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The 52 OM is on the site, unfortunately Packard doesn't say anything about detergent unless it can be considered one of the "special breakin or anti corrosion" oils they talk about. They also don't appear to recommend the multi viscosity types either but as Rusty said, they were common. I've always used multi vis & detergent on all the cars I've ever had since early 60's--although not always same brand.

I don't recall what my dad used when he drove the car new but when I "acquired" his 51 during HS in 60, it was whatever brand & type was cheapest including recycled which went by another name at the time. The car survived a very hard life and no blue smoke clouds or dropped pieces followed me.

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The first mention of multi-viscosity oils is in the '56 owners manual. There they are listed as 'Acceptable'. No mention of detergent oils at all. Still, I use a detergent oil in my 1950 356 because of the hydraulic lifters (yes... I dropped the pan, cleaned the pan, pickup and valve lifter area and replaced the missing oil cannister/filter before using a detergent oil).

HH,

In the early 1960s, before 'recycling,' I used 'reclaimed' oil. I think it was strained, filtered and pH adjusted.

Yes, 'cheapest oil' resonates with my driving-to-college-days in my 51 Chevy. I used 'reclaimed' 30W oil, because my old Chev leaked a quart every 400-500 miles (no blue smoke). Sort of like changing oil every 2500 miles - one quart at a time.

We didn't use detergent oil, supposedly because it would clean out all that good carbon (that was sealing the worn clearances in the engine). Simple engines with no hydraulic lifters, it worked then and was 'cheap' - the most important requirement.

DanL

41, You're right it was reclaimed oil and cheapest was the defining criteria to almost anything that went in which also included gas. That Packard was not a thrifty car for a poverty stricken HS kid--even though gas was 29.9 for regular, 34.9 for ethyl, was lucky to get 10 mpg--so I envy you the Chevy.

Remember one station that had "Oriental" brand for 19.9. I even used that when desperate, but the problem was everyone could hear me 2 blocks away and the car would run, spew & stutter several seconds after being turned off. Not ideal when missing curfew.

You all bring back fond memories of filling my car in high school (and occasionally one of my parents) with the very cheapest regular grade gasoline that one could buy. My '39 Chevy seemed to digest it better than, say, my mother's new '57 Pontiac Star Chief and she (as well as everyone else) could always tell when I'd filled up at the Mars station with 23 cent per gallon regular. The Chevy had many a gallon of, "re-refined," motor oil poured through (and I do mean THROUGH) it. Economy, in the days when I might be lucky enough to have a whole $3 to take a date to a movie, get something to eat afterwards and buy gasoline, was an absolute necessity.

My memory is that both my grandfather and my father used Havoline 10W-30 High Detergent motor oil in everything after it became available. These included Packard, Nash, Chevy, one Hudson, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Ford and Mercury products from model year 1938 onward until I moved cross-country in the early 1960s.

I have used Shell Rotella (CI-4) diesel grade oil in the '55 Pat about 4 years, now, since a complete engine rebuild and once, when on the road in a hurry and having no other alternative, resorted to Advance Auto Parts brand 20W-50 CI-4 fleet grade motor oil. Oil pressure (with PI, "re-engineered," oil pump) and engine operating temperature have remained consistently within published operating parameters and oil consumption (after break-in) has been nil now for going on 6,000 miles.

I agree about the Rotella (prior to the ZDDP reduction) 15-40 being a very good oil, I've used it in my 56 Caribbean for a decade or so, original untouched engine with now 90,000 miles; great oil pressure, no noises, no smoke. Several of the oil "gurus" we've had speak at our local club meetings have said that 10W-40 is probably the worst choice (perhaps in a higher mileage engine though they didn't say that) because of the extreme use of viscosity extenders. Can't say that I agree to disagree with them.

Thanks to all that posted the advice about what engine oil to use. When I posted last night I had no time to post a complete answer to his question.

I would have given him the same advice about dropping the pan and cleaning it. The point that I differ with some of you on is that I would not make the change to all detergent oil all at one time. I would do this over several oil changes. The method is called one quart at a time, decreasing the amount of none detergent oil one quart with every oil change. Thus increasing the detergent oil one quart at time with every oil change.

John F. Shireman

What about cars that have used 10W30 for the last 50 years? This includes practically all cars made after 1950 and many made before that.

I only recall ONE car maker that did NOT recommend multi grade oil. That was in the owner's manual of a VW beetle from the 50s.

The multi grade oils made back then would not stand up to the extreme high temps of the air cooled VW.

Of course today's smudge pots run much hotter than a 36HP VW so today's multi grades are OK even for air cooled engines.

OK JohnLaw,

You got more advise than anyone could expect for a weekend question. P53 suggested a way to gradually go to detergent oil over 5 or 6 changes. I suspect you already are using detergent or at least need to for those lifters.

Hope the ideas and article resources help. Ratings and ZDDP are changing and will over next years. Keep aware of that on websites and clubs newsletters. What brand Oil comes down to personal choice. CHeck out the options.

Most of all enjoy your Packard.
When we ain't fun, we're doing it wrong.

Enjoy
DanL

It is also fair to point out, that today's cars often go 200,000 miles or more on the "inferior" 10W30 or 10W40 oil. While the old cars were lucky to go 50,000 on good ol' straight #30.

This in spite of the fact that today's engines are much more stressed by high temps, inferior gas, and high power outputs than the easy going old timers.

It's time this old wive's tale was laid to rest.