Was low on oil in the 55 plymouth and all I had at the house was some old metal cans from way back when.2 out of the 3 were nice and clean,quaker state and valvoline, but the Rev oil was black and like tar.used the 2 good Dino blood cans.
Just sayin' We, Dad and I, ran the balls off a 283, with faithful changes of Quaker State. These days I keep seeing claims of NFG
I recall when plastic bottles started. My dad bought 5/6 quarts for an oil change. Afterwards he said “I don’t think I’ll ever buy a can again”! Well, wasn’t very long afterwards there were no more cans anyways. And I do still have that fill neck around too.
I’ve maybe 10 gallons of Delo 400 15/40 left in a 55 gallon drum I pump out of for my tractor. I only change the oil every few years, only sees maybe 15/20 hours a year now. I have an old oven in the back shop I put 6 quarts in a pot with holes in the lid, bake it at 200 for an hour. Probably wouldn’t fly indoors
See the old style can spouts at yard sales all the time. Most don't have the rubber seal at the end that keeps the oil from leaking out from the puncture. Or if they did it has long since rotted away.
When we bought my 59 chevy pickup in 1977, it had half a case of Rev oil in the cab. It burned a quart driving ten miles from the middle of Tucson, to where we lived on the edge of town. These pictures from the internet...but this is what it looked like then. I think Checker Auto was a dealer. Maybe it's a southwest thing.
That's exactly the can. I cracked it open. And poured a little out and it was like a black tar, so I didn't use it.
The service station I worked at had a lever tool mounted to the pump island that punched the can open and then I used a funnel to add oil.
I remember it being recycled used motor oil....even though it doesn't say on the can. I think it was about half price of new oil
I don’t miss punching oil cans with that spout tool. The tool got dull after a while and I would smush the side of the can every now and then.
Remember those oil can drain racks all garages used to have? Dump the oil in the customers engine quick so some doesn't flow out of the can. Tip it into the rack, and it would drain into one can at the bottom. After a day or two you'd have a full quart free. So it wasn't one exact oil, who cared when driving $100 winter beaters? The ones I drove leaked oil so fast that a mixture of 30, 40, 50 wt oil, didn't matter.
I remember working at a full service station and being taught the art of short sticking the dipstick so we could add a quart of empty oil we kept on the rack. Pretend to stick it with the spout and pour it in. Recheck the oil the right way and show them it was now right. For every 2 you sold you got to keep one. Every little bit helped back then.
Do the still call them a "Service Station" Over here that term should be considered a misrepresentation.
Hello, As I drove my initial Flathead powered 40 Ford Sedan Delivery, I had to put in a can of oil randomly. When I checked the oil a week or so later, it was low and needed another quart. Valvoline was the primary oil purchased at our neighborhood auto part dealer, down the street. but, after a while, each can seemed to be more expensive for a limited budget teenager. So, I found alternatives. The Flathead motor ran fine and did not have any leaks or smoke coming out of the pipes or any noticeable drip marks on our concrete pad in the backyard. I took it to several Flathead mechanics and they both said they wanted to rebuilt the motor, with all new parts, etc. That was good, but it was beyond my budget. Plus, it would have taken a lot of time away from our surf trips, during the summer. They were both puzzled as my motor was always clean and neat. We never had road side problems with the Flathead and the only thing was it lacked horsepower. But, that was a stock Flathead and it had about 80 hp. Jnaki So, I started using clean reclaimed oil, as the cost of a Valvoline can(s) used up a lot of surf trip money. So, to the nearby gas station and those 55 gallon giant pump refillable tanks to crank out a gallon of the oil. It looked like new Valvoline oil in color and texture. If I laid them side by side, they were the same. But, yes, it was labeled “reclaimed” oil. Processed locally, probably in Wilmington near Lion’s Dragstrip. And, yes there is a supposed time limit on old oil left sitting in a can or in a garage. But, no one ever did a lab test on that old oil versus new oil as to the lubing properties on any motor. But, it was a good replacement. The Flathead ran for 1000s of miles all over So Cal coastlines as far north as Santa Barbara and as far south as Baja, Mexico. Not one other problem rose in the 5 years of road trips and surf adventures. It just took the normal traveling gas and oil. It never smoked and the oil remained the same color and thickness as my brother’s Impala’s more costly Valvoline oil, which we changed as per necessary timing. The mysterious oil usage was puzzling, yes, but the miles I put on the Flathead motor in all kinds of weather and driving never failed me, which was good. YRMV
SA oil, no additives. Wal-Mart got sued because they used to sell SA oil, customers didn't bother to read the part that said "For engines made before 1932."
I get the question at least once a year. Is it okay to add another brand/weight oil if it's all I have. Always tell 'em it's better to have enough oil than to be a quart or two low and exact match.
The Jalopy Journal
