Oil in 8BA

R

Robert Legner

Member
I have not changed the oil in the 1950 Ford with 8BA engine for a long time, several years. There is a lot of talk about what oil to use. Could someone give me a refresher course? The engine uses oil, does not smoke, don't know if using oil causes smoke to pour out. Is there an additive I can use to try to curb the oil use? If I drive 100 miles it will use almost 1/2 quart. The engine runs swell otherwise. Is there help for this problem?

Bob Legner
 
20w50 kendall is what I use, try running MMO in the gas to loosen up the rings and help control oil usage. also some add lucas oil extender
 
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Engine Restorer is added to the motor oil but it is not an oil additive. An oil additive, by definition, is a product which is added to automotive oil in the crankcase with the intended purpose of modifying the oil characteristics such as viscosity, detergency, or foaming. Engine Restorer is not an oil additive in this sense.
 
Just curious - What is your oil pressure? Cold idle, hot idle, road speed cold and hot.
 
oil is coming by the rings or sucking up by the intake valves--freeing up the rings may help curb this consumption, also check on the breather system-road draft tube--oil fill cap
 
To Tubman, the oil pressure cold is 30 at idle, on the road cold 30, on the road at operating temperature 30, at operating temperature at idle 5-7.
 
MMO is probably the best thing that ever was invented for older engines i’ve used it in old flatheads and riding mowers motorcycles outboards and no matter what it always seamed to improve something in those engines
 
Against a lot of folks here, I will repeat : Using Diesel (Rotella) oil in a regular I/C engine is really not a good idea. The additive formulas are wrong, and won't help. I know it's seductive to use "Heavy Duty Diesel Oil" in these cars, but they are not designed for it. Sure, you'll get away with it, as all oil currently available are far superior than what was used when these cars were new, but why would anyone pay a premium to use oil that has the wrong additive package for their engine?

Also, do not get caught in the "non-detergent" trap.
 
I use the cheap (?) diesel oil from fleet farm. The reason for diesel oil is it "supposedly" still has some Zinc in it for flat tappet engines. I also like the 2 gallon jugs it comes in, and use the empty's for drain oil. I also change oil at 2k miles, and run a bypass filter. I am no scientist, but...works for me
 
Pressure sounds normal for a regular flathead. Change the oil often when in doubt. I started using regular 10-40w and change it out, not on a mile usage timeline, but a every spring. Every spring, oil change, lube, and fluids check.
 
Has this engine ever been rebuilt? The first thing I would do is check compression and leakdown.
I had an old chevy motor that smoked. Decided to change the rings and found all the holes behind the oil pings plugged. Valve job with new rings and bearings and it ran good for a lot of years.
 
flathead Fords are a "dirty" running engine, diesel engines are "dirty" also, especially the older versions, diesel oil also has a lot of detergents, dispersants in it which helps to keep the carbon sludge in suspension, how many of us have torn down a flatty and cleaned out the sludge in the pan/valve gallery?-------so yes running diesel oil in flatheads does have some advantages
 
I really don't believe it matters (as long as you aren't using sewing machine oil or something bordering on grease !) As said on here all oil is better than what was used in the day. Regards the clean engine I believe more frequent changes of oil contribute more to this than what oil you use. I buy the cheapest detergent oil I can and change it every 1000 miles - Almost certainly overkill but oil is cheap engine rebuilds aren't -[Karl
 
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