Oil type in older tractor?

[Sully2]

All but one of my tractors is old. I made the switch to 15/40 (Pennzoil) years ago. No trouble. They get used hard. All were ORIGINALLY spec-ed for sae 30, or sae 20 in winter. Neighbor of mine has a pair of FarmAll 1206's that have ran on 15/40 for the last 15 years. They're used to pull small "pan" scrapers (excavating contractor) They have over 10,000 hours on the clock with nothing more than routine service. They ARE worn down, but they would have been with ANY oil in that many hours. Multi-weight oild provide better lubrication on start-up, where most engine wear occurs. They provide equally good protection once the engine reaches operating temps. Straight weight oils are simply out-dated for use in diesel engines. Save it for your oil can.

Service manuals for older tractors suggest sae20/30 type oils because THAT'S WHAT THEY HAD back then. Now there's better oils. Why use something out dated and inferior in protection/performance when better is available and roughly the same cost?

This from someone who's as old school as they get. SOME modern products are better than old technology.

What he said!!

 

[cp1969]

Another way of looking at how hard an engine is working is to measure it's horsepower production vs its displacement.

The 1086, at 'full throttle', is producing about 130 horsepower from 414 cubic inches. (.314 hp/cu inch)

An Acura 2.0 liter produces 160 hp from 122 cubic inches. At 1/4 throttle it is producing a little more power per cubic inch (.328) as the 1086 is at full throttle. And keep in mind the Acura is going to see a considerable amount of time making more than 25% power and it does it with 5w-20 oil.

Specific power output, such as I have just illustrated, is by no means the only criteria by which oil should be chosen for an engine but it does tell you how hard an engine is working. In general, the people who produced the engine have the best idea of what oil should be used, but in the case of the 1086 I don't think there were multi-vis diesel rated oils back then, hence the recommendation for straight weight.

 

[Soundguy]

while I still use sae 30w and 40w oils in my old ford gassers.. In my 1975 ford 5000 diesel and my 2002 NH 7610s I use 15w40 diesel rated oil as FWJ reccomends.. etc. ( I'm pretty sure my f-5000 manual specs 30w oil.. etc.. But I've had -0- probelms with it or oil pressure.. )

Soundguy

All but one of my tractors is old. I made the switch to 15/40 (Pennzoil) years ago. No trouble. They get used hard. All were ORIGINALLY spec-ed for sae 30, or sae 20 in winter. Neighbor of mine has a pair of FarmAll 1206's that have ran on 15/40 for the last 15 years. They're used to pull small "pan" scrapers (excavating contractor) They have over 10,000 hours on the clock with nothing more than routine service. They ARE worn down, but they would have been with ANY oil in that many hours. Multi-weight oild provide better lubrication on start-up, where most engine wear occurs. They provide equally good protection once the engine reaches operating temps. Straight weight oils are simply out-dated for use in diesel engines. Save it for your oil can.

Service manuals for older tractors suggest sae20/30 type oils because THAT'S WHAT THEY HAD back then. Now there's better oils. Why use something out dated and inferior in protection/performance when better is available and roughly the same cost?

This from someone who's as old school as they get. SOME modern products are better than old technology.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

while I still use sae 30w and 40w oils in my old ford gassers.. In my 1975 ford 5000 diesel and my 2002 NH 7610s I use 15w40 diesel rated oil as FWJ reccomends.. etc. ( I'm pretty sure my f-5000 manual specs 30w oil.. etc.. But I've had -0- probelms with it or oil pressure.. )

Soundguy

How soon we forget.... I sold off the 3000 Ford gasser I owned for 30+ years, just 2 years back. (It was worn to a nub) I used sae 30 Havoline oil in it from day one. (Local Co-Op sold Havoline CHEAP) The engine was about the only part of the ol' girl that was still in fair shape.

There's 3 old gassers out behind the barn that'll someday return to the land of the living. (will require complete re-builds, all 3) Maybe they'll get the same grade of oil. Might get multi weight. Who knows...(Ferguson F-40, MF50, Ford "Jube")

But my choice to go with 15/40 is based on the fact that all the RUNNING tractors I have now are diesels. Three of the four were spec-ed for sae20 in extreme cold, sae30 in moderate, and sae40 in extreme heat conditions. All three have been fed 15/40 for quite a while, and all three have had bearings checked, showing virtually no measurable wear. Not bad for 36, 34, and 29 year old tractors with average hours and lots of hard use.

 

[ToadHill]

I've been running 20W50 motorcycle oil in my 8N for years. With single weight 30 I always got a pressure drop to about 10 psi when it got hot while I was mowing on hilly ground. With the 20W50 The pressure stays at 20 psi when hot.