Triumphrat

snatchpiece · 06-10-2008

I'm looking to change the engine,primary and gearbox oil on my newly acquired 1959 5TA. I have no idea what grade oils are in it at present. I found some period lube oil charts but they are only serving to confuse me. What I'd dearly like to know is what are the best grade oils to use that are readily available in the UK?

panda · 06-10-2008

everyone will give you different answers. For a stock bike:-
Engine, 20/50 SG only mineral oil, the best is probably that branded BMW as it contains more than three times the zinc content laid down by the specification.
An SF,SL or CD will do. ( CD is really for diesels), Do not use any oil that says it contains friction modifiers or is 'energy efficient as eventually it will mix with the chaincase oil.

Gearbox, EP 50, failing that EP 75/80 or close, does not matter exactly, avoid the 140 grades, The EP bit is important. Can be mineral or synth or 'semi' (whatever that is)

Clutch/primary use mineral straight 20 grade if possible. 15/40 is reasonably good substitute. Try shell helix sg rated, but chain /cltch oil is nowhere near as critical as engine, so feel free to use sf, sl or whatever. Do not use any oil that says it contains friction modifiers or is 'energy efficient. Personally I use teh same 20/50 as the engine as it will eventually get mixed .

snatchpiece · 06-11-2008

Thanks for the reply Panda.

Would Castrol XL 20W-50 be OK for the engine? maybe the primary as well? do the two get mixed on an early bike like mine (1959)?

Castrol EPX 75W-80, would this be OK for the gearbox?

Sorry if these questions appear a bit elementary but I find the different grades of oil quite confusing.

panda · 06-11-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by snatchpiece

Thanks for the reply Panda.

Would Castrol XL 20W-50 be OK for the engine? maybe the primary as well? do the two get mixed on an early bike like mine (1959)?

Castrol EPX 75W-80, would this be OK for the gearbox?

Sorry if these questions appear a bit elementary but I find the different grades of oil quite confusing.

Engine. Just check to see if it is SG rated...will be somewhere on teh back. at a push SF/sl will do. Likelyhood is any 20/50 will be ok but unless you have access to what is in it, you will be making a guess. The problem is oil is rated as a maximum. Everything else you buy, the rating is a minimum. eg if petrol is rated at 95ron, you know it will meet or exceed 95ron. If it were oil, you know it will be less than 95 ron, but have no idea how much less. It could be 65. To further complicate the issue, if an oil is 20/50 it does not -have- to be less than the rating as these oils are excempt the maximum ratings because they are not rated for modern engine management system engines. As it happens BMW 20/50 dino oil analyses out to be more than 3 times over the SG rating. You would be well served by using it. Harley V twin 20/50 also scores well. Both are particularly good for camshafts and followers.

Chaincase oil is completey separate on all machines until 1970. use 20 weight straight. I used 20/50 in my 1970 TR6 without any percieved problems. If you want the bother of another oil, shell helix sg rated 15/40 is as good as any. There are no real critical wear areas in teh chaincase.

epx 75/80 fine for gearbox.

regards

snatchpiece · 06-12-2008

Thanks again Panda, anybody else got anything to add?

Normsthename · 08-21-2008

Quote:

Engine. Just check to see if it is SG rated

Where did you hear that the Oil rating has to be SG?
I have checked and Duckhams Q 20W50 recommended by Triumph, and that is SF rated.
Castrol XL 20W50 also recommended by Triumph only has an SE Rating.
I want to change the oil on my new/old 1981 'Bonnie' when I get it next week, and I would like to know what to put in it

Andy

Woolly · 08-21-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by snatchpiece

Thanks again Panda, anybody else got anything to add?

Check out the link in THIS thread - contains some quite useful info.

panda · 08-21-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by panda

everyone will give you different answers. For a stock bike:-
Engine, 20/50 SG only mineral oil, the best is probably that branded BMW as it contains more than three times the zinc content laid down by the specification.
An SF,SL or CD will do. ( CD is really for diesels),

(This is completely wrong for a 1959 bike, dunno what came over me....
Do not use any oil that says it contains friction modifiers or is 'energy efficient as eventually it will mix with the chaincase oil.) It should read as below for teh clutch/primary.

Gearbox, EP 50, failing that EP 75/80 or close, does not matter exactly, avoid the 140 grades, The EP bit is important. Can be mineral or synth or 'semi' (whatever that is)

Clutch/primary use mineral straight 20 grade if possible. 15/40 is reasonably good substitute. Try shell helix sg rated, but chain /clutch oil is nowhere near as critical as engine, so feel free to use sf, sl or whatever. Do not use any oil that says it contains friction modifiers or is 'energy efficient. Personally I use teh same 20/50 as the engine as it will eventually get mixed .

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panda · 08-21-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Woolly

Check out the link in THIS thread - contains some quite useful info.

Interesting but some of it is either wrong or misunderstood bythe writer. Although older, thsi explains things much better. Do not be put off bythe bmw bias, their engines are old tech air cooled just like ours.

http://www.ibmwr.org/otech/oilreport.html

Note 20/50 oil is excempt the maximum additives as it is not designated for an engine with catalytic converter. Therefore it can have more additives than ANY other specification.

It is now difficult to get real 20/50 SG ooil, just like decent petrol. but The BMW offering is probably the best that can easily be sourced.

Normsthename · 08-21-2008

Anyone used this 20W50 Amsoil synthetic oil?
The specs look ideal for the 'Bonnie'

Not cheap though

http://www.hi-techlubricantoils.co.u...ycle_Oil/PNMCV

Andy