Type of oil

[FiredudeAT1]

What weight oil is supposed to be used in a gas engine on the Farmall Super A? Detergent? Thanks

 

[DJ54]

SAE 30. Whether detergent or non may depend on what the previous owner used if gotten from original owner but betting they switched to detergent somewhere along the line unless a purist. Take a good flashlight and pull the oil fill cap off the valve cover and look. If it's valve train is clean in there go with SAE 30HD (high detergent).

Some of mine that have been overhauled and have tighter bearing clearance I went with 15w/40. But most generally can't go wrong with SAE 30HD.

 

[FiredudeAT1]

I pulled oil pan, had maybe 1/8" of sludge on bottom of pan. Not sure what caused that unless not regularly changed. Didn't know if incorrect oil could have done it?

 

[DJ54]

For that old of a tractor that's probably not bad. Original owner may have used non-detergent, then somewhere along the line someone went with detergent washing it down over the years. I wouldn't be a bit afraid of going with SAE 30HD.

Just be sure when you change the oil filter to make sure the square shoulder oring at the filter canisters base is all cleaned out of that groove. I have an old ice pick I keep in the shop toolbox for specifically cleaning that groove. But I've picked up some picks at flea markets with a straight pick on one end and a 90º on the other that work well too. I usually poke a shop rag on the filter base hole to keep debris from picking those out on new to me tractors that seem to have been in there for years and get brittle and break out in little pieces.

 

[CliffordK]

There is a lot of discussion in the auto forums about flat tappets, and the recommendation of using oils with a zinc additive.

 

[DJ54]

There is a lot of discussion in the auto forums about flat tappets, and the recommendation of using oils with a zinc additive.

That's why many I guess as well as me use the 15W/40 diesel engine oil. Supposed to have a higher level of zinc added. I use Rural King's oil Providence Oil made by Warren Oil and actually the 15W/40 is less expensive than their SAE 30HD. Both have anti-wear additives. They cut back on the amount of zinc in engine oil in '94, from what I've read because it was known to plug catalytic converters. Not that we have to worry about that. Even Walmart brand oil has some pretty respectable qualities if you read their spec sheet. As long as they meet the API specs, it ought to be good. Of course, they do make zinc additives if it makes you feel better.

To be honest, it's probably more important to keep oil changed regularly using a quality brand oil according to hours along with a filter than paying big bucks for a high-performance oil in these old tractors. Personally, I'm more concerned with the shear factor of additives that prevent wear. So changing oil every Spring in my main used tractor ought to cover that except the Wheel Horse(s).

And again, to be honest I probably put more hours a year on my 1988 Wheel Horse than I do on the bigger tractors. At least 4-5 hours a week through the summer, plus being air cooled. I've been using the RK oil in it for the last 12 years, and that engine has not been touched other than replacing the original spark plug a couple years ago. It may use a 1/2 pint of oil between 50 hour oil changes, but not too shabby for being 35 years old.