What kind of oil should I use / what is the "best" oil?

[David Jones]

Bill, I doubt that many of us care about winter driving conditions so the W side of a multigrade is probably not much of a concern and being air-cooled the 50 weight is more important especially for summer driving. Having said that, the Mobil 1 20/50 is designed more for motorcycles with an additive that leans towards making wet clutches work better, plus the 1700 ppm level of ZDDP may not be a good thing for our engines. My experience of using, and my experience working in the oil industry and from the information I gleaned from working with lubrication chemists leads me to believe that other than specific oils that may be designed specifically for our engines (I know of none) then Mobil 1 15/50 is the best bang for the buck. I used Shell Rotella 15/40 for a long time and suffered no ill effects and no oil related problems but decided that the difference in cost was inconsequential over a 3000 mile oil change interval for the advantage of using synthetic oil. I buy a 5 quart jug and that way I always have enough for an oil change plus what is left is enough to top me up till the next oil change

[Jeffrey Leeds]

Mobil 1 V-Twin 20-50 Motorcycle oil has 1600 ppm Phosphorus / 1750 ppm Zink levels and mentions that it is formulated for air-cooled engines. I have used this specific oil for more than 15 years in all my 356's and 911's with good experience. Best of all it's available off the shelf at Walmart.

If you are interested the Mobil 1 product information and product data sheets are available here where you can compare the full range of Mobil 1 engine oils :

https://mobiloil.com/~/media/amer/us/pv ... -guide.pdf

[Jeffrey Leeds]

Not to argue with David's recommendations based upon his industry experience and expertise, my rational for sticking with the 20-50 multi-weight is that when Porsche came out with their own branded oils they specified a 20-50 oil for their air-cooled engines and 15-50 for their water-cooled engines.

[David Jones]

I was always a fan of Shell Rotella from way back in the mid 60's when I read an interview with Huschke Von Hanstein probably in Motoring News or maybe Motor or Autocar but for sure a British publication. Huschke was asked what spares they carried for the 911 rally cars and he replied that Shell Rotella and new wiper blades was all he carried. I am sure that was mostly tongue in cheek but back then oil companies did not go as big on advertising and sponsorship as now and Porsche using Shell Rotella made an impression on me and I used it on all my VW's and then Porsche cars from then on. Still an excellent choice for conventional oil but now I can afford to buy synthetic which was not an option back then.

[Al Zim]

If you are driving you car once a week or more and you have a full flow oil filter then synthetic oil is a good choice. I would still change the filter at 1500 mile intervals and the oil at 3,000 mile intervals. With the improvement of oil that allowed longer oil change services many 356 cars suffered from lack of chassis and body service as outlined in the owners manual. WHAT A TRAGEDY! If the car sits most of the time then an oil from the ground is a better choice because natures oil sticks to the internal engine parts better and keeps them for deterioration due to the humidity in the atmosphere which seeps into the engine through the oil breather and the vented valve covers. It is common knowledge that he oil filter processed less than 4% of the oil flowing through the engine. It was a sale gimmick and not necessary to prolong engine life that is why the Porsche Factory recommended 1,500 mile oil changes, chassis service and body service. For over 55 years we have used Kendall oil which has evolved to Penn Grade. With the advent of 20/50 that is the only weight and brand we sold till synthetics arrived. With the advent of the 911 grease fittings disappeared, oil or grease on the door hinges was not necessary and all the oil was kept in the transmission. Your car was never designed to run forever without service you should plan on on day each quarter (of the year) to follow the instructions in the owners manual. al zim

[Jim Beam]

Is the Porsche branded 20W50 oil dino or synthetic? Maybe a blend?

[Jeffrey Leeds]

The Mobil 1 V-Twin 20W-50 is a full Synthetic Jim.

[David Jones]

Jim, from what I can ascertain the Porsche classic motor oils both the 20/50 and the 10/60 are both synthetic oils, not a blend.

[Bill Lawless]

Hmm, there are lots of choices from Mobil-1 ...

Screen Shot 2020-01-18 at 10.07.54 AM.png (386.72 KiB) Viewed 5036 times

[David Jones]

Bill, use this chart to make your decision, You can rule out most of their oils based on ZDDP amounts. Choose one with more than 900 ppm. From all my research I would say 1200/1300 ppm is optimum.
https://mobiloil.com/~/media/amer/us/pv ... -guide.pdf

[Don Gale]

Hmm, there are lots of choices from Mobil-1 ...

Mobil 1 V-Twin (lower left) is the one to go with, comes in 20W50 and is formulated for air-cooled Harleys and has a relatively high zinc content.

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[Bill Lawless]

thanks guys

[Tom Wavrin]

Bill, see the Mobil oil link posted above by Jeffrey Leeds that shows that Mobil 1, 15W50 is the appropriate Mobil oil choice for most of us. And, it is readily available.

I appreciate David Jones's recommendation. For me, switching to Mobil-1 15/50 will save me enough $ for half a case of Bend, Oregon's Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA per oil change compared to the previous oil I've been using.

Tom

[Bill Lawless]

Bill, see the Mobil oil link posted above by Jeffrey Leeds that shows that Mobil 1, 15W50 is the appropriate Mobil oil choice for most of us. And, it is readily available.

I appreciate David Jones's recommendation. For me, switching to Mobil-1 15/50 will save me enough $ for half a case of Bend, Oregon's Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA per oil change compared to the previous oil I've been using.

Tom

Ahhh, Now you talking my language.. Perfect thing to do with the savings.. A lot of award winning IPA Craft beers in Vermont..

-Bill

[Don Gale]

[/quote] ... A lot of award winning IPA Craft beers in Vermont..

-Bill
[/quote]

+1, My kingdom for a Pliny . . .

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