Oil Types

[catmatt]

I am in SE PA and i was wondering if there have been any changes in the fluids used on the JD MC. Any changes for the fluids since the manuals were published? What kind/type of motor oil do you run in this motor?

[olrobk]

As a new member/ owner, I don’t feel much qualified to answer but as a car restorer with lots of experience bringing motors back from the dead, here's what I've learned about motor oil from old mechanics and chemical engineers. It’s not Gospel. It’s from my memory.

Up into the sixties, so-called straight motor oil was used. Ten weight in the winter and 30 weight in the summer. An engine oil filter on a 1962 Studebaker Lark was an option. By 1970, detergent, multi-grade oils were introduced which had the purpose of washing away accumulated sludge in the engine. Oil filters and coolers became more prevalent.

If the motor you have is accustomed to straight single grade oils, you want to introduce the modern heavy duty diesel detergent oil (15-40 for instance) but understand that it needs to be changed (with a new filter of course) every 25 hours two or three times. Changing the oil hot is an old trick for getting more out of the crankcase and presumably washing more suspended dirt out with it.

Other recommendations from older owners’ manuals are out-dated. For instance my 60’s JD1010 owners’ manual recommends running transmissions and engines for a short time with kerosene as a cleaner. This is no longer necessary since we have detergent lubricants. Just change the oil and filters. =Rob