Neatsfoot oil
 

I have heard some Model A owners recommend using half a cup of neatsfoot oil in the radiator. Anyone know anything about that?

Re: Neatsfoot oil
 

I've never heard of putting it in the radiator but it did a great job on my leather motor cycle jacket.
What would be the benefit of doing it?

Re: Neatsfoot oil
 

I think it was supposed to lube the water pump.
It also had snake oil in it.
Lawrie

Re: Neatsfoot oil
 

Neatsfoot was sometimes used as a cutting oil, so it makes a decent lubricant and I think the theory was that having it in the radiator would reduce rust in systems using plain water. If that’s your goal… there are other ways to do that.

So many of these weird recipes get started because that’s just what the first guy had lying around. Over time it becomes “you must use only this thing.”

Re: Neatsfoot oil
 

If you want to protect against rust, use a soluble oil. If you buy
a can of water pump lube & anti-rust, it was a milky solution.
That's nothing more than soluble oil and water. It's not on the
shelves here in California. Probably restricted as usual here.

The oil machinist use this to lube the cutter on the lathe is soluble oil. It
looks like oil, but when mixed with water, it turns milky white.

Re: Neatsfoot oil
 

Used to use neatsfoot oil to help break in my baseball gloves.

Re: Neatsfoot oil
 

Neatsfoot oil is usually just used for leather.

Re: Neatsfoot oil
 

Works good on my 1914 Cadillac leather clutch

Re: Neatsfoot oil
 

What are you trying to do? Prohibit rust in the cooling system, or lube the water pump?

Re: Neatsfoot oil
 

I have long heard neatsfoot oil is good for leather. What are the best recommendations for preserving leather ?

Re: Neatsfoot oil
 

There must be a bunch of neats running around with no feet.

Re: Neatsfoot oil
 

Good one

Re: Neatsfoot oil
 

If corn oil is made from corn and olive oil is made from olives what the heck is baby oil made of?

Re: Neatsfoot oil
 

The neatsfoot oil thing may have started way back when someone used some leather as water pump packing :confused: Use what you have too keep it on the road thinking :cool:

Re: Neatsfoot oil
 

Neatsfoot oil was for saddles and horses hooves ,feet.

Re: Neatsfoot oil
 

Bag-balm was used on animals and Model A points.
Dan

Re: Neatsfoot oil
 

OH **** now you got a bounty from johnson & johnson :D:D:D

Re: Neatsfoot oil
 

Wow that brings back memories!


In the early 70's at the Ford dealership I worked in we kept this stuff stocked in the parts room. It really did the job! Worked good!


https://external-content.duckduckgo....0f1&ipo=images




That '8A' prefix in the part number runs that back to the Flathead era so it was used for many years...

Re: Neatsfoot oil
 

Thanks guys, some good answers there.
The question arose because my old-timer friend uses neatsfoot oil in his Model A radiator as a rust inhibitor. Not sure how well it works, but he swears by it. It is made from the hooves of very young calves ("neat" is an old English word for calf). Their hooves were boiled down at the slaughterhouse into neatsfoot oil, used mainly for protecting leather.

Re: Neatsfoot oil
 

This is similar to the infamous "what's the best oil for my engine" discussion. Products today are way better for the application they are designed for than the products of years ago. If neatsfoot oil is for leather, apply it to leather, not your radiator. Rush inhibition for radiators is way more advanced and appropriate than neatsfoot oil.