How come you guys don't have the automatic fluid refresher feature that
came with my car? All fluid levels automatically deplete leaving ample
room for a fresh supply of new fluids, assuring that the oil, antifreeze,
or grease never ages beyond its efficient life. You don't even have to
drive the car for it to work ;-)
Bob
----------
> From: jmwagner <jmwagner@greenheart.com>
> To: Cliff Hansen <chansen@exis.net>
> Cc: jonmac <jonmac@ndirect.co.uk>; triumphs@autox.team.net; Andrew Mace
<amace@unix2.nysed.gov>
> Subject: Re: Regular maintenance
> Date: Wednesday, August 26, 1998 1:51 PM
>
>
> I don't know if I've followed this thread thoroughly... but my reason
for
> changing the diff and trans oil has little to do with whether the oil is
still
> good... There's no filter in these units... While there is supposedly an
oil to
> oil contact on the gears... I assume there is some wear, here and
there... and
> this wear produces metal particulate matter... and there's
oxidation/rust matter
> that sometimes forms on a gear when a car has sat for a while... only to
be worn
> away when run... and I'd like to keep that stuff out of there... I'd
rather not
> slush my gears with dirty oil.
>
> I would not wait 50,000 miles to change the oil... I think it's cheap
insurance
> to change it a tad more regularly... I'll probably change mine soon...
which
> would put it at about 15,000 miles.
>
> It's not like the oil is all that expensive... and it's good to see how
the oil
> looks... as part of your car's yearly or regular physical... :)
>
> I have always considered oil to be a car's life blood... I change it
regularly.
> Even if I bought some modern car that said I could run the motor oil for
100,000
> miles w/o a change... I would still change it at about 15,000 miles.
>
> Those that would condemn me for ecological reasons... remember, the
oil is
> recycled. And if there's waste here, it's a very small thing in the big
picture
> of petroleum product waste in this country. And I could argue, that my
cars may
> last longer and burn cleaner because of such efforts... hence... creating
less
> polution and waste in other areas. i.e. how much polution is created to
make a
> replacement motor or car! blah blah blah... any flames in this area,
regarding
> my oil change habits, are going to roll off by back...
>
> I recall taking my motorcycle in for work at a shop... (when I had one)
and they
> asked me when it had been rebuilt. I said it had never been rebuilt...
they
> were amazed... they said the motor was so clean inside, they thought it
had to
> have been rebuilt... and there wasn't the sort of wear on the lifters
that they
> expected to find... etc... This is from, in my opinion, my oil
changing
> habits. And when I have broken down my Truimph motors... I always find
them as
> clean inside as when I first put the motor together.
>
> my 2 cents.
>
> --Justin
>
> Cliff Hansen wrote:
>
> > John and Andy,
> >
> > In my experience (not backed by any polymer chemistry),
> > we should change the gearbox and diff oils. However,
> > not more frequently than every 3 to 5 years or 50000 miles. This is
for
> > standard gear oil in normal driving, I don't know about the synthetics
or
> > about cars used heavily (racing, autocross, etc.) When the
> > distinctive sulfur-like smell fades to a sour or burned smell, its time
to
> > change the stuff.
> >
> > I worked at a Jiffylube-like place to pay for college and I've drained
> > 30 year old gear oil. Believe me you don't want that stuff in your
car.
> > It looks and feels like its reverted to its original form (crude oil.)
> >
> > Since its a real bear of a job to drain the diff (and to refill the
tranny),
> > call around to the local lube shops and ask if they have a vacuum
> > tank that removes the gear oil. Basicly it sucks the oil out of a
probuscis
> > (word of the day) that you stick in through the filler plug. Most
shops also
> > have a pump to refill and can do the tranny lots easier than the
average
> > owner. For me it was worth the $20 I spent to have the lube shop
> > do these jobs.
> >
> > Be sure to warm up the oil by driving around for an hour or so first,
> > which of course is the easiest part.
> >
> > At 11:25 PM 8/25/98 +0100, jonmac wrote:
> > >
> > >On August 25, Andy Mace wrote:
> > >
> > >> Gearbox and differential oil don't need to be changed at all -- only
> > >> topped up as needed.
> > >
> > >Andy, I'm not challenging in any way what you have written and I know
this
> > >is what the factory recommended in days of yore. However, I have long
been
> > >of the opinion that this was a shortcut on Triumph's part to reduce
owner
> > >servicing costs - and I'm not too convinced whether it was really the
right
> > >way
> > >to go about things.
> > >When I last removed the diff plugs on my cars to check oil levels, I
stuck
> > >my finger in the holes and took a sniff at the oil sticking to my
digit. In
> > >layman's terms, it reminded me that possibly a herd of tomcats had
been in
> > >there for far too long - and any oily aroma had long since gone.
> > >Over the years, I've speculated on how long an oil can reasonably be
> > >expected to last and still do the job. I know nothing at all about the
> > >chemistry of the oil industry but I know things called polymers are
present
> > >in oils which presumably are there to protect and keep the oil in good
> > >order. What happens to these polymers through the undoubted shearing
action
> > >they must encounter as the diff or gearbox is working? The tooth
loading on
> > >a crown wheel and pinion must surely be many tons per square whatever
and
> > >how long can an oil REALLY last? I have to say I've never subscribed
to
> > >this 'lifetime' oil claim and I've changed the oil (with difficulty)
on a
> > >number of occasions because I don't see how it can be expected to go
on for
> > >ever. Does anyone want to comment and allay my concerns?
> > >
> > >John Mac
> > >
> > >
>
>
|