Correct v8 engine oil

Lord Pecan · Sep 2, 2017

Hi,

Can anyone help, am looking at topping up the oil of my 90 3.5 v8 and was wondering if Mobil super 2000 10w-40 semi synthetic oil is fine for the engine?

Thanks R

norseman · Sep 3, 2017

NO, change the oil & (genuine) filter then use good a quality 20w/50 mineral oil with a high level of zddp content. These engines were designed back in the 'sixties & don't have especially efficient oil pumps & tolerances are not up to modern standards. The original 3.5 is the best version of the RV8, granted not the most powerful but certainly more bulletproof than the later 93mm bore units ie 3.9 & onwards. My last RR 3.5efi had done 160k miles when I sold it & still had factory spec. compressions. Regular oil changes are the key, don't go by LR's recommended 6k intervals, that's just a marketing ploy - halve that at least & also maintain the 50% anti-freeze level, changing the coolant at least every 2 years.

Lord Pecan · Sep 3, 2017

norseman said:
NO, change the oil & (genuine) filter then use good a quality 20w/50 mineral oil with a high level of zddp content. These engines were designed back in the 'sixties & don't have especially efficient oil pumps & tolerances are not up to modern standards. The original 3.5 is the best version of the RV8, granted not the most powerful but certainly more bulletproof than the later 93mm bore units ie 3.9 & onwards. My last RR 3.5efi had done 160k miles when I sold it & still had factory spec. compressions. Regular oil changes are the key, don't go by LR's recommended 6k intervals, that's just a marketing ploy - halve that at least & also maintain the 50% anti-freeze level, changing the coolant at least every 2 years.

Cheers for the advice, good thing I didn't put the 10w-40 in. Will get some 20w/50 mineral oil asap. Interesting point about the frequency of oil changes, I was at the Dunsfold LR event in June and met a chap who was one of the performance engineers at Rover in the 60s who worked on the V8 for the P6, he said the one thing about the V8, was reliable engine but make sure of plenty of oil changes.

Do you have any recommendations for the Power steering fluid?

Many thanks R

Shortbase · Sep 3, 2017

I always used the change my old RR V8 oil every 3k. Those big end bearings are not very wide compared to the old Landy Engines, and can wear if fed a diet of old oil and low oil levels.

wooly123 · Sep 3, 2017

i use 20x50 mineral,valvoline vr1 racing,car is 21 years old

discool · Sep 3, 2017

My old RR 3.5 had a service every six months by the main dealer and used 10w50 for the ten years of my ownership but it still had to have the cam replaced at 100k miles.
So as my my disco 3.9 is up to the more modern standards LR recommend oil based on ambient temperature, so any thing from 5w30, 5w40, 10w40 up to 10w60. The disco has always been run on 10w40 and with out and any issues in twenty years of ownership, of course being a bit more modern it also runs on OAT antifreeze with a five year replacement which is handy.

Power steering fluid is standard, it was Dexron llD but now that has been superseded by Dexron lll which is backward compatible so, there's no recommendation available.

Lord Pecan · Sep 3, 2017

discool said:
My old RR 3.5 had a service every six months by the main dealer and used 10w50 for the ten years of my ownership but it still had to have the cam replaced at 100k miles.
So as my my disco 3.9 is up to the more modern standards LR recommend oil based on ambient temperature, so any thing from 5w30, 5w40, 10w40 up to 10w60. The disco has always been run on 10w40 and with out and any issues in twenty years of ownership, of course being a bit more modern it also runs on OAT antifreeze with a five year replacement which is handy.

Power steering fluid is standard, it was Dexron llD but now that has been superseded by Dexron lll which is backward compatible so, there's no recommendation available.

Many thanks R

listerdiesel · Sep 9, 2017

We've used Chevron Supreme DIESEL oil in all of our V8's, the short engine I fitted in 2009 has nearly 100k miles on it and the camshaft was already used.

Got a 4.6 RR P38 as well now, and that is also on the same or similar oil, 10W-40 and rated for diesel engines.

Genuine filters used.

Peter

Lord Pecan · Sep 13, 2017

listerdiesel said:
We've used Chevron Supreme DIESEL oil in all of our V8's, the short engine I fitted in 2009 has nearly 100k miles on it and the camshaft was already used.

Got a 4.6 RR P38 as well now, and that is also on the same or similar oil, 10W-40 and rated for diesel engines.

Genuine filters used.

Peter

Many thanks R

Correct v8 engine oil

Lord Pecan

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norseman

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Lord Pecan

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Shortbase

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wooly123

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discool

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Lord Pecan

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listerdiesel

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Lord Pecan

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