Oil

[Badwolf]

Stp, molyslip, Wynne's, slik, RedEx, and that other petrol stuff that was supposed to double your mileage, armonol or something. Available at the till in one shot tubes. That never worked either. I'm sure that the makers got done in the end??

[Colin Lindsay]

I liked Redex... turned the petrol pink. 

And Wynn's Stopleak did... on some engines anyway, but later technology and modern seals scuppered it. I also used the 'Stop Smoke' stuff which 'overcomes worn bores', it's like treacle but helped me start a long dead Perkins Diesel years back when all else failed due to wear.

[johny]

That Stop Smoke wasnt the goo I tipped in my bores years ago to set on top of the pistons and avoid the cost of a rebore was it?

[Chris A]

39 minutes ago, johny said:

That Stop Smoke wasnt the goo I tipped in my bores years ago to set on top of the pistons and avoid the cost of a rebore was it?

Did it work whatever it was?

[Ian Foster]

On 16/09/2021 at 12:11, Paul Amey said:

my local spares shop is now stocking Duckham's 20/50. They tell me this had just been relaunched AND is indeed still green!

My GT6 lived on a diet of this in the late 70s through to about 1992, by which time it had covered 185K miles without major rebuild. Can't have been bad and the 'greenness' certainly made it feel special.

(I now use Valvoline VR1)

Ian

[Colin Lindsay]

1 hour ago, johny said:

That Stop Smoke wasnt the goo I tipped in my bores years ago to set on top of the pistons and avoid the cost of a rebore was it?

Probably. A real solid molasses-like goo that blocks the free space round the pistons so that you can raise enough compression to start. I've no idea where it goes after that.

[Badwolf]

Ahh. Duckhams 20/50. The original 'green' oil. So ahead of it's time. Wonder if Greta Thunderbird's parents used it.

Why was it green though. Manufacturing method, or just full of green dye to make it different from the rest? It worked, so many remember it as 'that green oil'. Does it still smell the same? I vaguely remember that it had a unique smell or was that due to the state of the engine it was poured into?

[johny]

10 minutes ago, Colin Lindsay said:

Probably. A real solid molasses-like goo that blocks the free space round the pistons so that you can raise enough compression to start. I've no idea where it goes after that.

No, my stuff was supposed to be a permanent fix that set solid to give you the next size up pistons and rings without having to strip the engine. Surprisingly it didnt make the slightest difference and the engine remained knackered😌

[Chris A]

1 hour ago, Badwolf said:

Ahh. Duckhams 20/50. The original 'green' oil.

Used back in the days when I rode motorbikes. There were only 2 oils that we used then - Duckhams and Castrol GTX ( if memory is working)

[NonMember]

3 minutes ago, Chris A said:

There were only 2 oils that we used then - Duckhams and Castrol GTX

My experience back in the '90s was that my Triumphs all liked Duckhams and ran happily on it day in day out, but Castrol GTX would piss out all over the place and never produce good oil pressure.

[martin barlow]

Gtx used to be 15-50 back in the day hence a little thinner duckhams originally dyed green to stop it looking too much like a mineral oil and a little weedy-then kept as a marketing tool worked in the motor trade early eighties ( motorist discount centre) and the loyalty fro gtx men and duckhams men was quite scary-seen many a marina topped up with either or and most of it blew out the back on startup!!

[PeteH]

Castrol Straight SAE30. That went into virtually every Motorcycle and  car in the 50`s. By 1962, the "multigrade" oils where becoming more used. The Herald Owners Manual for the 1200, recomends by then the use of a Multigrade.

 

Modern Engines, made on modern production machinery, are produced to closer tolerances, using modern materials. Those factors are part of the need for "synthetic" oils, that and the use of Cat`s and particle filters makes Oil Choice more critical. E.g. My V6 Sprinter diesel REQUIRES a certain grade of oil. in order not to cause damage, And is the reason why an oil change cost`s an arm and leg too!.

Pete

[Colin Lindsay]

Duckham's Adcoids? I know people who suffer from those.

[PeteH]

10 minutes ago, Colin Lindsay said:

Duckham's Adcoids? I know people who suffer from those.

Allegedly Quite Painfull?. Can you still get the "cream" for them?. Or one of those doughnut air cushions?.

That page is from an Owner Manual, dated 1962. Came with all the other documentation for the 13/60.

Pete

[martin barlow]

if you can see towards the centre of this rubbish image you can see a fair selection of oil additives at my local spares shop-bear in mind slik 50 and various others are on the end of this aisle

[SpitFire6]

On 17/09/2021 at 19:29, PeteH said:

Castrol Straight SAE30. That went into virtually every Motorcycle and  car in the 50`s. By 1962, the "multigrade" oils where becoming more used. The Herald Owners Manual for the 1200, recomends by then the use of a Multigrade.

 

Modern Engines, made on modern production machinery, are produced to closer tolerances, using modern materials. Those factors are part of the need for "synthetic" oils, that and the use of Cat`s and particle filters makes Oil Choice more critical. E.g. My V6 Sprinter diesel REQUIRES a certain grade of oil. in order not to cause damage, And is the reason why an oil change cost`s an arm and leg too!.

Pete

I see no 20W50. No wonder the engines did not last long. LOL.

What is a "modern material" What difference to the Triumphs of the day?
What difference in clearance. How much difference?

Cheers,

Iain.
 

 

[Chris A]

In the handbook for the 13/60 the engine oils recommended are :

BP : Visco-Static 10W/40

Castrol : Castrolite *

Duckham: Q20-50

Esso : Extra**

Mobil : Special 10W/30, Super 10W/40

Petrofina : 10W/30

Regent : Havoline 20/20W or 10W/30

Shell : Super***

* 10W/30 I believe

** 20W/40

*** 10W/40?

It would seem that even Triumph couldn't make up their mind what to use 🤪