Since I got my Cub, I've been trying to stick to the low ash engine oil that was in it when I bought it. Problem is, I have nowhere near me to get this oil anymore. My question is, is the low ash a must for these tractors or can I just use a straight SAE 30 and move on without worry?
Engine oil for Cub
- Thread starter NewCubGuy
- Start date
ricky racer
501 Club
No. Any quality engine oil will be sufficient for your Cub. Most of us who use our Cubs throughout the year run a multi viscosity oil in them.
ricky racer
501 Club
Straight weight or multi viscosity are fine, either one. I use my Cub year round, plowing snow in the winter as well as chores during the summer heat. I run 10W-30 in mine but many run whatever they use in their other vehicles. There is certainly nothing wrong with running a straight weight oil either, it's just personal choice. Oils have improved greatly since your Cub was made.
ricky racer
501 Club
As far as lubrication goes, some of the most over looked items are the fan hub, clutch throw out bearing, distributor housing and generator bushings. There are sections in the owners manual describing how to service each one. If you've recently purchased a Cub, you can assume all of those have been neglected. The TOB should be greased at least yearly with the little use you say yours gets.
havoc1482
501 Club
Not a Cub, but same idea: I've been using Valvoline 5w-30 High Milage synthetic blend in my '48 Super A for years. Its what I also put in all my cars. Most people just put in whatever they use for other machinery. I worked on a farm where everything got Rotella-T 15w-40 because it was easier to get a "one-size-fits-all" drum of oil. We ran Cubs, a BN, a few Cs, Hs, and diesel JDs, Masseys, and Kubotas.
Lots of good info here, thanks. I’m plowing with this tractor on Saturday after which it will sit on the trailer in a shelter until spring. I’ll probably do an oil change on it then. Probably only has around 20 hours on this oil but it’s a couple of years old now. I got some time to think about it.
I put part of a quart of new 30 weight motor oil in my freezer for about a day, to see how it poured out of the bottle.
I was surprised, it got so thick, it was really slow coming out of the bottle. I don't see how a Cub, or any other engine oil pump could make it move much.
If you have a quart of 30 weight motor oil, put it in your freezer a day, and try to pour it, in a clean pan or something.
Below is a page from the 1955 Cub operator's manual, showing what oil to use, before multi weight oils were in the manual. It says don't use 30 weight oil until above 80 degrees.
https://farmallcub.club/rudi/farmallcub.com/rudi_cub/www.cleancomputes.com/Cub/Cub Owner's Manuals/McCormick Farmall Cub Tractor Operator's Manual 1-5-55/Page-17.jpg
Probably many Cub engines are worn, and could use thicker oils than in the manual, but 30 weight in cold weather is too thick, my opinion.
The multi weight oils are probably better.
I run Valvoline VR1 20w50 in my 59 LoBoy used for mowing only because I have it for other engines. It's never been apart and although I have never checked it with a regular pressure gauge, when I used 10w30 judging by the oem gauge it seems low when it's really hot out. Just touch the starter when it's warm out it starts, but down around 60 it struggles which doesn't matter since I don't have to cut grass then. My 49 Farmall Cub which had an engine fresh years ago I always used 10w30 in the summer but when used for winter snow plowing switched to 10w because of hard starting at 0 and below. After many years figured out the hard start issue and switched back to 10w30.
The "W" part of a viscosity designation stands for "winter". For any cold weather use, you should use a "W" viscosity, whether it is straight 10W or a 20W as part of a 20W50 rating or anything else. By the way, "20" is (or maybe WAS by now) the only defined viscosity that can be either with or without the "W". From a theoretical point of view, it is possible to have a 20W20 oil. I don't know if anyone ever actually produced it.
My "use it in everything" oil is 10W30. In the past, I have plowed snow using a tractor filled with straight 30. I considered it okay because the tractor was parked in a building at 40 degrees. I didn't think sub-zero pour points really mattered in that situation.
My "use it in everything" oil is 10W30. In the past, I have plowed snow using a tractor filled with straight 30. I considered it okay because the tractor was parked in a building at 40 degrees. I didn't think sub-zero pour points really mattered in that situation.