poured bearings

[C Carl]

The worst oil today will be single grade non-detergent, if you can even find it. Yes, even that crap will be better than any oil generally available 90-100 years ago.   -   Carl 

Edited April 16, 2019 by C Carl
Change "it" to "that crap" (see edit history)

[sftamx1]

I'm the owner of a 1932 Terraplane, 52,000 original miles with no rebuilds. This engine is a "Splasher" engine, with the majority of lubrication coming from the little dippers on the ends of the connecting rods that splash oil from a secondary pan that has separate troughs for each dipper. This engine is NOT equipped with any type of oil filter. Routine maintenance involves removal of the pans and the sludge contained at the bottom. I've yet to have any long time Hudson owners recommended anything but non-detergent 30w oil.

[Locomobile]

They had and used good oil early on, it was made from Pennsylvania crude, which was much higher quality than many of the oils available today. I still use it in my steamers. Expensive, but worth it.

 

Granted, with the additives in modern oils, they may be better for a particular service, the oil itself is not better today.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Grade_Crude_Oil

 

-Ron

Edited April 16, 2019 by Locomobile (see edit history)

[Modeleh]

On 4/7/2019 at 5:41 AM, Curti said:

I run Shell Rotilla -T  15-40 in my Auburns and the Dodge Cummins.  I had a 98 Dodge 225 K miles that the oil on the dipstick was still clean after 4,000 miles.  The I bought it new 2014 Cummins 20K miles is black after 500 miles.

This confuses me.

 

I experienced the same thing with a 96 12v Cummins 190hp.  Golden oil until about 3000kms after a change then began to darken.

My 95 Winnebago with a 230hp 12v Cummins with a larger sump than the Dodge Ram has black oil nearly immediately after a change.

Same injection pumps just different fueling rates.  I believe the fueling rate of the diesel in question has an affect on oil discolouration rate and your 2014 is fueled to make a significant horsepower increase from the 90s engines.  They were seriously detuned in the 90s to try and get some longevity from the transmissions.  At one point the automatic equipped pickup had a 5.9 engine rated at 175hp, in the same year Cummins offered the same engine in a Marine configuration rated at 300hp with just fueling changes.  I would imagine those engines wouldn’t have shown the golden oil phenomenon but I haven’t owned one so I couldn’t say definitively.

[Spinneyhill]

21 hours ago, sftamx1 said:

I've yet to have any long time Hudson owners recommended anything but non-detergent 30w oil.

Well, they are all misinformed and ill-advised. How many of them have read much about oil? There is plenty of information about how poor "non-detergent" or oil with no additives is in an engine. If you use a modern oil you won't have to remove any sludge for a start: it doesn't turn to sludge! It is a myth that modern oils damage engines of any kind. And that sludge you are removing was a lousy lubricant before you removed it. Read the label on your bottle too, and find out what sort of base stock it is made from. I'll bet it is a low quality stock. I'll bet that when additives were added to oils in the '40s, those oils were used in your car. It is a retrograde step to revert to such poor oil.

 

Ask the internet (but not forums, in general - many posters are misinformed and not widely read on the topic). Look for sites with discussion on oil who have no skin in the game. Bob In the Oil Guy is one such. Another is Richard Widman - he sells oil in Bolivia and has spent a fair bit of time researching oil for his old cars. There is a well written paper about it on his website.

 

As I have said elsewhere, California has outlawed non-additive oil (API SA) for good reason.

[Curti]

I dismantled an 1933 American Austin engine that hadn't been run since the early 50's. The amount of wax and sludge build up in the crankcase was so dramatic that only the throws of the rods and crank had a place for oil .

 

[Trulyvintage]

Erik in Auburn, California.

 

He has been asked to do the babbitt work on the 1904 Ford Model B transmission cap.

 

Five three zero-8-6-3-seven five seven nine

 

 

Jim