What oil and coolant do you recommend

[grandad]

Silly question I know, about to take the stag out for a test drive before I start on the bodywork, as the car has no history I intend to do a mini service before taking it on the road, so what engine,manual gearbox oil and coolant do you guys use?



Kevin

[Tee Cee]

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Is your car a manual or auto?

[grandad]

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Manual

[Guest]

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Hiya, use the best quality 20/50 you can afford, I use Millers Sport semi-synthetic 20/50, there are several other good ones, Valvoline amongthem but it MUST be 20/50. For cooling,conventional blue anti-freeze, at 50% or 30% depending on who you listen to, it's not critical,with de-ionised water and installed after a complete drain down, including the block, there are two plugs, one under each header, it really wants a flush, but if your use is short term don't bother for now. EP 80 for the gearbox. Enjoy ! Martin.

[grandad]

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Thanks Martin that's the first question answeredand many more to come, I have finished work until the new year so started today on the stag, I will start a restro thread sometime over the weekend.



Once again Thanks,



Kevin

[Jeff]

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I totally agree with Martin BUT I use Halfords 20/50 for Classic cars as it's a damn sight cheaper than Millers and I was advised by Brighton Stag Specialist to use power steering fluid in all gearboxes, manual or auto.

[Jeff]

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Oh and the blue antifreeze is for 2 years and the pink/red is for 5 years.......so I have been told.

[singapore stag]

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Jeff wrote:

I totally agree with Martin BUT I use Halfords 20/50 for Classic cars as it's a damn sight cheaper than Millers and I was advised by Brighton Stag Specialist to use power steering fluid in all gearboxes, manual or auto.

I was using Halfords oil but found that it broke down pretty quick. Now using Valvoline VR1, although not cheap but neither is the Triumph V8 engine.

Cooling system should be flushed regularly, I will not leave it for 5 years , ....just my opinion.

[DJT]

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Hi Kevin,

You have just discovered that if you ask two owners for advice, you will get three opinions .

Here is my two-pennyworth:

Engine oil: 20/50 Mineral oil. Unipart Green is good.

Coolant: As mentioned, flush it properly and re-fill with 25-30% conventional 'blue' anti-freeze. Anti-freeze has poorer cooling qualities that water, so you only need enough to prevent freezing and inhibit corrosion. Any more is doing no good.

When refilling, raise the front n/side. Remove the radiator plug and the overflow bottle cap. Fill from the radiator plug until the overflow bottle is half full, then replace overflow cap. Continue to fill radiator, squeezing the top hose to eliminate air, until it is full, then replace the plug. Run engine checking for leaks. As it heats up, the overflow bottle level should rise, then return to just below half-full when cold.The heater control should be on 'Hot' when filling.

Manual Gearbox: EP90 was specified by Triumph and this holds good. Same for the Diff.

Dave

[Guest]

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Jeff wrote:

I totally agree with Martin BUT I use Halfords 20/50 for Classic cars as it's a damn sight cheaper than Millers and I was advised by Brighton Stag Specialist to use power steering fluid in all gearboxes, manual or auto.

Hi Jeff, sorry to disagree mate, but Halfords oil is cheaper for a reason, Stag engine oil worksvery hard, carrying some of the cooling load, use the best you can afford, when I drain the Millers it comes out nearly as good as when it went in. I'm no oil technologist, but ATF is very thin, I can't see it coping with the stresses in a manual gearbox, in an auto the gears are planetry and stresses are completely different.

ALL the Stag experts insist that coolant is changed every year on the dot, why use VERY expensive 5 year stuff when it's only needed for 1 ? Some anti-freezes turn to jelly if mixed with Ethelyne Glycol so it's really not an area for experimentation. Sorry for droning on. Martin.

[Jeff]

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That's why I joined this forum, for healthy banter, advice and personal opinions, great! We can all learn. (not necessarily in that order)

Martin, my Stag unfortunately covered only 250 miles last year which is why I use Halfords Classic car oil. I don't use it in my every day car as that covers 10k, still not a lot as some, but I still use Halfords oil or Tescos own brand, car now covered 150k with no problems (touch wood). My other convertible car (Volvo C70) I bought brand new 6 years ago started getting the best super duper unleaded petrol (note the divert to fuel now) until the 'newness' wore off, now it runs on regular unleaded. It is surely more important the oil is changed at the correct intervals
and as far as I can see, if the oil wasn't any good, surely it would not sell. (I can see me getting shot down for that one).

I don't really see the point (my opinion) in changing the antifreeze every year when not necessary, Although a flush out doesn't hurt, I know it's a Triumph engine but I don't change it every year on my other more reliant cars.

If your Millers oil is coming out as good as it went in, isn't that saying something???

Jeff.

[V Mad]

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Here we go again!

IMO using expensive oil might tempt you to leave it in too long. Also some oil made for modern carsmay not besuitable for older cars. My advice would be touse a reputable traditional 20W50 oil with an API/SE CC or higherrating. Comma classic will meet this spec at a sensible price. Duckhams was always popular but I prefer the Comma.

Some manual gearboxes such as the Rover LT77run well on ATF, but is notcommonly used on the Triumph box. Why not stick to the recommended oil?

The Comma blue antifreeze is OK for stags andcan be left in for 2 years. If you have nothing better to do, change it every year!

[marshman]

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Agree 100% with Chris (Vmad) on this one - even ATF in an LT77 - I've got one and its approaching 150k!

Does that count as two Stag owners and one opinion???

Roger

[NickA]

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Unipart 20/50 oil changed every year, Unipart 75W in the gear boxand Unipart 3 year blue anti-freeze;

Once you've got the cooling system flushed and clean I just can't see the point in draining the anti-freeze every year. The old change it every year mantra was from when the inhibitors in the anti-freeze only lasted a year which made it vital to change it annually.

[Gresley]

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I also use Millers Classic Sport semi synthetic 20 - 50 and change it every 3000 mileson the dot. Expensive, but cheaper than premature wear on a V8! AsMartin said, it comes out as good as it went in. I have Millers TRX 75 - 90 semi synthetic in the manual gearbox, and Penrite 85 - 140 in the diff. I use Unipart blue antifreeze and de ionised water, fushed and changed every year.

Brian