5w-50 good for classic cars?

[54Illinois]

Auto Zone had a big blowout of oil the last couple days.  Was able to score some SAE 30 and some Valvoline racing 10w-40 VR1 oil for the Plymouth. 

 

They had a ton of this Castrol...says Classic car formula??

 

 

[plyroadking]

I usually just run straight 30w. My brother used to run 5w-something in his '49, leaked out almost as fast as he could pour it in, finally ran it out of oil and seized the engine. Your experience may vary.

[Don Coatney]

Gotta love advertising hype. In my opinion anything that says "formulated especially for" usually means they re formulate the label and up the price. I use the least expensive oil I can find (Dollar Store) as it is rated for the same API Service Classification as the most expensive oil.

 

 

 

 

I bet I could get rich if I invented a label for motor oil with a picture such as below and the label read "specially formulated to attract women"

 

[1941Rick]

Gotta love advertising hype. In my opinion anything that says "formulated especially for" usually means they re formulate the label and up the price. I use the least expensive oil I can find (Dollar Store) as it is rated for the same API Service Classification as the most expensive oil.

 

 

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I bet I could get rich if I invented a label for motor oil with a picture such as below and the label read "specially formulated to attract women"

 

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I'd buy some.....

[54Illinois]

$1 a quart I even passed on it.  I did see Quaker State 20w-50  for $1 a quart.

[Andydodge]

Don & Rick..........Welcome to Honest Andys Oil Co.............just send $30 down for 30 yrs to Honest Andy and I personally Guarrantee that this oil is as slippery as I am, will get you the girls, cure what ails you and for no extra cost give you an extra 6".............in height.................what did you think I meant?.........lol.......Merry Xmas guys and I trust the guy in the red suit found you yesterday........err....earlier today........best wishes from downunder.....Andy Douglas

[plymouthcranbrook]

I mostly use Blain's Farm N Fleet 10-40 in my old cars. Then I add ZDDP and away I go

[1941Rick]

Chevron Delo 400 15/40.....got the good stuff in it.

[Don Coatney]

plymouthcranbrook, on 25 Dec 2014 - 10:47 PM, said:

I mostly use Blain's Farm N Fleet 10-40 in my old cars. Then I add ZDDP and away I go

Just curious why you add ZDDP?

[central52]

Isn't zddp supposed to help the valves somehow? Ed

[Plymouthy Adams]

zddp is an additive to protect against shear pressure...once these low compression engines are broken in there is little to no real need for an added amount of zddp   the compression springs on the valves are not extreme pressure rated and proper broke in tappet/cam surfaces once broke in using a good break in oil and up to approx. 1000 and some say 5000 miles...

from there should runs well with regular oil.  Now if you get a warm fuzzy adding it, it will not hurt...there is no catalytic converter that will suffer plugging with its use.  The cut back is for emission and catalytic longer life..

Edited December 26, 2014 by Plymouthy Adams

[captden29]

does anyone use synthetic? capt den

[TodFitch]

zddp is an additive to protect against shear pressure...once these low compression engines are broken in there is little to no real need for an added amount of zddp   the compression springs on the valves are not extreme pressure rated and proper broke in tappet/cam surfaces once broke in using a good break in oil and up to approx. 1000 and some say 5000 miles...

from there should runs well with regular oil.  Now if you get a warm fuzzy adding it, it will not hurt...there is no catalytic converter that will suffer plugging with its use.  The cut back is for emission and catalytic longer life..

Also, these engines were designed in the 1930s for break in with the oil available then which has less ZDDP than oil now does.

 

The ZDDP level in oil now is about the same as it was increased to in the 1950s for the then new OHV V8 engines. So if you have an engine designed before, I think, the mid-1960s then the ZDDP in today's oil is at or above what it was in the oil your engine got new.

[central52]

Hmmm. verrry interesting. So, I guess any name brand 10w=30w oil is fine for the old flatheads. Summer or winter. Ed

[T120]

Don & Rick..........Welcome to Honest Andys Oil Co.............just send $30 down for 30 yrs to Honest Andy and I personally Guarrantee that this oil is as slippery as I am, will get you the girls, cure what ails you and for no extra cost give you an extra 6".............in height.................what did you think I meant?.........lol.......Merry Xmas guys and I trust the guy in the red suit found you yesterday........err....earlier today........best wishes from downunder.....Andy Douglas

So..As I understand your post,to heck with lubricity...pheromones are the important additive.

Edited December 26, 2014 by Ralph D25cpe

[1941Rick]

One thing to remember is that if you have a high milage engine that has been running 30w non detergent oil, you may be asking for trouble. There will be lots of sludge in the pan that you may break loose.

 

I will take a litre of pheromones..should make that engine stand up and take notice.....will probably try to  improve the gene pool of some Furds and Chubbies....

[Don Coatney]

central52, on 26 Dec 2014 - 5:24 PM, said:

Hmmm. verrry interesting. So, I guess any name brand 10w=30w oil is fine for the old flatheads. Summer or winter. Ed

Read posting #3. Does not have to be name brand, just needs the latest rating. Most likely non name brand oil comes from the same vat as name brand. I worked in the food industry for a lot of years. I know that non name brand food comes from the same vat as name brand but the price is frequently lower due to volume purchasing for large purchasers such as Costo, Wallyworld, ETC.

[54Illinois]

Hmmm. verrry interesting. So, I guess any name brand 10w=30w oil is fine for the old flatheads. Summer or winter. Ed

I would agree.  I have been running 10w-30 SAE 30 5w-30 whatever is on sale. 

 

I went back and bought the 5w-50.  $1 a quart is too hard to pass up. 

[plymouthcranbrook]

Just curious why you add ZDDP?

The old car mechanic I use when I really need help suggested it. Told me it was a low cost protection that couldn't hurt. I know that others have different opinions but I decided to go with his suggestion.

Edited December 27, 2014 by plymouthcranbrook

[54Illinois]

My dad had his 63 t bird motor rebuilt...several mechanics told him the same thing about the zinc. 

[Don Coatney]

plymouthcranbrook, on 26 Dec 2014 - 10:49 PM, said:

The old car mechanic I use when I really need help suggested it. Told me it was a low cost protection that couldn't hurt. I know that others have different opinions but I decided to go with his suggestion.

Thank you for the response.

[51cambridge]

Shell rotella t 30w or 15/40 .(for diesel's) Has zddp additive.

Edited December 27, 2014 by 51cambridge

[MarcDeSoto]

I have a rebuilt flat head six that I plan to start up in a few months from now.  I read in an old manual that I should use 10 w non-detergent oil to break in the new engine.  Has that advice changed now? 

[Uncle-Pekka]

I have a rebuilt flat head six that I plan to start up in a few months from now.  I read in an old manual that I should use 10 w non-detergent oil to break in the new engine.  Has that advice changed now? 

 

Marc, That manual was written by the engineers who designed the engine, thus I trust it the best recommendation. period.

 

Acc. to my experience these engines burn and leak the multigrade syntethic oils, have not seen any advantages using modern high tech oils in these.

 

The most important advise I've been told by an old mechanic; the valve guide top side lubrication in the flathead engines rely on vaporization of mineral oil.

 

cheers,

Pekka

[central52]

Hmm, vaporization of mineral oil? So, any oil does that, like Rotella 15w/40? Anyhow, I finally got that d--- filter out of the housing. Used a screwdriver, and shredded it a little. Since pieces of it probably in the oil that was in the canister, I took all the oil out and cleaned the inside. Now, when I go to add the five quarts of new oil, do I have to put any of it in the canister, or just put the five quarts in the engine? Ed