Recommended lubricants

[Felters]

I know this is probably done to death on here but I am keen to know what lubes you'd recommend for a 1959 A7.

Specifically engine oil - Millers SAE40? All year or do you switch to 50 grade in summer?

Gearbox oil? Seems to be a diversity of views...

Chains?

Any other things that need lubrication? Are there many/any grease nipples? What do you use?

Many thanks - this is likely to be the first of many such daft questions. I will be going along to the BSAOC meeting in due course but if there is a hands-on owner in Hampshire who can spare a few minutes to give me an idiots guide on how to keep one of these in good order then I'd be very grateful...

Cheers
Mike

[bsa- bill]

Not a daft question Felters but one that will bring you many different answers and probably little in the way of conclusion.

For what it's worth I use any cheap 20/50 in the engine, but the important thing is to change it often,(1000 miles) this bit will get universal agreement.
Gear box I use a good 90, some opinions about some gear oils attacking bushes.
Forks - plenty fork oils available at bike shops, the weight is a personal thing, try one around 10 or 15 and make your own mind up as to how it rides, not that expensive that you can't experiment a bit.
Grease nipples on headstock (don't know why) brake cams (don't over-grease), clutch arm on gearbox

[muskrat]

G'day Mike,
Bill beat me.
Recon the best way is to give it to me  
Cheers

[Goldy]

As Bill says use the multigrade engine oil if you wish or SAE 40 in summer and SAE 30 in winter. I use Morrris Golden Film. All the best.

[bikerbob]

Hi there.
If you live in the UK Halfords do a classic 20-50 multigrade reasonably priced a lot cheaper than some monograde oils, I have been using it for a few years now but I also have an in line cartridge filter fitted in the tool box I change the oil and filter every year regardless of mileage. In the gearbox at present is monograde 50 but only because I am using up what was lying around in the garage, I use 15-30 fork oil in the primary also the forks and I have never used the grease nipples on the bike in 15 years and on the rare times that I have stripped the steering or brakes down I have never found them wanting for the need of grease.

[cyclobutch]

I wasn't sure that using 20/50 wouldn't add to any wet sumping issues. I've got an oil filter fitted on the return side though so wanted particulates carried through to that. I've been running Silkolene Chatsworth straight 40 this last 1000 miles with no wet sumping and no loss. It is around £30 for 5 litres though.

[bikerbob]

Hi there
I used to use silkolene oil and my bike an A10 would wet sump slightly no problem in the summer and when laid up for the winter  as long as you started the bike once a month no problems, and when I changed to Halfords classic 20/50 the wet sumping did not get any worse it is £18.99 for 5 litres. I am using it in my A65 without any wet sumping at all.

[BrianDallasTX]

I usually use Castrol 40w year-round with no big issues.  It tends to wet-sump about a pint if I don't start it every week.  But, I see this as a positive as I ride her hard and always have fresh oil.

[Felters]

Thanks all - feels like a trip to Halfrauds is in order...

How much engine oil do you put in the tank? How close to the hole where the returned oil comes out do you fill it when you top up? I'm certain that mine won't burn any oil obviously - but it would be good to know.

Mike

[t20racerman]

The level is about 2.5 - 3 inch from the top of the tank. No doubt someone here will give you the exact figure but that is not a bad starting point.
Incidentally, I use Halfords Classic 20/50 too! It is green, and I use red ATF in the chaincase - easy then to see what is leaking!

Adrian

[iansoady]

Incidentally, I use Halfords Classic 20/50 too! It is green, and I use red ATF in the chaincase - easy then to see what is leaking!

Adrian

It all seems to be black when it leaks from mine regardless of its colour when it went in.

[Goldseeker]

IMHO, any Single or Multi grade with a high ZDDP content. Most current oils have the zinc content reduced to suit catalytic converters.

[Felters]

Soooo....

It arrived this afternoon and I'm 99% certain it's running Castrol R. Stick with it or switch to multigrade?

[chaterlea25]

Hi Mike,
If the bike was running on "R"
It cannot be just changed to mineral oil without a complete strip down and cleaning out of all the oilways and parts
If the bike has been left idle with "R" in the system , the same applies

R leaves a gummy residue on the engine parts and goes "off " with time
Guys who use it in race bikes usually drain the system after each meeting

HTH
John O R

[Felters]

Thanks John - the Castrol web site says pretty much the same thing.

I've got a Haynes manual on it's way but can someone tell me what the oil capacity is for the engine please?

Thx
M

[Felters]

Scrub that last post - just found the on-line manual! This is a remarkable web site...

[jjbsa]

I think Goldseeker has a good point in that the Zinc additives are reputed to look after difficult things like cams and cam followers well.  (Two hard things in contact).  I understand that modern oils omit it because it interferes with other things the oil needs to do in modern vehicles, like omissions control.  I *think* that Millers have oils that address this (not checked).

Also, like some others, I have started using ATF in the primary chaincase.  It seems to let the clutch grip with a much lighter pressure on the clutch springs.  The bike hasn't done a lot of miles yet, so the ATF is still under test for me.  HTH.

[Felters]

So I've switched the primary to red ATF fluid, the g/box to 80/90 gear oil and will be moving the engine to Morris 20/50 when I've got time. Obviously I've no idea what oil came out of the gearbox but it is a bit slicker now it has the gear oil in it.

Forks are also on the list - just sorting out a spanner big enough!

Mike

[manosound]

Yep,  that wrench was an issue for me,  too.  I never did buy a socket for the job,  but I think either 1-5/16" or 31mm would work (maybe other folks will confirm).  What I ended up buying for the job was a 12" crescent-type wrench from Stanley (87-794).  The adjustable function runs tight and true and the jaws are fairly narrow,  which helps. I can also use this on the oil tank drain,  but need to be careful of the paint.  In my case,  my top yoke is from an A50 (long,  sad story),  so using a socket on the fork nuts would mean removing the handlebars. 

Richard L.

[Rocket Racer]

Soooo....

It arrived this afternoon and I'm 99% certain it's running Castrol R. Stick with it or switch to multigrade?

If running a castor oil, I'm very happy with Morris castor oil on my A10 race engine. The white metal plain bush certainly likes it.
But of course you cant go swap between mineral oil and castor without a careful engine flush.