Multi Viscosity High Detergent Oil
vs.
Single Viscosity Non-Detergent Oil

By JOHN ROWE & BRETT WINBERG

John Rowe speaks out about engine oils…………..1955 to 1957 technical adviser for OEM Manufactures.

Although this is an older article, I found it to be very interesting in seeing the advances of today’s motor oils and the requirements of the new EGR engine oil needed to help extend engine life and components. And now... the article:

How many times have we asked ourselves which is better for our "Little Birds" the new oils available on the market today for example 10-30 or perhaps 10-40 both high detergent oils; or what the manufacture called for some 40 plus years ago, straight 30-weight oil that was non-detergent. The dilemma, what to use without hurting the engine in the car. Some people will tell you the engine was designed for non-detergent oil and never, never use high detergent oil. I say hogwash.

The fact of the matter is that high detergent oils were not available at the time of manufacture for our cars and the non-detergent oils were the best oils available. Technology has come a long way since our cars were manufactured, and improvements in tires, suspension, shocks, steering and brakes to mention a few are seen in many of our "Little Birds ". So why not the oil, the lifeblood of our car.

Have you ever removed a valve cover from a car using non-detergent oil? If you have, you would have noticed a build up of sludge around the valve cover itself and also around the valves; common sense tells us this cannot be a good thing.

A very good friend of mine who has owned his 1957 Thunderbird since 1971 swore by non-detergent oil. One day we took his valve covers off to adjust the valves and found that there was so much sludge around the valves that we had to clean the valves and the covers before we could even think of adjusting the valves. The drain holes for the oil were blocked almost completely. When we removed the oil pan it had a quarter inch of sludge built up in it and the oil pump was partially blocked. He now uses high detergent oil and has been doing so since 1990. His engine thanks him every time he starts it up.

To make it simple think of the sludge as cholesterol in your heart or arteries. This is not good and in fact can kill you. Well the same is true for the engine in your car. Too much sludge or cholesterol can kill your engine. High detergent oils are a good thing for our cars; they keep the engine running clean and by doing so keep it running just a little cooler. I have been using 10-30 and 10-40 high detergent oil in my "Little Bird" for the past 10 years. The only difference I notice is that the engine runs and starts better then ever. There is no build up of sludge and I burn no oil. I remove my valve covers every spring to clean them and I have zero build up of any residue. My car has more power and I basically drive trouble and worry free.

Another advantage of high detergent oil besides the fact that it is constantly cleaning the engine is extremely basic. With the non-detergent oil of yesterday, our cars are not being driven daily. Our cars are not being driven long distances. We do not allow our engines to run at operating temperature for long periods of time. These are all basic requirements of non-detergent oil.

The fact is that the oil in our engines reaches operating temperature for only a short period of time. This in and of itself encourages sludge build up with non-detergent oil. With the high detergent multi viscosity oils of today, we do less damage at start up, (10 weight vs. 30 weight) as the engine warms the viscosity changes to suit the engines needs. The detergent is working all the time thus increasing the engine life. We need not take the car out for a lengthy spin to get the oil up to operating temperature so it can properly lubricate the engine.

I know some of us are of the die-hard variety and need to be convinced that high detergent oils are good for our cars. For those ole folk who resist change, I would suggest removing your valve covers, and perhaps your oil pan. If you find no sludge build up, I bow to your wisdom. However; if you do find sludge build up, treat your car to a classy oil change, go high tech, go high detergent multi-viscosity. Thanks John Rowe.

The Point Of It All
As technology advances and engines are made from a different mold, you can see why your oil selection is a very important part of the vehicles lifeline. Imagine if your blood type was Type O positive and you added a pint of AB Positive, your body would reject the blood and catastrophic failure could occur (heart attack or death) so remember when a manufacture states to use a CI 4 oils for your diesel or a SJ rating for your newer gasoline engine, they have done the testing to verify that this is the oil needed for your application.

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