Oil brand and where to get?

[Vanspeed]

I am looking for a 10w30 non detergent oil for my Flathead and cannot find any locally. Can somebody give me a brand that they use so that maybe I could order it? Also going to add a ZDDP additive.

[19Fordy]

Google is your friend.
https://www.google.com/search?q=10w3...hrome&ie=UTF-8

[alanwoodieman]

why non detergent? old dirty engine with a lot of sludge? or rebuilt clean engine?

[drolston]

Why not just use Valvoline VR-1 racing oil. It is 20w50, which is fine for all seasons. It has very little detergent but plenty of zinc. Available at all parts stores.

[Zeke3]

I can't recall ever seeing a multi-viscosity non-detergent oil.

[40cpe]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

here is a reference to some from a 2013 post.

https://ask.metafilter.com/240021/Ho...motor-oil-work

[tubman]

You do not want to use non-detergent oil, period. Why do seemingly otherwise intelligent people keep pursuing this? If your engine is so sludged up that using a good detergent oil will break some of it loose and "cause problems", you should pull it and fix it properly. The last thing we need is marginally good engines ruined by running the wrong oil and self-destructing.

Sheesh!

[Aarongriffey]

Using high detergent oil in a sludged up engine will NOT , I say WILL NOT loosen sludge. No way. It will stop more sludge from forming though.
The last one I can tell you about was a Beautifully restored 49 Chrysler Windsor that never had the engine touched. It would only hold 3 quarts of oil because the previous owner used non detergent since it was new.
The new owner changed the oil 20 times in five years, always using 10-30 of various brands.
After 5 years it would still only hold 3quarts.
I took the pan off and scooped out a tough pancake of sludge about 1 to 2 inches thick.
That was in 1993. The car still runs fine, it holds 5 quarts of oil, best I recollect, and it does not burn much oil. I have seen many sludge cars like that.

[Aarongriffey]

A friend bought a ‘55 Chevy 6 to use as a trailer house moving guide car.
It would only hold a bit over 2 quarts.
Believing detergent oil would flush it right out he drained it again and put in 10-30 and guided a trailer house tow rig across Minnesota and North Dakota to Montana border and then returned to Wisconsin.
It would only drain 2 quarts plus so he dropped the pan. It still had hard sludge in it.
He kept working a trailer towing guide and and ran that car a long time. On detergent oil.

[Aarongriffey]

Oil has to meet certain specs to be sold to the public.
I hear guys say how Pennzoil sludges up the engine. How Val vole earth will keep your engine together forever,etc.
I worked 9 years for a guy that had 400 cars and trucks. He only would use pennzoil because that’s what the Ford dealer in Oakland used when he worked there. His engines were all pretty clean inside n under the valve covers.
He used SAE 30 in everything. Didn’t trust multi grades.
He had model T Fords 7 registered model A and acouple couple B n maybe 20 flathead Ford, Mercury V8 and some Lincoln V12’s. Also other non Ford makes.
I never saw sludge and I never heard collapsed lifters, except on the ones that I rebuilt or did valve jobs. flat head Cadiillacs were a problem until I learned the secret.Also
An occasional 302. They all got pennzoil.
,

[1931 flamingo]

WalMart maybe??
Paul in CT

[Vanspeed]

The only reason I asked for it was be because I did a search on here and non detergent was the most suggested. Ol Ron highly recommended it. Sheesh.

[Vanspeed]

What do you guys suggest I run then? I had engine on stand, very clean inside. No sludge anywhere. I cleaned everything and put it back together. Right now I have shell rotella in it. 15w40 I believe. I would like something a little thinner.

[FortyNiner]

I'm using chain parts store 10-40 in my flatties.

[51woodie]

I run Rosella 15-40 in my stock ‘46 Super Deluxe and am quite happy with how the engine starts on a cold morning and oil pressure when at 180 deg.

[JSeery]

Originally Posted by Vanspeed

The only reason I asked for it was be because I did a search on here and non detergent was the most suggested. Ol Ron highly recommended it. Sheesh.

Any chance you were misinterpreting some of the post? It would be strange for someone to suggest non-detergent oil in a new rebuild. There is some difference of opinion on old sludged up engines, but I wouldn't think that would exist on a new rebuild.

[lotsagas4u]

Originally Posted by drolston

Why not just use Valvoline VR-1 racing oil. It is 20w50, which is fine for all seasons. It has very little detergent but plenty of zinc. Available at all parts stores.

This VR-1 oil is also available in 10w30

[Vanspeed]

Well this is not a new rebuild. Merely an install of an old engine that I was told “ran fine when the car came in” . I took pan, heads,intake, and timing cover off to do an inspection and everything was clean with no signs of real wear. I have rotella 15w40 in it now and it pegs 80lbs of pressure on start up. I settles down to around 20 at idle and 45-50 driving at normal operating temp. I want to do another oil change now that I have driven it. I read an article here and that is what a few guys said because it has no oil filter provisions.

"

Originally Posted by JSeery

Any chance you were misinterpreting some of the post? It would be strange for someone to suggest non-detergent oil in a new rebuild. There is some difference of opinion on old sludged up engines, but I wouldn't think that would exist on a new rebuild.

[flatheadmurre]

If you run non detergent your engine will become your sediment bowl...
Magnetic drainplug to keep any big metal pieces from circulating and 10W30 detergent if you ask me.
We put very low miles on our vehicles between maintenance...
I´m a big fan of oilfilters but not gonna start that debate...lol

[JSeery]

Originally Posted by Vanspeed

Well this is not a new rebuild. Merely an install of an old engine that I was told “ran fine when the car came in” . I took pan, heads,intake, and timing cover off to do an inspection and everything was clean with no signs of real wear. I have rotella 15w40 in it now and it pegs 80lbs of pressure on start up. I settles down to around 20 at idle and 45-50 driving at normal operating temp. I want to do another oil change now that I have driven it. I read an article here and that is what a few guys said because it has no oil filter provisions.

"

Sounds good to me. You could keep running the oil you are running now. The startup pressure is not too big an issue, it is the running numbers that are more important. If it was me I might drop down to 10W-30 and see what pressures you get.