Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 389 Threads: 33
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Location: Garden of England
Car type: ARQ Ruby July 1936
I’m pretty sure the following has been asked many times before on this forum but damned if I can find it.
Can anyone confirm what quantity of engine oil is contained in the sump between the max oil level line and the bottom of the dipstick?
Also I believe the gear box has one and a quarter pints of oil but is that still the current thinking?
And lastly I do remember seeing that the oil level in the diff is not recommended to be up to the fill level so again what is the current advice?
Apologies for revisiting this
Cheers
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 497 Threads: 13
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09-05-2022, 08:22 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-05-2022, 08:24 PM by Nick Turley.)
Hello Denis
I can only tell you what I do.
The engine assuming it is a normal tin sump is 4 and a quarter pints.
The gearbox 3 speed is about 1 and quarter pints (use the engine dipstick) - I put EP 90 oil in both gearboxes
Th 4 speed gearbox I fill to about half and inch short of the filler hole.
EP 140 for the back axle back axle fill to about quarter of an inch below full (use a bent bit of wire or cable tie to dip)
Don't listen to anyone putting you off EP oils they are a superior performance and do not dissolve brass or bronze as they used to do in the 60's.
Hope that is helpful to you.
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 389 Threads: 33
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Location: Garden of England
Car type: ARQ Ruby July 1936
Cheers Nick, that was what along the lines I remember seeing.
Recently changed the engine oil and just about to change oil in the gearbox and rear axle having completed about 1000 miles since a complete rebuild.
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 987 Threads: 98
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Location: Cheshire
In case it helps, I now run the gearbox in my Ruby at 3/4" (19mm) below the top of the filler hole, as measured by a tyre tread gauge, which seems to prevent or significantly reduce oil getting onto the clutch, which has led in the past to clutch slip in top gear. And the rear axle at about 5/8" (16mm) below the bottom of the side filler hole, which seems to stop oil making its way along to the brakes on my car.
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 389 Threads: 33
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Location: Garden of England
Car type: ARQ Ruby July 1936
Changed the oil in the gearbox this morning, the level on removing the fill plug was about 3/4” below the bottom of the plug thread. There were a fair few iron particles in the magnetic drain plug, but my all too regular crunching gears in my early days of driving her probably did not help.
Refilled with the same Castrol oil as in the engine and filled to the same level.
Have never had any issues with slipping clutch.
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 987 Threads: 98
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Location: Cheshire
That sounds a lower level than I run - mine is 3/4" below the top of the plug thread. However, others may have an opinion on whether or not this is likely to be sufficient?
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 195 Threads: 0
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Location: Far West of New Zealand
Denis-
Dave Mann has done some empirical work on this very subject, including (if I've got the contributor right...) his magnum opus, which was real life testing spinning up A7 gearboxes on a lathe and observing the results.
I think you will find his original work on the old site (it was around 2015), but if you search his name his work has been quoted several times.
Regards
AGW
