The right engine oil

[capefarm]

Likely it's been covered before, but I'm relatively new to this forum.
I've been told not to use 10W30 oil in my Cub, only non-detergent, non-synthetic SAE 30. Is this correct?

[ricky racer]

10W-30 is fine. That's what I run. Non-detergent oil is meant for engines without filters. Detergent oils are made for engines with a filter which your Cub has.
Oh, welcome to the forum. You've found the best Cub website on the planet!!

[jsfarmall]

Welcome to the forum, lots of great knowledge here. Non detergent oil is what they originally ran on. Probably all that was there at the time. Detergent oils are just fine. I use rotella 15w 40. Was recently deciding on a cheaper oil but decided to stay with name brand. Main thing with oil is get a good quality and stay with it. That's what I'm doing.

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

If you know what was in it before, I suggest sticking with the same thing. If I rebuild one, I use 10w30 detergent oil in it.

[capefarm]

Thank you both so very much. I very much appreciate the knowledge available here. And perhaps I might add to it from experience in a place surrounded by the sea: When making up 'ground tackle' for our moorings in the Bay, we coat all threads in steel shackles, etc. with undiluted pine tar. That way they never ever seize, even when left underwater for months. I have done this when refastening parts during restoration of our '49 Cub, since it's likely to outlast me.

Thank you again.

[BigBill]

Winter oil and cub farmall or int154/184/185. 10-30wt, summer 15/40wt

Cub cadet summer oil 30wt, winter 10/30.

When not sure check the manufacturers owners manual.

[kully560]

I USE THE NEWER DIESEL ENGINE OIL 10W-30W AS IT HAS A HIGHER ZINC CONTENT . ROTELLA T4 10W-30W YOU CAN BUY IT AT AUTOZONE, TRACTOR SUPPLY

[Bermuda Ken]

I use what IH says to use.....30W LO-ASH oil. In gassers you need a lower sulfated ash content to ward off a large list of engine issues. The 10-30 and 15-40 oils in the world may/do NOT have this. Why risk a failure??

[inairam]

I use what IH says to use.....30W LO-ASH oil.

The oils available today were not even conceived of in the 1940s when the engine was designed and even the 1970 when they stop making the engine.

Any modern detergent multiweight or single weight oil from a name supplier is more than safe for the cub engine.

[Lt.Mike]

There’s lots of correct opinions on this but one thing is certain. The wrong oil and filter for the Cub is the oil that hasn’t been changed.
Anything’s a huge step up from that.

Me personally I’m a Mobil1 believer.

[radioguy41]

I use what IH says to use.....30W LO-ASH oil. In gassers you need a lower sulfated ash content to ward off a large list of engine issues. The 10-30 and 15-40 oils in the world may/do NOT have this. Why risk a failure??

Agree, IH 30W Lo-Ash. Multi-vis, diesel, or synthetic might work but I don't see an upside, and it would have to be a significant upside, for moving away from the mfg's recommendation.

The oils available today were not even conceived of in the 1940s when the engine was designed and even the 1970 when they stop making the engine.

That's true but the same could be said about manual transmission oil and you would never put the newest oil into an older manual tranny with yellow metal synchros because additives in it will destroy those synchros. Newer does not necessarily translate to better when applied to antique vehicles.

[inairam]

I think these engines are robust and not very picky. Short of running olive oil I think most of the motor oil you can buy at today will be fine.

I do agree that there are issues with gearbox oils related to sulfur but this discussion is motor oils.

[ntrenn]

I know they don’t like running with the crankcase full of hydraulic fluid...,

I run 15w40 year round...it will pump down to 10 below...good enough for me...

[kully560]

years ago the motor oils had a much higher zinc content for lube . with todays motors now required is low zinc content and 1% or less ash content that is why I use diesel engine oil

[BQUICK]

Valvoline VR1 racing oil, high zinc, 10w-30 winter, 20W-50 summer....may be over kill but why not?......