I have been searching and searching on this forum and others. I keep seeing this as a recommendation to use (53 flathead). It just seems weird using diesel oil in a gas engine. Thoughts?

 

All I have ever used is Motomaster Heavy Duty 50W oil in my 51 flathead, and a quart of Rislone every once in a while for sludge.
I don't think they had multigrade oil in 1953.

 

They also didn't have detergent oil back then, but that doesn't mean I don't use it now.

We had a pretty lengthy discussion about this a few days ago.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...nd-of-oil.html

 

For a while it seemed like diesel oils were the only ones that still had ZDDP in them. That isn't the case any more, and most diesel oils have reduced the amount of ZDDP in them. The additive packages in diesel oils aren't ideal for gas motors but work well enough. For a flathead engine that's already broken in, it isn't as critical what you use, modern or legacy oils. Changing it every 6 months or couple thousand miles is more important.

 

They didn't, but Ford also didn't spec 50 wt oil. Straight 30 except in the winter. You may gain some oil pressure with 50 wt but it may not get into tight clearances as much as it should.

 

Uh oh... Sorry to open a can of worms.... My truck burns a bit of oil and the 50W works for me. Sorry if offended anyone.
(edit) I don't think my truck has any tight clearances anymore lol.

 

lol.....proly true for a lot of us!!

 

it's what i ran in the 53 before parking it and now in the 52 with a little lucas stabilizer thrown in in both of them's cases

 

I have read that the diesel oils now have too much detergents(and the wrong kind as Ross said). It used to be the hot ticket, now I run normal oil with a little STP added for zddp. Change it when it turns black.....about 2000 miles.

 

"Diesel" oils contain no more "detergents" than any other oils. They DO contain a soot dispersant specifically designed to keep carbon soot in suspension but they also meet gasoline engine specifications .

Changing your oil at 2000 miles while making some feel good about themselves, is a monumental waste of money.

Consumer Reports had an independent lab back in the 1990's test oil from a large city cab company and found that no one needed to change their oil any more frequently than about 6000 miles.

New car manufacturers now recommend 10,000 miles and higher oil changes.

I have changed the oil in my 2001 Jetta diesel at 10,000 miles since it was new. It has 195,000 on it now and STILL doesn't use any oil between changes.......Some people run the oil up to 20,000 miles using oil analysis to determine when to change it. (in a car that only uses 5qts for a change, the cost of the oil is much LESS than the cost of the test!!)

I change my oil in my Diesel Suburban every 5000 miles and it uses no more oil than it did when it broke-in..... in 1994 ( when bought it new too) It has 194,000 miles on it.

The engines of today are of course tighter than they were in the "old" days which is one of the reasons why lighter oils are used. (the main reason is for fuel economy....ligher oil, less friction.....to a point)

What has changed is oils[& filters] are FAR better than they were in the old days. This is why you can run them longer.

They are more stable and hold contaminants in suspension (that the filters don't catch) MUCH longer than older oils.

Because filters aren't perfect, you still have to change it. (Franz bypass filters stop almost ALL the contaminants. [1 micron])

NO engine manufacturer, car manufacturer, or Oil Company suggests adding any type of oil additive. In fact, they recommend against it. Some auto manufacturers say that using oil additives can void your warranty.

The only people that suggest using oil additives are the people that SELL them!

Somehow I think they're a little biased..........

I would suggest using the money you might spend on additives to buy gas!


ymmv,


Rick

 

There's a few companies out there that make oil specifically for old motors, Joe Gibbs and Brad Penn are both good. It can be kinda hard to find though, but most speed shops or restoration shops stock it.

Sam

 

Were they testing engines with no oil filter and no PCV? I don't think so...

Totally agree on the additives!

 

Oil is cheap - engine rebuilds are expensive . Plus it gives you a good reason to crawl underneath and ckeck for new leaks .

 

My engine rebuilder recommended Joe Gibbs oil. It's expensive at around $10 a quart from him, but it could be purchased online.

So, anyone have a definitive answer on what oil or oil and additive is good for an old engine?

 

Comparing what new cars or your Jetta or Suburban requires to a 60 year old flathead with a partial flow filter is not really the same........
I run the oil in my late models much longer. Ironic, but both my late models use oil, the flathead doesn't......