Old Alpha

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Apr 19, 2014
Messages
3,444
Location
WV
I saw a late 70's early 80's Alpha Romeo Spyder convertible this past weekend. On a tag under the hood it recommended 10-80 motor oil. 10-60 was also acceptable. What would you use in this car...Mobil 1 15-50? Its a double overhead cam fuel injected 4 cyl. May have solid lifters.
 
Its Alfa.

I couldn't see with modern oils how it could need to be that thick. Maybe the Fiat engine specialists have more insight them me?

Wouldn't a stout 10w40 or 5w40 in cold areas suffice?
 
Get a Miata instead. As we all know, the main advantage to a Miata over an Alfa is that it doesn't use weird oils.
 
Originally Posted By: michaelluscher
Its Alfa.

I couldn't see with modern oils how it could need to be that thick. Maybe the Fiat engine specialists have more insight them me?

Wouldn't a stout 10w40 or 5w40 in cold areas suffice?


Alpha is fine. He misspelled Romero.
wink.gif


I've owned 6 Alfas from 1959 to 1982 and I've never seen such a thing. I wonder if it is a non U.S. sticker that had the old grade system still used by aviation, 60=30, 80=40, and 100=50?

The manual for my 1959 recommended 20W-40. I don't recall what the newer ones were as far as the manual. 10W-30 through 20W-50, depending on temperature seems familiar. Castrol GTX 20W-50 was pretty much the go to oil for these at the time. They thrived on it.

Ed
 
Mid 80s, they wanted 10W50 in Oz, my service station has Agip sint2000 to cater for them...we didn't sell much.

xW80 is so far from an SAE grade (even in Oz with 70s and 80s) that I think ed's probably close to the mark
 
Originally Posted By: michaelluscher
Its Alfa.

I couldn't see with modern oils how it could need to be that thick. Maybe the Fiat engine specialists have more insight them me?

Wouldn't a stout 10w40 or 5w40 in cold areas suffice?


A decent 40 grade would suffice IMO.

10w50 was the recommendation with 20w50 as an alternative back when they had twin carbs. I think this was universal across the whole engine range also, boxer engines, I4 and V6. Towards the end of the run, I think in the early 1990s, Alfa revised the spec to 10w40. The 4 cylinder was replaced with a Fiat engine circa 1996 which also used 10w40 but the addition of direct injection around 2002 saw that eventually revised to 10w60 even for the port injection models. The new series of engines both Fiat and GM based use mostly 5w40 with, wait for it, 10w50 as an option for the Abarth models.
 
Last edited:
This Alfa have Nord engine.It was in use until 95,although with twin spark 8 valve head.For normal street use don't go thicker then 10w40 .For winter in cold climate 5w40 works great.Of course only A3 oils should be used.
 
The new series of engines both Fiat and GM based use mostly 5w40 with, wait for it, 10w50 as an option for the Abarth models. [/quote]

There is no GM based engines in AR.Not any more.
 
Originally Posted By: edhackett
Originally Posted By: michaelluscher
Its Alfa.

I couldn't see with modern oils how it could need to be that thick. Maybe the Fiat engine specialists have more insight them me?

Wouldn't a stout 10w40 or 5w40 in cold areas suffice?


Alpha is fine. He misspelled Romero.
wink.gif


I've owned 6 Alfas from 1959 to 1982 and I've never seen such a thing. I wonder if it is a non U.S. sticker that had the old grade system still used by aviation, 60=30, 80=40, and 100=50?

The manual for my 1959 recommended 20W-40. I don't recall what the newer ones were as far as the manual. 10W-30 through 20W-50, depending on temperature seems familiar. Castrol GTX 20W-50 was pretty much the go to oil for these at the time. They thrived on it.

Ed


Well that makes sense. This was on a metal plate attached under the hood. Could it have been a gray mkt car? It did have that big rubber front bumper.
 
Maybe the 10-80 was a part number, not an actual viscosity. After the "10-80" markings did it have an API or ACEA specification?
 
My '89 has had a steady diet of 20w/50 GTX. Every Alfa guy will tell you they like it thick, if you get nervous with 20w/50, you can drop back to 10w-15w/40. Anything thinner and you'll burn a lot, even in the arctic.

And as an aside, a Miata is a cheap copy, an example of slick packaging over content. You cannot copy passion. A nice car, perhaps, but a copy nonetheless. And not a very satisfying one.

Use the 20w/50 or 15w/40.

Ciao!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top