Apologies for probably bringing up a well worn subject (no pun intended), but I would be grateful for a check on my summary of oil to use on my A7.

the 'books' say SAE30 engine and gearbox and SAE80 rear axle.
From info I have learnt here and at meetings the recommendation appears to be (all non detergent):
SAE30 engine
SAE40 gearbox
that bit I am happy with, all logical, but the recommendation I am least sure of is the rear axle, which a search here suggests should be SAE140.

Having put SAE80 in the rear axle a couple of hundred miles ago and now experiencing the clonking noted im my other post I am suddenly wondering if the problem lies here

Hi Andy clonking could be various things but unlikely to have been caused by the 80 oil but suggest you replace with 140 but do NOT overfill I always underfill by 15% as oil is less likely to get on brake linings when parked on slope etc never had any problems with rear axle when I drove back from Beijing last year.
Chris

Hi Andy,The back axle oil should be EP140. Drain out the 80 asap. Should not cause damage in the short term but is for more modern axles. the clonking could be loose axle shaft nuts. torque tube mounting or even a loose wheel!

EP140 should be "Hypress" not "Hypoid". You can also get D140 at 7 Workshop,which is as original, and amazingly,also cheaper.

Also same (non-detergent) oil for engine and gearbox - no need to complicate things. Cheers, Bill in Oz

For the rear axle oil, you need EP140 as some have pointed out. As Ian suggests you must not use the modern Hypoid type, it must be EP140 for non hypoid axles. The spec you need is GL4 spec, the wrong modern stuff is to GL5 spec.

Steve.

Sorry , the thumbs down was meant to be a thumbs up!!!!

thanks everyone.
Ifound a local suplier, just 3 miles away, with a full stock of morris classic oils so I am well sorted now. Engine and gearbox refilled but as the rear axle requires me to open the garage, and stick my legs out into the drive, Sunday's weather did not encourage me to get that done, but I will before she does another mile.
Torque tube support is solid as a rock so the clunking hunt goes on, will check the axle shaft nuts as they were removed to change the flexible coupling and so may have worked loose since.
And Chris: I have driven around Beijing's 7 ring roads a few times (OK not in an Austin seven) and can guarantee that the roads here in rural Essex are much worse

I had clunking on my Ruby for quite some time. Having already had the torque tube get loose once before, I was checking that, and hub nuts, and the propshaft bearing - all fine. Turned out the little supporting bracket had dropped off the exhaust pipe, which was knocking against the body! (Even I could fix that...)

Do you have a flexible boot covering the cardan joint and is it sound. I once developed a clunking sound (if you see what I mean) and it turned out to be a tear in the boot that knocked against the transmission tunnel.

thanks Brian
will take a look: once I read up on what a cardagan joint is, assuming it has nothing to do with Val Doonican :)
on the oil front, I checked the can I bought and it is EP140 GL5. This seems to be the wrong sort of EP140 from what has been said. What damage am I going to cause by using GL5 rather than GL4?

Sorry Andy, the cardan joint, or rear universal joint (it depends on how old your car is) is the one just before the torque tube and usually has a small cover inside the car on top of the transmission tunnel between the front seat backs. There should be a leather cover over it although many are fitted with a gaiter from an Austin Mini. Its purpose is to keep the grease in and the dirt out.

thanks Brian
understood and yes I have checked there and all seems tight and clean with the drive from gearbox to diff.
Think I wil need to find a friendly club member to hang out the window/door/floor as appropriate to track it down.
still unclear about the oil though

Me again Andy; another source of clonking that I have experience was due to worn tapers on a halfshaft and the hub. This meant that the hub moved inwards further than it should have done and the heads of the wheel studs, on the hub back plate, touched on the brake pillars.
Regards
brian

thanks again
should not be half shafts as I recently had new keys fitted with the whole lot tightened with an air gun.
oil also solved, called the supplier who said they gave me the wrong can and that they have morris 140 GL4. But it sounds like it is an AG140 from what he said, not EP140. Looking at the morris site AG loks appropriate, but of course does not have the extreme pressure additives, does a morris seven rear axle really need EP?

What is a morris 7? Use Hypress EP 140 in your Austin back axle.

This site gives some useful information on gear oils. D140 seems to be the one to go for.

David

See my message 14th March.