Best All-Purpose Oil for 8N

[8N_John]

What is the best year-round oil to use in an 8N? Won't be using it when temps are below freezing.

 

[btolle]

I used 30W Pennzoil in both my 8N's. Peenzoil happens to be my preference but any good 30W detergent oil will work.

Bill Tolle

 

[RalphVa]

If I had an 8N (maybe like my Dad's), I'd put 15w50 Mobil 1 in it if I didn't use it in the winter. I've converted all my engines and vehicles to it. On my 1983 Benz diesel, I mix 5w30 and 15w50 to get its 10w40. Seem to be getting at least about 3% fuel mileage increase on the cars and pickup. No leaks on any engine. I use 15w50 in my 1987 Gravely in the summer and 0w40 or 5w30 mixed with 15w50 in winter.

They didn't have even multigrade oils when the 8N was made; so, you won't find a recommendation in the manuals.

Ralph

 

[markct]

oil for what, hyds, tranny,engine? ya gota be a little more specific

 

[Soundguy]

For engine oil, I'd use a good 30w detergent oil , or possibly a 10w30 / 15/40 in colder temps. If my oil pressure was a tad low.. a 40wt oil.. or if i used it in a hot environment alot. Even a 20w50 would help.

For the hyds.. I'd use a 90wt gl-1 unless I was using it in freezing weather in which case I'd ~try~ to find an 80wt gl-1 wich will be next to impossible... otherwise I'd use a 134d equivalent UTF oil.

Soundguy

 

[8N_John]

Thanks...I went with 30W.

 

[RichZ]

Soundguy, I have a lot of respect for your opinion in these matters. I've had a 1951 Ferguson TO-20 for 4 years, and I've been told by several farm mechanics to use 30W NON-detergent oil. I thought it was better to use non-detergent oil on older engines. Now that I see you recommending detergent, I'm wondering if I should switch. What do you think? The only thing is that my Fergy has run flawlessly for 4 years, so I don't want to mess up a good thing...but then I do value your opinion. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[Soundguy]

If it has been running non-detergent.. and you know that for a fact, or you have been running non detergent in it.. etc... It should be fine to keep running it that way. When you do go in for a rebuild, there will be just a bit more carbon and cleaning, as the material won't be suspended in the oil for deposit in the filter. As you know, the oil filtration on the old N was not a full flow but was somewhere in the 15% to 25% range ( not all the oil flow was filtered at each pass.. oil pump fed the gallies and bearings..then some flow was filtered, and either dropped back into the block, or dropped into the governor and then into the block.

If the unit has been rebuilt.. or it has been running detergent oil.. keep doing that.

The big fear with going to detergent from non detergent is that a whole lot of stuff may start moving fast.. including stuff that may or may not have been sealing worn gaskets and seals.. etc. it is a valid concern.. but you can 'ease' into a situation like that.

Some ways are to start introducing a cleaning lube/solvent like MMO into the oil before an oil change... say at the 10 hour mark, before an oil change. Do this a couple times in a row and then start adding the mmo into the oil at the change. ( figuring on 6mo changes or more frequent.) Watch the oil color on the dipstick. Also.. some will mix non and detergent oils like 50-50 or 20-80 on an oil change to make it a more gradual process. When I did my 8n, I did the mmo method, and then when i was on full HD oil, I did an extra filter change at 3 months instead of waiting till the 6mo oil change. That extra filter change can help.. and 8n's have cheapy filters available for about 4 or 5 bucks. Again.. watch the dipstick.. that will tell you about the oil consumption, and color/state.

I experienced no catastrophic problems with the gradual change.

Other options are to do multi stage flushes. My JD-B had such a filthy crankcase that i went and bought 5 gallon pails of cheap supertech 30w oil, and a box of filters. I did oil changes after a few hours of running. In a week i had done like 5 changes, untill the oil no longer turned after hours of running. Was less than 100 bucks in oil and filters and took a few days.. but the JD now has a much cleaner crankcase than when it started.

I'm not sure of the filter flow on that continental engine.. but whatever you do.. if you do switch to a hd oil.. keep the filter serviced.. perhaps like I did, throw in an extra change.. etc.

In the end, it is your tractor and I recomend you do whatever you feel BEST about. Todays oil technology is leaps and bounds ahead of 50's oil technology. Our 'jiffy store' lawnmower 30wt non det oil is a much better lube that the oil that went into these tractors from the factory.

Does that help you any?

Soundguy

 

[RichZ]

Thanks a lot, Soundguy, that helps a lot!!! The guy I bought my TO-20 from had it over 10 years, and always used non-detergent oil, and I have for the four years that I've owned it. Since it doesn't have an hour meter, and I use it a lot, I do frequent oil changes, and always change the filter. That 53 year old continental runs like a top. The one time it ran slightly rough, a tune up was all it needed. I'm no mechanic, and I figured, the first thing I would try was a tune up, and it ran beuatifully. I didn't even adjust the timing, just changed the plugs, points and rotor.

So...I guess I'll keep running it on non-detergent. I was always afraid of all kinds of leaks if I put detergent in it, so I'm glad to keep running it on non-detergent.

Thanks again for the info!!

 

[8N_John]

"If the unit has been rebuilt.. or it has been running detergent oil.. keep doing that."

I have no idea what kind of oil was in it. The previous own said he had it for 2 yrs, used it only about 5 hrs, and hadn't changed any fluids.

I changed the oil to Rotella 30W, but the bottle doesn't say detergent or non-detergent. See my other post. Is Rotella 30W a detergent oil?

Thanks for everyone's input.