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Triumph TR3 - OD lube

Hi guys:
I did a little more research on the never ending suject of what lube to use in your OD and it seems that Don is right in thinking you should use 20/50 engine oil.
Laycock de Normanville always recommended 20/50 engine oil(30 winter 50 summer before multi viscosity oils came on the market).In 1960 or '61 Triumph, not Laycock, changed the spec to 80/90/Hypoy oil due to reports of thrust washer failure in the trans not necessarily to improve OD performance.
I am therefore going to use 20/50R from Valvoline as recommended by Don.If I was running a non OD trans I would definately use Hypoy as it is a better gear lubricant.
Chuck

I was told in 1990 to use Valvoline 20W50 R where the "R" stands for "Racing". It is marked as such on the label on the bottle of oil. I found the "R" type occasionally in Canada over the last 14 years but now I can get it at a speciality auto-parts store called "Car-Quest".

Don Elliott, 1958 TR3A
Don Elliott

Last year was my first w/ the car, and after inquiring here about what to use, I decided on the GL4 rated 80/90 Hypo. Everything seemed to be fine except I had that wierd problem of the car shifting wonderfully when cold, then being more difficult to change gears when fully warmed up. And that was just between 1st/2nd and then between 2nd/3rd. All other shifts were fine as was the functioning of the OD.

I'm going to switch over to the 20/50 for this year and see what develops. I've never rebuilt a trans or OD unit, so I'm not fully educated on how it all works. I think the time to learn may be approaching...

Because the trans & OD share the same lube, is the only way to "top off" the tranny by filling it, running the car, then re-filling it again?
That was last yrs. method, and I don't see a filler plug on the OD unit.

Thanks for any thoughts...

Mike Gambordella 1956 TR3
Mike Gambordella

THAT'S THE WAY MIKE. WHEN I DO THE GEARBOX oil change, I'M USUALLY DOING THE ENGINE OIL AT THE SAME TIME WHEN IT'S ALL UP SAFELY OF 4 JACK STANDS. WHEN THE BOTH OIL CHANGES ARE DONE, I RUN THE ENGINE ON THE STANDS TO CHECK UNDER THAT THERE ARE NO LEAKS (IF THERE IS ONE, IT'S USUALLY FROM THE OIL FILTER TOP SEAL). THEN I PUT IT IN 2ND GEAR AND RUN THE ENGINE GEARBOX AND ONE OF THE REAR WHEELS TURNS TOO. THEN I STOP IT AND RECHECK THE OIL LEVEL IN THE O/D AND ENGINE BEFORE LOWERING THE TR.

DON
Don Elliott

Hi Don:
The NAPA/UAP store here in welland stocks valvoline 20/50R.Maybe the Montreal stores do as well.Their head office is (or was)in Montreal.
Chuck

This thread was discussed between 05/02/2004 and 06/02/2004

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