Best oil for an 8ba

[mfirth]

I'm a first timer with an 8ba of unknown mileage. Some folks say to use 20w50
in it & others say no way. Any advice will be appreciated, thanks.

[19Fordy]

20W50 is fine. Just don't use any synthetic on a high mileagenengine if it has not been used before. Leaks can develop.

[drolston]

Valvoline VR-1 20W50 racing oil has the higher zinc content which is better for flat tappet cams like our flatheads. A little more expensive, but good insurance. Most auto parts places carry it.

[nebrfox]

You here a lot of openions on which oil to use in a flathead. From all the information I have read I decided to use Ford Motorcraft SAE 15 W 40 diesel oil. Haven't used it long enough to form an openion its just another option.

[Ol' Ron]

In my opinion, the worst oil you can use in a flathead is 20/50 or 15/40. Unless you have some loos bearings. 10/30 is the best oil to uuse, keeps the bearings much cooler. Now with that said, nobody really knows, they all seem to work the same. Proves the flathead is a great engine.

[VeryTangled]

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I was just reading the 1932-36 service bulletins today for fun. SAE 40 for summer SAE 20 for winter, was what it said. Just passing it along. Interval in those days, 2000 miles.

It may shame me, but I put in what I can get my hands on easily. Usually, because it's the way the world is these days, it's a multi-grade, frequently SAE10w-30. I try to change it about every thousand miles. Most recently it was a Valvoline SAE10w-30 semi-synthetic for high mileage engines. Four changes in the fourteen months since I became custodial of a very tired '35. I can't imagine it leaking from any new places, so the semi-synth doesn't bother me.

[40 Deluxe]

Originally Posted by drolston

Valvoline VR-1 20W50 racing oil has the higher zinc content which is better for flat tappet cams like our flatheads. A little more expensive, but good insurance. Most auto parts places carry it.

Extra zinc is NOT needed in a flathead! There is still sufficient zinc in modern oil for the low spring pressures of flatheads and other old engines. In the '50's, when these were just old oil burning/leaking clunkers, it was common to use re-refined oil or the cheapest non-detergent oil available. No zinc there! I have never seen a flathead with a wiped-out cam lobe in spite of this!

[chap52]

This is one of those "Can of Worms" subjects.
I use 10/30 like Ol' Ron said.

[Old Redneck]

GM use 20W50 only drove over 100,000 miles with no problem. The best thing one can do is change oil every year and no more then 3000 miles. Keeping the oil clean is most important I have found. I use 15W40 for manny years with no problem. I guess each his own. I know some use the cheapest oil they can buy? That scare me.

[rotorwrench]

I have to 2nd Ol' Ron's opinion on the 10W/30 for engines that have been brought back to proper OEM clearances. On all flathead V8 engines post war and many pre-war, the recommendation was 20W/20 for most weather conditions and 30 for for hot weather. You can use the heavy polymer stuff if you want but it just creates more oil friction & windage drag in the crankcase and therefore more oil temperature. The engines with loose clearances or worn bearings & rings might benefit from more viscosity but tight ones won't.

The more modern engines use the thin stuff for the same reason so they will get better fuel mileage.

[39portlander]

Originally Posted by nebrfox

You here a lot of openions on which oil to use in a flathead. From all the information I have read I decided to use Ford Motorcraft SAE 15 W 40 diesel oil. Haven't used it long enough to form an openion its just another option.

O'Reilly has it on sale for $21.95 till the end of the month, got a pair of the 5qrt jugs when I was in the Granite state monday.

[drolston]

Originally Posted by 40 Deluxe

Extra zinc is NOT needed in a flathead! There is still sufficient zinc in modern oil for the low spring pressures of flatheads and other old engines. In the '50's, when these were just old oil burning/leaking clunkers, it was common to use re-refined oil or the cheapest non-detergent oil available. No zinc there! I have never seen a flathead with a wiped-out cam lobe in spite of this!

Not to be argumentative, but for what I spent on rebuild of this engine, I will side with those that recommend the higher zinc, including my cam grinder.

But I know where you are coming from. I have put a lot of miles on worn out flatheads that burned a quart every 100 miles; went through a lot of recycled oil that came in unlabeled quart jars with funnel tops.

[mfirth]

WOW, thanks fellas for your thoughts & experiences. I've been running 40w Rotella, but can't find it any more. The engine carries 40lbs hot oil pressure at speed & 15lbs @ idle. 180 stats & it stays at 180 even if i run it a little hard.
Love "The Barn"! m

[JSeery]

What rotorwrench and ol Ron said.

[GB SISSON]

Diesel 15-40 because most of my shop DDs use it and it's around in big blue jugs. It's expensive so it must be good...

[Ross F-1]

Originally Posted by 39portlander

O'Reilly has it on sale for $21.95 till the end of the month, got a pair of the 5qrt jugs when I was in the Granite state monday.

Mobil1 full synthetic 10w30 is $23 for 5 qt jug at Walmart all the time. It doesn't get any better than that.

[Rand]

Been using Castrol 10w30 for the last 36 trouble free years.. Good to see our trusted experts agree on 10w30 too!
Also use it in my daily driver!

[Dodge]

What ever is on sale.

[bssmnbll]

Do a search for "Classic Car Motoroil". I have been using it in my 50 Merc and 63 Avanti with great results. They claim to blend it as was done before the zinc and such was taken out of the oil. It is 15W-40. Both cars had good oil pressure before this oil and have not changed.

[lotsagas4u]

Brad Penn 30wt here, green oil

[tubman]

Originally Posted by Dodge

What ever is on sale.

Given the standards now in place, this guy is right on.

[oldford2]

Originally Posted by mfirth

I'm a first timer with an 8ba of unknown mileage. Some folks say to use 20w50
in it & others say no way. Any advice will be appreciated, thanks.

OK, so there you got your answer. Or was it answers? Now, eeeny meeny minee.......

[1 Raggedy Ride]

I just started using Schaeffer's Racing Oil, Supreme 7000, Synthetic Plus, their item #709 (1 gal. size), 10W-30, with extra Zinc additives...On their Technical Data info #709, the Zinc content is listed to be 1700 - 2300 P.P.M. I don't know if other oil manufactures give any factual info on their Zinc content.... Schaeffer Mfg. Co., St. Louis Mo. 63104 .... 1-800-325-9962 .... www.schaefferoil.com , made in the U.S.A.... "and in my opinion, I think we have a winner"....

[JSeery]

Zinc additives are not an issue in any normal flathead, there is nowhere near the valve spring pressure to require higher than normal zinc. I build high performance OHV engines and the zinc additives are required because of the high valve spring pressures on the flat tappet cams. But not in a flathead running anywhere near normal spring pressure.

[19Fordy]

Gosh, remember when we had to use drain oil?

[40 Deluxe]

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Originally Posted by 19Fordy

Gosh, remember when we had to use drain oil?

Ah, but we had to pour in zinc additives to protect the camshaft!

[40 Deluxe]

Originally Posted by 1 Raggedy Ride

I just started using Schaeffer's Racing Oil, Supreme 7000, Synthetic Plus, their item #709 (1 gal. size), 10W-30, with extra Zinc additives...On their Technical Data info #709, the Zinc content is listed to be 1700 - 2300 P.P.M. I don't know if other oil manufactures give any factual info on their Zinc content.... Schaeffer Mfg. Co., St. Louis Mo. 63104 .... 1-800-325-9962 .... www.schaefferoil.com , made in the U.S.A.... "and in my opinion, I think we have a winner"....

Why? A flathead is not a Pro Stock engine!

[chap52]

Yea, that recycled oil at the Powerene Station was in a bottle and was 10 cents a quart and ended up coating the driveway as good as the expensive , 50 cent oil.

[Shu47]

If a stock engine then go with Ol' Ron and run 10W-30 or straight 30 or 10W-40. The flathead is not that picky. I agree with those that say zinc is not an issue.

[Ol' Ron]

Just for those that have no idea what spring pressure the flathead has. The early 30's engines had 37 Lbs +/- 5. In all my engines I use 50 Lbs on the L-100 amd 65 on the Isky 400 jr. Others may use more but?? Now one of the most damaging things that affect bearings is heat and the thinner oil flows easier throug the barings taking away the nasty heat. Now if you have an engine with unteen thousand miles on it and tou can hear the rods rattling, then by all means use the heaver oil. Now my race engine has alittle mor clearance than stock and I use Penzoil 40 w

[40 Deluxe]

Originally Posted by chap52

Yea, that recycled oil at the Powerene Station was in a bottle and was 10 cents a quart and ended up coating the driveway as good as the expensive , 50 cent oil.

And with that 40 cents you saved, you could get about two gallons of gas so you could leak even more 10 cent oil!

[1948F-1Pickup]

Originally Posted by 1 Raggedy Ride

I just started using Schaeffer's Racing Oil, Supreme 7000, Synthetic Plus, their item #709 (1 gal. size), 10W-30, with extra Zinc additives...On their Technical Data info #709, the Zinc content is listed to be 1700 - 2300 P.P.M. I don't know if other oil manufactures give any factual info on their Zinc content.... Schaeffer Mfg. Co., St. Louis Mo. 63104 .... 1-800-325-9962 .... www.schaefferoil.com , made in the U.S.A.... "and in my opinion, I think we have a winner"....

That's a crap-load of zinc. Valvoline VR1 is 1300 or 1400 ppm, depending upon how you view their chart.

[flatheadmurre]

Lowering phosfor and ZDDP caused by polutioncontrol and lifespan for catalytic converters will continue...
ZDDP was introduced as a bearing material protection since going from pure babbit bearings to harder less chemical stable alloys needed a surface antioxidant and corrosion inhibitor.
For older engines that is parked for long periods the newer oils with more detergent and less corrosion protection to be able to meet cleanleness is another issue.
I said it before...Phosfor and ZDDP is the best additive for engine oil invented and the only reason it is taken away is polution control...when it drops under 900ppm any engine start getting issues...not only in the valvetrain but corrosion and bearing material oxidation.
Modern oil is not dictated by performance needs...it´s goverment polution control setting standards...and a modern car expected life is 7 years.

[40 Deluxe]

Originally Posted by flatheadmurre

Lowering phosfor and ZDDP caused by polutioncontrol and lifespan for catalytic converters will continue ....................and a modern car expected life is 7 years.

......which is about double what it was in the '50's. Back then rocker panels rusted out in a year or two in the cold country. Valve jobs were often needed around 50,000 miles, and a complete overhaul usually well before 100,000 miles ( if you didn't just junk that heap with the rusted out floors). If you didn't put seat covers on when new, you did after 3 or 4 years because the seats were ripped and the stuffing was coming out. Brakes were used up in a year or two. Practically every corner gas station in the country had a rack full of tailpipes and shelves of mufflers, which rotted off in a year. Seeing smoke pouring out of a 5 or 6 year old car was common (but seldom if ever, did a camshaft go flat). A kid could burn out a clutch,, strip tranny gears, or break an axle within a day of getting his license. Not any more! Go to a used car lot and look over some 2010 models. Rust is rare. Upholstery is usually intact. A 2010 Honda Accord, for example, will cost you around $8-10,000. With around a 100,000 miles, with the original spark plugs and brakes.
They sure don't make them like they used to! (Aren't you glad?!)

[tony starr]

Originally Posted by 40 Deluxe

A 2010 Honda Accord, for example, will cost you around $8-10,000. With around a 100,000 miles, with the original spark plugs and brakes. They sure don't make them like they used to! (Aren't you glad?!)

Yes but when the computer goes to heaven on that 7 year old Honda, you'll be lucky to find a replacement that isn't already used. No computer = non running car.

--

[JSeery]

I work on a lot of Fox body 5.0 mustangs. The computers take a beating and I've never seen one fail. I'm sure it happens, but not often. Love flatheads, but technology has come a long ways.

[tony starr]

Sounds like Fox body Mustangs still had robust computers if they've lasted 20 odd years... I don't think more modern car computers are designed to last beyond 10 and they control everything from fuel, to transmission and your e-brake.

--

[Capt Kirk]

I've got 4 qts of Sthil chainsaw bar oil that I got at a great price...I'm gonna give it a try once my fresh high zinc Lucas "race and classic car" oil is needing changing in 10 years.
Honestly, I did recently put the Lucas in...it was expensive and probably won't do it again...had great luck with other Lucas products so I'm giving it a try this time.

[Capt Kirk]

Originally Posted by tony starr

Sounds like Fox body Mustangs still had robust computers if they've lasted 20 odd years... I don't think more modern car computers are designed to last beyond 10 and they control everything from fuel, to transmission and your e-brake.

--

I've got a 97 Jeep Wrangler that runs great and has no problems with the computer. I changed the plugs last year (97,000 miles) and they were burning right but the gaps were pretty wide...still ran good though.

[40 Deluxe]

Originally Posted by tony starr

Sounds like Fox body Mustangs still had robust computers if they've lasted 20 odd years... I don't think more modern car computers are designed to last beyond 10 and they control everything from fuel, to transmission and your e-brake.

--

I think most modern car computers are robust. Very few fail. A lot of "failures" are actually something else that failed and the computer got blamed and replaced needlessly! There are no moving parts in an ECM, nothing to wear out. If they do fail, it is usually when new, like many electronic devices. Overall, the quality of new cars is vastly superior to anything built prior to, oh, say 2000.

[Bill OH]

I have used 20w in everything I have owned and driven for the last 67 yrs, including an 80 Olds Diesel, which got totaled at 119k miles. I run a 221 that runs at 170 F and 35lbs oil pressure on the road. An old mechanic told me to use the thinnest oil to give good circulation on startup.

[rotorwrench]

Those first computers up through OBDII compliance in 1995 were hit or miss. I remember a lot more problems back then. The government mandated auto manufacturers to make a better car and they do but you sure pay for it now. Not much of anything less than 22K-bucks these days. The nice ones are a lot higher than that and God forbid if you need a new truck. I guess if it lasts twice as long, we have to pay twice the price for it.

[56markII]

I have used 5W30 in mine from day one and when i rebuilt mine in the 80's I even threw away my oil deflectors in the lifter valley to allow more oil up there. I used 15W40 once and if I had the car sitting in storage for a long time the valves were more prone to sticking so I went back to 5W30 for the main reason, these valves are "mist" lubricated, not lubricated by oil flying off rockers that have pressure fed oil to them. I used full synthetic as well and guess what? My weepy dipstick cork gasket and rope seals leaked virtually next to nothing so the extra leaks being caused by synthetic is false unless your ropes are just plain worn out. As for the zinc, there are still many flat tappet engines out there so I don't believe this theory either. As for theories, theoretically the Bumble Bee is not supposed to be able to fly because her wings are too small, but they fly very well If anything our oils are much better quality than they used to be back in the day of straight grades only before the multi-grades. I have always used good quality oils and not the cheaper brands for one reason, do the math per mile of what a buck or two more costs you over the full length of the time the oil is in the crankcase. My cam after all of these years is surviving quite fine and my oil pressure is still 75+ PSI on the highway. As for the camshaft, the only mistake I made was putting adjustable tappets in instead of using the original. Putting new tappets on a good used cam doesn't harm the cam, but the new tappets seat or wear into the good used cam and a number of times i had to pull the *#!*&% intake, generator, fan, belts etc. etc. and reset these lifters. I have been a mechanic for 35 years and I was starting out back then and used them. Since then I have rebuilt 5 of these engines and once these valves are properly set they stay that way, that is of course KEEPING all of the tappets where they came from. I work on many small engines as well that have their valves set the same way and this doesn't worry me and I find them easy to deal with. I also ignore the valve chart in the manual saying on top dead center you can set this valve and the intake on this cylinder, and the exhaust on another. A great recipe for ending up with a few noisy gremlins when the job is done.