Bedford TK oil

[Benzine]

Hi, I have a 1972 Bedford TK. 330 straight six diesel engine with 77k on the clock. I've just changed coolant, fuel and oil filters but haven't done the oil yet as I wanted to look into it first. At the moment it has a basic 20/50 mineral oil and I was wondering if there was anything I could use that's better.

Here's a scan of the manual oil page. Most of these oils aren't available anymore obviously, the most commonly available locally are basic cheap mineral oil or duckhams classic. (in the UK btw)

Thanks for any info!

 

[Johnny]

Looks like you can use between a 10W-30 and 20W-50 in it. Duckhams makes a good product. What is the availability of Shell Rotella 15W-40 in the UK where you are at? That would be what I would look for, or the Mobil Delvac 15W-40.

 

[m37charlie]

I would use a good ACEA E2 or E3 15W40, of which there are a multitude.
One of the oils on the Mercedes 228.1 or 228.3 list would be fine:
http://bevo.mercedes-benz.com/bevolistenmain.php?entercustomer=true&language_id=1
If you want something fancy pick one of the 228.5s. If you are planning a trip to North Cape in the winter pick Mobil Delvac 5W40.
15W40 should be fine for the UK south of Hadrian's Wall.

Charlie

 

[Shannow]

Benzine,
were you planning on fish and chip shop fuel at any stage ?

 

[Rollins]

As m37charlie suggested, any MB 228.3 oil…I believe all of the following are available in UK (SAE 15w-40 versions, some of them also available as 10w-40 semisyn with identical specs) :

http://www.epc.shell.com/Docs/GPCDOC_X_cbe_24855_key_140003142294_3905.pdf

http://www.watsonlubricants.co.uk/Templates/Lubricants/upload/Texaco/Texaco Ursa Super TD.pdf

http://www.mobil.com/UK-English/Lubes/PDS/EUXXENCVLMOMobil_Delvac_MX_15W-40.asp

http://datasheets.bp.com/bpglis/lubtds.n...BB?OpenDocument

http://datasheets.bp.com/bpglis/lubtds.n...37?OpenDocument

 

[Benzine]

thanks for the info & links!

Originally Posted By: Shannow
Benzine,
were you planning on fish and chip shop fuel at any stage ?


Not at the moment

Re: south of hadrian's wall... we often go up to scotland

 

[Doug Hillary]

Hi,
Benzine - I know the TKs well! Called Bedsteads here and in NZ!!!

Castrol's RX Super 15W-40 is a lubricant to consider

I used to run Delvac 1220 and Rolella 20W-20 in the South Island of NZ all year round. The TKs chassis was the basis for the NZ Railway's Route buses for many years!

 

[Silk]

I used to work on one of the biggest fleet of Bedfords in NZ in the mid '70's - it was TK's and TJ's all day every day,the workshop open 24/6.(nah,we also used to service the linehaul fleet too,Fuso's,Mercedes and Kenworth).I have no idea what went in them,it came out of a hose,and the mechanics didn't do oil changes.

Any of the name brand HDEO's will be 100 times better than what they were made for....Rotella is a US only oil these days,in the rest of the world it is now branded Rimula.

 

[Doug Hillary]

Hi,
Silk - Who's fleet?

 

[Silk]

General Foods in Auckland.The workshop also serviced the RFL fleet,which was 100% a GF carrier,but not owned by GF.RFL later set up their own yard and workshop down the road.General Foods had a large Bedford fleet - from J1 pie trucks,the icecream and frozen foods trucks,some larger truck and trailer units,and live chicken carriers.Most were petrol engines,214 and 300,but there were a few diesels.As well as a day shift there were two rotating shifts,so we could work on the trucks before they went out and after they came back.A couple of guys worked overnight doing lubes and small repairs.Good times for a young fella.

 

[Doug Hillary]

Hi,
silk - I know the Companies well. I assisted RFL to "get off the ground" here in OZ during the early 1980s

 

[Silk]

I didn't know they were over there....RFL seems to have disappeared now,and once they were the biggest refrigerated carriers in the country.My father worked at GF,and I have a photo of him working on a Hippo...10 years later,and after he had passed away,I would be working on the same Hippo.RFL were one of the first companies to use Fuso's in their fleet.They were supplied and later converted to Detroits by Gills - I now work in the car side of Gills,although now the truck and car companies are separate companies.