Dear Spridgeteers and all those with the same penchant that I share regarding
the look, the vibe and of course that wonderful musty smell of older British
sports cars,
Oil Filler Hole Question as Follows For My '59 Bugeye With Current Smooooth
Case Gear Box:
I have always heard that the filler hole for the gear box was nearly
non-reachable (like my MGA). If I recall correctly, with the MGA you had to
really
get under the car and reach up and around to get to the filler bolt and hole.
I
thought it was also said of the Bugeyes that to put lubricant into the gear
box it is easier to pour it in through the top past the gear lever with the
gromet removed.
However, looking at the tunnel on the drivers side I note that there is a
bolt in the tunnel just about where my calf would be when driving - or about 6
inches toward the front of the car from the gear shift. I have also noticed
that the early original mat that came with the original Bugeyes had a note
embossed on the drivers side that said something like; 'lift mat here for
filling
the gear box." (Something to that effect).
So I found the bolt. After unscrewing it - it does appear that this is a
direct inlet to put oil back into the gear box, or to top it off ?
It also looks like it bolts through the sheet metal that makes up the
tunnel/frame of the car and then secures itself into the gear box almost in a
sense
pulling the tunnel's sheet metal snug against the outer gear box wall. (I would
think that this would hinder the gear box from being able to vibrate freely
against it's rubber mounting mounts - correct)? I guess it just looks like a
"different" way of engineering things.
So anyhow - this is a fill hole for the gear box, yes or no?
You can top off the gear box to the level of this whole like one might do
with a differential?
What type of lubircant works best for this gear box assuming I am going to
add to what might allready be in there? 20 -50 non synthetic engine oil?
If I drain the gear box (which I think I will do if this proves ot be an easy
to use fill hole Ican I re-fill it with something like Redline Shock Heavy
(which I run in my Harley gear box) or another type of hypoid gear oil - you
know, the smelly oil that has that different gear oil smell as compared to
regular motor oil? Or should I go with a high quality 20 -50 motor oil?
I have some new bottles of Harley Davidson's synthetic oil 20-50. Harley
manufactures this to work in all three places in their bikes, the engine, the
secondary (wet clutch) and the gear box. I personally only use this Harley
product in my Harleys engine. I use more specified lubricants for the
secondary
and the Harley gear box. But since this synthetic is a multi-purpose lubricant
and others have used (I thinnk) 20 -50 in their Brit gear boxes - would I be
able to use this synthetic Harley product for my gear box? Yes no? No Yes?
Yes No? No!!!! Damit - the answer is NO! What say the audience though?
Sorry for the long questions!
Thanks -
Kirk Hargreaves
Nor Cal Bay Area
1959 1275 Bugeye with Puke Vomit Yellow Paint Job that even Earl Shibe
would not want his name attached to. (It is getting a pro old Eng white
re-spray next month)!
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