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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / 51 Ford Custom - Rebuild Start-up

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Discussion Topic: 51 Ford Custom - Rebuild Start-up

Jules51

03-06-2017 @ 6:35 AM

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Morning all; I'm restoring my grandfathers 51 and have completed the following: engine rebuilt; trans w/OD rebuilt plus many of the other standard processes. My questions:
1-Engine - what is recommended for oil and any additive for the start-up and when should I drain it?
2-Trans: I used Sta-Lube SL-40; filled both OD and Trans compartments, let set to equalize - I'm curious to know what is standard qty?
3-Radiator - looking to replace; Copper and Brass Construction or Aluminum Radiators? Also, read about wetting additives - recommended or not?
Also, any other best practices before start-up?

Thanks
Jules51

TomO

03-06-2017 @ 8:00 AM

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Talk to your rebuilder about the engine oil. If you follow his recommendations, he will not have wiggle room if something goes wrong. I would not use any additives in the oil, unless the rebuilder recommends them. Some additives will help clear up a problem, but most of them are bad for the major companies oil additives. The most important thing you can do to extend engine life and reduce sludge is to run the engine until it fully warms up, every time you start it. This means driving about 20 miles each time. If you can't do this, the next best is to run it on a long trip regularly.

Unless your core is leaking or the fins are lose, I would just have the radiator cleaned. If the core is bad, then a quality re-core is best. The wetting agents do work somewhat, but the most important part of the cooling system is a good c;ean radiator with the same coolant capacity as the original. My 1953 Lincoln has the original radiator and it stays right in the normal range in all temperatures.

Tom

len47merc

03-06-2017 @ 9:47 AM

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Tom gives very good advice concerning asking your engine and transmission Builders what you should use. In that regard I will only add from experience that using a break in oil for 500 miles does help everything to set more quickly and then subsequently run the next Oil Change of Quality national brand detergent 10W-30 for a Thousand Miles and beyond that normal protocol.

Regarding water wetters I've tried several and done a matrix study at various concentrations of water wetter in pure distilled versus water wetter and coolant with distilled and my personal results show they are of minimal value. Unless you're just running pure water with them there's really no need, except perhaps for your personal peace of mind. It seems the best application for water wetters is in racing applications where you are not running any antifreeze. To Tom's point the best solution for optimum cooling is an Optimally operating cooling system - radiator, water pumps, thermostats, clean block, etc., and a modest concentration of antifreeze meaning 75/25 distilled/coolant (assuming your local conditions allow for a lower concentration).

Steve

This message was edited by len47merc on 3-6-17 @ 12:36 PM

carcrazy

03-06-2017 @ 4:03 PM

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My answers to your questions are:
Run the oil and break-in additives that the engine rebuilder recommends. If he doesn't offer a recommendation,
I would run a good quality SAE 20 weight detergent oil with Red Line engine oil break-in additive. The engine will be wearing in and particles will be accumulating in the oil. After the first 500 to 1000 miles I would change the oil and filter and run whichever oil you want along with the Red Line additive which contains the proper quantities of ZDDP additives to reduce premature wear of the cam lobes and tappet sliding friction surfaces.
For the overdrive transmission, I would run the an API GL-1 SAE 90W mineral gear oil. Use this oil in both the main transmission and the overdrive unit mounted on the rear of it as their oil cavities are interconnected. The GL-1 oil required for the O/D trans. is available from NAPA in 1 gallon containers as part no. 65-201. Your local store may not have it in stock but they can order it for you. It costs about $15 per 1 gallon container.
For the radiator I would run distilled water and as much anti-freeze as you require to prevent freezing in the area where you live. If you are in an area which never experiences freezing temperatures, just run distilled water with a little water pump lubricant to prevent corrosion. Distilled water is the best coolant. Anti-freeze is required to prevent freezing and is useful to raise the boiling point of the coolant. As others have stated the use of water wetting agents is of questionable value - I would avoid them. For the rear axle, use a good quality name brand API GL-5 80W-90 Hypoid Gear Oil from Valvoline or Pennzoil. Hope this helps.

sarahcecelia

03-07-2017 @ 11:15 AM

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