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mkIII midget transmission gear oil

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mkIII midget transmission gear oil
#1
  This topic is about my 1973 MG Midget MkIII
kurtk Kurt K (New Member)
Flanders, NJ, USA   USA
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1973 MG Midget MkIII
1973 Midget, ribcase trans.

Replacing the fluid in my trans. Manual calls for 20w50 engine oil, but I see a lot of people arguing for 30w non-detergent.

Would my leftover castrol 20w50 classic oil (extra zddp) not be the better choice as its what the manual calls for? What's the argument for 30w non-detergent, that is doesn't foam?

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Re: mkIII midget transmission gear oil
#2
refisk Rick Fisk
Frankenmuth, MI, USA   USA
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The factory recommended 30W non-detergent motor oil in 1958 when the first Spridget was released. Some years later they switched to recommending 20W50 engine oil. So yes, your 20W50 Castrol will be just fine. Foaming isn't really an issue. smiling smiley

Rick

In reply to # 4785745 by kurtk 1973 Midget, ribcase trans.

Replacing the fluid in my trans. Manual calls for 20w50 engine oil, but I see a lot of people arguing for 30w non-detergent.

Would my leftover castrol 20w50 classic oil (extra zddp) not be the better choice as its what the manual calls for? What's the argument for 30w non-detergent, that is doesn't foam?

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Re: mkIII midget transmission gear oil
#3
Scargo Avatar
Scargo Howard Collins
Virginia Beach, VA, USA   USA
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1960 Austin-Healey Sprite
Rick .... I'm thinking straight grade engine oil may have been recommended back in 1958 only because (to my understanding), multi-grade oils were in their infancy and not yet fully developed....yes, no?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024-04-16 12:12 PM by Scargo.

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Re: mkIII midget transmission gear oil
#4
refisk Rick Fisk
Frankenmuth, MI, USA   USA
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Could be. I know when I first started driving the only oil my dad would use or let me use was Shell X-100 20 weight. I don't think there were any multi-weight oils available then. smiling smiley

In reply to # 4785805 by Scargo Rick .... I'm thinking straight grade engine oil may have been recommended back in 1958 only because (to my understanding), multi-grade oils were in their infancy and not yet fully developed....yes, no?

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Re: mkIII midget transmission gear oil
#5
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Mistersooty Fred Johnson
Roselle, IL, USA   USA
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1966 Austin-Healey Sprite "Green Car"
1977 Mercedes-Benz W123 "White Car"
1986 Citroen CX "Blue Car"
2008 Subaru Impreza "Other White Car"    & more
I'm sure the 20W-50 is fine if the manual calls for it.

It may just be an old husband's tale, supposedly the non-detergent oils will not hold contaminants in suspension thus letting them settle to the bottom of the case and gather which is desirable(???) in a non-filtered application like the transmission.

Again, this is an old husband's tale and a lot of those old husbands are no longer with us. I'm not sure how much of that I believe as the next time you drive the car I think it would stir up all of the transmission oil again.

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Re: mkIII midget transmission gear oil
#6
TikiCricket Auggie A
Cambridge, MD, USA   USA
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Redline MTF

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Re: mkIII midget transmission gear oil
#7
gg71 Silver Member Greg Grohoski
Austin, TX, USA   USA
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1973 MG Midget
There may be a better oil (Redline as suggested above) but I've never had any issues with 20W-50.

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