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The Old Oil Question

To: mgs@Autox.Team.Net
Subject: The Old Oil Question
From: WSpohn4@aol.com
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 1998 16:07:27 EST
<<DON'T use 90 wt oil in the OD unit!!!!!  You are correct in using 20w50,=
 but
you
must remember that these components were designed with tolerances for that
weight
engine oil and usually Castrol.  The synthetics are fine, but in my limite=
d
experience (and boy am I gonna catch it from the list on this) since
synthetics
were not around when MGs were designed, I would not think it prudent to us=
e
them
in your car under any circumstances.  Stick to Castrol 20w50 and you won't=
 go
wrong.
Michael >>

You are correct that 90 is too thick for MG OD units, although oddly enoug=
h
the Triumph Laycock unit does use gear oil, and I've never been able to fi=
nd
any major differences in the passages and accumulator piston sizes between=
 the
two different series of OD units.
Originally, I expect that they wanted a single weight, 30 or so, as it was
still early days for multigrades when the units were new.
I use straight 50 for racing =97 if I use thinner it gets too thin by the =
end of
a race, although it is too thick to allow crisp shifts for about a lap or =
so.
I use straight 30 in my street cars and have experienced no problems.

One thing you must _NOT_ do is use synthetic - it will ruin the friction
linings within one race and the OD becomes trash (no, I wasn't the one tha=
t
discovered this, my buddy with the TVR was).

Bill S.


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