Synthetic oil for the old CASE

[Greenfrog]

Have SC and DC.
Will Change oil this spring.
Was wondering if one should or could use a synthetic or synthetic blend in the old tractors.
I have a 1970 Ford truck and the oil change place recommended such oil for it. Seem to be fine.
That is what brought up this question.
Any thoughts?

 

[oldproudvet]

This is the big Chevy/Ford/Dodge (and for some of us Studebaker) question. Opinions all over the place. Personally, older engines, particularly those with babbit bearings, are slow speed engines with lots of bearing clearance compared to modern, and I'd use 60s and up as a timeline, I suppose. Seals are not even there, ie Ford flathead engines have no rear crank seal, prior to WW II. I use a 20/50 or 20/40 oil in my older eqpt. Today's cheapest oils are miles ahead of old technology. It's a viscosity thing and I know that synthetics would run out of an old engine as fast as you could poor it in. A DC may have been built in 1953, but the engines design is back in the 30s. Unless the engines been apart and a properly ground crank and bearings have been fit, don't even think of it. That ol SC has seen some hours. Poor filtering, no crankcase filter, other than mesh on the breather, poor air cleaning, meaning cylinder wear. Did the farmer change oil twice a year?

 

[Pastor John]

I also have a DC and SC two great tractors!

Comments on oil go way back on this forum if you want check archives

I think synthetic is expensive and using mine in parades and tractor rides merits conventional oil.


I believe in my circumstance changing the oil at regular intervals is more important

I change first thing out of the barn in the spring and if necessary late summer if I have the hours on it


Just my take on things

 

[point3dave]

My 02 Sable uses synthetic oil in it, and now the rear seal is leaking, My mechanic says ditch the synthetic and use 10-30 napa. Has 140,000
will see how this works. Dave

 

[casecollectorsc]

All the DCs and SCs and VACs and older get straight 30# oil. All the newer from the 200, 310, 400s up to the 4690 all get 15/40 oil here.

 

[Greenfrog]

Hey, your SC and DC look just like mine!,
Anyway, I think I posted this question once before but couldn?t find it in archives..
I think I??ll just stay with the 30 W. They sit a lot, and probably need to change more based on calendar time rather than hours of use.
Nice pict

 

[Greenfrog]

Pastor John,
What year are they?
Mine: DC is 52; SC is 42
Nice pair, nice pict

 

[L.Fure]

I use the store brand 10w40 in all my tractors, or whatever is on sale. Pastor John is right about changing oil yearly if you don't run your tractor very often.

As a side note. I use synthetic oils when I overhaul vintage watch movements. The price for this type of watch oil is $22-$24.00 for a quarter ounce. Good thing motor oil isn't priced that high.

 

[PartsMan79]

Synthetic is handy in an old motor that burns oil.
It won't smoke near as bad.

 

[Pastor John]

The SC is a 1949 I have owned it for about seven years and is a strong runner. I have over 3000 miles seat time on it

The DC is a 1950 I have owned it for over a year. I will probably make this my go to tractor ride fun this summer

Both have modified rearends for faster road speeds

I use straight 30 wt in both

 

[VAC400]

With todays oils I run 15W40 in all my tractors, trucks, and cars. One oil is easier to control than many oil cans. Synthetic oil has been around a long time . When I worked for the power company there bulldozers used it 30 years ago. It is what you are comfortable with. Jerry from Ohio

 

[fixerupper]

Those old girls, with their loose bearing tolerances, slow revs and low horsepower per cube need heavy oil. I have a hunch if you use thin runny synthetic you won’t see much oil pressure at idle.

 

[WGM]

Fords use 5W20. Forget what your mechanic says.

 

[WGM]

Make that 5W20 synthetic blend.

 

[Adirondack case guy]

Forget that high-tech crap, and put regular old oil in it. You ain't going to make your living with that old tractor. It will do fine with regular oil, for your needs.
Loren

 

[Greenfrog]

Interesting about the price of watch oil....
I saw a chart once about the price of various products by the gallon....
Actually considering the cost of a bottle of water, converting that to a gallon, it costs
more than gasoline, and you can go down the road a lot farther on a gallon of gas than a gallon of water!!
Anyway, I remember from the chart that Pepto-Bismol was like 74$ a gallon!!! 😟🤔

Anyway, I think I will stay with the 30w

 

[Greenfrog]

Google: ?The price of various products per gallon?
There are several links listed.......