Technical What's the best oil for a flathead

Just wondering what's the best oil for a flathead

 

What's under it now?

 

Slippery stuff

Seriously though, would depend on a few things, miles on the engine, driving conditions, etc.

Im sure a search would reveal 20 different suggestions.

 

Yeh, pretty much anything from drain oil to race oil!

 

Vr 20/50 with high Zink. I wonder is makes a good mixer?

 

straight 30
10-30
10-40
15-40
Brand A, B or C
20-50?
I’m not a fan but a lot of guys are. Better than no oil.

 

Times two, that's what I'm running with no oil filter and change it around 750 miles.

 

Motor oil.

 

That time of the month already?

 

thanks just getting ready for spring crusin

 

Time to keep an eye out for the u-joint angle thread.

That's due, too.

 

Red or black wheels?

 

Now that's funny.......... Made my day.

 

I run 15-40 Rotella diesel oil in flathesd V8s, my banger roadster and my antique tractors. There are guys here that are actual experts in the oil industry. Im not one of those guys.

 

I also run 15-40 diesel oil, but the cheap stuff from FleetFarm. Run with a filter, change at 2k

 

No one has mentioned it yet, so I will : Anything commercially available in a clean can EXCEPT Non-detergent.

How this myth keeps being perpetuated is beyond me.

 

……..that’s just nasty……….and also the reason I never change the oil. I work on the theory that it is changing itself, - as I am constantly topping it up……..

that’s what I was also told. The guy said detergent oil froth’s up too much.
I would have thought that it would help keep things clean on the inside…….
So it is a myth then ???

 

Billy, I blew right by your response! Maybe that's why some guys have Hot Rods and Harleys.

 

I just run straight 30 in mine, if youre worried about zinc then dont be, I am able to install the valve spring keepers bare handed, those type of spring pressures won't hurt your cam. Ever.

 

I threw that out there to see if anyone actually reads motor oil threads anymore. I got an F on a term paper in HS once when I slipped a sarcastic line questioning whether or not the teacher was actually reading that sentence. She, like you was paying attention, and apparently had a poorly evolved sense of humor.

That's "crude"
"weight" for it?
I zinc, therefore I am?
And, thank you very much

 

I don't think it makes much difference whether you use detergent or non-detergent oil, as long as you change it as frequently as the ORIGINAL manufacturer's recommendations. If you are running a stock-type oil filter, remember that it only filters a small % of the pump output, so factor that in.
A lot of us base our thinking on what we find when we tear down an old engine, but we forget the rough lives and hardships they went through: too long between oil changes, no oil filter (or low, partial flow), dusty driving conditions, short drives that don't heat the oil enough to drive off moisture, etc. We take MUCH better care of our toys than previous owners of 'basic transportation' did, so most of those issues don't apply to our cars.
And use 30wt.
JMHO, YMMV...

 

Brown water flowing over there in SW Washington?

 

It sure is!