Just talked with a friend that has a 1948 Cadillac passed down from his father. It was the only car his father ever owned and it's the only car the current owner has ever owned, no kidding. If you though I was crazy, he uses 30W oil, non-detergent and a toilet paper element. He does all his own service work and changes the toilet paper every one thousand miles and the full flow oil filter every 6 months. He does not every change his oil, but it gets an incremental change as he drives. Except for the old fashioned style the car looks real good, like it were maybe ten years old. It's a flathead V8 with a three speed standard transmission. It drives like a new 1948 car and wants for nothing. The toilet paper filter takes two rolls of paper and is easy but messy to change. The engine has been rebuilt a couple of times and every 5 years or so he pulls the pan and flushes the engine out, along with the cooling system and brakes, including the transmission and differential. I have seen the insides twice and there is little sludge and not much hard carbon inside. Removing a head, cleaning it and putting it back is an hour each side as is the oil pan. Everything is easy to get to and this car was designed to be worked on. The odometer only goes up to 99,999.9 miles and he does not know how many times it's been around the clock. I told him that he should expect a letter from the government committee on Un American Activities. He does not have a cell phone and has never had a credit card, does not own a microwave oven or a TV, lives in the house his Grandfather built and drives a very nice car. I don't have the heart to tell him that I'm into the latest oil technology and use detergent oil and he should consider it too.
Single weight oil, again.
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Originally Posted By: BarkerMan
He does not have a cell phone and has never had a credit card, does not own a microwave oven or a TV, lives in the house his Grandfather built and drives a very nice car. I don't have the heart to tell him that I'm into the latest oil technology and use detergent oil and he should consider it too.
That is cool if you ask me. Tells me that this individual is very content and not always wanting like 99.9% of us. I wish times were simpler.
As far as the oil goes.... if it's been on the road for 60 years, who am I to argue with his technique?
He does not have a cell phone and has never had a credit card, does not own a microwave oven or a TV, lives in the house his Grandfather built and drives a very nice car. I don't have the heart to tell him that I'm into the latest oil technology and use detergent oil and he should consider it too.
That is cool if you ask me. Tells me that this individual is very content and not always wanting like 99.9% of us. I wish times were simpler.
As far as the oil goes.... if it's been on the road for 60 years, who am I to argue with his technique?
Those TP filters are super restrictive to flow. I can't imagine straight 30 on a cold morning! Practically zero!
Does he really have a full flow filter also, or is it a bypass type?
Does he really have a full flow filter also, or is it a bypass type?
Originally Posted By: BarkerMan
... I don't have the heart to tell him that I'm into the latest oil technology and use detergent oil and he should consider it too.
Coward!
... I don't have the heart to tell him that I'm into the latest oil technology and use detergent oil and he should consider it too.
Coward!
The filter gets warm just about as quick as the oil gets warm, no difference I can tell. By the time the radiator is getting warm the filter has some heat in it. He does run a hotter than stock thermostat, in fact we have tested thermostats on the stove top with an old fashioned mercury thermometer and my inferred gun. For both our cars we went through five or six thermostats for each car before we found one that us accurate. One marked 187F opened at 141F and one did not open at all. The one we accepted opens at 191F. He said it's important to have the coolant and oil above 185 so the toilet paper filter can get the moisture out of the oil. He said that's the key to making the oil work, get rid of the moisture. He also said the rings don't get lubricated well until the oil temp is above 160 and the lubrication works best at just below 200F. It appears that his Cadillac is going pretty well so far.
Congrats to him for driving a classic that runs in tip top OEM shape.
It would definitly be hard to tell him to change his way when it has worked for so many years.
It would definitly be hard to tell him to change his way when it has worked for so many years.
Interesting story. Thanks for sharing it.
It does appear that multi-grade engine oil has taken over the market place but there is still a place for single grade oil. I'm not sure I'd use a non-detergent oil. The reason I like my Delo 40w is that it has a lot of additives to help keep an engine clean. After taking a closer look at this Cadillac I'm going to put a toilet paper filter on my gas and oil. One reason is that the chain drive on my 510 must be throwing extra wear particles and this filtering system will do a good job getting them. I've only had my car for 40 years and would not like to have to consider buying a new one so soon.
Originally Posted By: GMBoy
We're talking straight 30WT and no G-MAN yet with his "Valvoline SAE30 rocks"??
He's out of town for a few days...
We're talking straight 30WT and no G-MAN yet with his "Valvoline SAE30 rocks"??
He's out of town for a few days...
G-Man, are you going to use 20w20 when it gets cold? Who still sells it?
I think that guy is my hero....in any case if there is ever a terrorist nuclear attack and we get hit with a huge EMP. His car will start and ours won't.
wow, what a story... amazing. i love it. living in the house his grandfather built, and driving the car his father drove all his life. simply awesome.
anyways, great to hear it.
1 question... what the h3ll is a toilet paper filter?
anyways, great to hear it.
1 question... what the h3ll is a toilet paper filter?
Toilet paper oil filter, check out the site sponsor that sells them and the filter forum thread.
I would say you should tell him about BITOG, but he probably doesn't have a computer either.
use a charmin double roll
It's a good looking car, I think. The build quality of those older Cadillac's is very good. When I was in high school I drove a 1934 Packard Twelve Dual Cowl Phaeton. I bought it for $200 in 1952 and that included a promise to clean out the garage of all the old spares and tools and take them all. It took a week. I had to look all over town for used tires that matched and fit the car. I was able to get the engine running by just rebuilding everything even the water pump and fuel pump. The engine was really smooth and you hardly ever had to shift gears. I kind of like the old cars. When I look under the hood of a modern car I get dizzy.
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