VR1 - the best RV8 oil?

[turbodave]

Lake Speed jr certainly thinks so, and my budget endurance race engine seems to be lasting well

Anyways, it's $27 for 5 quarts on Amazon, Walmart.com and also in Walmart stores. I've not seen it this cheap for at least 4 or 5 years.

I don't recall them stocking it before to be honest, but every store near me shows in stock on the shelf, so that's how it is now at least... just got three jugs while picking up a few other items.

[MGBV8]

Or Castrol Classic 20W50.

If wanting synthetic, Mobil 1 15W50 looked good as of 2021.

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/mobil-1-15w50.340775/

[joe_padavano]

Pretty much any one of the high zinc oils will be equivalent. There is probably more time wasted discussing this topic on the interwebs than almost any other. Pick one, put it in the engine, and drive. As for 20W-50, why? For a stock or near-stock engine, the extra viscosity just means lost HP and more strain on the oil pump.

[MGBV8]

I believe that is the recommended viscosity for the Buick/Olds/Rover V8 engines, Joe.

[joe_padavano]

My factory chassis service manual says 10W-30 or 10W-40 for an Olds 215. No GM gas engine was ever spec'd for 20W-50 oil unless you were using it in the Sahara.

[MGBV8]

Hmm.  I was told 20W50 & have been using it for 23 years.  Some of that quite abusive.    I tried 10W40 once.  The oil pressure dropped.

Seems Rimmer Bros says 10W40 for the Rover V8s.

https://rimmerbros.com/PopUp--id-444

Over at RPI Engineering, they say "Valvoline VR1 20w/50 is the only oil we use and recommend for the Rover V8".