Advice on oil grades

[Will5000]

Hi - I'm keen to give my '72 Sprint a light service but wanted to ask for some advice please?

Obvious jobs to change the engine, gearbox and dif oil - check and top up brakes and clutch fluids.

Any advice on grades (brands?) of oil and other fluids that they would recommend? Thanks for any help.

PS Apols if this is covered elsewhere, I couldn't see it though.

[RichardHawkins]

Will,

I bought a little book called "Which Oil" written by Richard Michell published by Veloce Publishing, price ?12.99.

I have found this book very interesting and informative. Best to read it like a novel from start to finish, then work out which oil suits your needs.

Richard Hawkins

[TroonSprint]

Martin Williamson is an MG fan and an oil engineer. He has written a series of articles on motor oils which make good reading. Go to this web site and click on the various headings down the left side of the page - http://www.kewengineering.co.uk/Auto_oils/index.htm

Mike

[Will5000]

Thank you both. Last thing I want to do is damage the car so will read up for advice as suggested. Sorry that the question was so basic.

Thanks again

Will

[TroonSprint]

Don't worry about asking a basic question - it's how we learn. The stupid thing would be not to ask it. I tend to use a good quality mineral based 20-50 in my classic engines, and am currently on Valvoline VR1 20-50 which I buy from an ebay seller. It was recommended to me by the people who rebuilt my 3.9 litre Rover V8 engine and I'm quite happy with it. Many people now like the synthetic oils, and I'm sure they would be fine too in a Twin-Cam, but not too thin a viscosity. I'm also a fan of regular oil changes, especially since these cars are often not used a lot. I change my V8's oil every 3000 miles. Just my opinion, for what it's worth.

Mike

[Will5000]

Cheers Mike - much appreciated.

I'm keen to learn, so the reading advice really is welcome, but it's good to know that I can ask a few simple questions too when needed. I've taken my sprint to specialist garages for years, but now have off-road space (and garage) at home to get stuck in myself, which has long been my hope.

Thanks again

Will

[rgh0]

I always use full synthetic oils these days. The insides of an engine or gear box run on regularly changed synthetic oil versus mineral oil are so much cleaner and all the other data says they are far superior to mineral oils in almost all circumstances.

What oils I use in my road going Plus 2 are as follows:

Engine oil - typically Valvoline 10W-50 full synthetic but what ever is the cheapest full synthetic in my local store of this rating. With any oils add ZDDP to your taste if that is your preference compared to the standard levels which vary these days between brands but I don't bother as all are adequate in my mind once the engine is run in. In my competition Elan I use Redline 15W-50 engine oil but this is overkill in a road engine I think given its cost

Gear box - Redline MTL 75W / 80 GL4 gear oil. A gear box needs an oil designed for effective syncro action as well as gear and bearing lubrication. As the helical gears have no sliding action a GL4 oil is what is needed for the best compromise on gear lubrication and syncro effectiveness and wear (GL5 oils have higher sulphur levels which can lead to corrosion and wear of brass syncro rings).

Diff - Redline 75W / 90 GL5 gear oil. The diff is an hypoid gear set with significant sliding action between the gear teeth and needs a GL5 oil.

If you don't get Redline gear oils which I think is clearly superior because of its polyol ester base oil which is more temperature resistant but certainly not cheap, at least use a good quality full synthetic from a major supplier (which are typically poly alpha olefine oil base stock)


Read through the KEW Engineering web site and I agree fully with what he says. One of the few rational write ups on oils and lubrication for the general non technical reader I have seen on the web. Maybe he will add a section on low speed lubrication and why you should use grease in your trunnions one day !!!

cheers
Rohan

[TroonSprint]

Perhaps I'll try Valvoline synthetic once my Sprint's engine has been run-in. You don't want anything too slippery when the rings and bores are new.

Mike

[rgh0]

Hi Mike

Yes use a specific running in oil or just a cheap 20W-50 mineral oil with a good high ZDDP level for the initial first 500 to 1000km for ring and cam follower bed in.

cheers
Rohan

[Will5000]

Rohan - thanks for the info - the Kew website is a great resource too - plenty of straight forward explanation. Am getting my shopping list together today!

Cheers

Will