Re: 53 clipper 3 speed tranny

Posted by HH56 On 2015/3/28 9:54:18

Straight 30 should work. Packard recommended 20 or 30 in summer but that was on a new engine. Today it depends on how much wear there might be. On which brand and type is a question you may get different opinions on but many have suggested Shell Rotella T SAE15-40 as one of the recommended oils.

If you do not know the history of the car or if it has been sitting a long time, IMO it would be best to avoid high detergent oils. Those are likely to release a lot of sludge into the oil system to the point it could cause problems. It would also be to your benefit to drop the oil pan and clean it and the oil pickup screen and just have a look at the general condition of the lower engine. Several have found a buildup of sludge in the oil sump that had all but covered the screen to the point the pump could barely pick up oil to circulate.