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Oil Weight Question - 1935/1936 - 851/852 Transmission & Columbia Axle ?

  • mikespeed35
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29 Sep 2020 03:34 #41080 by mikespeed35
I need to clarify my comments on multi viscosity oil. I suggested that the car doesn't get hot enough for the oil, lets say 10W40 to ever reach the 40 viscosity. I should of said that the OIL doesn't get hot enough to get to the 40 viscosity in most old cars.
CORDiallyMike

Mike Huffman
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28 Sep 2020 17:19 - 28 Sep 2020 17:26 #41078 by johnmereness
Thanks everyone - I will place my oil order this afternoon.

Having the 851 you all see us with at ACD festival , I thought I would share as the car has an aftermarket temp gauge on it so I have a pretty close idea of what it is doing all the time. The below seems consistent from the 40K miles we bought the car with to 50K miles when the head cracked and caused the need for second engine rebuild (long story, but timing was probably too advanced, the head cracked over 5 cylinders with a little 1/4 x 1/4 vee shape and water sucked into the cylinders was the end of the already worn out rings matched to car apparently having been fitted with incorrect sized/diameter pistons in first rebuild via former owner possibly misplacing a decimal point - and .... ); and is proving consistent in the couple of thousand we have put on car post engine rebuild.

I have an aftermarket gauge partially installed for the 852 - we live in a large city and I want to know what the car is doing.

The 851 has a 160 degree thermostat and that usually opens within about 5 minutes at the latest and I have an incorrect modern flex fan on the car (an engineer running that Black 851 Close Coupled Sedan/Brougham on The Great Race gave me the part number - I believe Glenn Peterson's son now owns the car). And I will run 165-ish degrees- when out on the road running at about 55mph on an 85 degree day. On anything warmer than 85 degrees it will be at 180 degrees. When I hit a stoplight(s) it will start to creep higher. The worst problems seem to be when I am out on the highway and then come to a dead stop for traffic - I have never had it go over, but it will start creeping toward 220 pretty quick (and have been fortunate I have not really had to test the waters). When we do the ACD Festival parade it will be pushing 220 degrees by the time we are parking at the Court House. Basically, the car likes to go. I like the 160 thermostat over the 180 as it will run colder than 180 often and I like the head start on it.

I will always remember the MKII Jaguar and being able to run the AC in it until we got close to any decent sized city and then we had to turn off the AC, let the car sort of settle in, and then hit town.

Sidenote: It helps to have a wire spring in the lower radiator hose too - the suction from the water pump will collapse the hose. Dad went out and bought a spring for me late last week after the fellow helping me threw a fit that the braided hose would not collapse and he thought I was wasting out time - well been there and done that (on 1941 Cadillac) and not doing that again on any car I ever own so it has a spring wire installed.

Sidenote: The engine oil discussion in the owner's manual is a pretty scary section - ie the part about at after 20,000 miles you should run 40 weight (or perhaps it says 50 weight) if you have not yet replaced the rings and the pistons.

Add'l Add'l sidenote: I tend to run this for engine oil (in everything but the Auburn) as it was a pet project among friends and dad in Indianapolis Region CCCA , inrccca.org/product/classic-car-motor-oil/ For 851 Auburn we were using a straight 50, but I think we are currently running a straight 30 in it and it is now on its second oil change and probably about time for another oil change and will go a straight 40.

JMM
Last edit: 28 Sep 2020 17:26 by johnmereness.

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  • RandyEma
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27 Sep 2020 22:47 #41075 by RandyEma
Hello Duesenberg called for 50 wt in the winter and 60 wt in the summer
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27 Sep 2020 18:58 #41072 by Curt Schulze
I am unsure how accurate our temp gauges actually are. I have run thru the parade on very hot days and the needle is in the 200+ range, but did not boil over. Rotilla T has worked for me in my Cummins and the Auburns. The 40W oil is a bit thick when it is chilly out. Something that us northerners experience.

The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.
Be of Good Cheer
Curt

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  • mikespeed35
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27 Sep 2020 17:32 #41071 by mikespeed35
I want to make a point about Multi viscosity oils. This comes from a conversation I had with Randy some years ago. I was using Rotella T 15W40 at the time. Modern engines run at 195 degrees and that is what multi viscosity oils are rated at. My cars ran a temp of 160 Degrees thus the oil never reaches 40W in viscosity. Rather much less than that. Straight weight oils start and finish a there single viscosity number, what ever that is. After Randy's input I changed to straight 40W. Something to consider.
CORDiallyMike

Mike Huffman

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27 Sep 2020 17:13 #41070 by mikespeed35
I use 85W140 in trans and diff. and Valvoline VR1 40W in engine, agreeing with Randy. So that's two of the ten guys.
CORDiallyMike

Mike Huffman

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  • RandyEma
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26 Sep 2020 18:21 #41065 by RandyEma
John . Here is my version. old engine 40wt non det ,new engine until broken in 40wt non det once broken in 40 wt det no multi viscosity. Trans and diff 90-140 gear oil

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  • johnmereness
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26 Sep 2020 15:33 - 26 Sep 2020 15:40 #41064 by johnmereness
Randy, I would agree on that !!!

Perhaps Mike Huffman will share - whatever works for him will work for me.

As to the problems with opinions, Mike is probably the most successful long term driver of an 851 (like in true driving - thousands of miles, all speeds, all conditions, and ....) - that is why I always like his opinion.

JMM
Last edit: 26 Sep 2020 15:40 by johnmereness.

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25 Sep 2020 17:49 #41060 by RandyEma
John. You ask ten guys and you will get ten different opinions. R

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25 Sep 2020 16:02 - 25 Sep 2020 16:03 #41054 by johnmereness
Hello, I am a touch rusty at this:

1. I want to put GL-1 in the Columbia - I assume 90 weight ?

2. I want to put GL-4 in the transmission and I also assume 90 weight ?

3. Do I want a straight or a Multi Viscosity ? And, if I want a multi-viscosity then what do I want in weight

4. Anyone have a favorite brand or ?

Thanks,

John

JMM
Last edit: 25 Sep 2020 16:03 by johnmereness.

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