Many many years ago I asked an engineer from Shell about oils for older engines. He said that I should not be worried about multigrade versus singlegrade, that is not where the problem lays.
There is in general 3 types of oils, oils that is mainly designed for use with gas engines, but can also be used in light duty diesel engines.
These oils have an API S(x) / C(x) rating. It started with SA/CA, now it is maybe SF or SG or SH maybe, the S(x) is for gas engines. The C(x) is for diesels, maybe CF or CG is the newest, I am not sure.
The next type of oil is mainly designed for medium / heavy duty diesel engines, but can also be used in gas engines, it means they still have both ratings, for example, SF/CD.
The third type of oil is strictly designed for use in diesel engines.
There may be a fourth type too,, that is only possible to use in gas engines, but I have never seen them.
This is of course for 4 stroke engines.
The engineer from Shell said to me that on older gas engines the oils that was designed for medium / heavy duty diesel engines but could also be used in gas engines was the most correct oil.
Those oils have some additives that better prevent metal to metal contact, so in a worn engine it works wonder.
I tried to change this on my dad's Toyota car, and on a hill was always had to shift down from 4th to 3rd, we could after the oil change drive maybe 200 yards longer before we had to shift.The additives to prevent metal to metal contact is there because the diesel bangs the rod so much harder than the gas engines. There are also other additives in the engine oils that is designed for medium / heavy duty diesel engines that those old engines will benefit from.
I have run all my engines on such oils ever since, and all this yucky stuff that forms in the roof of the valve covers are long gone. No sign of it anymore. And no matter what engine.
It also keeps the old engines cleaner, because diesel engines normally gets more dirty, there is more cleaning additives in the oil. All major oil brands have these oils. I saw that one here said he used Shell Rotella, and that will be the correct Shell oil to use.
I have included the link to the Shell site for those who want to compare that oil to the brand they prefer.
Link Shell Rotella T 15W-40 would be a good oil. But they have also single grade oils. And the other brands will have excellent equivalents. For the transmission, a 40W or 50W single grade or a 15W-40 or 20W-50 multigrade oil would be very good.
Do never use hydraulic oil in the rear end of a TE or TO 20 or 30. It does not lubricate the differential well enough.
And a straight thick gear oil is not pumpable in a hydraulic system. So, it is either use a cheap quality engine oil, or go with the special designed transmission oils for modern tractors, but you do not benefit from the additives for wet disc brakes then.
When I say use a cheap engine oil, it is because almost any engine oil will do in the transmission / hydraulics of an old Ferguson.
There is not the same need for cleaning additives or special high temp. formulas as an engine will need. However, if you use the same oil designed for use in medium / heavy duty diesel engines you will benefit from that additive to prevent metal to metal contact.
So, the entire tractor will wear less that way.
Bill
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