i'm in the process of cleaning one out and regasketing the whole thing and was wondering if anyone had any experience pertaining to this engines preferences for oil.. mines got 186k on it and was seemingly taken well care of and ran fairly lightly its entire life.. the car will probably see 7k on the tach every now and then to stretch its legs, so if anyone has any suggestions for that as well, i'd appreciate it
anyone have experience with the audi 7A?
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Guys like to drown them in 20w-50 because "someone" told them to. I'd say 15w-40 HDEO would be perfect in warm temps, but you can really run that engine on any oil as long as it does not consume it. You could make a case for dino 10w-40 in summer and 5w-30 if it gets really cold. Our car has Pennzoil 10w-40 in it now. I think MaxLife 10w-40 is a good bet. Castrol GTX HM runs a bit thick for it's grade, so you can experiment with that, even blend it a bit. Castrol is the Official Oil of Audi. Keep an eye on the oil temp to see how thick you should go.
Heck if you want synth, run out for some new dealer oils Castrol SLX Pro 5w-30. A thick 30 like German Syntec 0w-30 is. I ran our coupe w/ 210k on GC, it was smooth and did not burn.
Our CGT does not burn oil anyway. If you love your car, and start it in really cold (like is coming to Northeast next week) use a synth 5w-40, but a diesel rated one like Shell Rotella T Synth 5w-40 or Mobil 1 5w-40 Truck oil, both at WalMart.
You can go from there, but Auto-Rx additive is worth using for the money.
BTW- did you remove the brake vacuum pump actuator that rides on the camshaft? Best 10 minute job ever. Some mistake that clack-clack for sticky lifters, but it's the vacuum booster.
A twist of timing advance and you are SET. That car rocks.
Heck if you want synth, run out for some new dealer oils Castrol SLX Pro 5w-30. A thick 30 like German Syntec 0w-30 is. I ran our coupe w/ 210k on GC, it was smooth and did not burn.
Our CGT does not burn oil anyway. If you love your car, and start it in really cold (like is coming to Northeast next week) use a synth 5w-40, but a diesel rated one like Shell Rotella T Synth 5w-40 or Mobil 1 5w-40 Truck oil, both at WalMart.
You can go from there, but Auto-Rx additive is worth using for the money.
BTW- did you remove the brake vacuum pump actuator that rides on the camshaft? Best 10 minute job ever. Some mistake that clack-clack for sticky lifters, but it's the vacuum booster.
A twist of timing advance and you are SET. That car rocks.
well i have quite a few of these things.. the 7A is actually going in my '85 cgt.. i got a bag o' snakes and some other goodies that will make that car a treat. i daily drive an '84 4kq with 246k on it, its my only running 10v car right now, and it already had the rod removed so it doesnt clack... the 4kq's got an NG cam and some timing advance on 89 octane, and i love the thing to death, although it leaks a bit and probably burns a little, motors still strong though... but back to oil in the 7A.. i run 20w50 in the summer and 10w30 in the winter in the 10v's and figured i'd do the same in the 20v.. usually kendall gt-1... i like the thicker oils because i really do rev the [censored] out of them every now and then (only when warmed up of course), i try to avoid starting any of my cars when its too cold and i try not to start any of them unless im going to let it fully warm up... however. since i will have all new gaskets and won't have to worry about springing any new leaks, i figured it would be best for the engine if i started running a full synthetic from the start, something like an elf excellium 10w50, retaining a thicker warm oil, but helping out the cold starting situation a bit.. my question about that is.. is it worth it to get an oil with such a wide viscosity range or does that put a hamper on the effectiveness of the oil at both ends? also.. what's a good running oil temp for these things.. thanks for helping, im not as incompetent as i sound, just new to the higher level of choosing oil
gezel, what's your oil temps like? I got some insane OT in our car, I tripped the red light at +170C. lol. Anyway, 5w-40 is the typical oil for Euro car that are driven hard. Beyond that is pointless. Are you trying to reduce wear? Reduce mpg is more like it. The 5w-40 synth sold at WalMart is probally better than the Euro oils people crave because of their "exclusiveness". Well, real-world is Walmart and Shell Rotella T synth and Mobil 1 5w-40. Both have a good track record here. Frankly, the smoothest oil I use in older cars is $2 Mobil 15w-40 Delvac 1300S. Don't be oversold on synth and on thick oil. Be sold on a UOA lab analysis to see how lighter oils wear and consider usefull additives like Auto-Rx. fwiw, the 1998 Volvo I was working on today has the mechanical simplicity and robustness of the older Audis in a newer chassis.
Here's the one Coupe and the Quantum Syncro.
Here's the one Coupe and the Quantum Syncro.
i'm not sure about oil temps yet.. engine hasn't been in the car yet.. only thing i care about is the wear on my engine.. like i said, it will see 7000 rpm more than once, and i dont want an oil thats going to break down from the revs, thats why i was leaning more towards something thicker.. knowing that wear is my only concern, do your suggestions change any? also.. since this is an older engine, will the additives in a synth eat away at things more than they should?
btw, nice cgt and syncro.
btw, nice cgt and syncro.
If you don't have access to Castrol RS (maybe it's EDGE now) I'd just use synthetic 5W-40 (pref. VW502.00 approved) year round (or the Elf or simlar 10W-50 for summer if you have oil consumption issues).
When you know the maximum oil temperature it will be easier to tell...
When you know the maximum oil temperature it will be easier to tell...
Wear probally won't kill the engine ultimately, no matter what. My guess is that you will see the lowest wear with 5w-40 in winter and 15w-40 in summer. Everybody likes their brands, and I like Castrol too, but Syntec 5w-40 might not be the pick of the bunch. Mobil 1 5w-40 TDT seem to be the best 5w-40 going. All I can say is try different oils, including German Syntec 0w-30. Put in your time reading and researching, and you will develop your own ideas, but likely synthetic will loose it's allure and anything over 40 weight seem silly. Thicker oil is like wearing a lead suit to avoid a sunburn. The cost of that suit actually could be more wear in the cold, greater wear and tear on the starter and loss of power and mpg. Think about how 20 weight oils work, flow. If your engine is new and clean, German Syntec or Mobil 1 5w-40, great...but Pennzoil 10w-40 would give just as good wear rates.
0w-40 is definately more of a new car type oil or for super-extended drain intervals.
The direction I'm trying to point you in is that synthetic oil is pointless except for extreme cold or extended drains. The w ratings now make for even better cold flow than in the past. No real reason for anything other than a 10w-40 in Northeast climate as far as cold temps. The 40 part gives all the hot protection you need for the engine internals for ambient temps and the actual oil temps you will see. Again, no problem there. Changing your oil longer than 6000-8000 miles? Again, no problem at those intervals with the engine you have using dino oil. In some ways, dino oil will work better, in terms of seals/leaks, consumption, wear rates, cost/mile and even cleanliness if you change it often.
If you must have synth, MaxLife Synth (heavy) 30 weight, Mobil 1 5w-40 Truck, or Shell Rotella T Synth 5w-40. It just won't matter above 0f or before 6000 miles change interval. Add to that list the new Mobil 1 High Miles 10w-30.
Go for it, if you are really into oil and your car. I'm, using synth in my Hondas, but run it 7500 miles, buying most if it on sale.
The direction I'm trying to point you in is that synthetic oil is pointless except for extreme cold or extended drains. The w ratings now make for even better cold flow than in the past. No real reason for anything other than a 10w-40 in Northeast climate as far as cold temps. The 40 part gives all the hot protection you need for the engine internals for ambient temps and the actual oil temps you will see. Again, no problem there. Changing your oil longer than 6000-8000 miles? Again, no problem at those intervals with the engine you have using dino oil. In some ways, dino oil will work better, in terms of seals/leaks, consumption, wear rates, cost/mile and even cleanliness if you change it often.
If you must have synth, MaxLife Synth (heavy) 30 weight, Mobil 1 5w-40 Truck, or Shell Rotella T Synth 5w-40. It just won't matter above 0f or before 6000 miles change interval. Add to that list the new Mobil 1 High Miles 10w-30.
Go for it, if you are really into oil and your car. I'm, using synth in my Hondas, but run it 7500 miles, buying most if it on sale.
well in reality, every oil is too thick at startup, unless ambient temps were around 200F.. so i want a 0w-xx or at least a 5w-xx.. and with all new seals, im not worried about that.. with 186k i want to be able to beat the [censored] out of it without worrying.. thanks for all the help though AJ.. any counter response i send your way is just to bounce ideas off you, not try to prove you wrong or what have you
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