Non-Detergent Motor Oil

[swedishsteel]

My wife just bought a '36 pickup from a fellow that has it had 52 years, restored for 50 of that and hardly driven in all that time. Twenty years ago he trailered it to a few car shows and he would regularly start it up and "drive it around the block". I'm guessing he put less that 200 miles on it while he's had it. He told me he used non detergent 30w oil in it. He lives about 5 miles from us so I drove it home and the oil pressure was good--30+ lbs. A week or so later we drove it into town for and ice cream cone, about 15 miles round trip. By the time we got home the oil pressure was running less than 20 lbs at highway speed. I immediately drained the oil when I got home and after the thin hot oil was out, I watched as sludge started to plop out. So yesterday I pulled the pan off and there was about 1/4 inch of sludge in the bottom and the oil pump screen was substantially blocked. Moral of the story--don't use non detergent oil, and......if you start it, drive it long enough and fast enough to get the oil hot so the moisture and other nasty crap will vaporize and get ventilated out of the block. Putzing "around the block" and shutting it off is the worst thing you can do for a motor. Regards and drive it like you stole it. Rod

[FrankWest]

Originally Posted by swedishsteel

My wife just bought a '36 pickup from a fellow that has it had 52 years, restored for 50 of that and hardly driven in all that time. Twenty years ago he trailered it to a few car shows and he would regularly start it up and "drive it around the block". I'm guessing he put less that 200 miles on it while he's had it. He told me he used non detergent 30w oil in it. He lives about 5 miles from us so I drove it home and the oil pressure was good--30+ lbs. A week or so later we drove it into town for and ice cream cone, about 15 miles round trip. By the time we got home the oil pressure was running less than 20 lbs at highway speed. I immediately drained the oil when I got home and after the thin hot oil was out, I watched as sludge started to plop out. So yesterday I pulled the pan off and there was about 1/4 inch of sludge in the bottom and the oil pump screen was substantially blocked. Moral of the story--don't use non detergent oil, and......if you start it, drive it long enough and fast enough to get the oil hot so the moisture and other nasty crap will vaporize and get ventilated out of the block. Putzing "around the block" and shutting it off is the worst thing you can do for a motor. Regards and drive it like you stole it. Rod

Good story and good lesson for all of us. Don't be afraid to drive your car. Sometimes collects at like they are saving it like a model car on the shelf. Most of us in this hobby are in our 60's or older. Get some good memories of driving your favorite car. It will do you a world of good and the car too.
We are lucky we own Fords...Where most parts are available. Years ago I was looking into buying an Essex Terra plane...But didn't because if I ever needed parts I would be in big trouble. so us the car have fun...We will not live forever...

[FrankWest]

Originally Posted by swedishsteel

My wife just bought a '36 pickup from a fellow that has it had 52 years, restored for 50 of that and hardly driven in all that time. Twenty years ago he trailered it to a few car shows and he would regularly start it up and "drive it around the block". I'm guessing he put less that 200 miles on it while he's had it. He told me he used non detergent 30w oil in it. He lives about 5 miles from us so I drove it home and the oil pressure was good--30+ lbs. A week or so later we drove it into town for and ice cream cone, about 15 miles round trip. By the time we got home the oil pressure was running less than 20 lbs at highway speed. I immediately drained the oil when I got home and after the thin hot oil was out, I watched as sludge started to plop out. So yesterday I pulled the pan off and there was about 1/4 inch of sludge in the bottom and the oil pump screen was substantially blocked. Moral of the story--don't use non detergent oil, and......if you start it, drive it long enough and fast enough to get the oil hot so the moisture and other nasty crap will vaporize and get ventilated out of the block. Putzing "around the block" and shutting it off is the worst thing you can do for a motor. Regards and drive it like you stole it. Rod

I just remembered a similiar story about a guy that drove a newer c ar not antique only several miles every day to a railroad station so that he could take the train into work, and then drove the car several miles from the station to home 5 days a week. He only used that car for the station run. After several years that car's engine was very badly clogged with gunk and stopped running. Again, a car should be driven.
I wonder what a good number is for running time? And probably it should be driven hard/fast sometimes to , exercise the engine/drive train. Hard to do when you have an 80 year old car and am afraid it can fall apart.

[joe 1950]

doesn't matter if you run 10-30 or straight 30 but use detergent oil for sure and change every 500 miles to start with see what it looks like judge from their the old girls love clean pants