Engine Oil

[Oldgearz]

Hate to start WWIII, but is PennGrade SAE 40 high zinc and phosphorus used by Aers very much?

 

[redmodelt]

Not by me. 10-30 or 10-40 depending on what time of year. Zinc is not needed in a Model A engine.

 

[Conaway2]

My engine rebuilder recommended Valvoline VR-1 high zinc racing oil, 10W-30. Given what I spent on the rebuild, I follow his recommendations.

 

[McMimmcs]

Not by me. 10-30 or 10-40 depending on what time of year. Zinc is not needed in a Model A engine.

Well stated, the perfect answer !

 

[GeneBob]

The guys at the shop that rebuilt my engine specifically suggested higher zinc level oil. I use the Lucas "Hot Rod & Classic Oil". Good price and no concern about the high pressure sliding surfaces on tappets and gears. Maybe the Model A does not have high pressures on the tappets? I do not know but I wonder how good the cam profiles were 90 years ago. Today's modern oils actually limit the zinc to very low levels and today's engines are made for that.

 

[J Franklin]

use a 10-30 or 10-40 that is all you need unless the engine is worn out. Zinc won't hurt anything.

 

[Y-Blockhead]

I use the Lucas "Hot Rod & Classic Oil".

 

[Ted Duke]

use motor oil

 

[California Travieso]

Ted,

Did you mean “used” motor oil, like in the old days! ��

David Serrano

 

[Jack Shaft]

My father ran "drain oil" in his coupe..he would buy it for a penny a quart, oil drained out of the cars the local gas station serviced..

 

[J Franklin]

My father ran "drain oil" in his coupe..he would buy it for a penny a quart, oil drained out of the cars the local gas station serviced..

Most stations used a service where the old oil was re-refined and re-sold as reclaimed oil. I doubt he ran dirty oil, there would be no good doing so.

 

[Jack Shaft]

Thats nice,you doubt a story told to me by my father..take a minute,think about that..

 

[J Franklin]

Thats nice,you doubt a story told to me by my father..take a minute,think about that..

I just think he was buying reclaimed oil (drain oil that is re-refined) and called it what he did. Think about it. Why change oil if you are just putting dirty oil back in?

 

[McMimmcs]

Thats nice,you doubt a story told to me by my father..take a minute,think about that..

Your story is very authentic and was repeated over and over. My father owned a service station and was part of that process.

 

[McMimmcs]

I just think he was buying reclaimed oil (drain oil that is re-refined) and called it what he did. Think about it. Why change oil if you are just putting dirty oil back in?

They were not changing oil, they were adding a quart to stop the engine from seizing up. Times were tough, think about it !

 

[Bob Bidonde]

Many moons ago when I pumped gasoline, the station owner had a 275 gallon oil tank in a back room. It contained the residual oil that dripped from every can of oil used at the station. The oil from that tank was sold as "bottle oil" at a lower price than the canned oil. This practice was common place back in the 1950s and 1960s. In my garage these days, I continue this practice of draining residual oil from containers.

 

[runewilliam_merc]

There is a product called oil saver:

Rune from Norway

Sent fra min S52 via Tapatalk

 

[1929]

My engine rebuilder recommended Valvoline VR-1 high zinc racing oil, 10W-30. Given what I spent on the rebuild, I follow his recommendations.

My builder recommended Valvoline Racing oil 20W-50.

 

[katy]

Back, before they put detergents in the oil, a lot of people put used oil aside and let it sit for a few weeks. All or most of the contaminants would settle out and "clean" oil could be scooped out for re-use.

Bindar Dundat

 

[redmodelt]

The guy I worked with does somewhat the same thing. He drains the oil from each container into his oil cans. When adding fresh oil to an engine, I let each one drain for a while before adding the next one.