Gearbox and rear axle oil

[David2021]

What viscosity oil is recommended for the rear axle? an EP90 suitable for bronze bearings I imagine.
What about the gearbox? 20/50 engine oil? EP90 again? or straight SAE 30?
Also what quantities?
Rover 12 tourer 1947
I'm looking for a handbook!

[Phil - Nottingham]

GL4 EP90 for all. 5 Litres will be sufficient for a full change and top up. Use the box dipstick and axle level/filler plug.

Avoid GL5 gear oils

I suggest you obtain the RSR Workshop manual

[David2021]

Thanks for the advice.
I have a Workshop manual...unfortunately it is an early one (1987) without sections B,D,N,P,R. It is notably coy about lubricants, but theses are covered in the handbook, but of course, refer to period oils available! I have obtained straight EP 90 for Bijur, gearbox and rear axle. I will refill the engine wiy a sttraight SAE30 anfd put a few miles on it then go to a "Classic" 20/50. When I drain the oil & clean the filter I will have a ferret around and see what the bottom of the sump is like and be prepared to drop the sump and give it a clean out. The engine was rebuilt in the 90's and has done about 4000 miles, but I have no records of oil changes etc.
I cannot find any mention of how to replace the rubber dusty excluders on the brakes. I have at least one front split. Can they be replaced externally, or is it necessary to expose the brakes in order not to disturb the adjuster housing to which they appear fixed? It would not appear necessary to disconnect the brake rod. The manual (helpfully!) suggest that the rubber boots are obsolete and that durable leather alternatives can be made!
David

[Phil - Nottingham]

The brake rubbers last months. I gave up replacing them years ago. Some have made Chamois leather ones but plenty of White Lithium/Calcium marine grease keeps out the weather. The rubbers can be replaced if you buy the small tubular rivets or use 8BA set screws. They can be replaced without removing the lower draw cylinder/expander (which floats and NOT fixed) but brake rods need disconnecting so it is a lot easier to undo the expander cylinder and set up the brakes properly. There is no need to remove/loosen the adjuster at the top unless relined shoes are being fitted. Do not adjust the brake rod lengths without following the full adjustment procedure in the manual in the correct order.

I use classic 20W/50 in our 1939 16. The engine was rebuilt in the 90s and has done about 15k. I change the oil every 1000 miles or 2 years. 4000 miles is far too long a period to leave old oil in, especially straight oils with little or no additives to neutralise combustion acids.

Our 16 engine dropped an exhaust valve head through no2 piston in 2010 necessitating a new piston and a head rebuild. This required sump removal The mesh strainer filter was clear and there was some black sediment in the bottom but not too bad. The White metal big end bearing on number 2 was as new.

See my FB Public album for P2 pictures of the engine and front brakes and many more https://www.facebook.com/PhilJones60/photos_albums https://www.facebook.com/groups/rsrcomm ... 176103832/

[David2021]

Thank you Phil. I will have a look at dismembering an old pair of gloves! I am still unsure how to remove the boot. If possible I don't want to disturb the brakes inside the drum as they work really well and "If it ain't broke....don't disturb it!" It looks from the exploded diagram of brakes that the expander rod is secured by a pin with a washer & split pin, so it should be straightforward (!) to disconnect it at the balance lever and fit the "glove" down the rod. Meanwhile I will go down the marine grease route!
More important at the moment is chasing the wiring so the ignition warning light is connected properly and works!
I read your drama relating to the steering arm bolts. The 10/12 use a different method to attach the steering arms...
Supply of modern fasteners is a nightmare. I have a background in the fastener industry and you have to be very careful. Decent BSF setscrews (fully threaded to under the head) and bolts (with a portion of plain shank) are available, but inevitably grade R (approx 4.8 metric) Some are marked "R" but many are not....no marking assume low specification. Sets can be used instead of bolts , but are second best if a bolt was originally used. Non metric HT (8.8 equivalent) are Grade "S" and UNF /UNC can often be sourced. If in doubt USE A HIGHER GRADE! Unified locking nuts are easy to source...it just needs more spanners! Metric "equivalents" can be dodgy because of the diameter difference means a loose fit in the hole.

[Phil - Nottingham]

I agree if the brakes are working OK its best to leave them. You should be able to slide a new boot over the rod from the compensator end if the clevis fork and locking nut is unscrewed but the fork must be replaced the exact number of turns on the rod. In any event the boot is riveted to a plate which is held by the expander nuts which must be removed but the expander can remain in place inside the drum.

You should be able to trace the ignition warning light wiring using the diagram. Is the special resistance wound lamp holder sound. The bulb should be 2.5v SES ( cycle lamp!) Good luck. You could run new wiring

I used new UNF bolts on refixing the steering link as I considered these to be stronger than the BSF available. I avoided using set bolts as these are weaker and smaller in the link drilling

[luli]

On the front brakes boots read here (ready to use ones are available from Mike Couldry but as Phil says the won't last long. Try to fill them with silicon grease?) : https://wp.me/pXLKy-2B1
About the ignition warning light: I suggest replacing it with led. See here: https://wp.me/pXLKy-3tS
Autojumbles are good opportunity to set a stock of BSF/BSW fasteners and tools.

[David2021]

Luli
Thanks for the link. I have 12v 2.5 w screw in bulbs, although my lamp holder is a later pattern (chrome rim!) - as is the choke lamp incidentally. that uses a large moulded plastic amber lamp (I had a similar one on my TR3A for the oil pressure warning,; it uses a 12v 2.5 as well)
My issue is that there are no obvious wires from D nor from A3 on the fuse box to the ignition switch....they leave the fuse box and disappear into the loom! If I have to put new wires in, so be it, but I will look for the originals first. Of course all the wires are a grubby brown now! They don't respond to cleaning with white spirit....
Hours of fun ahead
David

[luli]

The A3 wire does not go from the regulator but from the ignition key. The D wire , #8, yellow, goes from the D connection on the regulator. You should see 2 wires under the same screw at terminal D one from the dynamo and the other from the ignition warning lamp. Note the Two "windows" on the bulk head. Removing them, let you better excess to the instrument panel wiring for easier testing and sevice.

[David2021]

Thanks Luli
We are actually saying the same thing I think! Although electrics are not my strong area!
Yes the A3 white(!) goes from the Ignition switch (the ignition switches on fine)
I do not have another white going from the ignition to the lamp (easy to do!)
I have to run a yellow from the lamp to D.
There is one wire connected to D (it comes from the dynamo) There is another wire by the fuse box that quite clearly should be the second wire into D on the fuse box; but I cannot locate its other end! I have the "windows" open & have had the dash unfastened and pulled forward. This allowed me to fix the choke lamp. BUT could not find an obvious unknown wire from D! There are some doubtful connections that I will tidy up - I am avoiding a re-wire. So I will make the connections to the warning lamp and see what I get!
I will go round the behind the dash with a meter to make sure there are no strange unwanted live wires waiting to cause mischief!
Then to see if the clock can be made to start and find out why the trip control is not connected to the speedo...
Then the dash can go back for good!