Oil is SUCH a personal matter, you'd think it was
something other than the engine that most people
were lubricating with it... That being said, some
observations:
I've heard a couple of race engine builders complain
about the Kendall, specifically that it builds up a
layer of crud on the inside of the engine. And yes,
Economy Imports is pushing the stuff. They've been
given a big incentive to do so, I'd imagine.
I use Castrol in my MGs for traditional reasons. In
the Thirties, late Forties and Fifties, Colonel George
Eyston was the head of Castrol (which is a British
company, BTW). Eyston also drove many of the MG
record-breaking specials (first 750cc car to go over
100 mph, first 1.5L to go 200, lots of fun stuff like
that). Castrol and MG go way back, and as I've said
before, if you can't be a traditionalist with an MG,
you might as well buy a Honda. (Hi Larry! :-)
I have been converted to synthetic oil on other cars,
but there are some problems using synthetics in older,
high-mileage cars that aren't used to them. While I have
no evidence to support the claim I've heard that synthetics
break down engine seals, synthetics are slipperier and
"thinner" than conventional oils. This means they do
tend to leak faster than conventional oils, which can
get expensive.
I will almost certainly run synthetic oil in my race
motor next year, because of the extra protection at high
temperatures and high RPM, and also because synthetics
absorb less power than conventionals. It's only a couple
of hp at most, but every ounce helps.
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