MTFCA Forum

I will change oil in my rebuilt 26 engine, in the spring, does anybody flush their engine, if so what with? I put a dam in the crankcase just aft of the rod dip pan and will loosen it to drain all the oil out.

You could jack the front of the car up. Anything that you would use beside the same oil you are running would still remain behind the dam. I don't have a dam, but jack mine up and flush by pouring about a half qt+ thru the filler hole in front. When the new oil starts coming out the drain, install the plug, drop down and fill. Other option would be install drain plugs that were flush with the bottom of the dipper trays, so if dipper are install on rods, will not hit them.

Flush? No, never.

Yes. “Motor flush” can be bought by the quart at auto parts stores such as NAPA , advanced Auto and Auto Zone. Add it to the oil, start the car and run until the oil gets warm. Supposedly the flush gets to all parts of the engine and cleans out the old oil in preparation for filling with new oil. When I did mine, I bought two quarts, did it once, drained some oil out, added another quart of flush and ran the engine somemore. Did a good job cleaning the inside of the engine before the oil change. Jim Patrick

First I've heard of that cleanser, Jim - I just cleaned out a TT engine that had been parked for 26 years wasn't too bad but there was alot of crud around & under the horse shoes ! Might consider that !

An old trick to clean an engine is to use kerosene. People would use that before it got higher in cost. Pour in a gallon in a T engine and use the crank to turn the engine a few times and let it sit. Turn the engine over a few more times again and let it sit overnight. Do it a few more times if you want.
When you drain the kerosene you will surprised how dark or near black it will be. This works.

As a engine builder, I'm saying that on a fresh engine just flush with a fresh gallon of oil, run for several minutes and change again. Then change the oil often. 4 to 500 miles.

I have a Ford Model T lubrication chart that says that the engine oil should be drained thoroughly when it is warm, then a gallon of kerosene should be installed in the engine. Th engine should be cranked 15 or 20 revolutions and the kerosene drained. After draining the kerosene one quart of oil should be put into the lubrication system and the engine should be cranked five to seven revolutions. The oil should again be drained and replaced with four quarts of the recommended oil. Do I do this? Are you nuts? I drain the oil and put four quarts of 10W30 back into the engine and drive the thing.

Is the “Motor Flush” less expensive than the same amount of cheap motor oil?

How can you tell what sort of job it does? Did you open up your engine and look?

Yes. You can tell how much thick black goop would have been left in to contaminate the new oil by what comes out after the motor flush. To me, it is worth it, but to each his own. I am one of those Model T owners that baby’s my T and consider nothing too good for her so the cost is never a consideration if I think it will be of benefit. Thus far, I have been rewarded with 50 years of reliable service. Jim Patrick

If the engine has been rebuilt and except for the black fuzz on the magnets, how much flushing should it need? Even flushing will not really clean the black fuzz off and any heavy bits would settle to bottom of crankcase or in the dipper trays, there should no real cleaning of the inside be needed.

There are different scenarios to consider. On a rebuilt motor, I follow Frank's process. New oil on the start-up, use it for a bit and then replace with a new fill. That way any loose stuff is picked up and gotten rid of early. Then change it as you see fit, perhaps once in a touring season.

When Henrietta was returned to the road after a 61 year sleep, I drained the old oil as best it would drain, started her up and ran her until she was well warm, and then drained and replaced that first fill. I did the same when I fitted new bands a couple of months later.

When I changed her number one rod, by dropping the pan bottom plate and taking the rod out through the bottom, the amount of black, carbon gritty crud trapped between the pan sides and the horse shoes was incredible. No way would it have flushed, and no way would I have wanted it turned loose. We scraped, wiped and washed it off/out, and cleaned out the dips in the plate. Then it got new oil for the first two or three runs, and that was replaced so any loose stuff was drained. Now I just keep the levels up and let her run.

Allan from down under.