Anything and everything Herald. Talk about anything from the first 948s to the last 13/60s.

Engine, cooling system, fuel system, exhaust system.

Hi

I bought a Herald 1200 on Sunday as my daily car. I joined the TSSC this morning as a logical next step!

A friend of mine suggested I replace the oil with Castrol R40. The name suggests it has an SAE viscosity of 40.

Castrol recommend it for race engines only, but this is apparently due to the shorter oil change service interval of around 5000 miles.

It is a castor-based oil and has a very characteristic smell. He runs it in his MG replica and his Sunbeam Lotus without any problems.

Does anyone have any recommendations or comments?

Thanks,
sav

Hi Sav,
I run all of my Triumphs on Duckhams 'Q' which is a 20w50. This is what I always recommend to Herald owners having used this for 14 years in numerous Triumphs. Any decent quality oil of this viscocity will be fine, regular changes will give long engine life.
The manufacturer recommended multigrade oils in their literature, including the above mentioned 'Q'. Though Castrol R may well be suited to racers, multigrades are better for daily use,
Cheers,
Bill.

Cheers Bill

Thanks for the tip.
How often do you change the oil? Every X miles, Y months or whichever comes first?

Cheers,
sav

Hi Sav,
I usually aim for 3000 mile intervals, 5000 miles at the outside. I don't like to leave the same oil in for over a year - I guess in theory a 6 month interval would be better on a little used vehicle,
Cheers,
Bill.

Hi

I changed the oil on my Herald last weekend. It came out jet black, lumpy and frothy even though it was warmed up. I ran flushing oil through with Wynns engine flush for 15 minutes at fast idle which brought out even more filth and lumpy bits. I allowed all the oil to drain by putting the axle stand on the sump plug side one notch lower than the other and then changed the filter.

I refilled with Castrol R40 (which is purple in bulk) and I have done over 150 miles on it over a week. It runs beautifully and the oil is spotless on the dipstick. The R40 even smells good! There haven't been any leaks, but I am definitely considering fitting an oil cooler, as driving conditions today are very different to those of the 60s, and any engine oil probably gets a bit too warm going down A roads, national speed limit roads or motorways.

Cheers,
sav

Hi Sav,
I've never needed an oil cooler on any of the Heralds I've owned, though there may be an argument for fitting one on a 1500 engined vehicle. Those who know me will be able to verify that my driving style would test any marginal cooling or lubrication.....
There are good arguments against fitting an oil cooler when it's not necessary, the impossibility of draining the oil completely without removing the cooler is a case in point. Over cooling is also a problem, though that is easily overcome with a thermostatic valve,
Cheers,
Bill.

I would love to be able to use R40 in my race engine, but none of the racers do.

I'm not sure of the real reason but I'm told it's not right...

NiG
http://www.niginthecar.net

Hi

I found the following info:

The actual viscosity grade of a lubricant is determined by the Society of Automotive Engineers, for example SAE-15W40 for a multigrade oil and SAE-40 for a monograde oil. The first number (15W) refers to the viscosity grade at low temperatures (W from winter), whereas the second number (40) refers to the viscosity grade at high temperature.

The above info was borrowed from http://www.tribology-abc.com/abc/viscosity.htm which can only be described as a definitive guide on friction!

My thoughts:

In the case of R40, based on the above info, it is a monograde oil of SAE-40 viscosity.

The higher the number, the more viscous the oil. I was advised earlier in this thread to used SAE20W40.

The main benefit of the W multgrade is easier starting in cold weather since the lower viscosity means lower fluid friction at low temperature cranking. In theory, it should therefore be possible to use R40.

I think lack of availability of R40 is some places is another issue. Sometimes, it might find 3 off 5 litre cans and most times none at all! It certainly works a treat in the Sunbeam Lotus. Why more people don't use it is a mystery... but I guess it isn't marketed as well as, say GTX, GTX Magnatec, Castrol Classic or Mobil 1.

Regards,
sav

A 40 weight oil is on the low side for a Herald, which is why I always recommend 20w50. Lighter oils will find engine leaks which aren't there with thicker oils.
Cheers,
Bill.

Good point Bill.
Cheers,
sav

Hi

I forgot to say...

This is what we did when we put R40 in the Lotus, because R40 and other oils don't mix since R40 is castor-based.

If you do decide to change over to R40, replace your regular oil at a slightly earlier interval before it gets too dirty.

Then run a flushing oil through the engine for a little while (20 mins or so). Drain the sump. Leave it to drain for a long time - so every last drop of oil comes out and change the filter when hardly any is dropping out.

Next, when you've put the new filter on, refill with R40. It may be wise to add the warning sticker to the engine bay about the oil's phenylamine compound content toxicity.

Cheers,

Sav

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