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['59 Jim]

Hello again those with knowledge,

I have a couple of quick questions. When I change the oil, what is the correct weight to buy, and what should I look for/avoid? I will pull off the oil pan the first time to look at the screen. Thank you for that post a while back by the way. The manual (1959) says 10W or 20W for Memphis-type weather. Would 10W-30 be okay? Also, does anyone know where I can buy a new steering wheel? I've done some looking, and it's been fruitless thus far.

Thank you again in advance,
Jim

[Guest]

Hey Jim,
10w-30 is what I put in Christine. Also need to add some zinc to the oil. Might want to talk to Ray (Yellowrose) about your steering wheel, he got someone, I think, to refinish his!
Richard D. Hord

[YellowRose]

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Hi Jim!

First of all, about oil.. Here is what simplyconnected had to say about oil and zinc in a recent post.

"Everyone is an authority on oil. I am not, but I know our flat-tappet engines really depend on zinc as a 'last resort' for engine wear due to lack of lubrication.

Just about any engine oil with '40' (like 10W-40) in the numbers has 1,000ppm of ZDDP (Zinc Dialkyl-Dithio-Phosphate). I use Rotella-T 15W-40 for several reasons. ZDDP content, lubricity, low ash, detergent cleanliness, cost, it beats every API rating, etc.

This oil is NOT recommended for cars with catalytic converters because the platinum substrate can't deal with phosphorus and zinc.

BTW, 'low ash' is a result from burned oil. Remember, piston rings rotate by design. Randomly, the end gaps align causing a blow torch affect down the cylinder which burns oil. Low ash will inhibit sludge which clogs your pickup screen. - Dave"

So, if was me, I would go with Rotella-T 15W-40 because it is my understanding that only the -40 weight oils still have that much ZDDP zinc in them. The other weights have had the amount of zinc reduced greatly.

Now for steering wheels. Original or replacement steering wheels are hard to come by. However, Jed Zimmerman, here on our Forum, restores your old steering wheel to like new condition. He did mine and others, and they look like brand new steering wheels. If he has any spares, he can mail you one, and you send him yours after you get his. That way, your car will not be out of commission very long while he restores your steering wheel. If he has no spares, then you will have to send him yours and wait for him to get it back to you. You will find his listing in the Advertisement Forum below. He also makes all the seat foams for our 1958-1966 Tbirds. Most Tbird parts houses buy their foam stock from him!

['59 Jim]

Thank you gentlemen

Thanks guys,

I guess I will get the Rotella 15 W-40 then. Do I still need to add zinc to it? When I pull the pan, any big warnings besides don't get oil on me? Okay, not too much anyway, I am not a neat worker, especially under a car. The filter looks like the FL1A Fram, is that it? I took Mae (like West because of how guys look at her) to a gathering, and I was about the center of attraction. I am enjoying this more by the day, thanks guys!

Jim

[YellowRose]

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Hi Jim, If you use a 15W-40 engine oil and Rotella-T is a good one, you will not need to add any ZDDP to it. The -40 series oils have sufficient amount of ZDDP in it to protect these old engines. Some of the guys on here who are really great mechanics can correct me if I am wrong. They can also tell you how to go about taking that pan off safely and perhaps cleanly!

Yes, these old Tbirds really do draw a lot of attention. Younger people have no clue what you are driving. Older ones will tell you they used to have one just like it and then ask you what year it is! Even though the license plate frame says it is a '58 or a '59 or a '60 or whatever it is! Enjoy it to the hilt!

[tbird430]

I'd lose the Fram oil filter & go back with a new Motorcraft or even a new Mobile 1 or K&N oil filter this 1 time (after cleaning out the oil pan).

[LuckyJay]

I'm pretty sure that the Motorcraft Oil Filter IS the FL1A. The Fram number would be PH-8A. None the less, choose the MotorCraft.

[Astrowing]

From what I remember, the Frams used to be really good and the filters of choice, but they changed vendors back in the 80's and now they are not very good.

[YellowRose]

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If you want to learn more about oil and oil filters visit this thread and the studies that bcomo put up several years back. Keep in mind, that studies by the knize family were taken off after it was said they were being threatened by a lawsuit. But not all of them.... Click on those links and you will find one on page 3, I think it was, that still works, and others also.

http://www.squarebirds.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=3082&highlight=Motorcraft+oil+filters

['59 Jim]

Thanks again.

Thank you all for your help. It looks like I will go with the Mobil 1 filter, and the Rotella 15W-40, unless someone has a better combination, or a reason this won't work. Again thank you all for helping this new guy get his T-Bird moving in the right direction.

Jim

[Guest]

I use 10W- 40W Exxon ( i know bad word ) and a fram filter.

[JohnG]

Good choices!! The Mobil 1 is a synthetic filter, meaning it may filter out smaller particles.

Did you say you were pulling the pan off?? If so, then while it is off, thoroughly clean the pickup screen! See old posts about some of the potential disasters lurking there (mine being one). Better yet, think about a new oil pump.

The pan is a little challenging to remove. You have to unbolt the 2 engine mounts and then jack the motor (or lift) up a tad. You may have to also rotate the crank by hand to get the counterweights out of the way. But if the pickup screen is clogged, you have done yourself a great service. If not, you still have piece of mind.

John

[simplyconnected]

I totally agree with JohnG. A clogged pickup screen can ruin a perfectly good engine.

How old is your engine (in terms of miles)? Back in the day, many car owners used straight-weight, non-detergent, oil. Excessive engine heat usually makes sludge by breaking down the oil.

Your oil goes through the pump BEFORE the filter. If small metal particles are in the oil, the pump will embed them in the rotors. While you are cleaning your pan and pickup tube, pull the oil pump off and inspect the rotors inside. I think you will be amazed at how messed up it can be (and still work).

Macsautoparts.com sells just the parts that wear in a kit for $19.00.

For twenty bucks, your oil pressure will be restored to 'new' condition! That's a deal!

I have a theory about all oil filters. Never depend on ANY of them. The real filtration happens when you change your oil every 3,000 miles. Most of your oil never gets filtered. Yep, that's right... that paper element can't possibly filter even half the oil that gets pumped, especially when your oil is cold. Race engines have TWO filters plumbed in parallel.

European cars (like Fiat and VW) didn't have filters in the old days, they had screens. I was shocked to learn this. Then another shocking discovery... the pump has a pressure relief valve that dumps excess pressure back to the oil pan, and that oil never sees the filter, either.

So, have you ever heard of a disgruntled buyer who returned an oil filter saying, "I want a refund because this thing didn't do its job."? I haven't either.

Change your engine oil religiously at 3k, and the filtration will be a moot issue. Here's another shocker... rear end lube: It rarely EVER gets changed, and it usually has glitter-like flakes of metal floating around in it. - Dave

[vernz]

Does anybody know if there is a rebuild kit for the 430 oil pump? I plan on dropping my pan to check/clean the pickup screen and never thought about rebuilding the oil pump whil in there.

Vern

[JohnG]

first thing might be to look up part numbers and see if it is the same pump as the 352. That would be nice!