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Engine oil

Ashfried

Donation Time
I have been using Accel non-detergent 30w. it is very close to original oil, seems to work great and is cheap. I do add some zinc. I bought a couple cases 2 years ago, and it has been great.
 

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
I have been using Accel non-detergent 30w. it is very close to original oil, seems to work great and is cheap. I do add some zinc. I bought a couple cases 2 years ago, and it has been great.
It is not close to the original oil. Rootes recommended detergent oil, either single or multi-viscosity. A multi vis Diesel oil formulation (Delo or Rotella) is probably the best of the "find it anywhere" oils. Either will provide protection at levels unimagined back in the day.

Bill
 

jumpinjan

Bronze Level Sponsor
Just use a good 30W oil. I used Castrol 30W (engine & transmission), but I don't know if it's available anymore. I see using a multi-viscosity oil the same as using "all-season" tires....LoL. But, to each their own...whatever.
Jan
 

65beam

Donation Time
I have been using Accel non-detergent 30w. it is very close to original oil, seems to work great and is cheap. I do add some zinc. I bought a couple cases 2 years ago, and it has been great.
Please don't use non detergent oil in your engine!!!!!! That's like playing with fire. You'll get burned bad.
 

65beam

Donation Time
Just use a good 30W oil. I used Castrol 30W (engine & transmission), but I don't know if it's available anymore. I see using a multi-viscosity oil the same as using "all-season" tires....LoL. But, to each their own...whatever.
Jan
Jan,
A multi viscosity oil such as a 5W30 is a 30W with the properties of a 5W @ zero degrees C. Take time to think about why multi viscosity oils came into use. Many believe that ZDDP is no longer included in the additive package but that's fake news. It has been reduced to protect convertors but there is no other anti wear additive for engine oils. Bill is right about diesel oils. We're seeing a new higher spec oil coming on the market for diesel engines so it only gets better.
 

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
30W non-detergent was recommended in the manual for the tranny, but not the engine.

For Series II Alpine transmissions, Rootes specified Shell X100 30 for summer and 20w20 for winter. Shell X 100 was a detergent oil.
Rootes specified the same oil for engine and transmission, maybe different viscosity.

Bill
 

65beam

Donation Time
There are no combustion contaniments in the trans as there is in the engine. That means no soot, unburned gas and other nasty items. You can use a non detergent oil in the trans but still drain at regular intervals. It's all a matter of how much you want to spend if you think there really is a non detergent engine oil. The oils specified by Rootes aren't available due to the very out dated SC specs (1967). Blenders don't want to blend these old oils due to liability of them being misused. A couple years back a distributor in Cincinnati was sued over blending and selling older SB spec oils because a retailer sold the oil with no warnings telling the potential problems if used. Use
 

puff4

Platinum Level Sponsor
I believe the reason for using non-detergent oil in the transmission was/is because the detergents in oil keep dirt and impurities suspended in the oil so that they can be filtered out by the oil filter, whereas non-detergent oils allow these impurities to settle out. This settling out forms the grey metallic scum we often find in the sump of our transmissions when we rebuild them. If this material were to be allowed to stay in suspension and circulate continually, as it would with a detergent oil, it would wear down the transmissions components prematurely. Hence one uses non-detergent oil to allow the impurities to settle out. The same is true with lawn mowers and other engines with no filter - we use non-detergent oil to settle out the rubbish.
 
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Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
The same is true with lawn mowers and other engines with no filter - we use non-detergent oil to settle out the rubbish.

Maybe you do, I don't. I think I have purchased one quart of non-detergent oil in the last 40 years. I use it to lube my lathe. I suppose I must add that I have never junked a mower because of engine wear.

Bill
 

65beam

Donation Time
The additive package for engine oils is designed to hold the junk in suspension. The detergent additive chemically neutralizes acidic contaminants before they become insoluble and fall out of the oil. Detergents always seem to be confused with Dispersant added to the oil. A dispersant is an additive that prevents sludge, varnish and other deposits by breaking up the insoluble contaminants particles already formed and keeping these particles suspended in the oil. The detergent is needed if there is so much contaminants that the dispersant can't keep up with the process. Most non detergent oil does have an additive package containing a small amount of detergent but doesn't contain a significant amount as regular engine oils. I wouldn't want to use an oil that allows a significant amount of junk to fall out of suspension.
 

Warren

Bronze Level Sponsor
Wow in addition to running non detergent why not have a sludge fest and take out the thermostat and use the car for short trips only ;) early VWs had no oil filter but did not call for ND oil. I picked up a quart of motor flush the other day, Diesel #2 Kerosene Naptha I think and a couple other solvents and detergents. I did not use it electing to go to a break in 300 mile change and good hot oil changes and overnight on the draining repeat as needed. Suspension sounds good if you buy the best filter you can.
 

65beam

Donation Time
Warren,
Most oil distributors sell a product to flush engines and it's not diesel fuel. We sell a lot of it to quarries and mines for use when a piece of equipment sets thru a high water situation after hard rains, or other circumstances. You might want to buy some of it. I'm sure heavy equipment dealers such as Cat, JD, Komatsu and others sell it. Much better than kerosene which is a # 1 fuel.
 

puff4

Platinum Level Sponsor
Please note - my comments regarding on-detergent oil were in reference to the TRANSMISSION... NOT the engine.
 

Warren

Bronze Level Sponsor
Thanks Bob I'm sure that it's great stuff but no submarine Sunbeams in my garage. Just a Tiger with a oil cooler and a stock oil filter that was parked in a dry spot for many years
 
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