Re: what oil should I use in my 53 Clipper?

Posted by Rusty O\'Toole On 2017/5/6 18:52:55

Multi grade oils were introduced in 1951, detergent oils a few years earlier. From the fifties through the eighties 10W30,multigrade, detergent oil was the default choice in every garage and dealership. Chances are, any car made from the early fifties up has never used anything else.

Zinc additives came in also in the early fifties to get over some excess wear problems in the earliest OHV V8s. The high performance, short stroke V8s put more pressure on their cams and lifters than the old flathead and low performance OHV sixes, resulting in excess cam and lifter wear. The ZDDP additive cured this.

Now that OHC engines are the rule they are backing off the ZDDP. This does not matter to a flathead engine like the Packard straight eights and sixes although it might to the OHV V8s.

So the short answer is, use a good name brand 10W30 and don't worry about it. You can use a synthetic if you want to spend the extra money.

Do not listen to knotheads who say all old motors need good ol' non detergent straight 30 oil. They don't know what they are talking about. Taking their advice will do more harm than good.