Newbie Tractor Owner Gets An Old Diesel Tractor, recommendations for engine oil

[mo1]

The manual has temperature- based recommendations for straight-weight oils.
— SAE 30 for 80F+
— SAE 20 for 32F to 80F
— SAE 10 for -20f to 32F
— (I am staying in bed if I need the SAE 5...)

What are you using for your tractors? The bulk of my use will hopefully all be above freezing...

Thank you!

Generally 15W-40 has been recommended as the replacement for older four-stroke diesel engines that originally recommended SAE 30. Deere specifically says in their documentation they recommend using 15W-40 in place of SAE 30. You could also use pretty much any diesel engine oil with a 30 or 40 as the second number (e.g. 10W-30, 5W-40, etc.). It just needs to be a diesel engine oil with an API spec starting with a "C" and not a gasoline engine oil with an API spec starting with an "S." If the bulk of your work is above freezing, I would just get a 15W-40 diesel oil.

The API has retroactively changed the oil specs from what they were in the past. The first ones were after WWII if I remember correctly, and they were ML, MM, and MS (light, medium, severe.) Diesel engines used MS and sometimes MM, gasoline engines may have specified any of of those. I believe in the 1960s they introduced the current-type "S" specifications for gasoline engines and "C" for diesel engines. 1960s diesel oil specs were typically CC or CD. Newer specs supersede older ones so somebody running a 1960 tractor could run about any diesel engine oil available today and be more than fine. The only ones who really need to look carefully would be people with Tier 4 tractors, running anything older than CJ-4 can kill the particulate filter and catalyst. I haven't seen anything older than CJ-4 in some time as that came out 20 years ago, and virtually everything now on the shelves for diesel engine oil is the latest CK-4 spec.

EDIT: The Case logo there is called "Old Abe." That went away in the mid-1960s but Case did fairly recently reintroduce a different eagle logo on their construction equipment.

 

[KilroyJC]

I agree dino is good, I do use a synthetic in a 4020 due to I dont have to temp change and easier winter starts and its got a turbo, it loves it and I sampled. Here is my take,,,, if its decent and tight I would change the oil with Wix filter and forget about it except to check it. The reason for the change now is to know the score so to speak and start off fresh. Its not likely a given tractor will see lots of work, a change now with an engine not leaking coolant could be good for the life of the unit or the owner.

I topped off the coolant today and let it run for about a half hour. Tomorrow I will check it dead cold and see what the level is.

good idea on a fresh oil change to get a “zero” and start fresh. Probably do the same with the hydro oil and filter, too.

I just love how easy this tractor starts - it seems to take off on the third revolution every time!

 

[KilroyJC]

Generally 15W-40 has been recommended as the replacement for older four-stroke diesel engines that originally recommended SAE 30. Deere specifically says in their documentation they recommend using 15W-40 in place of SAE 30. You could also use pretty much any diesel engine oil with a 30 or 40 as the second number (e.g. 10W-30, 5W-40, etc.). It just needs to be a diesel engine oil with an API spec starting with a "C" and not a gasoline engine oil with an API spec starting with an "S." If the bulk of your work is above freezing, I would just get a 15W-40 diesel oil.

The API has retroactively changed the oil specs from what they were in the past. The first ones were after WWII if I remember correctly, and they were ML, MM, and MS (light, medium, severe.) Diesel engines used MS and sometimes MM, gasoline engines may have specified any of of those. I believe in the 1960s they introduced the current-type "S" specifications for gasoline engines and "C" for diesel engines. 1960s diesel oil specs were typically CC or CD. Newer specs supersede older ones so somebody running a 1960 tractor could run about any diesel engine oil available today and be more than fine. The only ones who really need to look carefully would be people with Tier 4 tractors, running anything older than CJ-4 can kill the particulate filter and catalyst. I haven't seen anything older than CJ-4 in some time as that came out 20 years ago, and virtually everything now on the shelves for diesel engine oil is the latest CK-4 spec.

EDIT: The Case logo there is called "Old Abe." That went away in the mid-1960s but Case did fairly recently reintroduce a different eagle logo on their construction equipment.

Thank you for the complete explanation as well as the logo trivia - i love info like that!

 

[RalphVa]

The manual has temperature- based recommendations for straight-weight oils.
— SAE 30 for 80F+
— SAE 20 for 32F to 80F
— SAE 10 for -20f to 32F
— (I am staying in bed if I need the SAE 5...)

What are you using for your tractors? The bulk of my use will hopefully all be above freezing...

Thank you!

A 0w or 5w30 would be good for all those temps. Can get 5w30 at VW dealerships for diesels. I get 0w30 M1 ESP from Advanced Auto.

 

[mo1]

A 0w or 5w30 would be good for all those temps. Can get 5w30 at VW dealerships for diesels. I get 0w30 M1 ESP from Advanced Auto.

I should also say to be careful with any *W-30 diesel engine oil (0W-30, 5W-30, 10W-30, etc.) that you check the specification carefully, particularly if it is a diesel engine oil for newer cars and on-road trucks. There are two sets of different and non-interchangeable API specs for these weights of oils, the common "C" spec oils such as CK-4 and then the new "F" family specification FA-4 oils designed for certain 2017 and newer on-road engines in order to meet fuel economy mandates. Do not get an FA-4 spec oil unless you are running a diesel engine specifically designed for it as the high-temperature, high-shear performance of the FA-4 oil is well below spec of current CK-4 oils (and if I remember correctly, below spec for older "C" specs as well) and you could damage your engine in using it.

 

[Williy]

Use a 15W-40 you will not have to change
for the winter or summer as you will be covered
and I would not be using the synthetic just
straight 15W-40 diesel. should be fine

willy

 

[RalphVa]

15w40 is goo in the winter. Cranking speeds will be about 60% slower than almost any other oil. Use at least a 10w40. 5w or 0w40 would be better. Unless you don't mind having your overhead valve train smoke when starting cold. Of course, you'd never see it.

 

[mo1]

15w40 is goo in the winter. Cranking speeds will be about 60% slower than almost any other oil. Use at least a 10w40. 5w or 0w40 would be better. Unless you don't mind having your overhead valve train smoke when starting cold. Of course, you'd never see it.

Real goo would be mono-grade SAE 30 in the winter.

The manual's recommendations list SAE 30 for >80 F, SAE 20 for 32 F to 80 F and SAE 10 for -20 F to 32 F. The relevant ASTM specifications differ for testing "winter" oils vs. regular oils, and for a multiviscosity oil, they run the oil through all of the tests to get both the "cold" numbers and "hot" numbers. Thus, I cannot find data for the cold pumping viscosity for SAE 20 or SAE 30 since those "regular" oils do not have to meet the "winter" specs and aren't tested. However, if the 40 C viscosities are any indication, SAE 20 is going to be noticeably more viscous when cold than 15W-40 so I would not feel uncomfortable running it where you would otherwise use SAE 20 per the manual. Also, any modern oil is going to be a whole lot better oil than what was around in the early 1960s and that includes residual film protection on cold starting.

 

[Number15]

Kirkland HDEO has a pour point of -36C and better cP rating at -20C (6010) than some 5w do at -30C (6600(limit)) The Kirkland has a pumping viscosity of 20000cP at -25C which is below the limit of 60000cP
While if I was at that temp I would not use a 15w40 I feel comfortable to 0C, 32F and occasionally a little lower.
BTW that is almost exactly the cP of molasses at 73F

It's about pumpability at these temps and not so much about flow. Most other modern oils perform the same or better.