> Also, has anyone used synthetic oil
> in a 4 cylinder TR engine.
Some mixed messages about breaking in a new rebuilt engine on synthetic oil, so
I
went with straight 30 weight non-detergent oil for 2,000 miles. I think it was
Ken
Gilanders of British Frame and Engine who recommended this to me. Since then,
I've used 10/30 Valvoline fully synthetic.
I did do some research on synthetic vs. dinosaur oil once. I'm not an
engineer--nope,
never even attended Hogwart's--but my reading indicated two principal
differences.
One, dinosaur oil has round molecules that act like ball bearings. However,
these
round molecules are of varying sizes. With synthetic oil, you get round
molecules
and they're all the same size, which is maybe the secret for their better
lubricant
properties. Second, again according to what I read, during the combustion
process
gas and acid byproducts make their way into the crank case where they
contaminate the oil. Dinosaur oil supposedly becomes acidic as a result and
begins to break down. Something like that. Allegedly, synthetic oil does not
absorb those acids in the same way, and is why they retain high quality and
last longer between changes than dinosaur oil.
It's bad enough to lose your job to technology, but those dinosaurs are long
dead and can't even fight back. It is indeed a cold, heartless world.
Terry Smith, '59 TR3A (runs better on 30 year old points than modern ones)
New Hampshire
=== This list supported in part by The Vintage Triumph Register
=== http://www.vtr.org
|