Posted by Tim McGowan on August 13, 2000 at 14:39:18:
Thought I'd throw my two cents worth into the detergent vs. non-detergent debate. I don't claim in any way to be an expert. I merely relate my personal experience.
In the mid-seventies I acquired my first Power Wagon, a '41 WC-3. The engine was siezed and other wise in need of some TLC. I completely dismantled the engine, and
rebuilt it, to include reground crank and boring out the cylinders .030. All parts, including the block, were 'hot-tanked' so everything was absolutely clean when the
engine was reassembled. As everyone knows, the filters on these old engines, when present at all, were bypass type cannister filters so only a percentage of the oil gets
filtered at any one time. Despite this, I chose to use Havoline 30w which is detergent, figuring that since the engine interior was clean, I could maintain it with det.
oil. In the early eighties I started hearing the ominious sound of a rod knocking. I located the bad rod by means of grounding each cyl in turn, dropped the pan and examined
the bearing insert. It looked like it had been eaten up by acid. Inspection of other rod and main bearings revealed the same thing. I was fortunate. The crank journals
were still round as determined by means of a micrometer. Needless to say, I wondered as to the cause of this bearing destruction and sought the counsel of persons whom
I considered more knowledgable than myself. It was explained to me that the detergent oils kept all the contaminants in suspension and recirculated them throughout the engine
with no full-flow filter to trap them. These contaminants, I was told, formed an acid which attacked the bearings, causing the damage I had experienced. I began using
nondetergent oil at that time and am still driving the truck to this day. Until I am presented with another more plausable explanation of what happened to me, I will continue
to use non-detergent oils in all old engines with bypass type filters.