Best oil for an 8ba

I'm a first timer with an 8ba of unknown mileage. Some folks say to use 20w50
in it & others say no way. Any advice will be appreciated, thanks.

OK, so there you got your answer. Or was it answers? Now, eeeny meeny minee.......:)
 
I just started using Schaeffer's Racing Oil, Supreme 7000, Synthetic Plus, their item #709 (1 gal. size), 10W-30, with extra Zinc additives...On their Technical Data info #709, the Zinc content is listed to be 1700 - 2300 P.P.M. I don't know if other oil manufactures give any factual info on their Zinc content.... Schaeffer Mfg. Co., St. Louis Mo. 63104 .... 1-800-325-9962 .... www.schaefferoil.com , made in the U.S.A.... "and in my opinion, I think we have a winner"....
 
Zinc additives are not an issue in any normal flathead, there is nowhere near the valve spring pressure to require higher than normal zinc. I build high performance OHV engines and the zinc additives are required because of the high valve spring pressures on the flat tappet cams. But not in a flathead running anywhere near normal spring pressure.
 
I just started using Schaeffer's Racing Oil, Supreme 7000, Synthetic Plus, their item #709 (1 gal. size), 10W-30, with extra Zinc additives...On their Technical Data info #709, the Zinc content is listed to be 1700 - 2300 P.P.M. I don't know if other oil manufactures give any factual info on their Zinc content.... Schaeffer Mfg. Co., St. Louis Mo. 63104 .... 1-800-325-9962 .... www.schaefferoil.com , made in the U.S.A.... "and in my opinion, I think we have a winner"....

Why? A flathead is not a Pro Stock engine!
 
Yea, that recycled oil at the Powerene Station was in a bottle and was 10 cents a quart and ended up coating the driveway as good as the expensive , 50 cent oil.
 
If a stock engine then go with Ol' Ron and run 10W-30 or straight 30 or 10W-40. The flathead is not that picky. I agree with those that say zinc is not an issue.
 
Just for those that have no idea what spring pressure the flathead has. The early 30's engines had 37 Lbs +/- 5. In all my engines I use 50 Lbs on the L-100 amd 65 on the Isky 400 jr. Others may use more but?? Now one of the most damaging things that affect bearings is heat and the thinner oil flows easier throug the barings taking away the nasty heat. Now if you have an engine with unteen thousand miles on it and tou can hear the rods rattling, then by all means use the heaver oil. Now my race engine has alittle mor clearance than stock and I use Penzoil 40 w
 
Yea, that recycled oil at the Powerene Station was in a bottle and was 10 cents a quart and ended up coating the driveway as good as the expensive , 50 cent oil.

And with that 40 cents you saved, you could get about two gallons of gas so you could leak even more 10 cent oil!
 
I just started using Schaeffer's Racing Oil, Supreme 7000, Synthetic Plus, their item #709 (1 gal. size), 10W-30, with extra Zinc additives...On their Technical Data info #709, the Zinc content is listed to be 1700 - 2300 P.P.M. I don't know if other oil manufactures give any factual info on their Zinc content.... Schaeffer Mfg. Co., St. Louis Mo. 63104 .... 1-800-325-9962 .... www.schaefferoil.com , made in the U.S.A.... "and in my opinion, I think we have a winner"....

That's a crap-load of zinc. Valvoline VR1 is 1300 or 1400 ppm, depending upon how you view their chart.
 
Lowering phosfor and ZDDP caused by polutioncontrol and lifespan for catalytic converters will continue...
ZDDP was introduced as a bearing material protection since going from pure babbit bearings to harder less chemical stable alloys needed a surface antioxidant and corrosion inhibitor.
For older engines that is parked for long periods the newer oils with more detergent and less corrosion protection to be able to meet cleanleness is another issue.
I said it before...Phosfor and ZDDP is the best additive for engine oil invented and the only reason it is taken away is polution control...when it drops under 900ppm any engine start getting issues...not only in the valvetrain but corrosion and bearing material oxidation.
Modern oil is not dictated by performance needs...it´s goverment polution control setting standards...and a modern car expected life is 7 years.
 
Lowering phosfor and ZDDP caused by polutioncontrol and lifespan for catalytic converters will continue ....................and a modern car expected life is 7 years.

......which is about double what it was in the '50's. Back then rocker panels rusted out in a year or two in the cold country. Valve jobs were often needed around 50,000 miles, and a complete overhaul usually well before 100,000 miles ( if you didn't just junk that heap with the rusted out floors). If you didn't put seat covers on when new, you did after 3 or 4 years because the seats were ripped and the stuffing was coming out. Brakes were used up in a year or two. Practically every corner gas station in the country had a rack full of tailpipes and shelves of mufflers, which rotted off in a year. Seeing smoke pouring out of a 5 or 6 year old car was common (but seldom if ever, did a camshaft go flat). A kid could burn out a clutch,, strip ****** gears, or break an axle within a day of getting his license. Not any more! Go to a used car lot and look over some 2010 models. Rust is rare. Upholstery is usually intact. A 2010 Honda Accord, for example, will cost you around $8-10,000. With around a 100,000 miles, with the original spark plugs and brakes.
They sure don't make them like they used to! (Aren't you glad?!)
 
A 2010 Honda Accord, for example, will cost you around $8-10,000. With around a 100,000 miles, with the original spark plugs and brakes. They sure don't make them like they used to! (Aren't you glad?!)

Yes but when the computer goes to heaven on that 7 year old Honda, you'll be lucky to find a replacement that isn't already used. No computer = non running car.

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I work on a lot of Fox body 5.0 mustangs. The computers take a beating and I've never seen one fail. I'm sure it happens, but not often. Love flatheads, but technology has come a long ways.
 
Sounds like Fox body Mustangs still had robust computers if they've lasted 20 odd years... I don't think more modern car computers are designed to last beyond 10 and they control everything from fuel, to transmission and your e-brake.

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I've got 4 qts of Sthil chainsaw bar oil that I got at a great price...I'm gonna give it a try once my fresh high zinc Lucas "race and classic car" oil is needing changing in 10 years. :)
Honestly, I did recently put the Lucas in...it was expensive and probably won't do it again...had great luck with other Lucas products so I'm giving it a try this time.
 
Sounds like Fox body Mustangs still had robust computers if they've lasted 20 odd years... I don't think more modern car computers are designed to last beyond 10 and they control everything from fuel, to transmission and your e-brake.

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I've got a 97 Jeep Wrangler that runs great and has no problems with the computer. I changed the plugs last year (97,000 miles) and they were burning right but the gaps were pretty wide...still ran good though.
 
Sounds like Fox body Mustangs still had robust computers if they've lasted 20 odd years... I don't think more modern car computers are designed to last beyond 10 and they control everything from fuel, to transmission and your e-brake.

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I think most modern car computers are robust. Very few fail. A lot of "failures" are actually something else that failed and the computer got blamed and replaced needlessly! There are no moving parts in an ECM, nothing to wear out. If they do fail, it is usually when new, like many electronic devices. Overall, the quality of new cars is vastly superior to anything built prior to, oh, say 2000.
 
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