non- detergent oil
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whirnot
Well-known member
I won't add to this much except for two points, Don't put non detergent in your Lawn Mower or two cycle as stated above. The manufacturers recommend Detergent for your lawn mower, and definitely Two cycle oil for your Two cycle. I ran a Outdoor power equipment shop for years, and can attest to both.
But in my Model A? I ain't tellin........
But in my Model A? I ain't tellin........
MrTube
Well-known member
It doesn't matter if someone is an engine builder or what kind of cars they restore, they have an opinion and it doesn't make it correct.
In my OPINION any 0w30,5w30,10w30,10w40,20w50 is fine in your engine. Whether its Shopright brand or Mobil 1 the "A" won't mind. Personally I have 10w40 Valvoline in ours right now but if we had a newer rebuilt engine I'd have Mobil 1 in it. 0W40 is the EXACT same thickness as SAE 40 is when warmed up. It just doesn't turn to jello when cold and trust me your engine does NOT like jello as a lubricant.
What you DON'T want to put in it is straight 30 or 40 weight and NEVER NON-detergent. There are facts to back this up all over and there are a few Fordbarn members that know their stuff who will tell you the same.
Of course Henry would have used detergent multiweight oil if it was around.
Many guys want their "A" to behave exactly as it did new and multiweight detergent oil won't effect this at all it will simply make it last much longer. And that is what everyone wants, isn't it?
In my OPINION any 0w30,5w30,10w30,10w40,20w50 is fine in your engine. Whether its Shopright brand or Mobil 1 the "A" won't mind. Personally I have 10w40 Valvoline in ours right now but if we had a newer rebuilt engine I'd have Mobil 1 in it. 0W40 is the EXACT same thickness as SAE 40 is when warmed up. It just doesn't turn to jello when cold and trust me your engine does NOT like jello as a lubricant.
What you DON'T want to put in it is straight 30 or 40 weight and NEVER NON-detergent. There are facts to back this up all over and there are a few Fordbarn members that know their stuff who will tell you the same.
Of course Henry would have used detergent multiweight oil if it was around.
Many guys want their "A" to behave exactly as it did new and multiweight detergent oil won't effect this at all it will simply make it last much longer. And that is what everyone wants, isn't it?
Randy in Illinois
Senior Member
All good answers, some from facts, some not. ANY OIL nowdays is better than the crap they used back then. So it's a matter of preference. Back then there wasn't any SAE specfications for oil, only weight. Ford ,in the owners manual states no 40W. was it caster oil? mineral oil? or what else they use in the great depression? did anybody care at that time what oil to use so they wouldn't void the warrantee? ND 40W is for a bone stock, pored babbit etc. used or freshened up engine. for improved or freshly rebuilt engines, modern oils make more sense to use. the important thing is to go by the recommendations of your engine builder or your owners manual and what you believe is best for YOUR car. My old car, I use ND 40W.(not a fresh engine) once a year rather it needs it or not. as for brands, ANY, they all meet ASE specfications today. I use what oil I can find, cheap .Valvoline, Peak and Harvestking from farm & fleet with never an oil related problem or sluge, still going strong. sluge is fromed from condensation and lack of changes. also Motor Oils are blended for specific uses, ie: air cooled, racing, Deisel, Gas, lawnmower again SAE was just forming to set industrial standards for the automotive and petrolum industries in the late 20's-30's
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Mike V. Florida
Well-known member
As mentioned time and time again ANY oil made for motor vehicles will work fine in an A.
James Rogers
Well-known member
Keep using non-detergent, guys like me that build engines love ignorance like this. Puts money in our pockets!
Allanw
Senior Member
We switched to 20-50w HD oil in our Model A 15 years ago. Any valve noise the engine had went away shortly after.
Car has original engine with 75,000 miles, has had valves done but bottom is as from the factory. We are the third owner, 40 years in our garage. Uses about one quart of oil every 500 mile. At which time oil is changed. Dropped oil pan a few years ago, no sludge at all. Also use STP in engine and transmission.
I have owned Model A Fords for over 60 years. Use good oil and they will last. Also if it isn't broken don't fix it. If it is running well, doesn't knock, or smoke, leave it alone. Just love them, there great little cars.
Car has original engine with 75,000 miles, has had valves done but bottom is as from the factory. We are the third owner, 40 years in our garage. Uses about one quart of oil every 500 mile. At which time oil is changed. Dropped oil pan a few years ago, no sludge at all. Also use STP in engine and transmission.
I have owned Model A Fords for over 60 years. Use good oil and they will last. Also if it isn't broken don't fix it. If it is running well, doesn't knock, or smoke, leave it alone. Just love them, there great little cars.
And just why are you worried about zinc levels in a Model A or other prewar car when the oil of the day didn't have zinc?? All this obsession with zinc levels has all the earmarks of another urban legend!
No harm in mixing brands. One of the requirements for oil to meet a certain standard (such as SL) is that it must be compatible with every other brand of oil meeting that standard.
SeaSlugs
Well-known member
I will admit I thought needing the zinc was a good thing but I was corrected as the model A valve springs dont create enough tension to matter. Ive always heard flat tappets/lifter engines need the zinc and while this is true for post ww2 cars when compression ratios got higher thus needing stouter springs ive learned it isnt needed for the low compression low spring pressure model A's.
That being said is anyone hurting their engine by running one with high zinc? certantly not but its a bit of a drag on the ol wallet having to buy special oils when walmart supertech brand (i think mobil 1 makes it) will suit just fine.
I DO know for a fact my chevette with OHC needs the zinc - many guys have had to replace the cam shaft because the lobes wear down more than the tappets...Recomended is just whatever oil you want then add a blue bottle of STP oil treatment. Jeep inline-6 4.0 engines found in Cherokees/wranglers suffer from the same problems...
Terry NJ
Well-known member
"Oil" Is oil! But that doesn't mean to use the crappiest oil you can find. The Rotella is a good choice because it's a high quality oil at a good price. I've never heard of anyone in the "Barn" having any trouble with it. On engines that sit, unused for long periods of time, I like to put some STP in the oil. Why? Because when an engine sits for a long period, it accumulates a thin coating of rust on places like the cam lobes, lifters, cyl. walls, valves, etc. Starting the engine scrapes this rust off, into the oil and it can do plenty of damage in a short time. (All this comes from my aviation days) We'd never let an engine run for very long (15 minutes) with the old oil (Even if it was new). Flush it out! Put in fresh! Where does STP come in to this? Simple. STP cannot be removed, even with solvents. It must be ground off. This gives your engine's internals a better protection for a longer period of time.
Terry
Terry
Y-Blockhead
Well-known member
Not sure what that statement is supposed to mean?
Does that mean other oils, say Delo 400, isn't reliable??? 
What does an unreliable oil do, stop working?
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Terry NJ
Well-known member
That's what happens when you take something out of context! It loses it's intended meaning. No of course not (Do you own stock in Delo?) The statement was not meant as a knock on other brands. It was a statement implying trust in Shell oil and one of it's products. (No I don't own stock in Shell!) By way of contrast, I occasionally see "off brand" oils for sale in the flea market for as little as $1 a qt. Would you trust these in your engine? I doubt it! Neither would I . So the Rotella is "Reliable" whereas cheaper, off brands may not be. I hope this clears up any questions you may have had about my meaning.
Terry
Terry
Not sure what that statement is supposed to mean?
What does an unreliable oil do, stop working?
