I have just joined Austin 7 ownership after years of thinking about it ! I would like to change the oil on my new purchase - it is a special with big valves , 9E head , etc. Standard crank with modified oil pump . What oil should I be putting in it ? It does smoke a bit , but all the ones I have looked at did - is this nothing to be worried about ? Thanks , Glen

welcome to the party!May I recommend Duckhams 20/50 classic mineral oil. Available at Halfords or a good car accessory shop. Not cheap, like some of the modern ones,that are not suitable, but the benefits are good. Dont worry about a bit of smoke, the oil may even help. It is not essential ,but it would be nice to drop the sump and clean it out before you change it

Hi Mac

I used Asda 20/50 at about £2 a gallon, because it was running out the bottom faster than it went in the top!
However thinking seriously about this, the Asda cheappy stuff presumably meets a specification of some sort? It must also be made by an oil company of some sort and branded for Asda? To be a 20/50 oil it would have to meet certain standards for viscosity versus temperature, so the only other issue must be in the addatives or perhaps the lack of said adatives in the cheap oil? I am aware of the rear axle situation (GL4 versus GL5 spec, GL4 is correct for non hypoid spiral bevels), but havnt any info reference engine oil?

Anyone enlighten us?

Regards

Steve

Glen - You'll find that just about everybody has a special preference - if you include your email address I can send you a list put out by Penrite of the oils they make and specially recommend for all areas in Austin Sevens. One thing to remember - whilst you usually use the same oil for engine & gearbox, DON'T if you are putting modern detergent oils in your engine. The additives, especially sulphur, eat away the pure bronze bushes in your box even though they don't affect the bronze-alloy modern type. Same goes for your diff. (Actually a detergent oil in your box probably has little effect if you're using the car all the time and changing the oil regularly. But not so if you leave the car standing for long periods). Cheers, Bill

Bill...
Thanks for reminding me about the gearbox!!!
I had forgotten, and would have filled with a modern detergent oil at the weekend if you hadn't reminded me!
Are the straight 30/40 grades such as lawnmower oil free of detergents?

Steve.

Yes, they normally are, but best to check. I've used Millers Straight SAE 50 in my Seven gearboxes for years with no trouble. I do know someone who used straight SAE 140 as an experiment. The quietist Seven gearbox ever but it took hours for it to warm up and, until it did, the change was the slowest ever

STEVE

Be careful about using thicker oils in your gearbox if you are using a bronze/brass bush instead of the rollers in the bearing between the input and output shafts. This area is very poorly lubricated, the only oil coming through oilways in the root of the gear teeth on the input shaft. I had a shaft with no oilways in the gear teeth ( It looks like an original Austin cock-up ! ) and after a trip of many miles had much knocking in third gear. On stripping down the box found the cause of the problem but also found that, although the gearbox was full of oil to the correct level, this bearing area was absolutely dry !.

My guess is that the action of the rotating parts is to throw the oil outwards away from the bearing, without the lubrication from the input shaft the bearing stayed dry. I now drill holes through the replacement bush to ensure that any oil on the outer part of the bush can make its way inside as well.

Having done this I might try a thicker oil and see if it make a quieter box.

happy motoring