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Apr 26th, 2026 | | AD Chevy Trucks  Over 6,000 pictures Brad Allen has an awesome collection of Chevrolet factory pictures that he has set up from film strips. Check them out!
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#79901 07/12/2007 4:08 AM | Joined: Nov 2006 Posts: 84 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Nov 2006 Posts: 84 | What type oil do you guys use in your air cleaner?
thanks. | | |
#79902 07/12/2007 4:14 AM | Joined: Feb 2002 Posts: 12,029 Cruising in the Passing Lane | | Cruising in the Passing Lane Joined: Feb 2002 Posts: 12,029 | just yer runa the mill 30 wt, or 10-30, or 10-20, or 10-40 ... whatever's on hand ... no moving parts!  Bill | | |
#79903 07/12/2007 4:53 AM | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,270 Bubba - Curmudgeon | | Bubba - Curmudgeon Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,270 | The Chevrolet Shop Manual suggests 50 weight oil but most likely any oil is OK. I have been using 50 weight oil. | | |
#79904 07/12/2007 5:48 AM | Joined: Jul 2004 Posts: 5,708 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jul 2004 Posts: 5,708 | When I worked for Std Oil, we sold 55 gallon drums of Zerolene 50 weight just for logging truck oil bath air cleaners. The plan of the day was CHEAP and THICK.
Stuart | | |
#79905 07/12/2007 1:56 PM | Joined: Oct 2006 Posts: 9,671 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Oct 2006 Posts: 9,671 | Most all of the Chevy dealerships and service (gas) stations back in the day just used readily avalable #30 motor oil right off the rack. I worked and hung around in a lot of them in the late 50's and 60's. Generally just any heavy wt. oil will do just fine, it's a long way from rocket science!
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL
Denny G
Sandwich, IL
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#79906 07/12/2007 7:36 PM | Joined: May 2004 Posts: 920 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: May 2004 Posts: 920 | In the day, G.M. recommended 50 weight. | | |
#79907 07/13/2007 3:55 AM | Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 3,068 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 3,068 | Why would you want "thick" oil? It's going to thicken up as it collects dust and dirt. I would think a 10W- whatever would be better these days,
Scott | | |
#79908 07/13/2007 5:40 AM | Joined: Jul 2004 Posts: 5,708 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jul 2004 Posts: 5,708 | Scott,
I'm not sure why 'thick'. Maybe there was a sloshing consideration. As the shop flunky I serviced the air cleaners. The oil reservoir had a level mark stamped into the pan and I was told never to overfill them. I assumed if it were overfilled the excess oil would choke off the incoming air, this led me to believe that light weight oil sloshing around in the tub might cause problems too. I could have been sniffing too much solvent.
Stuart | | |
#79909 07/13/2007 12:58 PM | Joined: Oct 2006 Posts: 9,671 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Oct 2006 Posts: 9,671 | Nope Stu, you could have sniffed a little more and still nailed it. The thicker the viscosity the less chance of sloshing from G loads from accelerating, braking, turning and engine vibration simply make sence.
Even though all that is true about the recomendations for using a special #50 oil, every one of the shops that I worked in and hung around simply used the most readily avalable heavy earl!
That was back when oil bath air cleaners were common place.
Denny G
Denny G
Sandwich, IL
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#79910 07/13/2007 2:18 PM | Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 3,068 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 3,068 | Did you really say "G loads from accelerating" when referring to the AD trucks? In the days before concrete and asphalt, that oil would be thickened in just a few miles, LOL.
I was just wondering, I convert everything to paper elements anyway, except tractors. Some of those are almost impossible to fit anything other than the oil-bath to.
Scott | | |
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