given our warm climate) without friction modifiers. I was aware, from my Shell Rep days, that Rotella TX730, as it was called then, was considered by Shell to be an excellent all purpose oil for use by farmers or businesses that wanted one oil to suit all types of motors, be they diesel or petrol or heavy duty like tractors. I decided to try this oil and had immediate good results. The rings bedded properly and oil consumption dropped significantly. Motors stayed very clean internally as it has a high detergent quality. Once the motors had run 10000km or so on this oil, people could then use other oils if they chose to, as the bedding in had been done. Saved a lot of people from having to re-ring their motors.
Starting to use Rotella in older engines does come with the risk of cleaning all the accumulated carbon from the ring lands and may cause some oil to be burned in the short term. Should take up once the rings begin operating properly again, provided the rings aren't worn out. In modern engines, it is not really suitable - DPF's etc and I doubt it conforms to the later specs laid down by manufacturers.
As I said, I used Rimula 15W/40 in my ML270 for quite a while when towing my van. It is a great oil originally designed by Shell specifically for heavy duty use in Caterpillar diesels. It has since been taken up largely by the trucking industry here in OZ. Once again, no good with DPF. I have seen many diesel and petrol engines run on Rimula for huge mileages and when stripped, the engines are clean as a whistle. Never heard a bad word against it.

Ian.

I had my old Range Rover more in mind here, a 4.6l V8 which burns as much oil as it leaks! I'm going to tear the whole top end down anyway because its been on LPG for over 10 years, i need to check the valves for any burning. It's a very lazy motor, rarely goes over 1800 RPM and the rocker boxes look like there full of coal, masses of burnt on oil. i've no idea if the valve seals are still in place but the valley gasket leaks like a tea bag, so it's all coming apart.

 

[LostKiwi]

I had my old Range Rover more in mind here, a 4.6l V8 which burns as much oil as it leaks! I'm going to tear the whole top end down anyway because its been on LPG for over 10 years, i need to check the valves for any burning. It's a very lazy motor, rarely goes over 1800 RPM and the rocker boxes look like there full of coal, masses of burnt on oil. i've no idea if the valve seals are still in place but the valley gasket leaks like a tea bag, so it's all coming apart.

I have two spare heads if you want them......(free)

 

[JBell]

Straight answer anyone, can 229.5 be used instead of 229.3? Or is that wrong?

Not recommended for many of the reasons stated above. Just use the correct spec and you can't go wrong.

Here is a Mobil Synthetic oil that is MB229.3 and you will get an extra 10% off using the merc code from Opie Oils

http://www.opieoils.co.uk/pv-98320-...7-litres.aspx?vehicleid=11372&yearfilter=2006

 

[Arudge]

I have two spare heads if you want them......(free)

Now there's an offer i can't refuse.

Give me a shout when your about, no rush. I think this is going to turn into a winter project!

Transmission is running fine, i can't believe how many dead ends i went down but it's certainly been an education.

 

[Sylar]

Not recommended for many of the reasons stated above. Just use the correct spec and you can't go wrong.

Here is a Mobil Synthetic oil that is MB229.3 and you will get an extra 10% off using the merc code from Opie Oils

http://www.opieoils.co.uk/pv-98320-...7-litres.aspx?vehicleid=11372&yearfilter=2006

Hi. Where's the merc code?

 

[Wighty]

Hi. Where's the merc code?

MERCEDES

 

[Yugguy]

MB approved 229.3:
https://bevo.mercedes-benz.com/bevolisten/229.3_en.html
229.5:
https://bevo.mercedes-benz.com/bevolisten/229.5_en.html
top page:
https://bevo.mercedes-benz.com/bevolisten/bevo-sheets-sort1.html

 

[The_Don]

Mb 229.5 £25 delivered for 5l -

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/111342550802

 

[Yugguy]

What to put in which cars:

https://bevo.mercedes-benz.com/d/d/en/Spec_223_2.pdf

Interestingly 229.52 seems to be a new specification.

 

[Wighty]

Mb 229.5 £25 delivered for 5l -

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/111342550802

You can buy the same oil in 20L for £52.90 delivered .

 

[Sylar]

MERCEDES

Nice !

 

[Sylar]

Tell ya what guys! After looking this stuff up im shopping in halfords!