30 wt oil for my 1965 VW Bug

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jbclem

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I've been using Super Tech SAE HD-30 oil from Walmart. It's SN rated and I haven't had any problems with it. But in recent months this oil has vanished from my local Walmart (West Hills, Calif.) shelves and the only thing I see is Super Tech Heavy Duty SAE 30-CF. It seems to be an oil used on farms.

I think this is a diesel rating, but Walmart also says it's "Heavy-duty motor oil for gasoline and diesel engines where SAE 30 API CF-2, CF or SG oil is recommended".

Any opinions about this CF oil. And if it would work in my Bug, would the specs be significantly lower than the SN oil I've been using?
 
It will work in your VW just fine. There were no SN specs when your car was produced. You could use Castrol SAE 30 HD if you have doubts. You would be fine using Chevron Delo 400 SAE 30 for that matter. I just bought the same Super Tech oil to go in my brand new Toro V-Twin Zero Turn.
 
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My dad drove bugs all during my childhood. He put 120k on a 70. He never did any work to the engine but decided to rebuild it anyway. He never finished that project.

He also had a 74. He totaled it with 144k on it. It too never had any engine work done to it.

I remember taking trips from California to Texas in August in those bugs.

He ran Pennzoil 10w40 in them.
 
I don't think it will cause harm, especially in the warm temps of California, but you realize you are running an old tech oil. May I suggest a modern diesel type 10w30 or 15w40 motor oil. I believe Supertech has it.
smile.gif
 
Any 30 Weight with detergent will work very well in your bug. That is what I use in my 1965 VW Bug. I have owned mine for 35 years now.
 
Originally Posted by jbclem
I've been using Super Tech SAE HD-30 oil from Walmart. It's SN rated and I haven't had any problems with it. But in recent months this oil has vanished from my local Walmart (West Hills, Calif.) shelves and the only thing I see is Super Tech Heavy Duty SAE 30-CF. It seems to be an oil used on farms.

I think this is a diesel rating, but Walmart also says it's "Heavy-duty motor oil for gasoline and diesel engines where SAE 30 API CF-2, CF or SG oil is recommended".

Any opinions about this CF oil. And if it would work in my Bug, would the specs be significantly lower than the SN oil I've been using?



Can you order it , by the case , shipped to your local store ( free ) ?
 
If it's fro 1965, the current standard back then was API SC. Heck - SG was the standard when I did my first oil change. You should be fine, although SN might be better.
 
Originally Posted by chainblu
This looks like what the OP is talking about:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/SuperTech-HD30-Motor-Oil-1-Quart/16565394

"Heavy-duty motor oil for gasoline and diesel engines where SAE 30 API CF-2, CF or SG oil is recommended"

There's something wrong with that copy. The bottle is clearly their regular SAE 30 for gasoline engines only. They seemed to have mixed up the copy that's supposed to be for the 30-CF.

I believe this is what the OP has found on shelves. They show two versions of the label, although it looks like the same type of oil.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Super-Tech-Heavy-Duty-SAE-30-Motor-Oil-2-Gallons/16474404

[Linked Image]


[Linked Image]
 
An SG 30wt oil would be fine for you bug. That was the standard around that time. I question using an SN oil because a lot of good stuff has been taken out of SN's that your Bug would need.
 
Originally Posted by jbclem
I've been using Super Tech SAE HD-30 oil from Walmart. It's SN rated and I haven't had any problems with it. But in recent months this oil has vanished from my local Walmart (West Hills, Calif.) shelves and the only thing I see is Super Tech Heavy Duty SAE 30-CF. It seems to be an oil used on farms.



I hate that walmart.......

Valvoline 10w-40
 
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The only multi-grades I'd use would be 0W-XX. It will rely on syn base stocks to get the range.

All the other ranges (like 5W or 10W) have some VII's which will do you no good. SAE 30 HD is good too. All oil, no VII's.

Delo 30 HD or Plus 50 (brand) 30 HD from any John Deere dealer will work fine. Go by Tractor Supply and see what they have ...
 
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If you have a tractor supply store check it out. They usually have sn hd 30 in five quart jugs for like $13.00 regular price. If you don't mind spending the money and want extra zinc, Valvoline vr1 in sae 30 would be a great choice, and is probably the easiest high zinc oil to access. If you're open to 20W-50, vr1 and Kendall competition would be good choices.
 
Originally Posted by BrocLuno
The only multi-grades I'd use would be 0W-XX. It will rely on syn base stocks to get the range.

All the other ranges (like 5W or 10W) have some VII's which will do you no good. SAE 30 HD is good too. All oil, no VII's.

Delo 30 HD or Plus 50 (brand) 30 HD from any John Deere dealer will work fine. Go by Tractor Supply and see what they have ...



Any oil with the 0w designation is usually full synthetic, in order to meet the extreme cold temp flow requirements. They do, however, typically have ( a lot of ... ) VII's to meet the high temp grade requirements.
 
I've driven and maintained a girlfriend's VW Bugs back in the day, and also owned a number of air cooled Chevy Corvairs. Straight SAE 30 was the regimen back then. That being said, I think that either a 15w40 or 20w-50 would work well for your application. This is an air cooled engine designed in the 1940s to run in the German climate. Do not hesitate to run a thicker multi-weight oil in you location. BTW - those engines really need a rebuild in less than 100K miles.
 
Originally Posted by jbclem
I think this is a diesel rating, but Walmart also says it's "Heavy-duty motor oil for gasoline and diesel engines where SAE 30 API CF-2, CF or SG oil is recommended".

That will be perfectly suitable. If it were CF-2 only, that would be another matter. CF/SG is fine.
 
Originally Posted by Garak
Originally Posted by jbclem
I think this is a diesel rating, but Walmart also says it's "Heavy-duty motor oil for gasoline and diesel engines where SAE 30 API CF-2, CF or SG oil is recommended".

That will be perfectly suitable. If it were CF-2 only, that would be another matter. CF/SG is fine.

Both API SG and CF are outdated and I don't believe the API will license any oil claiming to meet just those. I guess it's kind of like using something claiming to meet Dexron-III standards. It may very well be compliant, but the API sure as heck isn't going to be involved with it.
 
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