Hello, I recently purchased a 74 2.0 914, and it has the 15" empi rims. The tires are old so i will be replacing them. Should i replace them with 195's in the front and 205's in the back, or should i go 195's all around?

Also, the PO did an engine oil change right before i got the car, and he put *i think* 20W50 synthetic in it. (I'll confirm later on). Is this weight/composition bad for the motor, or can i live with it? I will only be driving it during the spring/summer.

Thanks a bunch,
Brent

I think most people run 20/50 in the warm season.

You can run 195's with no problem front and back. May be tight with the 205's.

yeah I agree on the oil....

I put 20W50 in mine this winter...it works okay, but I wont ever put in 20W in the winter again....10W....i even heard of people putting 5W in these engines, but i think that's too thin.

b

anyone know the difference between 20w50 and straight 50? i've got both on my shelf for some reason

~a

Straight 50-weight is really thick. It will probably have a hard time getting everywhere it needs to when the engine is cold. I wouldn't use it on anything that didn't very specifically call for straight 50.

20-50 is an oil that is as thick as a 20-weight oil is when both are at 32F, but as thick as a 50-weight oil is when both are at 212F. It thins out less than straight-weight oils when warming up, but it still does thin out. It is a much better choice for our motor than straight 50-weight.

The original spec was for 30-weight, but back in the late 60s when our cars were first being built the multi-grade oils really kinda sucked. 20-50 seems to be a good default choice, unless your engine builder set up the internal engine clearances and such for some other weight of oil.

BTW, the 914 in near-stock form seems to work best with equal size tires front and rear. As a bonus, you can rotate the tires front to rear to even out any wear imbalance. I like 195-width all around, though the 205s on my car now are slowly converting me. (They're Falken Azenis, though--the grippiest hard-compound tire you can get. Thanks, Grant!!)

--DD

good info, thanks dave. flaps no longer carries 20-50, so i'll need to find it elsewhere.

~a

QUOTE (double-a @ Dec 8 2005, 11:19 AM)

flaps no longer carries 20-50

Wow that's weird. I don't think I have been in a flaps that didn't carry it. Orchard Supply carries it if you have one around your place.

i haven't checked around much, so other flaps may have some. there's a vw shop on the east side of town that always has a good selection of the valvoline racing stuff.

~a