New owner 1957-engine oil/fluid

[Ward 57]

I have to disagree with you on both points any engine rebuilder that rebuilds classic car engines will tell you not to use synthetic oils on these older cars use an oil with the most zinc as far as your brake fluid DOT3 is a big no-no use what they recommend silicone type brake fluid that keeps the master cylinder and brake lines free from rust I know this through experience

My tech who is in his 70's and has built and raced cars and restores Mustangs is against synthetics in any of our old cars and in new auto trans. unless you keep up on fluid levels. DOT 3 can absorb moisture so a full flush every couple year to prevent rust.

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[CSPIDY]

Facts are synthetic oils are better
refined to a higher standard
Last longer
don’t break down
Lubricate better
And
Will not hurt an old style engine
people always fear the unknown
the fact that it is not recommended for a break in oil
tells you it’s lubricity is far superior to standard petroleum based oils.
Is it neede in our old engines, not necessarily
but I would not fear using it.

 

[Ward 57]

Facts are synthetic oils are better
refined to a higher standard
Last longer
don’t break down
Lubricate better
And
Will not hurt an old style engine
people always fear the unknown
the fact that it is not recommended for a break in oil
tells you it’s lubricity is far superior to standard petroleum based oils.
Is it neede in our old engines, not necessarily
but I would not fear using it.

On new engines or rebuilt as new I can see a lot of advantages. But if your engine or brake system has had petroleum based fluids just be very judicious on flushing all the old stuff out. It's not compatible like oil & water. On our old cars where the tolerances were much more loose, the synthetics don't have the 'cushion' of the petroleum based fluids but with the new machining tolerances I can see how it works and flows more smoothly.

 

[jimntempe]

Facts are synthetic oils are better
refined to a higher standard
Last longer
don’t break down
Lubricate better
And
Will not hurt an old style engine
people always fear the unknown
the fact that it is not recommended for a break in oil
tells you it’s lubricity is far superior to standard petroleum based oils.
Is it neede in our old engines, not necessarily
but I would not fear using it.

All that is true but it ignores the reality of the condition of some engines which have been run for years on older dino oils. An engine with everything in spec that has run dino oil for years and years may have some sludgy buildup in the nooks and crannies. Not enough to hurt things if left alone but enough to do two things if you clean it up with synthetic oil. Some gaskets and seals may start leaking when that sludge gets cleaned out of the nooks and crannies.... and the newly circulating sludge may clog oil pickup screens or small oil passages... esp on these y-blocks.

If I had a freshly rebuilt engine or one I really knew the history of I would use synthetic in it.

But for an older engine that's run on dino oil for years I would stick with dino oil unless I was willing to take the risk of creating leaks.

I know some will say "it doesn't happen" but from my personal experience it does. I've very tiny leaks in engines and power steering systems turn into gushers within days/weeks of putting synthetics in.

Another thing to consider is how many miles you put on the car a year. Many people don't crack 2000 miles a year but most still want to do a yearly oil and filter. Dino oil should handle that fine but of course to each his own.

 

[biddle]

I've very tiny leaks in engines and power steering systems turn into gushers within days/weeks of putting synthetics in.

Driving around with a leaking gasket/seal is a wise decision? The gasket needs to be repaired. This has nothing to do with the oil. If you want to take care of your car, you fix the gasket leaks and use the best oil moving forward. Continuing to use old technology because you don't want to fix a leak isn't really the best choice.

 

[Ron Sessions]

Hi there, greetings from Scotland. I have recently took ownership of a 1957 Thunderbird with the 312, car was in Florida and was restored from the ground up 8 years ago, 2000 miles have been done since. I know this is a much debated topic but threads I have seen are a few years old now. Regarding engine oil what’s the recommendations with this, previous owner said he ran standard pennzoil 10w 30 with a ZDDP additive, the car doesn’t leak a dime from anywhere right now, it drives smooth and quiet. Temperatures in Scotland rarely get above the 70/75 mark in summer so nowhere near what he was driving it in Florida. Should I continue with the same product or is it worth changing?

Also for flushing out the radiator/cooling system is any good prestone with a 50/50 blend with water do the trick? I’ve ordered the shop manual so I am sure the details will be there but regarding transmission and power steering servicing intervals how long should I give it before changing? I am going to bleed the brakes as previous owner said he hasn’t done since he got it from the restorer, DOT 3 I’ll use in that.

Any other recommendations or advice with this topic is much appreciate, thanks for your time.

Regards
Chris

Hello Chris! I know this is an old blog, but I decided to give you information I have learned over the years. There is a man in the states that is an engineer specialist who does pressure testing on identical bearings to find out the pressure load that the bearing will fall! He tests different oils with different additives and logs the bearing failure pressure. In all of his tests it was noted that the ZPPD additive DECREASED poundage pressures for failure. He claims zddp is a myth that has been handed down through the generations, even being used for break- in oil. As you could imagine, he gets hate mail for not following the traditional ways. He is a scientist and his data backs his claims. His long article of his tests can be found on https://540ratblog.wordpress.com/. Out of all the oils he tests, he found the oil that could take the most pressure being put on the bearing till failure is Quaker State full synthetic 5/30 with Dextron. It’s a long article but worth the read!