Best oil for stock 1982 Beetle 1200?

[FCD]

A friend of mine recently bought a 1982 Beetle with a stock 1200 engine, i think the previous owner used a 15w40 pcmo, it doesn't have an oil filter, would a 15w40 HDEO like Shell Rimula work? Gasoline rated with 1250ppm of zddp, i was thinking maybe Valvoline VR1 since i'm going to get tome for my car but would that be overkill? it doesn't burn a whole lot of oil from what the previous owner said. the temperatures here vary from about 0 Celsius in winter mornings ( 32F ) to 40c ( 100F ) on the hottest summer days, it will be mainly used to go to shows and not much else so low yearly mileage.

 

[Lyman]

I used a 15w40 HDEO in the last 1835 that I ran in my Baja Bug. Worked out good.

 

[bullwinkle]

I used to run SAE 30 HD in my '64 Beetle (WAYYY back in the day, like '80-'82), but an HDEO 30 or 15W40 would be good for it. Any catalytic converter on that Bug?

 

[Jetronic]

Originally Posted By: bullwinkle
Any catalytic converter on that Bug?


Not a chance!

 

[bubbatime]

Originally Posted By: bullwinkle
Any catalytic converter on that Bug?

 

[Kamele0N]

Since it has aircooled engine...I would choose synthetic oil for that engine...

Most probably in sae 40/50 range...

 

[crazyoildude]

Was there even a 1982 VW Beetle?? As for the cat anything here in the us since around 75 should have a cat

 

[bullwinkle]

Well, we didn't have them here in '82, they were gone from the USA by then-and the '77 Super Beetle DID have a cat from the factory! No cat means burning oil won't hurt anything.

 

[FCD]

It's a mexican built 1982 beetle with no cats, they made them up to 2003 , i really can't find any Straight 30 grade oils anywhere here so i think Shell Rimula it is, and it can withstand the heat being a HDEO

 

[earlyre]

Originally Posted By: crazyoildude
Was there even a 1982 VW Beetle?? As for the cat anything here in the us since around 75 should have a cat


while they ceased US sales in 77,European sales continued until 85, and VW Continued making them in Mexico up until 2003. ( in the same factory along side the (1997-2010) "New Beetle" )

 

[NHGUY]

The US got Super Beetle convertibles thru 1979.Took until 1980 to sell them all off.

 

[BikeWhisperer]

I usually ran Delo 15w-40 in my '72 Super with a 1600, never had an issue.

 

[bmwpowere36m3]

The kind that comes in a plastic jug at your store of choice... Whats that thing make 5-10 hp

J/K, I'd just run Rotella/Delo 15W-40

 

[Kamele0N]

Originally Posted By: FordCapriDriver
i really can't find any Straight 30 grade oils anywhere here so i think Shell Rimula it is, and it can withstand the heat being a HDEO


You just love to complicate around oil(s)

Any decent petrol station ( OMV, Repsol, Agip, ....) has lawnmover oil.....that (here in EU) is usually straight sae 30 HDEO oil.....

Or just go to garden store where they are selling lawnmovers.....and buy B&S sae 30 or Kawasaki lawnmover sae 30 oil.....or Honda one...

It is THAT easy

 

[djb]

The recommended oil used to be HD30. It was the most stable oil with the varying temperatures of an air-cooled engine. And it was inexpensive.

Later the preferred oil was Castrol 20W50.

Pretty much any modern oil will be dramatically better than that engine was designed for. An air cooled engine has looser clearances, so you'll want something thick. The engine wasn't designed for a filter, replying on a screen to stop large chunks and frequent oil changes to remove particulates. Thus suggesting a cheap oil. Eventually, of course, it will be a "total loss" oil system that will have the oil freshened with every gas fill.

 

[bubbatime]

Originally Posted By: Kamele0N
Since it has aircooled engine...I would choose synthetic oil for that engine...


Really? You'd recommend synthetic oil in a 34 year old engine with an unknown maintenance history? Sounds like a terrible idea.

Conventional 15W40 or 20W50 sounds like a better recommendation to me...

 

[BrocLuno]

Yup, I've had a number of Beetles and they all liked Castrol GTX 20W50 just fine. If that's not aoround, any 15W40 HDEO would be my next choice and change it every 3,000 miles or the equivelent in Kms...

Fortunately, it's a Mexican motor so it has the revamped cam and hydraulic lifters. No more messy valve adjustments every other oil change

 

[NH73]

Over in the lawn mower or OPE part of the forum. A lot of people there like HDEO oils for there air cooled engines.

 

[Nick1994]

Nothing wrong with synthetic in that car.

I maintain a 1970 VW Beetle and have run Rotella 15w40, Mobil 1 Turbo Diesel Truck 5w40, and currently Mobil 1 HM 10w40. It leaks the same with synthetic as it did with conventional. Maybe even less. But it's just a minor leak.

Runs good on all of those oils

 

[FCD]

It already leaks a bit of oil so i don't think a synthetic would be that good of an idea, i'll tell him to get Shell Rimula 15w40 , 1250ppm of zddp and gasoline rated, it's almost the same oil as Rotella T6 in the states i think.
I've heard that 20w50 makes the newer Beetle Mexican engines with hydraulic lifters tick?