oilman

We are pleased to announce that we now have an expanded range of Castrol Oils in stock including Castrol Edge 0w-30, 5w-30, 10w-60 (replaces TWS), Edge TD 0w-30 and 5w-40 Castrol Edge Sport 0w-40 (replaces RS) and Edge Sport 10w-60 (replaces RS) Bike Oils including R4, R2, GPS, GP and a full range of gear oils, brake fluids and workshop items including SRF Brake Fluid. You'll find the range here and the Club prices in the Members Area. http://www.opieoils.co.uk/performance_l ... strol.aspx Happy browsing! Regards Simon & Guy

A good 75w-90 is ideal, there is very little difference between an 80w-90 and a 75w-90, they more tell you what it is made from. I would look at either the Silkolene Syn5 75w-90 or the Motul gear300 75w-90 as top options. We looked at Redline and had some of their gear oils tested as we were thinking about stocking them, however we were not impressed. Most important thing of all is DO NOT USE SLICK50 ADDITVE it just messes with the exsisting oil. Cheers Guy.

Our July offers have started and will finish on Friday 14th. If you are going to JAE you can save carriage by taking advantage of our "collect your oil at shows" facility in the Members Section. Closing date for JAE collect orders is 18th July. http://www.opieoils.co.uk Regards Simon & Guy

What’s written on your oil bottle and what does it mean. This post may seem like going back to basics but I am constantly surprised by the amount of people who do not know or understand what is written on a bottle of oil and therefore no idea of what they are buying/using. To be blunt about the subject, if a bottle of oil does not contain the following basic information then DO NOT buy it look for something that does! 1) The purpose for which it is intended (i.e. Motor oil, Gear oil etc) 2) The viscosity (i.e. 10w-40, 5w-30 etc for Motor oils and 80w-90, 75w-90 etc for Gear oils) 3) The specifications that it meets (should contain both API and ACEA ratings) 4) The OEM Approvals that it carries and the codes (i.e. MB229.3, VW503.00, BMW LL01 etc) Ignore the marketing blurb on the label it is in many cases meaningless and I will explain later what statements you should treat this with some scepticism So, what does the above information mean and why is it important? THE BASICS All oils are intended for an application and in general are not interchangeable. You would not for example put an Automatic Transmission Oil or a Gear Oil in your engine! It is important to know what the oils intended purpose is. VISCOSITY Most oils on the shelves today are “Multigrades”, which simply means that the oil falls into 2 viscosity grades (i.e. 10w-40 etc) Multigrades were first developed some 50 years ago to avoid the old routine of using a thinner oil in winter and a thicker oil in summer. In a 10w-40 for example the 10w bit (W = winter, not weight or watt or anything else for that matter) simply means that the oil must have a certain maximum viscosity/flow at low temperature. The lower the “W” number the better the oils cold temperature/cold start performance. The 40 in a 10w-40 simply means that the oil must fall within certain viscosity limits at 100 degC. This is a fixed limit and all oils that end in 40 must achieve these limits. Once again the lower the number the thinner the oil, a 30 oil is thinner than a 40 oil at 100 degC etc. Your handbook will specify whether a 30, 40 or 50 etc is required. SPECIFICATIONS Specifications are important as these indicate the performance of the oil and whether they have met or passed the latest tests or whether the formulation is effectively obsolete or out of date. There are two specifications that you should look for on any oil bottle and these are API (American Petroleum Institute) and ACEA (Association des Constructeurs Europeens d’Automobiles) all good oils should contain both of these and an understanding of what they mean is important. API This is the more basic as it is split (for passenger cars) into two catagories. S = Petrol and C = Diesel, most oils carry both petrol (S) and diesel © specifications. The following table shows how up to date the specifications the oil are: PETROL SG - Introduced 1989 has much more active dispersant to combat black sludge. SH - Introduced 1993 has same engine tests as SG, but includes phosphorus limit 0.12%, together with control of foam, volatility and shear stability. SJ - Introduced 1996 has the same engine tests as SG/SH, but phosphorus limit 0.10% together with variation on volatility limits SL - Introduced 2001, all new engine tests reflective of modern engine designs meeting current emissions standards SM - Introduced November 2004, improved oxidation resistance, deposit protection and wear protection, also better low temperature performance over the life of the oil compared to previous categories. Note: All specifications prior to SL are now obsolete and although suitable for some older vehicles are more than 10 years old and do not provide the same level of performance or protection as the more up to date SL and SM specifications. DIESEL CD - Introduced 1955, international standard for turbo diesel engine oils for many years, uses single cylinder test engine only CE - Introduced 1984, improved control of oil consumption, oil thickening, piston deposits and wear, uses additional multi cylinder test engines CF4 - Introduced 1990, further improvements in control of oil consumption and piston deposits, uses low emission test engine CF - Introduced 1994, modernised version of CD, reverts to single cylinder low emission test engine. Intended for certain indirect injection engines CF2 - Introduced 1994, defines effective control of cylinder deposits and ring face scuffing, intended for 2 stroke diesel engines CG4 - Introduced 1994, development of CF4 giving improved control of piston deposits, wear, oxidation stability and soot entrainment. Uses low sulphur diesel fuel in engine tests CH4 - Introduced 1998, development of CG4, giving further improvements in control of soot related wear and piston deposits, uses more comprehensive engine test program to include low and high sulphur fuels CI4 Introduced 2002, developed to meet 2004 emission standards, may be used where EGR ( exhaust gas recirculation ) systems are fitted and with fuel containing up to 0.5 % sulphur. May be used where API CD, CE, CF4, CG4 and CH4 oils are specified. Note: All specifications prior to CH4 are now obsolete and although suitable for some older vehicles are more than 10 years old and do not provide the same level of performance or protection as the more up to date CH4 & CI4 specifications. If you want a better more up to date oil specification then look for SL, SM, CH4, CI4 ACEA This is the European equivalent of API (US) and is more specific in what the performance of the oil actually is. A = Petrol, B = Diesel and C = Catalyst compatible or low SAPS (Sulphated Ash, Phosphorus and Sulphur). Unlike API the ACEA specs are split into performance/application catagories as follows: A1 Fuel economy petrol A2 Standard performance level (now obsolete) A3 High performance and/or extended drain A4 Reserved for future use in certain direct injection engines A5 Combines A1 fuel economy with A3 performance B1 Fuel economy diesel B2 Standard performance level (now obsolete) B3 High performance and/or extended drain B4 For direct injection car diesel engines B5 Combines B1 fuel economy with B3/B4 performance C1-04 Petrol and Light duty Diesel engines, based on A5/B5-04 low SAPS, two way catalyst compatible. C2-04 Petrol and light duty Diesel engines, based on A5/B5-04 mid SAPS, two way catalyst compatible. C3-04 Petrol and light duty Diesel engines, based on A5/B5-04 mid SAPS, two way catalyst compatible, Higher performance levels due to higher HTHS. Note: SAPS = Sulphated Ash, Phosphorous and Sulphur. Put simply, A3/B3, A5/B5 and C3 oils are the better quality, stay in grade performance oils. APPROVALS Many oils mention various OEM’s on the bottle, the most common in the UK being VW, MB or BMW but do not be misled into thinking that you are buying a top oil because of this. Oil Companies send their oils to OEM’s for approval however some older specs are easily achieved and can be done so with the cheapest of mineral oils. Newer specifications are always more up to date and better quality/performance than the older ones. Some of the older OEM specifications are listed here and depending on the performance level of your car are best ignored if you are looking for a quality high performance oil: VW – 500.00, 501.00 and 505.00 Later specs like 503, 504, 506 and 507 are better performing more up to date oils MB – 229.1 Later specs like 229.3 and 229.5 are better performing more up to date oils. BMW – LL98 Later specs like LL01 and LL04 are better performing more up to date oils. FINALLY Above is the most accurate guidance I can give without going into too much depth however there is one final piece of advice regarding the labelling. Certain statements are made that are meaningless and just marketing blurb, here are a few to avoid! Recommended for use where…………… May be used where the following specifications apply…………… Approved by………………………..(but with no qualification) Recommended/Approved by (some famous person, these endorsements are paid for) Racing/Track formula (but with no supporting evidence) Also be wary of statements like “synthetic blend” if you are looking for a fully synthetic oil as this will merely be a semi-synthetic. Like everything in life, you get what you pay for and the cheaper the oil the cheaper the ingredients and lower the performance levels. If you want further advice then please feel free to ask here or contact us through our website at http://www.opieoils.co.uk. Cheers Simon

At last they have arrived! Silkolene Pro S 5w-40 / 10w-50 / Pro R 15w-50 now in stock in 1L top-up bottles. Members Price is £9.99 each. We will also have these available at Japshow Santa Pod this coming weekend. Regards Simon & Guy Opie Oils http://www.opieoils.co.uk

If you wish to collect oil, filters, plugs etc at Japshow Santa Pod on the 24th or 25th June don't forget to order online through the Members Section of our website here: http://www.opieoils.co.uk/Members.aspx We will have a limited amount of stock for the weekend but to avoid disapointment, put your advanced order in now and we will ensure we bring it with us. All orders for Japshow will close in one week. Other shows coming up and already open for pre-order (see website) are: JAE 22/23rd July FORD FAIR 6th August BMW Car Club 20th August TRAX 3rd September GT BATTLE 17th September JAPFEST II 30th September JAPSHOW FINALE 7/8th October Cheers Simon & Guy

This offer will end at 6.00 PM on Wednesday 14th June. If you're going to Japshow at Santa Pod why not use our "Collect at Shows" ordering to save carriage costs! Cheers Simon

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> REMINDER This offer will finish in 1 week (14th June) Please Note: The pre-order system for collecting your oil at Japshow (Santa Pod) 24th/25th June is now available in the Members Section of our website http://www.opieoils.co.uk If you wish to save carriage and collect your oil that weekend, please follow the instructions at check out and specify "collect" rather than "delivered". Cheers Simon & Guy

Opie Oils June Offers are now on and will finish on June 14th For the lowest prices go to the Members Section at http://www.opieoils.co.uk Cheers Simon & Guy

Please note that the order closing dates for shows are as follows: Japfest - Closing date Tuesday 16th May Rotorstock - Closing date Tuesday 23rd May Japshow - Closing date Tuesday 20th June JAE - Closing date Tuesday 18th July Ford Fair - Closing date Tuesday 1st August Trax - Tuesday 29th August D1GB/Time Attack Final - Tuesday 26th September Japshow Finale - Tuesday 3rd October The ability to order your oil for collection will be switched off at 6.00pm on the dates stated above. JAPFEST is only 3 weeks away so don't delay and get your order in today. Cheers Simon

Could pop along, Newquay is only up the road, let me know when the next one is one. Cheers Simon.

The Opie Oils "collect your oil at shows" order system is now up and running in the "Members Section" of our website http://www.opieoils.co.uk To order your oil for collection at a show, saving carriage costs you need to follow this procedure: 1. Go to our site and log into the "Members Section". 2. Select the products that you want to buy and click on "buy now" they will appear in the basket on the left of the page. 3. Click on checkout and you will be taken to the "Delivery or Collection" screen showing the delivered and collected prices. 4. Select the show (and day) you want to collect the oil from us on and then click the link to collect your order. 5. You will then be taken back to your basket and you can add or delete products as you wish. 6. Click to go to secure checkout. 7. Complete your details and you're done. 8. You will receive email confirmation with instructions. Please note: Credit card payments will not be taken until a maximum of 3 working days before the show. We will be at the following shows: (more may be added later) Japfest 20th May Rotorstock 28/29th May Japshow 24/25th June JAE 22/23rd July Ford Fair 6th August Trax 3rd September D1GB/Time Attack Finals 1st October Japshow Finale 7/8th October So, why not plan your oil purchases around the shows and save paying carriage costs. Any questions please feel free to ask here or email us on mailto:[email protected] We look forward to meeting you personally. Cheers Simon & Guy

Quick reminder! This offer will end on friday 21st April at 12.00 midday. After this offer has finished we will be launching our "online" order system for collection at the following shows that we will be attending enabling you to save the carriage costs, meaning more discounts! Here are the shows we are booked for currently but more may be added at a later date: Japfest (Castle Coombe) May Rotorstock (Shakespeare) May Japshow (Santa Pod) June JAE (Peterborough) July Ford Fair (Silverstone) August TRAX (Silverstone) September D1GB Finals (Silverstone) October Japshow Finale (Santa Pod) October We will post instructions on how to use the "collect at shows" facility in a seperate thread. Coming soon: Silkolene Pro S 5w-40, 10w-50 and Pro R 15w-50 available in 1litre top up bottles. Cheers Simon & Guy

A lot of oils will withstand over 120degC but for how long and that's the point. The oil will shear with heat (lose viscosity) and therefore does not afford the same protection. Cheap oils and mineral based oils are more prone to severe shearing due to heat because they are less thermally stable than proper synthetics. Race oils and similar top quality ones simply last longer because they are more thermally stable to begin with, uniform molecules and less polymers to work as a multigrade. Have a read of this and you will get some idea of what constitutes a good oil. Why do oils lose viscosity with use? Viscosity Index Improvers. An oils viscosity will decrease as the engine temperature rises. Viscosity Index Improvers are added to reduce this thinning. They are a key addative in the production of multigrade oils. VI Improvers are heat sensitive long chain, high molecular weight polymers that minimise the viscosity loss of the oil at high temperatures. They work like springs, coiled at low temperatures and uncoiling at high temperatures. This makes the molecules larger (at high temps) which increases internal resistance within the thinning oil. They in effect "fight back" against the viscosity loss in the oil. "Shearing" The long chain molecules in VI Improvers are prone to "shearing" with use which reduces their ability to prevent the oil from losing viscosity. This "shearing" occurs when shear stress ruptures the long chain molecules and converts them to shorter, lower weight molecules. The shorter, lower weight molecules offer less resistance to flow and their ability to maintain viscosity is reduced. This shearing not only reduces the viscosity of the oil but can cause piston ring sticking (due to deposits), increased oil consumption and increased engine wear. Like basestock quality, VI Improvers also vary in quality. As with many items the more you pay, the better the finished article and more expensive, usually synthetic oils are likely to incorporate better VI improvers. All other things being equal the less VI improver an oil contains, the better it will stay in grade by resisting viscosity loss. Which oils require more VI Improvers? There are two scenarios where large amounts of these polymers are required as a rule. Firstly in "wide viscosity span" multigrades. By this I mean that the difference between the lower "W" number and the higher number is large for example 5w-50 (diff 45) and 10w-60 (diff 50) are what is termed as "wide viscosity span" oils. Narrow viscosity oils like 0w-30 (diff 30) or 5w-40 (diff 35) require far less VI Improvers and therefore are less prone to "shearing". Secondly, mineral and hydrocracked (petroleum synthetic oils) require more VI Improvers than proper PAO/Ester (Group IV or V) synthetic oils as they have a higher inherent VI to begin with, this is due to differences in the molecular structure of the synthetic base oils compared to mineral oils. It is a fact that many synthetics require significantly less VI Improver to work as a multigrade and are therefore less prone to viscosty loss by shearing. So, is Quantum Silver good? For a stock road car, why not, it won't be stressed! For a heavily modded track car, forget it. Look for a proper race oil. Cheers Simon

Not as such although the calender tends to change as the summer unfolds with new shows being added. Cheers Simon

GET READY FOR SUMMER! APRIL Special offers on all products at http://www.opieoils.co.uk Aprils Specials will run from Sunday 9th April until Friday 21st April 2006. These offers are ONLY in the "Members Section" of our website and are only applicable if you buy online during the offer period stated above. To go to the Members Section click here: http://www.opieoils.co.uk/Members.aspx If you already have a Members Access Code then please put it in the box provided, if you do not have a Members Access Code then you will need to request one here: http://www.opieoils.co.uk/Members_request.aspx COMING LATER THIS MONTH: Order your oil “online” for collection at one of the following shows and save carriage costs! Japfest (Castle Coombe) May Rotorstock (Shakespeare) May Japshow (Santa Pod) June JAE (Peterborough) July Ford Fair (Silverstone) August TRAX (Silverstone) September D1GB Finals (Silverstone) October Japshow Finale (Santa Pod) October Cheers Simon & Guy

Motul 300V is a very good oil, once again I sell it, surprise! Silkolene Pro will also be available in 1L top up bottles from around mid April! About time!! Cheers Simon

Delivered mate. Cheers Simon.

Actually the Members Price is £39.99 and it's on offer until midnight tonight at £35.99 BARGAIN!! Cheers Simon

Quantum is ok for unmodded street cars but if the car is modded or used on track, go for something better. Cheers Simon

Hi, We would suggest either a 5w-40 full synthetic for near stock and fast road use, for heavily modded or track time then look at a 10w-50. Have a look at Silkolene and Motul as tops. Cheers Simon.

************************** REMINDER ************************** This "online" offer will end on Thursday 9th March at 9.00pm Cheers Simon

March Special offers at http://www.opieoils.co.uk March Special Offers will run from Friday 3rd March until Thursday 8th March 2006. These offers are ONLY in the "Members Section" of our website and are only applicable if you buy online during the offer period stated above. To go to the Members Section click here: http://www.opieoils.co.uk/Members.aspx If you already have a Members Access Code then please put it in the box provided, if you do not have a Members Access Code then you will need to request one here: http://www.opieoils.co.uk/Members_request.aspx Be quick as this offer is for 1 week ONLY! Cheers Simon & Guy

I don't have one! I'm just suggesting an alternative to the Redline which is better quality and cheaper. Cheers Simon

I would also consider the Silkolene SYN 5 75w-90 as an option. Cheers Simon