Engine Oil in a 53

Albo5000 · Apr 19, 2011

I was told to use only SAE oil on my Super C because the new stuff (ie 5w's, 10w's, etc.) have detergents that are great for new engines but may be bad for my old girl. The parts store guy said the detergent will break up old sedements built up on the bottom of the oil pan and will send them back up into the engine block.

I have to remove my oil pan and replace the drain plug (due to the current one being stripped) and i figure if i'm busting her open i can clean the heck out of her and was wondering if i can start using 'new' oils and if so which type is best. C123 engine.

Thanks in advance

farmall300u · Apr 19, 2011

I have a 55 IH 300u and tried all of the 10-30 and 30 W detergent oils. Used 2 qts every 4 hours of bush hogging. Switched to diesel oil, 15-40, and has worked fine now for 8 years.

Janicholson · Apr 19, 2011

I also recommend using the diesel grade 15-40 for the engine. Getting great information from Auto Store sellers is like dentistry in a fist fight.
Pulling the pan is OK the threads can be fixed without removal, and if there is little sludge, no problem. Just using a finger in the drain hole can be informative. Extending t a little with a wire bent to feel the bottom works as well.
A rinse of diesel, a half quart of way cheap oil to rinse the diesel, then 15-40 and a filter. Dig the old gasket out of the filter can seat as it will be like solid carbon. A dental pick, or sharpened hard nail can work well. Pulling the pan is not hard either, and just be careful of the bolt tension and location of long bolts. Jim

Dean Olson · Apr 19, 2011

I use 15/40 Delo in everything.

Personally I think the "detergent oil breaking up sediment" is
an old wives tale. I've never had an issue with it.

Anonymous-0 · Apr 19, 2011

My dad bought a '61 International pickup from a guy who'd recently changed to high-detergent {Rotella] oil in the late '60's. The nxt previous owner had used the cheapest paraffin-based oil he could get, and never changed it. When the owner before Pappy switched it over to Rotella, the detergent additives must've done their job well... because all the sludge and crud that broke loose plugged up the oil pump screen and...we,, by the time Pappy bought the truck, the 266 V8 was in pieces in the bed.

That said, I think if you have the pan off for repairs, and clean both the pan and the oil pump pickup scren and tube, I think you'll have a better than even chance of having no problems whatsoever. Just change the oil as you would if you were breaking in a new engine, and after about the second change you shouldn't have to look back. And 15W40 will probably be as good as anything out there these days.

holmesw · Apr 20, 2011

I have heard people telling of experiences of burning up old engines from having used the detergent oil. Although if you do drop the pan and can clean up all of the old sludge, there probably is no harm as long as you have an oil filter on it. If you get most of the old sludge out, the rest of it, or anything else that you miss, should just get caught in the filter. If you do switch to detergent, you might want to give it an oil change a little sooner than you normally would. If it is extremely dirty keep on giving it quicker oil changes, if it looks fairly normal, you did a good job of cleaning up the sludge, and are good to go.

karl f · Apr 20, 2011

easy there, Jim...

-karl f
autostore seller

Engine Oil in a 53

Albo5000

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farmall300u

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Janicholson

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Dean Olson

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Anonymous-0

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holmesw

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karl f

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