SAE 50 engine oil

pwaltham · Post by **pwaltham** » Mon Oct 20, 2003 1:30 pm

This might be of interest to any tight-fisted bikers out there in the North East:
When I started looking for some SAE50 engine oil for my Model 31 I found it hard to find, and also expensive at about £17.00 a gallon.

I then thumbed through 'good old yellow pages' and found G&B Fuels Ltd in Gateshead (0191 4904311) and after talking to them they said they could supply a 25litre drum for about £35.00

This oil is what they sell to the haulage companies for thier diesel lorries.
Good stuff, bargain price!

Bike is running fine and I can afford the odd drip.

Peter Waltham

silverarrow · Post by **silverarrow** » Mon Oct 20, 2003 5:47 pm

Well done Peter, That's a good tip and I will certainly be taking the same line of attack as soon as present supplies dwindle.

Les Smith (silverarrow397)

Colin F · Post by **Colin F** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 9:51 am

I've done the same in the past, it's OK if you find somewhere thats reasonably priced as Peter has but a lot of places can charge a lot higher unless you want 10 or so drums.

silverarrow · Post by **silverarrow** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 4:49 pm

Even so if you know a few other pals who use it a group order may be possible. I did this a while back through an oil co rep and i recall we had to order 6 cases of 4x5l's, Not a prblem when your bike was quoted by the factory (before 70+ years of wear) to consume oil at the rate of 1800miles/gallon.

Les Smith (silverarrow397)

lawrence · Post by **lawrence** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 9:13 pm

Is the sae50 necessary? My Bonneville was in its day was recommended for solo grade oils but I run it on Castrol Magnatec (10/50?) for classic engines with excellent results. I stripped the engine after 14000 miles to get the crank balanced and there was no measurable engine wear.

Incidentally, dynamic crank balancing absolutely transforms an engine. It feels the same but no longer breaks everything with vibration. It is the best £50 I ever spent on a bike. I would never rebuild an engine now without it.

Lawrence

silverarrow · Post by **silverarrow** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 4:50 pm

It depends on the filtration system. In the case of my Silver Arrow it has only a brass mesh for filtering oil so a non detergent oil is needed. It also has a single rate pump and i feel it beter to keep to a 50 grade oil to maintain as good a flow as possible. On later models with at least a fabric filer a multigrade may well do but as i use so much straight 50 on the Arrow it gets used in my later bikes as well, Summer and winter!

Les Smith (silverarrow397)