Engine oil

[Steve_Lindford]

Sounds trivial - but can anyone recommend Engine and Gearbox oil for TC. Reasonably sensible driving in UK temperatures.

Also do I have to go to a specialist to find an oil filter...

Thanks - Steve

[BDA]

From the Golden Gate Lotus Club (http://www.gglotus.org/ggpart/europacr.htm) parts cross reference, these or their equivalents are the appropriate oil filters: Fram PH35, Purolator L10101, Wix 51335. I'd imagine at least one of those is available in the UK.

I use Red Line 10W40 engine oil and 75W90NS tranny oil.

The important thing for engine oil is that there is enough zinc (ZDDP) for flat tappet motors. A lot has been said on the Internet about this - sometimes generating more heat than light. If you're not interested in using Red Line, you might check with a local vintage/MG/Lotus/Jag/etc. car club because they have all had to deal with this issue.

When I was racing (a life ago), there were a lot of racers who swore by Red Line oil. I thought it was pretty much hype. When I got my car on the road, my NG3 had a rough 3-2 gear change. The owner of a well respected vintage/race/sports car shop suggested I use it to smooth it out. I was skeptical, but he was right. I was amazed! Having said all that, there are lots of good tranny oil options. If you end up asking an oil company representative, just tell them it is a Renault (whatever - my NG3 came from a Fuego).

[jbcollier]

Engine:

Lots of high ZDDP options in Jolly Old: Penrite, Millers, Castrol Classic, etc.  20W-50 was commonly used back in the day.  I use Penrite 20/60 in mine.

Transaxle:

GL4 was what was originally specified.  GL5 is what is now commonly available.  It is "supposed" to be backwardly compatible but there have been some concerns expressed about GL-5 attacking brass components (synchos, and shims).

True story:

An engineer was a customer of ours and his engine developed a small oil leak that required occasional replenishing of the oil level.  One day he found his oil low.  The service station had Esso 20w-50HD but not the Esso 20w-50HDX he used.  So he drove on...

Long story short, any oil is far better than no oil at all.

[Roger]

I too use Redline gear oil in all cars, engine oil  is Castrol, for Europa TC it's 20/50  synthetic for classic cars, though my supply is running out and I think I'll have to change.
I know people in UK who use Miller's - I  think that's  the brand. Ask on SELOC, they'll have a better idea.

[BDA]

Long story short, any oil is far better than no oil at all.

Truer words are rarely spoken. I've heard stories that flat tappet cams have a very short life if your oil doesn't have enough ZDDP. If you're using the wrong oil, get home and replace it with the good stuff soon.

[4129R]

I would go for a good quality 10/50 semi synthetic oil from Halfords.

I got my oil filter from Banks. I think once you know the reference number, they are easily available.

Is it a Lotus Ford 1558 or a Renault engine?

Alex in Norfolk.

[fulmine]

Gearbox the millers classic ep 80w90 gl4 and for engine the millers motorsport css 20w60 semisynthetic

[EuropaTC]

The oil filter is nothing special, it was fitted to most pre-crossflow Fords from the 60s & 70s which had the later screw on filter. I bought the shelf stock from our local Halfords a year or so ago and noted the other week that they still have them on sale ! 

HOF 203 was their part number.  I can't remember the price but under a fiver. 

Oil ? Everyone has their favourites. As some have commented there's been a reduction in zddp over the years, I think due to the potential risk of catalyst damage. It used to be quite high, 1200-1500ppm but a lot of modern, thinner viscosity oils (xx/30) have reduced it to 500ppm or less. Mainly SL & SM grades I think.

That's not to say all SL/SM grades are so low. Mobil 1 have 1000ppm in their xx/40 grade oils and that's the level that Porsche recommend with their "A40" spec, avoiding all the lower level oils. 

Tim Engel wrote a series of excellent posts on the topic a few years ago on Lotuselan.net, they are well worth a read.  One point he did make was that branded oils change their specifications over time so if it is of concern you should really check out the current spec. I take that to apply for all oils, including ones with "classic" on their labels, because not all classic cars have our engine design.  Another thing that did come up at the time was that "more isn't always better", hence be wary of making up your own cocktail with additives.

http://www.lotuselan.net/forums/lotus-twincam-f39/oil-change-t23701-15.html

and this one is particularly interesting for a post from Rohan, part way down. Rohan is a very well respected guy in Elan circles so it's always worth taking note of his comments on engines.

http://www.lotuselan.net/forums/lotus-twincam-f39/what-the-recommended-oil-use-twin-cams-these-days-t18732-15.html

Brian
 

[Steve_Lindford]

Thanks for all that info.

I plan to put a bit of oil down the bore and on the cams before I start as the engine has not been run for almost a year. Maybe try and turn it over by hand first - using the back wheels.

Steve

[EuropaTC]

Sounds very sensible Steve.

When I started mine after several years lying about in the garage I did similar, oil in the cam cover, redex down the bores and then turned it over on the starter with the plugs removed until oil pressure showed on the dial.

Brian

[Steve_Lindford]

Also - should I run the car up to get the oil hot before emptying - or as it has been standing for nearly a year - do I need to bother...?

Steve

[jbcollier]

Drain the old oil and start it up on fresh.  Is it a Renault or Lotus TC?

[Steve_Lindford]

Twin cam - so drain it cold then...

[EuropaTC]

Yes, I would. If you haven't already done it, one thing you could consider is using a very cheap (Wilkinsons/Asda/Brand X) oil as a flush and leaving the old filter in place for now. Use the new oil to start up the engine and circulate then drop it out when it's had a chance to warm up, complete with any muck that you missed with the cold drain. 

That is probably well OTT but the procedure I used on both the Elan & Europa after they had been standing around for a few years.  Then refilled with a decent oil and new filter.

[Steve_Lindford]

That is an interesting - logical thought. I will sleep on that... Thanks.

Steve