Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

Greetings Friends I have just purchased a Packard 1952 250 Mayfar, and joined your group, I have many questions as to how to care properly for my Packard. So what type and weight oil should I use in the Motor 327 ci, and type of oil filter, and any outet tips you might have so as to keep it running greatas it dose!Also it has Auto Trans what type of Trans Fluid dose it take Thanks Dale

Check out this thread and a lot of your questions will be answered.

https://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=1276&forum=3&post_id=10199#forumpost10199

So it is OK to use a Detergent motor oil in the 52's 327!

The quick answer to your question on detergent oil is NO NO.

To be one the safe use SAE 30 weight none detergent oil of a good quality type.

When I have on Sunday I will explain in full detail my answer of No, about using detergent oil is your Packard.

John F. Shireman

JohnLaw

Welcome to PInfo Website.

Detergent oil works fine.

If your 52 Mayf has not been run for a long time or especially if non-detergent oil was used by previous owner, you may want to drop the oil pan and see if there is sludge accumulation in the bottom. Clean it out.

Most owners use detergent oil. (See Big Kevins Oil Poll in the forum section)

If you choose to run detergent oil, do for a few hundred miles and see how quickly it picks up carbon and sludge. The color of the dipstick is a good indicator. If it gets very dirty quickly, then you can change it within a few hundred miles or 1000 miles. That first oil detergent change will really clean up an engine that had non-detertgent oil. My Clipper had not been run much at all for the last 15 years or more. I changed the oil, ran it less than 500 miles and changed it when it looked dirty. An oil is your cheapest and best protection bringing an engine back on the road.

Now some PInfo person who knows more than i do can take it from here. There are also tech advisories on PAC Regional websites. Here is Minnesota Packards tech section. Enjoy!!!

http://clubs.hemmings.com/clubsites/minnesotapackards/tech-menu.html

DanL

PS

When you get time, regfister your 52 on the Owner Registery. If you have a picture, upload it there, or do it later.

Again, glad to have you on board.

DanL

I'd select detergent oil as well, but as others have pointed out only after a thorough cleaning of the oil pan, pump screen, and perhaps the valve lifter area. Detergent oil is almost a necessity if your engine has hydraulic lifters.

Yes, absolutely, positively use detergent oil in your car, no if's and's or but's. Do follow DanL's recomendations of droping the pan and cleaning out the sludge. I'd also take a can of brake cleaner to the oil pickup while I was in there. Use the whole can on it, and get it nice and clean. This will prevent future cloggings by ensuring the pickup is free of debris. The pickup is really not that hard to take off, and it's cheap insurance.

I would then button it all back up and run a good quality oil, something like Valvoline, Castrol, Kendall, Havoline, or another good quality oil that you'd prefer. Also, keep to the oil change schedule that Dan pointed out, change the oil more frequently than you normally would, at least for the first 6000 miles or so. Detergent oil will clean out all the crap so well that in the end, your engine will thank you!

Detergent oil was available starting in 1947. By 1952 every major auto maker and oil company was recommending detergent oil.

I worked in a gas station in the 60s and every car used the 10W30 detergent oil. This was the automatic choice for oil changes and top ups.

So any car that was in use in the 50s and 60s had 10W30 in the crankcase. There is no reason to change to a cheap, inferior oil now.

The only people who used 30wt non detergent oil were cheapskates with worn out, oil burning clunkers. They didn't care what they put in their cars, they were only trying to keep them on the road and out of the junkyard for a little longer.

We kept bulk oil in glass bottles for them, it was 30wt non detergent.

I wish someone who has a 1952 Packard owner's manual could tell us what he factory recommends. I have the recommendations for Lincoln and Chrysler (detergent, multigrade oil) but not for Packard.

Incidentally there is some controversy about 10W30 oil because today's formulas contain LESS ant wear additives than they used to. This is because the additives poison the catalytic converters on oil burning engines. Today's engines with roller lifters and overhead cams don't require so much protection.

The result is some overhead valve, pushrod type engines with flat tappets are experiencing cam wear.

The precaution is to use Diesel oil which has the full load of anti wear additives.

Of course, good ol' straight non detergent 30wt has NO anti wear additives.

Your Packard is a flathead which should be fine on modern 10W30. But you could use an additive or diesel oil to be on the safe side.

There has been a lot of discussion of the transmission oil question. Some correspondents speak very highly of B&M brand non synthetic trans fluid. They report it cleans the trans inside, refreshes the clutch plates and makes the trans work like new.

It would be a good idea to service the trans and change the trans fluid to B&M in the interest of preserving its life and keeping it working perfectly.