Castrol EP90 and Fuel Taps

Hitchcock's Enfield supplies list a petrol tap for their Indian Bullets which has a reserve. Non authentic looks but so what?

Hi Nick,

I have always used an EP80/90 oil in the gearbox but it is now hard to get- presumably you bought online as local Motor Factors don't normally stock old EP90 any more. The modern transmission 80/90 oil is a GL5 which is a superior top class EP lubricant (contains moly) but it reputedly can damage bronze bushes. There is huge debate about this though - some fairly reliable sources say that current GL5 will not harm bronze/copper but others say only GL4 should be used.

Just to confuse the matter further I bought some GL4/GL5 -mineral based- from a local motor factor for use in the MGB diff. which they say should be the best of both worlds but they can't guarantee this.

Does anyone know for certain?

On the subject of fuel taps leaking I have found that taps often leak when the seals are dry but after a few minutes (leaking profusely) when you put in petrol they then seal themselves as the cork seal expands. This happens each year when fuel is first put in the tank after being dry all winter. If you try this route be very careful as petrol leaking is very dangerous !!.

Patrick.

You should never let the corks in that type of fuel tap dry out, or they will leak. If you need to drain the tank, take the fuel taps off and put them in a jam jar of petrol to keep them wet.

Ian

Hi Nick,

Chard must be close to 1000 miles away from me if I use the Belfast to Cairnryan ferry crossing - so a pleasant jaunt on a Jubilee on a Summer evening to pick up a litre of oil ! Your Vitesse is doing well as the gearbox was always the weak point on them; I had a GT6 back in 1969 and the gearbox was regularly out to fit new bearings. But I had the 2.5 injected engine and I was only 27 then.

Some race specialists seem to say that GL5 could be used with advantage in differentials but not in most old gearboxes. The reason was because GL5 caused major trouble with the synchromesh cones in the gearboxes and they said that actual damage to bronze bushes in the box and diff was effectively non-existent. It has something to do with sulphur in the moly and pressure loadings. They say that GL5 noticeably improves performance by putting more power down on the road and it does this exceedingly smoothly.

Now the Norton box hasn't got any synchromesh so I wondered if it could be used ?.

Maybe it could transform the lightweight box into a silky smooth item but there is that bronze layshaft bush we all know about.

Patrick.

I recently rechecked with Glacier Industrial Bearings ref GL4/5 and bronze bushes, the advice has not changed. The oil temp has to be higher than 100C and the additive be sulphur based before it starts being a problem. If your gearbox oil is over 100C you have more pressing problems than the oil.

Hi Nick. I had the same problems with a weeping fuel tap when closed.Went through the same proccess. Solved it by leaving the fuel tap on and fitted an inline fuel tap,no more problems except no reserve so monitored fuel consumption for 1000miles. Average 71 miles per gallon (15miles/ltr 25km/litre) ( even drifting swiftly past the lorries in the slow lane. under all conditions.So a full tank(3 1/2 gallon?). of fuel goes 240miles? I have used EP90 for a long time. The good thing about that is when investigating oil drops the smell of EP90 identifies it from the gearbox.

Hi Nick

Im only a few miles from you just the other side of Stockland, Iâm still building my Nav but the jubilee is running (ish!).

JEK in Chard like their classic bikes too, and JEK fabrications make some stunning exhausts.

Dan

The Hitchcocks petrol tap comes with a BSP adaptor (as in customers who bought this tap also bought this adaptor). I presume the lightweight tank is BSP.