MG Car Repair: Carbuertor oil, stromberg carburetor, shock absorber

Question
I have a 1977 MGB and i need oil for a Zenith Storberg 175 CD, I live in Panama and can not find Dashpor Oil. What other kind of oil can use in the carbuertor? Right, i am putting a litter of the 20w 50 in just to keep oil in the carbuertor.

Thanks

Answer
Hi Larry,

The oil in the top of the Stromberg carburetor is just a shock absorber for the piston and you don't need any special kind of oil. Engine oil works just fine.

The Stromberg and the SU are constant velocity carburetors and they don't have an acceleration pump but the engine still needs extra fuel on a quick throttle opening, so the oil holds the piston down for a split second which speeds up the air going across the bridge in the carb which draws extra fuel for those quick throttle openings. The oil also dampens the piston at idle when the pulse of the intake tries to make the piston jump up and down.

Many people change the grade of oil for summer and winter due to the viscosity changes of the oil when cold or hot.

Howard