who has a good recomendation for oil grade and type

[oldbike54]

I don't know.  It's something I got for free at the last place I worked.  Worked great in outboard motors so ..... and free.  ;D   :BEER:
Matt

 Scotch Buy  ;D Free is good  ;-T

  Dusty

[Stevex]

Dear God not again, is this some kind of sick joke?

But you still clicked on the thread; it's not like you didn't get a clue from the title and decided to ignore it because, dear god etc...

Agip Super 20/50 mineral here, for my ancient LM2.

[dilligaf]

What Stevex said except Castrol GTX 20W50. ;-T  Do they have WalMart in England?  ::)  :BEER:
Matt

[Perazzimx14]

Jackal + VR1 = happy motor

Unfortunately with VR1 you will not be able to brag to all your friends about the $15.00 per quart boutique oil that is used in Formula 1 cars that offers protection to 21 million rpm's.

[Tobit]

20W50 summer, 10W30 or 40 in winter.  You ARE in Michigan after all.  80W90 for the gearbox.

When I bought my LeMans IV from Stan's BMW/Moto Guzzi in '87, Stan gave me that stare and from under his red walrus mustache commanded "Use only Kendall GT 20W50" as I lived in South Carolina which was miserably hot most of the year.

So I used the old green Kendal GT until it became very hard to find and switched to Valvoline.

Does brand matter?  Have there been any Guzzi oil-related failures specific to one brand?  I don't know.  

Stan used to say that Castrol didn't protect the lifter faces well enough and that was good enough for me with both he and Sherry racing Guzzis.

YMMV

Tobit

[kckershovel]

I have no recommendations.

[Randown]

Oil companies change formulations all the time, what once was may no longer be. Setting aside zddp & additive packages, the best grade of oil will depend on what temperature the oil will see, since this is an a/c motor that will be greatly influenced by ambient temp.

You can buy a dipstick thermometer & see the temperature variation between seasons, use an online viscosity computer to see equivalent vis between grades at various temps & with some interpolation make some decisions.

Off hand the best multi-grade to use year 'round would be a 0W50 but it is unreasonably expensive so the next best would be 10W50. Ideally you want the lowest "winter" number you can get without having to change your design operating temp number. Those examples are synthetic so still a little pricey, a compromise would be to use 10W40 in the off season & a 20W50 in higher ambients, those are available in cheap but plenty-good-enough mineral oil.

[dilligaf]

Here we go.  ::) You knew it wouldn't be long.  ::(  :BEER:
Matt

[LowRyter]

http://www.cyclegear.com/CASTROL-ActEvo-X-Tra-4T-Semi-Synthetic-4-Stroke-Motor-Oil

20-50 Castrol Semi Synth motorcycle oil $25/gallon.

what?

[dilligaf]

http://www.cyclegear.com/CASTROL-ActEvo-X-Tra-4T-Semi-Synthetic-4-Stroke-Motor-Oil

20-50 Castrol Semi Synth motorcycle oil $25/gallon.

what?

Thanks.  When my free stuff runs out http://www.valvoline.com/products/brands/durablend/  I may switch to that for the Ducati.  :BEER:
Matt

[father guzzi obrian]

Fortunately, I chose not to follow the manufacturers recommendation on my early Griso. I lived in the very hot San Fernando Valley, rode in temps of 115 in the summer, owners manual suggested 10-40, instead of the correct 10-60 oil, dealer even changed it to 10-40 when I had the 600 mile service, changed it when I got home YMMV

[Perazzimx14]

Fortunately, I chose not to follow the manufacturers recommendation on my early Griso. I lived in the very hot San Fernando Valley, rode in temps of 115 in the summer, owners manual suggested 10-40, instead of the correct 10-60 oil, dealer even changed it to 10-40 when I had the 600 mile service, changed it when I got home YMMV

And if you'd have chosen to follow the manufacturers suggested 10w-40 the motor would have been none the worse for wear.

I think as long as you keep some sort of motor oil in the sump and change it every now and then any 2 valve Guzzi's will chug along longer than you care to keep it. Kind of like the "which oil filter is best for my motor"? Does it even matter? Ambo's and Eldo's don't even have oil filters and it is not uncommon for them to have 100,000 + miles on them. Just think many of these miles were put on in the 70's and 80's when your oil choices were about 1/100th of what they are today.

[Kev m]

Fortunately, I chose not to follow the manufacturers recommendation on my early Griso. I lived in the very hot San Fernando Valley, rode in temps of 115 in the summer, owners manual suggested 10-40, instead of the correct 10-60 oil, dealer even changed it to 10-40 when I had the 600 mile service, changed it when I got home YMMV

And that's an excellent example why RTFM isn't always a good answer with Euro produced vehicles.

Whereas Japan and the US normally produce a new manual every single model year (even if it is largely a reprint of the previous year) and though they do issue TSBs and revisions from time-to-time they rarely change something as basic as an oil spec retroactively or get it wrong in print.

However most of the EU manufacturers have long followed a policy of producing tech information when the first model is released, and then no producing anything except a supplement in later years when changes are made. However those supplements are not always timely or obvious, especially if all you get your hands on is the original and don't know there is a supplement. And, in the case of some like Guzzi, they are also notorious for errors/omissions even in the original.

[Kev m]

And if you'd have chosen to follow the manufacturers suggested 10w-40 the motor would have been none the worse for wear.

I'm sorry Peraz, but you simply don't have the data to back that up.

I believe it is LIKELY true, but you don't know his usage, and especially with the extreme temps, it is conceivable COULD have had a problem.

[dilligaf]

And if you'd have chosen to follow the manufacturers suggested 10w-40 the motor would have been none the worse for wear.

I think as long as you keep some sort of motor oil in the sump and change it every now and then any 2 valve Guzzi's will chug along longer than you care to keep it. Kind of like the "which oil filter is best for my motor"? Does it even matter? Ambo's and Eldo's don't even have oil filters and it is not uncommon for them to have 100,000 + miles on them. Just think many of these miles were put on in the 70's and 80's when your oil choices were about 1/100th of what they are today.

And that "Sir" is a big  :+1  :BEER:
Matt

[Perazzimx14]

I'm sorry Peraz, but you simply don't have the data to back that up.

I believe it is LIKELY true, but you don't know his usage, and especially with the extreme temps, it is conceivable COULD have had a problem.

If his Guzzi usage is typical usage he rode it to HF to get tools at 20% off a tool because Sears is to expensive, then ate dinner at an all you can eat buffet before 5:00 so it only cost $6.99 and finished up the evening by stopped at the grocery store because steel cut oats were BOGO.

[Buckturgidson]

I have no recommendations.

That's awesome.

[dilligaf]

If his Guzzi usage is typical usage he rode it to HF to get tools at 20% off a tool because Sears is to expensive, then ate dinner at an all you can eat buffet before 5:00 so it only cost $6.99 and finished up the evening by stopped at the grocery store because steel cut oats were BOGO.

Good one.  :BEER:
Matt

[Cam3512]

Yes.   But not all responses said.

And my Guzzi manuals always name AGIP, but then say "Or any other quality brand meeting the same specifications ...." which seems a pretty broad target but does not include 15W40 or 10W40 ....

Lannis

OF COURSE Guzzi recommends AGIP. They, and their parent ENI are Italian companies.  I DO use it, but you can't tell me there's no collaboration there.

[oldbike54]

OF COURSE Guzzi recommends AGIP. They, and their parent ENI are Italian companies.  I DO use it, but you can't tell me there's no collaboration there.

 BINGO  ;) Just like the Old Brit bike and car companies recommended English owned brands , and HD American brands . Contracts have even been signed , does anyone believe that (Budweiser , Coke , Lil Debbies) is the is choice of olympians or nascar drivers , despite the "official" title .

  Dusty

[twhitaker]

Lil Debbies is not official?  ::(

[oldbike54]

Lil Debbies is not official?  ::(

 Sure it is , "The official snack food at Moto Guzzi rallies"  ;D

  Dusty

[Lannis]

OF COURSE Guzzi recommends AGIP. They, and their parent ENI are Italian companies.  I DO use it, but you can't tell me there's no collaboration there.

Of course they recommend AGIP/ENI, they're sister companies, and anyone would be a fool to deny it.

My point was that the Guzzi manual says that the BRAND is not important, as long as the oil meets the specs they call out.   But for some reason, people want to use oil with a different set of specs.

Lannis

[dilligaf]

Are we talking about oil or Lil Debbies now?  :BEER:
Matt

[Stevex]

Do they have WalMart in England?

No, although they own Asda, a supermarket chain. No idea if they sell motor oil.

[krglorioso]

Who has a recommendation?

Who doesn't?

Ralph












































everyone

[Randown]

Here we go.  ::) You knew it wouldn't be long.  ::(  :BEER:
Matt

Did someone say something you don't agree with or didn't understand?