[Ford-ferguson] Oil

[Mike Sloane]

For whatever reason, I received Steve's reply but not David's original 
message. My opinion would be to use Rotella 10W40 in that old Perkins 
engine. Not that there is anything wrong with synthetics (as long as 
they are diesel rated) but because of the cost - I am guessing that the 
Dexta would take about 8 quarts. Everything I have read about today's 
oil seems to indicate that Rotella is about the best thing you can put 
into a diesel engine these days. As it happens, I use NAPA "Fleet" oil, 
which is supposed to be very similar, and I use it in all of my 4 stroke 
engines, from lawn mowers to the V-8 diesel in my F-350.

By the way, there are several different oils that make up the Rotella 
product line, and not all of them are synthetic. see: 
<http://tiny.cc/rotella>

Mike

soffiler at ct.metrocast.net wrote:
> Hi David:
> 
> I think there are a few who still read this list.  It comes
> to me just like any other piece of email so I tend to read
> whatever happens to show up out of sheer routine.
> 
> I personally think synthetic MIGHT be a good choice,
> considering climate.  I run synthetic in my modern
> automobiles and it's amazing how easily they crank at 0F (it
> doesn't get much colder than that in southern New England).
> 
> Downside to synthetic is seal compatibility.  It works fine
> with modern equipment however I have heard unsubstantiated
> rumor about small leaks turning into big leaks on older
> machines.  You could try it and see what happens but that
> might turn into a rather expensive experiment.  I can't
> think of any clever way to determine if it'll work, short of
> trying it.
> 
> Another question is oil pressure once warmed up.  Older
> equipment tends to have looser clearances and calls for
> somewhat heavier oils to maintain adequate pressure.  I do
> seem to recall seeing a Mobil-1 0W-40 not too long ago,
> which seems to have both cold-starting and adequate warm
> viscosity covered.
> 
> I run Rotella 15W-40 in my modern Ford diesel utility
> tractor (23HP Ford/New Holland 1520HST circa 1990) but it's
> not synthetic.  Maybe there's another product by the same
> name that is synthetic.  Rotella has an excellent reputation
> and a smart marketing guy might start slapping it on a whole
> range of products, who knows.  Also, diesel engines seem to
> generally call for higher viscosities and I am not sure
> you'd find Rotella in a 0W or 5W.
> 
> Good luck.
> 
> Steve O.
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message Follows -----
> From: David <buchner at wcta.net>
> To: ford-ferguson at lists.antique-tractor.com
> Subject: [Ford-ferguson] Oil
> Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2007 12:36:34 -0600
> 
>> Does anybody still read this list?
>> I admit I've been pretty slack about it myself, usually
>> just letting  the digest sit there unread for a while and
>> then deleting it. I guess I  haven't been all that
>> enthusiastic about tractors lately -- just sounds  too much
>> like work. ;-)
>>
>> So anyway, I have a diesel -- a Fordson Dexta. Built about
>> 1960. I  mostly use it in the winter, in Minnesota, which
>> means it has to start  when it's umpteen-below-zero all the
>> time.
>>
>> I've probably asked this before, years ago, but does
>> anybody have  advice on modern oils and how they perform in
>> engines like this? I've  been using a good heavy duty 10W30
>> all year, but sometimes I wonder if  I and the machine
>> would be happier with switching to a 5W30-ish  synthetic
>> for the winter. For easier cold starting, and quicker 
>> lubrication during warmup. All I know that might affect
>> this choice is,  it manages to get fresh oil good and black
>> in a hurry, and that it  leaks quite a bit already.
>> I tend to think I'd be okay, as long as I picked out a
>> synthetic that  carries a high-lettered diesel service
>> grade. I've seen an oil called  "Rotella" which IIRC is
>> synthetic, for use in semis and the like. What  about that?