Best oils for a Yugo

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I recently picked up a 1988 Yugo GV as a (low budget) restoration project and weird summer car. The owners manual says to use 20w40, or if 20w40 cannot be found, 20w50 in the engine. The (British) Haynes manual scan I have says to use 15w40. Not knowing the history of the engine, I'm afraid of running something detergent heavy like a 15w40 HDEO. I would rather run a high mileage passenger car oil. Does anybody even make a high mileage 20w50? Will today's passenger car oils cover the needs of a rev happy, low geared(a 4 speed Yugo runs out of gear at 85 mph) flat tappet car? I've always wondered about this stuff but never had a car without a roller cam to worry about.

The second concern being the transaxle oil. The owners manual calls for straight 40 weight engine oil, the (British) Haynes manual calls for GL-1 90 weight gear lube. I know that 40 weight is a little on the thin side of 90 weight gear oil, would 20w50 engine oil be more appropriate?
 
Honestly, a 15w-40 should be fine even if you see it as 'detergent heavy' but its your call. I've never seen any HM 50 weights, but a regular 20w-50 could be a really cost effective choice. No idea on the gear oil.
 
How many miles?
Any idea as to how the engine has been maintained?
How do you 'think' the condition of the engine is?
What is the oil pressure?
Does it use oil?
 
Originally Posted By: tommygunn
Honestly, a 15w-40 should be fine even if you see it as 'detergent heavy' but its your call. I've never seen any HM 50 weights, but a regular 20w-50 could be a really cost effective choice. No idea on the gear oil.


I just worry that a HDEO might wash out the 24 year old rear main seal, or the nearly as PITA to change cam carrier gasket. OTOH, I'm told that modern oils aren't the greatest for flat tappet engines on account of lowered zinc content.

Originally Posted By: expat
How many miles?
Any idea as to how the engine has been maintained?
How do you 'think' the condition of the engine is?
What is the oil pressure?
Does it use oil?


Overall I THINK the engine is in good shape, it seems to pull with most of its factory 52 hp the one time I took it down the street up to 45-50 mph to check the synchros.

Odometer reads around 22k, speedo cable is gone, general condition of the car rust and interior wise makes me think it has 50-80 thou on it. It looks fairly clean through the oil filler and on the dipstick. I do not have a pressure gauge on it currently, seems OK though, it pumps up good enough to put the idiot light out cranking it over when it doesn't feel like starting quickly(dirty carb). It isn't streetable as it sits so I don't know if it uses any oil,it doesn't smoke on startup or when revving.
 
Last edited:
I saw a blue one driving down the road a few weeks ago. It looked to be in pretty good condition, and was one of the first ones - it had the backup lights mounted to the underside of the bumper.

Pretty cool car though!
 
I'd do the cam belt before anything else; that killed more Yugi than anything else.

Also get us pics!!
20.gif


Are you going to keep the carb or put something like a mikuni on it?
 
Originally Posted By: default
Originally Posted By: tommygunn
Honestly, a 15w-40 should be fine even if you see it as 'detergent heavy' but its your call. I've never seen any HM 50 weights, but a regular 20w-50 could be a really cost effective choice. No idea on the gear oil.


I just worry that a HDEO might wash out the 24 year old rear main seal, or the nearly as PITA to change cam carrier gasket. OTOH, I'm told that modern oils aren't the greatest for flat tappet engines on account of lowered zinc content.

Originally Posted By: expat
How many miles?
Any idea as to how the engine has been maintained?
How do you 'think' the condition of the engine is?
What is the oil pressure?
Does it use oil?


Overall I THINK the engine is in good shape, it seems to pull with most of its factory 52 hp the one time I took it down the street up to 45-50 mph to check the synchros.

Odometer reads around 22k, speedo cable is gone, general condition of the car rust and interior wise makes me think it has 50-80 thou on it. It looks fairly clean through the oil filler and on the dipstick. I do not have a pressure gauge on it currently, seems OK though, it pumps up good enough to put the idiot light out cranking it over when it doesn't feel like starting quickly(dirty carb). It isn't streetable as it sits so I don't know if it uses any oil,it doesn't smoke on startup or when revving.



Amsoil sells 2 weights of Z-ROD oil specifically for flat tappet camshafts.

But Amsoil in a Yugo might be an oxymoron.
 
I wouldn't be afraid to run 15W40, but if it were me, I think I'd try some 10W40 HM oil. Then if need be (oil burning or low oil pressure), you could mix in some 20W50 HM.
 
This Zastava is a Fiat 128 variant. I had an 86 yugo GV and the engine was bullitproof. The cam is OHC SUB 2 valve in an oil bath. I think you could run a 30 - 50 is too thick. I would try DEFY or pennzoil HM 10w40 if that is too thick try their 10w-30 or 5w30.

That car has a fuel feedback ford/weber 2 stage 2bbl carb (used on pintos and mustang II, IIRC) which can be finniky. Also note the 4 speed manual trans does NOT have synchromesh in first gear so you have to be rolling slow to go in or play with it like you do a NORMAL car going in reverse. (bump it a bit in 2, then toss it in 1), I LOVED my yugo and put my fiat 128p performance parts on it and had a 110MPH yugo. The BEST handinging subcompact of its day - by far. avid E Davis bought his daughter on in the day. A fun around town zipper beater.

yugoautocross.jpg
 
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Originally Posted By: edwardh1
I did not thinkk Yugos had owners manuals.

LOL, mine didn't & that was '89 or '90...

Bought at auction, I only owned it long enough to get it through state inspection and put a For Sale sign on it... Don't remember but if the oil wasn't really dirty, you can bet I never changed it...

Remove the valve cover, if it's fairly clean use 15W-40 HEDO and be happy...
 
If you have a pepboys near ya they are having a special, 9 dollars after rebate for Peak oil and a Purolator filter. it is 15 bucks pre-rebate tho.

Peak 10W40 will work in the vehicle imho, oil of 2012 is better than oil of the mid 80s, or early 70s when that engine was developed.

It tales a Purolator 10241 filter.

Looks like it might also be able to take a FL400S as that filter is used on the 2.2/2.5L Chrysler engine, which can also take a FL1A, so if that is the case then it will take a FL400S no problem as the FL1A and 400S share the same exact base, just overall size of the can is different.
 
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