You knew where you were with Rootes Group - "use Shell oil only" on the filler
Engine Oil
- Thread starter Gentlegiant
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Almost the oldest car I ever had was an Alfa Romeo DOHC and it worked fine on 20/50. The Alfa engine did have big "bucket" tappets and very big, lightly-loaded cams, and was a lot more advanced than mainstream British engines of the time. I don't know when it was introduced, but no later than the cars you mention.
edit: 1954
the comparable Jag XK6 engine was a little earlier
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Smith & Allan at Darlington are very helpful advising on engine oils. We have a couple of TDIs running on their 504.00/507.00. Its not rubbish oil, its actually blended at Darlington.
Just used to bung Castrol GTX in years ago. Didn't think too much about grades, but it was a multigrade. Not sure how that works.
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Years ago, many a time I have been in a spares shop and seen someone buy a £2.95 gallon of cheap 20w/50 oil along with a £6.95 tin of STP oil additive that was as thick as treacle instead of a decent gallon of Castrol or Duckhams! Anyone remember that STP stuff?
Aha - Scientifically Treated Petroleum, although we had another translation for the 'P'.....eventually it would glug into the oil filler from the can if you gave it 10 mins or so but more importantly there was the free sticker occasionally
Most of us believed that a heavy lube would cushion big end pulses, but that was quickly ruled out when OHC engines came along.
Remember the first FWD Cavalier? Notorious for knocking camshafts out, that one.
John
Most of us believed that a heavy lube would cushion big end pulses, but that was quickly ruled out when OHC engines came along.
Remember the first FWD Cavalier? Notorious for knocking camshafts out, that one.
John
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Almost the oldest car I ever had was an Alfa Romeo DOHC and it worked fine on 20/50. The Alfa engine did have big "bucket" tappets and very big, lightly-loaded cams, and was a lot more advanced than mainstream British engines of the time. I don't know when it was introduced, but no later than the cars you mention.
edit: 1954
the comparable Jag XK6 engine was a little earlier
That looks like a V8, John. Are you sure you did not intend to show this?
Nope.
Cross flow DOHC straight four
Count the plugs on this bigger pic
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/67/Festival_automobile_international_2011_-_Vente_aux_enchères_-_Moteur_Alfa_Romeo_TZ_-_1965_02.jpg/1536px-Festival_automobile_international_2011_-_Vente_aux_enchères_-_Moteur_Alfa_Romeo_TZ_-_1965_02.jpg
On mine I picked out the lettering at the front of the cover in red paint
Note the trouble they went to with the sexy CH nuts.
Mine was just the family saloon. 5 speed box unusual for the age. Nice rear axle. Useless handbrake.
My Cortina Lotus twink used 20w/50 oil and the recommended oil change interval was just 2,500 miles!
That’s no V8!
Dunno. I rebuilt the engine when I restored the car and never did 2,500 miles in it........and it still knacked timing chains
John
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I must have seen the cam-covers as two cylinder heads.
The bigger image helps, thanks...along with my reading specs. Good pic, though. Are those chrome CH nuts called acorns? Also what is the purpose of the female nuts between the plugs?
Screw in core plugs.
yes, very ornamental. You can also get dome nuts which are not quite so pretty (and do not have extra space in case the stud should be a bit on the long side).
The big-looking nuts on the cam covers are just sleeve nuts with decoratively huge heads. You can take them off with your fingers.
The spark plugs are in deep wells to make it easier for oil, dirt and small parts to fall down the holes. The valves are large, and their stems are hollow and filled with sodium, claimed to take the heat away better.
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