The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop oil for my 55.1

I have a 55 first series. Havoline 30 wt non-detergent oil was recommended to me. I heard it is no longer produced. I have an engine without an oil filter that has 4 screws holding the valve cover. I also heard that pennsylvania oils produce a waxy deposite in the engine. Could someone recommend a few choices that are available? thanks - Scott

And why were you recommened not to use a detergent oil? I've used Vavoline 30 Since 1995 and I'm happy. Wax?, you could always use a synthetic. My truck 1954 235 with toilet paper roll type oil filter.
Adios, Kip

There still are some non detergent oils available and in your case I would stick to them. Brandname is probably unimportant.

Kip, putting a regular high detergent oil in his engine could knock loose a lot of dirt that was meant to be kept out of suspension by the non detergent oil. It could blow his motor by clogging vital passages.

Putting in a synthetic at this point will blow his motor for sure.

You can go with detergent, just you will need to change it more often until the sludge is cleaned out. Odds are the previous owner ran detergent oil. Non-detergent oil is found at part stores and farm stores around here. Pennzoil no longer leaves the wax in the engine, I'm running Pennzoil 20W-50 in my 235. Where you are SAE 30 should be good for the summer, you will definitely need SAE 20 or lighter in the winter. I'd recommend using 10W-40 year round if the engine doesn't leak or burn much oil.

Not because I am from PA but Pa crude oil is about the best there is for motor oil in the world.
Pennzoil doesn't have a parafiene base nor does Kendall or Brad Penn.
Quaker State now owned by Allied Signal is in the process of removeing it in their refineing process too.
They (Quaker State) just put in a wax plant at 2 different plant locally near me here.
Now if anyone would have said that statement say 10 years ago..... I would have to agree with them to a certain point ..all would have depened on what oil they said....

I don't know what to make of this business of detetergent oils loosening old sludge.Lots of sludged up engines out there ,even ones run their whole life on detergent oils. Once Bought a used a 84 Cherokee, when I removed the valve cover, the crud was so thick it left an impression of the valve cover, like a jello mold.Couldn't get that cover back on fast enough, and ran the Jeep for 4 years like that.I changed the oil pretty regular, so why didn't the sludge move??(it didn't). Had to pull a gutless 2.8 engine on a 83 S10 once to repair an Exxon Valdes class rear main leak.Pulling the pan was like winning the sludge lottery ,Yuk.Why didn't my regular oil changes on this sludge left my the previous owner,loosen it up and clog the oilways? Oh, the rear main leaked when I bought it, got tired of slipping on the oil slick on the ground.Is detergent sludge different than non detergent sludge? Have any of you actually seen an engine ruined by terminal sludge movement caused by switching oil types? I mean you could absolutely, positively, say it died from displaced sludge, not just simply gave off blue sparks and smoke because it was a bearing rattler to begin with.

hello tony. i have seen the results of people switching oils in engines and trannys that have lived a long happy life using asphaltic based oils. all of the circumstances involved a popular brand of synthetic oils. one was a poorly maintained but otherwise good running jeep straight six that came to me with 3 broken push rods and a clogged oil pump.[a real mess]. sludge was loosened up and floated around the lube system after the fillup of this synthetic lube.another was a 5 speed overdrive tranny that had about 80k on it and stiffened up and would not shift until the synthetic lube was drained and the regular 90w gear lube was reinstalled. now don't get the idea that i have a problem with these synthetics. they are the best you can use in a machine that doesn't have some sludge in it. i have been cautioned by older peers against using high detergent oils in engines that were sludged up.good luck.

I also read on this forum that when the new high detergent oils came out there was a big tidal wave of engines requiring rebuilts. Some old timer mechanics were blaming this on the oil. They said they had work backed up because of the unusual number of engine failing.

That was good enough for me. I just took the oil pan off my 54 235 and it was clean as a whistle. It had already been cleaned previously. I now feel much more sound running standard oils like I was.

Thanks for a nice discussion. I will consider it all and make a decision. - Slippery Scott

Once a year I drive into the warehouse district to an oil distributor who sells me a 5 gallon bucket of SAE 20. Check the yellow pages....