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I have only just discovered that I should not be using semi-synthetic oil in my Vetus 3.28. I need 15W40 CG4, and have found some Unipart mineral oil at £11.29 for 5 litres direct from Unipart. RRP is £23.50, so this looks good.

 

Confirmation that this is a perfectly good oil at a great price would be welcome please, as I am now a bit wary having thought that I was doing the right thing by using Castrol Magnatec. Alternatively please advise a good oil to buy.

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Certainly,

Cliffords in Brighton (you can actually park outside...)

Car Parts in Henfield - I think there's one in darkest Horsham as well.

Best to buy in bulk, 20l in a drum can be cheaper, and last time I bought from Cliffords it was buy 4 get one free. They do various grades of 15/40 'normally aspirated diesel engines' variety is the best to use.

If you buy as you go then it's hardly worth the journey.

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I just paid £92 for 25l (15:40 CG4) delivered directly to the boat from Morris.

Its an oil that Morris technical recommend for lightly loaded canal boat engines They also suggest that some of their oils of similar spec. are less suitable, so despite forum wisdom it appears that not all oils with the same API are the same,

I could have used a cheaper oil but I hope (dream?) to get 20,000 hours out of this engine so am happier using a known good oil.

 

The Castrol magnetic was a bit controversial, I thought it had been withdrawn? some engines loved it and a few hated it..

 

................Dave

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I bet the vast majority of CG4 oils are labelled "semi-synthetic". I also suspect the highest API spec oil not labelled "semi-synthetic" is likely to be CD or CE.

 

Personally I have given up worrying about "semi-synthetic" on the label and so far no ill effects but if its an engine still under warrantee I would try to stick to the SAE and API spec listed by Vetus.

 

As all oils contain a hefty dose of "synthetic" additives to improve performance I tend to view "semi-synthetic" as no more than a marketing statement nowadays. I also question where you found that you should not be using "semi-synthetic" oil. If its the Vetus manual then fine but if its not I would not be worrying about it.

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I'm with Tony on this. Synthetic has a meaning, and semi-synthetic did have a meaning, or possibly a different meaning to different manufacturers, but now its sometimes just a word, like many other modern meaningless words.

 

Also If an engine manufacturer says not recommended if might be just that, they are not saying that its wrong just that they don't yet have enough test results and long term experience to say that its good.

 

...................Dave

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My Perkins 4108M runs with Morris Multivis 15/40, and after 27 years, after 200 hours, there is little or no oil loss. Cheaper oils always needed top ups.

The only downside is that with a PRM gearbox, I need to carry a mineral 20/50 as semi synthetic is not suitable in the gearbox, or so I'm led to believe.

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My Perkins 4108M runs with Morris Multivis 15/40, and after 27 years, after 200 hours, there is little or no oil loss. Cheaper oils always needed top ups.

The only downside is that with a PRM gearbox, I need to carry a mineral 20/50 as semi synthetic is not suitable in the gearbox, or so I'm led to believe.

You can use any engine oil in a PRM hydraulic gearbox according to PRM. If it's a manual box then ATF is specified.

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My Perkins 4108M runs with Morris Multivis 15/40, and after 27 years, after 200 hours, there is little or no oil loss. Cheaper oils always needed top ups.The only downside is that with a PRM gearbox, I need to carry a mineral 20/50 as semi synthetic is not suitable in the gearbox, or so I'm led to believe.

Have you missed off a 0 or two?

 

200 hours over 27 years is less than 7 and a half hours per year.

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I was told by Vetus tech, that it is OK to run the vetus M415 (mitsubishi S4L base engine) on semi AND fully synthetic oil. Not sure what the position is on the 318. I have always used mineral to date, mainly Comma these days; I can get a five for four deal at the local truck place, same with engine oil filters.

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I have only just discovered that I should not be using semi-synthetic oil in my Vetus 3.28. I need 15W40 CG4, and have found some Unipart mineral oil at £11.29 for 5 litres direct from Unipart. RRP is £23.50, so this looks good.

Confirmation that this is a perfectly good oil at a great price would be welcome please, as I am now a bit wary having thought that I was doing the right thing by using Castrol Magnatec. Alternatively please advise a good oil to buy.

Hi Mike

 

Have a look below. This was the unipart oil and was on offer at about £7.50 per 5 litres before Xmas.

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=88555#entry1920287

 

There are quite a few comments about it and it's equivalents.

 

Tony

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