I still got a couple of pieces of equipment kicking around that are still running there original flathead engines. Couple of Continentals, Hercules, and a IND 30 Chrysler.
ALL of them have pressurized lube systems and save for the Chrysler have spin on oil filters.
Its time for their spring time tune ups and torture test to make sure if called upon they can actively perform.
I'm thinking there all getting Delo 400 30W
is there any reason this is a bad choice for these monsters of days gone by?
Flathead oils
- Thread starter Dualie
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dnewton3
Staff member
Bad choice? No.
I don't see it being the "best" choice, only because I'm not you, and only you know what is "best" for your equipment. I can tell you that Delo is a fine product, as are many of the other major HDEO brands.
Several people are probably going to chime in and tell you what is "better" than your selection. But I think it's fine.
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I think that they'll be more than fine.
Old engines were designed when the engineers of the day had first hand knowledge of "what could be done", wiht "what was available".
springs were as good as they were, so valve train weights, speed, and accelerations were designed accordingly.
So the old gear can live with old oils.
And you're not choosing an "old" oil, but a comparatively highly advanced, albeit monograde oil
very well then thanks to all who chimed in.
I'm pretty sure you could dump gear oil in these old beasts and they would run.
Not exactly precision machined wonders.
My logic behind the strait weight oil is the wide variance in the operating conditions. they will either be started and ran for 2 min or 2 hours. complete opposite ends of the operating spectrum.
Now I just need to figure out what the thread size and pitch of the oil filter housing is so I can get replacement spin on filters.
You couldn't pick a better oil than a HDEO for the industrial engines. Straight 30 hdeo is the choice for the industrial engines. the spin on filters are east to get .A NAPA store should have them many manufactures make a cross . I think Clark Forklift filter number for the continental should be 990936 or 990937 filter one of the numbers is for a trans filter on the Clark . The engine filter is a bypass so the filter will have plate with a tiny hole in it to restrict the flow st the filter outlet .
Originally Posted By: hogpops
I usually run Delo 400 15w40 in my '62 Lincoln SA200 with a continental flathead 4, just because that's what I run in my Dodge diesel.
Its a Lincoln electric short hood SA200 welder. 200 AMP engine drive generator welder
Its a pipe welding dynamo. burns rod with the sweetest arc you ever seen.
Originally Posted By: Dualie
Its a Lincoln electric short hood SA200 welder. 200 AMP engine drive generator welder
Its a pipe welding dynamo. burns rod with the sweetest arc you ever seen.
I can't resist-that's a real HOT ROD Lincoln!!! Am I PUNNY or what???
Dualie,
You and I are neighbors .... I live near the San Leandro / San Lorenzo / Hayward border areas.
For what ever it is worth prior to my joining this board in 2003 , for the 30 years I had been driving I used nothing but straight 30 WT HD oils in all my cars ... From a 1962 Dodge 3/4 Ton ,Datsun 510, 68 Camaro 327 , 69 El Camino 327 / 427 , 79 Old's 305 Chevy , 77 Monte Carlo 350 , 70 Ply GTX , ect ect ect....... No flatheads other than an old lawn mower....
My old next door neighbor used to have a 34 Ford PU with a flathead V8 and he using straight 30wt also.....
But in our climate where it only gets to 30 deg F a couple times a year and only at night and rarely goes over 105 deg F ..... I NEVER had any issues with a straight weight HD oil...... Some here will have you belive that a straight weight oil couldn't possibly work...... but I did it for 30 plus years.
Now I use only multivis in my newer cars for and whats left of my stash of oil SJ Delo 15W-40 in my solid flat tappet 427 Chevy.
I just go down to Vic Hubbard's and get my oil and filters.... well pretty much all my car parts from Vic Hubbard's........ they have been around since 1948 or so....But I did see several cases of DELO 30 wt the last time I was in their warehouse behind the store front.
i also have several flatheads (2 ford v8 & 2 chrysler 6) and when 30wt was the "in" oil for our diesel app. that's what we used in the flatheads also, then when we switched everything over to 15w-40 about 15 years ago the flatheads followed suit also, we buy in bulk so it's much easier to use one oil for everything. recently had 20w-50 vr1 valvoline recomended for my flatheads, haven't used any as of yet but barrel oil is jd 15w-40 and still speced as ci-4 plus so add pack still suffices flathead needs, so to answer op question 30wt. will work fine as long as it isn't cj-4 rated
Straight 30 works great in the bay area ,I've spent some money at Vic Hubbards.
its funny your talking about flathead oils because today i just bought an imperial quart non detergent sae 40 api mm ml pennzoil.i like to collect the old tins very colorful i dont know how old it is but it never has been opened.for what it is worth my dad use to run flathead fords v8s he swore by 20/20 weight.told me
once tried the new multigrade the engines burnt oil so used 20/20 again no problems.
The neighbor kid works at Vic Hubbards. He's really cool about dropping stuff off at my door when he gets home. sometimes he will even hang out and help with the install.
One of the last speed shops around a bay area institution.
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