At 03:47 PM 9/1/2009 -0500, Robert J. Guinness wrote:
>Has anyone seen a modern conversion/substitution table for the old
>NLA products listed in the MGA lubrication charts, as found on page
>P2 of the Workshop manual. A copy can be seen at: *http://tinyurl.com/orgbtg.
>....
There is nothing special about the lubricants by brand name, and most
of the specifications are right there in the original chart.
Engine oil and air cleaners: 30W, 20W, 10W, depending on ambient temperature.
Back in the day these were mostly straight weight non-detergent oils,
because that's what was widely available. Today we have nice
multi-weight detergent oils. You can use any multi-weight grade the
spans the straight weight spec. For instance, 10W-30 can be used in
place of 10W or 20W or 30W, so you no longer have to do seasonal oil
changes. If you're not terribly picky about a minor difference in
fuel economy you can use 10W40 or 20W50 oil for a little better
engine protection. I wouldn't recommend 20W50 for sub-freezing
temperatures, because it may be harder to crank and it makes for low
oil pressure on startup until it warms up some. I've been running
20W50 for warm weather and 10W40 for cold weather in my MGA for the
last 230,000 miles.
I'm surprised the chart doesn't mention gearbox oil, but use engine
oil in the gearbox, same stuff as in the engine and for all the same
reasons. The gearbox is not so sensitive to cold weather, so I use
20W50 oil in the gearbox all year round.
Rear axle (hypoid) and steering gear: EP90 or EP80.
The key here is the "EP" spec, meaning Extreme Pressure". This is to
protect the high pressure point contact interface in the ring and
pinion hypoid gears. This is usually accomplished with Sulfur
additives, which can give the oil that rotten egg smell. Do not put
EP oil in the gearbox, as it tends to ear brass synchro rings. These
days we have nice multi-weight EP oil in the form of EP85-90, EP80W90, EP75W90.
Water pump and lubrication nipples: General purpose Lithium grease.
Nothing special here, just the common stuff you get in the cardboard
cartridges for your modern grease gun.
Utility lubricant, S.U. Carburetor dampers, Oil can points, etc:
Again nothing special, just 20 weight engine oil to put in your hand
held oil can. Good also for distributor mechanical advance parts,
generator rear bearing, and some water pumps that may have an oiler
cap instead of a grease nipple, any place you see an oil can in the
shop manual.
Upper cylinder lubricant:
This is the fun one. Aside from all the fancy brand names, "Upper
cylinder lubricant" is a generic description of a specific type of
oil. You can think of it as 100% dino oil with no fancy additives
(at least the original version), 20 weight for most uses, 10 weight
for cold weather. The most common brand name from 1923 to present is
"Marvel Mystery Oil". http://www.marvelmysteryoil.com
More modern formulations may include a touch of solvent (kerosene for
instance) to clean fuel injectors and remove carbon from combustion chambers.
In case you didn't know, you put this stuff in the gasoline (or apply
with intake oil injector for running engine). Modern engines do okay
with 1000/1 mixing ratio for daily use, older engines or fuel systems
of engines in need of a one time cleansing may like 500/1 mixing
ratio for teh first tank of fuel. That translates to 1-1/4 to 2-1/2
ounces per 10 gallons of fuel. If your car gets 25 mpg, it's 1 to 2
ounces for every 200 miles. That makes it hard to meter at such a
low flow rate (see special oil metering devices).
This stuff was more important back in the day when fuel formulas
might vary all over the map, as it may increase octane rating as well
as help lubricate and clean parts in the combustion chamber, and it
may decrease problems of wax or water in the fuel tank in cold and
humid weather. Some modern products are claimed to be formulated
different for diesel engines vs. gasoline engines. Modern engines
might run 1/4 million miles without using this stuff, but it seems to
be gaining popularity again since removal of lead from motor
fuel. It may still hold some benefit for use in older engines to
prolong life of valves, valve seats, and valve guides. Any claims
that the engine might run smoother or have more power may be entirely
subjective, or might have something to do with a worn out
engine. Any claims for increased fuel mileage probably cannot be
proven. It may very well make the engine last longer before it wears
out, but any financial benefit would only be realized many years
later when the engine might continue running beyond it's normal life
expectancy. I would not even venture to guess how much it might ad
to the life of an engine (if any). Like any fuel additive, if you
abuse it (incorrect quantity for instance) it may cause more harm than good.
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