Oil quantity

[simplyconnected]

Anyone know what type of oil to put in a 58 Thunder bird? Auto shop told me to put 10/15 diesel oil in it?

Your man is looking for the most ZDDP he can get absent oil additives. Your engine was built to run high Zinc and Phosphorus content oil. Unfortunately, that eats up catalytic converters, so oil companies took it out and engine manufacturers stopped making flat tappet engines. To make things worse, you engine was engineered to run on LEADED gas, which is also not available.
- Dave

[Jemard]

Thank you. Wanted to make
sure I wasn’t doing something wrong.

[jopizz]

A lot of us use Rotella T 15W-40 diesel oil. That's probably what he means.

John

[Jemard]

Anyone know what type of oil to put in a 58 Thunder bird? Auto shop told me to put 10/15 diesel oil in it?

[Eric S]

John

it looks like too much numbers for me

[jopizz]

I already answered your question. See post #8.

John

[Eric S]

Thank you for the pictures.
Do you confirm 55 to 57 use the same dipstick?

[simplyconnected]

Here are pictures of the three Y-Block oil pans.

Y-BlockOilPans.jpg

The truck pan is on top, Ford car is gray, and the T-bird pan is red.

Y-BlockOilPans2.jpg
(same oil pans from the inside)

[Eric S]

He has to find a way to check and measure but he broke his shoulder and may be slow in coming back.
I forwarded him the information.

[simplyconnected]

All Y-block oil pans bolt up to Y-blocks. The difference is how the crossmembers and steering linkage are situated. Ford cars use a front sump but 'truck' and 'T-bird' pans use a rear sump. So they have different pickups, but they all have the same oil capacity. My '59 Galaxie has a front sump and the dipstick is in my timing cover, but your friend's T-bird may have a 'block' dipstick tube.

Does his dipstick hit the bottom of the oil pan or is there an obstruction?

[Eric S]

Thank you I will explain my friend. But he may also have a non Thunderbird Oil Pan.

What is the difference in capacity for each different oil pan? Since there is "only" 2 tube/dip stick and 3 oil pans, should we assume 2 oil pans has the same capacity?

So Thunderbird 55-57 is 18" 43/64 for tube and 28" 1/16 for dip stick and on other Fords it is 16" & 26" 9/64

All 3 years TB and both engines are the same lengths?

[simplyconnected]

Yes, '55-'57 Thunderbirds use the same oil pans but they are unique to 292 and 312 Thunderbird. Those old used pans also fetch as much as $500, just for the oil pan.

[jopizz]

1955-57 Thunderbirds use a different tube than standard Fords. The part number is B5S-6754-B and it is 18 43/64". They also use a different dipstick; part number B5S-6750-B and it is 28 1/16"

John

[Eric S]

I assume the oil quantity depends on the oil pan.
Is it the tube at 16"? John said18 43/64!?
Is it your Galaxie that has a Y block?

[simplyconnected]

Y-blocks had their dip stick in two different locations. My '59 is in the timing cover, on the passenger's side. Other Y-blocks had their dip stick in the side of the block (B5A 6754-A) and it is 16-inches long. The dip stick (C2AZ 6750-C) is approximately 26-9/64" overall length.

Y-blocks had three different oil pans, one for cars, trucks, and Thunderbirds. - Dave