[Kevin in NJ]

Oil basics.

What I have learn by listening to oil engineers specifically talking about the oil in antique cars. These are people who make a living dealing with the science behind the oil in your car. The advice is simple..


Oils need detergents and additives to keep the oil clean and free of bad chemicals. These wear out over a fairly long time.

Modern oils are really good and only lose their lubricating properties in high heat. Much higher then the A can give it.

Synthetic oils are for the engines which see much higher heat or more modern designs where they will work for a very long time. The A really does not need any of these improvements. You are just wasting your money.

Changing your oil too often is a waste of resources and money. A few years, a few thousand miles it will be fine. Keep in mind few will ever approach 50,000 to 80,000 miles which is the life of the engine. 99% of the engines will fail because they were not built right long before they wear out.

500 miles was the recommendation in 1930 because the oil molecules would break down and not lubricate. They know how to make oil not break down today. Except under extreme heat, then you use synthetics.

Here is the quick summary:

Use an oil with additives and detergent and do not change it too often.

Synthetic is overkill and a waste of money.

There may be some merit to using a compression ignition based oil because the additives are better tailored for the kind of bad chemicals found in the crankcase of the A engine. This means you do not have to change it as often.