Oil for a flathead Ford

[Astro14]

By 1954, bearing were all modern, shell type. Babbitt was prevalent until the late 1930s.

This engine has modern style bearings, and relatively low compression, with modest HP, and a modest cam profile, even though it’s a flat tappet.

It doesn’t need much in the way of oil.

One thing to be watch for in vintage cars, is some owners never made a switch to detergent oils. They can have a load of sludge in the bottom of the pan as a result, and modern, detergent oils, can stir up that sludge, leading to plugged filters and oil passages.

 

[Shel_B]

I went over to the Ford Barn Forum and looked around. It seems the manual for that engine, albeit a slightly earlier iteration, called for 20W/20 in winter and a 40 weight in warmer weather. Oil choices there, like the suggestions here, were definitely dart-board friendly.

That said, I'm pretty sure at this point that I'll suggest a 15W-40 grade but as yet I'm unsure about using an HDEO or one designed for regular gas engines. I'm considering (considering means that I'll look into them further) Rotella T4 and Delvac 1300 Super, in part because I'm somewhat familiar with them and they seem to be a good jumping-off point. More info is needed. I'm much less familiar with gas engine 15W-40s, so I need to educate myself further.

We're getting together in the next week or so for dinner and to talk about getting the car here. We'll talk a little about its maintenance and what he knows about the car as well.

 

[blufeb95]

That said, I'm pretty sure at this point that I'll suggest a 15W-40 grade but as yet I'm unsure about using an HDEO or one designed for regular gas engines. I'm considering (considering means that I'll look into them further) Rotella T4 and Delvac 1300 Super, in part because I'm somewhat familiar with them and they seem to be a good jumping-off point. More info is needed. I'm much less familiar with gas engine 15W-40s, so I need to educate myself further.

Unless you're in Europe or Australia 15W40 PCMO is pretty much impossible to find, all 15W40 sold in the US and Canada is HDEO, Delvac 1300 is properly dual rated and the T4 has around 1100ppm of phos and no longer carries a dual rating because of that.

 

[Shel_B]

By 1954, bearing were all modern, shell type. Babbitt was prevalent until the late 1930s.

This engine has modern style bearings, and relatively low compression, with modest HP, and a modest cam profile, even though it’s a flat tappet.

It doesn’t need much in the way of oil.

One thing to be watch for in vintage cars, is some owners never made a switch to detergent oils. They can have a load of sludge in the bottom of the pan as a result, and modern, detergent oils, can stir up that sludge, leading to plugged filters and oil passages.

Thanks for your comments. I don't know if this car has an oil filter ... I'll need to check that. It's my understanding thus far that a bypass filter was available as an option starting in 1939-1940, and that continued until the end of the engines life.

 

[Cuemark8]

If it's in good shape and doesn't major work and road worthy Id say use a high mileage oil.
Has it been run lately? Any leaks?
I'd be in favor of a high mileage oil and keep those seals conditioned as much as possible.
Try a quality high mileage Motor oil.

Valvoline Maxlife perhaps

 

[40Deluxe]

Those old flat heads 30 or 40 straight weight summer, straight 20 in cold weather

 

[ledslinger]

I ran Valvoline 10W40 in the 8BA Ford motor in my 1949 Mercury coupe. 10W30 or 15W40 HDEO would be my choice today.

 

[Westerbutron]

Those old flat heads 30 or 40 straight weight summer, straight 20 in cold weather

Exactly. This is my oil regimen for my flathead V12 Lincoln Zephyr.

 

[Fabulous50s]

Most hot rod guys I know with flatties run Rotella T4.

Does the 53 have a filter? There is NOTHING that sounds like a flathead Ford. The low compression, and common middle exhaust port makes music!

Flathead V8s and 2 stroke Detroit Diesels musical instruments!

 

[Flatheadfred]

A friend will be taking possession of his grandfather's 1953 flathead Ford V8. The car has very low miles on it (don't know how many, actually) as it was a summer car, stored in the colder months at the family's summer place in Idaho.

What engine oil would you recommend for its new life here in the San Francisco area?

I have a 1950 Ford F-1 239 Flathead V-8 and mine didn't have an oil filter on it (dealer installed option). I had one and did put it on and the oil that I use is Shell Rottella 15W-40 T4 to clean the engine crankcase out. The oil originally used would most likely been #30 nondetergent but sounds like to me the vehicle was well maintained. Ford used a collection point in the crankshaft to trap particles in this area and sometimes folks would use todays good oils that would clean these areas out. I used modern oils in my 1951 F-1 V-8 had no trouble. The crank collection area is sealed by Welsh plugs during rebuilds they could be removed for a crankshaft rebuild, these are very good engines so let your friend know to use a good oil such as shell rotella T4 10w-30 would be ok. Have him check the oil all the time to see if it gets dark and if so change it small price to pay to keep it healthy.
Forgive me for the long post but I just needed to let you know why! Best of luck!
Flatheadfred

 

[cb4017]

Very cool. I love the old flatheads. In HS a buddy and I put a 53 Merc flathead in my 51 Ford after I blew up the original engine. Sure wish I still had that car.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Any hdeo will be fine. The cheapest 15w-40 is way better than whatever paraffin swill it used to get. zddp wasn't really used until the 1950's and the flathead is about 20 years older than that so it used to run oil without it.

Aren't oil still paraffin base ? - especially since XoM forgot about PAO and synthetic?
This car will be fine on a 10W30 good Mixed fleet. Like Rotalla Triple Protect 10w30 used to be. What ever happened to that?

 

[kschachn]

Aren't oil still paraffin base ? - especially since XoM forgot about PAO and synthetic?
This car will be fine on a 10W30 good Mixed fleet. Like Rotalla Triple Protect 10w30 used to be. What ever happened to that?

PAO is a paraffin.

 

[blufeb95]

Like Rotalla Triple Protect 10w30 used to be. What ever happened to that?

It became Rotella T4 then they dropped the dual rating because of the high phosphorous.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

PAO is a paraffin.

n-alkene v. alkane.

If the n-decene is hydrofinished to remove the double bond.

I am not an organic chem E, so I'll stop before I dig a hole

 

[Randy_R]

The car is still in Idaho, so no pics. Yes, 1953 was the last year the flathead appeared in a ford passenger car in the US. It may have been used in Canadian Fords through the 1954 model year.

True. When I lived in Buffalo(Hamburg) I used to see a 54 with a Flathead at shows and cruises. Owner said it was Canadian. As for what grade, multi-grades were probably not around in 53 so I would think a straight 30 would be good. Of course, I might try 10W-30 too. What’s the chance you have the owner manual?