what type oil and gas for flathead

N

ndrtangman1932

Junior Member
with all the special additives and lack of engine lub types of oil of today, what is the best oil to use in a flathead to preserve the cam, an what type gas and brand or additives should I use in a flathead?
 
I have a '40 85 hp and have been using a lead additive plus MMO. In Michigan we have what you call Recreational Fuel. No ethanol. I have started using it since late last summer. Seems to work well. I still add MMO to that fuel. A lot of guys swear by it here.

I have also added STP as it has Zinc in it, but lately I have started using Valvoline racing oil 20w 50. It has zinc already in it. Just did my first oil change with that. I only drive in the Summer and Fall months here.

Mike
 
You will get as many opinions on your post as CARTERS have Liver pills. Anything today is 200% better than was availible back then. Take your pick. ken ct.
 
ken ct said:
You will get as many opinions on your post as CARTERS have Liver pills. Anything today is 200% better than was availible back then. Take your pick. ken ct.
Click to expand...

Ken, I've read a lot of stuff you've advised guys here.
Some I agreed with, some not so much.
This time though, you really done it.
There ain't nobody gonna give this guy a better answer than that.


Have a good Memorial Day and enjoy your BBQ with thanks to a POW/MIA.
 
Thanks Alan + GOW,sometimes im right and sometimes im wrong,im the fitst to admit it. You guys have a nice Holiday,its been raining here for 2 days now.Need to stop rebuilding for a spell,knee oper. comming up soon. Take care at least i dont type with my knee. LOL ken ct.
 
I hate to send you looking...but if you do a search on motor oil you will find lots of opinions. G. M. did some research on oil and made a good report on one of his posts. On gas I use the regular E10 and add MMO to every full tank.
 
JM 35 Sedan said:
I hate to send you looking...but if you do a search on motor oil you will find lots of opinions. G. M. did some research on oil and made a good report on one of his posts. On gas I use the regular E10 and add MMO to every full tank.
Click to expand...

This is the GM paper, saved it off another thread on here.
 

Attachments

This could become the longest thread in the history of the Ford barn, except what vic did on his lunch hour.
Considering that the engined was designed back in the late 20's early 30's, I'd say almost all made since then. Philips 66 or Gulf 76 was a hi test gas, works well. I'd stay away fron detergent oils. Depends on the modifications.
 
Why would you stay away from detergent oils? I've been running it in mine for 20 years and the inside of the engine is as clean as the day I built. Don't believe in additives of any kind. There is still some zinc left in the oils, way more than we need.
 
Well if you've modified you engine to use a full flow filter, then by all means use detergent oil. If not, then all you do is pump dirty oil through the bearings. Original pils were changed every 1500 2000 miles and kept the engine very clean as well.
 
I don't pay extra for any fancy oils. As has been said, any today are way better than any then. I just get the cheapest detergent oil since my engine uses a quart every 1,000 miles. S.A.E. 40 over 60° starting temperatures and 10W-30 for under that temperature.

Even though we don't have roller lifters, the low valve spring pressures on our stock engines still doesn't need zinc added to what oils still have in them.

The lowest octane gas is still way better than anything 70 years ago. We don't need high octane in our stock low compression engines. I always buy the lowest octane available. I still pay extra for the Top Tier gasolines though as they have more cleaning additives in them. http://www.toptiergas.com/

My 2¢:cool:
 
Last edited:
The old SAE 20W/20 used back in the day had very little additives in it. Detergent properties were likely ashless dispersant and i doubt if there was much of the zink phosphate stuff in there. They didn't start using all that stuff till they had problems with cams in the overhead valve engines in the mid to late 50s.

The flathead engines were designed for all the crud to settle to the bottom of the pan, filter canister housing, and outer walls of the crankpin sludge bores. You dug the crud out when you overhauled the engine a 100,000 miles if it made it that far.
 
Back in the 50's, I had a '38 Standard that used a lot of oil and was a kid with no money. Ever heard that before?? Anyway, I got crude oil direct from the well near by in central WV and used it for engine oil. It did real well until the engine blew!
 
For another article about ZDDP, go to this:

http://ctci.org/gilsgarage/EngineOil2.php

This study was done by an independent lab to show what various oils contain as far as ZDDP is concerned. The upshot is that the oil used in the 80's contained far less ZDDP than the oils of today. Extrapolate back into the 40's and 50's and you will see that far less ZDDP was in the oil back then.
 
E85 and don't change your oil but every 5000 miles......Now that I'm done with the governments advice I would say to just use a good oil ( I use Rotella because its $13 a gallon at Walmart and is used by alot of trucks that go 30000 miles between oil changes) and find the gas with the least amount of ethanol you can.
 
Read this report on oil and make your own choice after having a little knowledge.
I have several diesels and use 20/40 Valvoline Cummins blue in the old Fords also because of the additives. I used Castrol 20/50 for over 100,000 miles in my 39 for years and that worked. The conclusion on oils was almost any oil changed regularly worked but why not use the best. G.M.
 

Attachments

The problem with this study is that CI-4 oil is probably not attainable any more since most manufacturers have changed to the new CJ-4 formula.

Any name brand oil with a API rating of 40 or more should have all the ZDDP needed for any flathead except the most extreme racing engine.

G.M. said:
Read this report on oil and make your own choice after having a little knowledge.
I have several diesels and use 20/40 Valvoline Cummins blue in the old Fords also because of the additives. I used Castrol 20/50 for over 100,000 miles in my 39 for years and that worked. The conclusion on oils was almost any oil changed regularly worked but why not use the best. G.M.
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top