Jenny Pryde Posted October 28, 2014 Report Share Posted October 28, 2014 Been doing some work on my old man's ancient Triumph, to give him something to look forward to, once he undergoes an imminent operation. It is now running and I want to change the oil and clean the filters. Back in the day, Triumph recommended: SAE 40, engine oil SAE 20, primary chaincase SAE 50, gearbox Can I use a 20/50 multigrade for everything or must I seek out some of these lubricants that come in self addressed envelopes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DesmoEddy Posted October 28, 2014 Report Share Posted October 28, 2014 Been doing some work on my old man's ancient Triumph, to give him something to look forward to, once he undergoes an imminent operation. It is now running and I want to change the oil and clean the filters. Back in the day, Triumph recommended: SAE 40, engine oil SAE 20, primary chaincase SAE 50, gearbox Can I use a 20/50 multigrade for everything or must I seek out some of these lubricants that come in self addressed envelopes? I have been trying Comma Classic 20/50 in my '68 Triumph 650. It's fine for the engine and gearbox, but the wet clutch is slipping like crazy, even with new friction plates. I am now unsure if the designed-for-old-cars Comma oil might contain a friction modifier which is causing the clutch slip. Some folk recommend automatic transmission fluid in the the primary case (providing you don't have a '70-onwards bike which breathes via the primary, therefore sharing engine oil with the primary oil). I'm going to try it next week, so if you can wait that long I'll let you know how I get on. I have also been told that EP gearbox oils are bad for the bronze bushes, and sure enough something ate my bronze selector forks when I was running EP80 oil. Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo200500 Posted October 28, 2014 Report Share Posted October 28, 2014 Give the guys at Opie oils a call. They can advise on pretty much anything 'oily'...... http://www.opieoils.co.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dansp1 Posted October 28, 2014 Report Share Posted October 28, 2014 Gl5 spec gearbox oils eat bronze, you need gl4 for old gearboxes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildbill Posted October 28, 2014 Report Share Posted October 28, 2014 You want thick tar if you are attempting to keep it on the inside of the engine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny Pryde Posted October 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2014 You want thick tar if you are attempting to keep it on the inside of the engine. It was rebuilt a few years back and seems to be the oil-tight exception to the stereotype. Thanks for the tip anyway. Much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chancho196 Posted November 10, 2014 Report Share Posted November 10, 2014 When it was rebuilt, was the sludge-trap in the crank cleaned out? If everything inside was cleaned/renewed, 20/50 is spot on for the engine, I'd even use it in the primary, or ATF. The only issue with putting modern multigrades in them is if the sludge-trap is full of, yep, sludge. Apparently, modern oil detergents can break down the sludge over time, and and block up the important bits. Triumph boxes generally run needle rollers so, I'm pretty sure you'll get away with an EP90 (we've been using it in our pre-unit and unit twins for years). I did try SAE150 in a Speedtwin gearbox once to get rid of an annoying crunch, worked a treat until winter when it would take a few minutes to warm before you could get it into second. Ah, those were the days. I've been using EP90 in my BSA box for years too, which is full of phosphor bronze, and never had an issue... as yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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