Your post reminds me how America’s “giants of industry” sat on their thumbs and let Japanese innovation leave them in the dust beginning in the late 60s. Harley Davidson Hogs were outclassed by European bikes in the 50s and the Model K, then Sportster were cobbled up to compete but then Honda came along and threw dirt on all of them. The first Honda I drove was a 90cc and nothing else up to 175cc on the market at the time could come close to the performance. Harley offered a 2 stroke Topper for the Ken and Barbie crowd but they laughed as they passed on their Honda 50s. Then the 70s really caught US industry napping and the Honda cars that had been laughed at for several years were pre-sold when they came off the boats at Long Beach and Cadillac owners couldn’t unload their V-8s anywhere but scrap iron dealers.
Telling Detroit and Milwaukee to think out of the box is useless. First they need to come out from under their rocks. That sludge cleaner is somewhat typical of Honda while attempting to copyright their odd firing exhaust note is typical of Harley.
Do you recall the un-approved and definitely unofficial joke slogan for Harley Davidson in the '70s?
I don’t think that the Harley execs liked hearing people chant…
“Ride a Harley. Ride the best. Ride 5 miles and push the rest…”
Harley was struggling and laughable in the late 60s but when AMF bought the company it became a real joke. I owned a 1959 Harley and while it never failed to start I often took advantage of a hill to park on. Somehow a rolling start was preferable to repeatedly riding that crank down.
The '50 Pontiac my grandparents purchased new had a straight-8 engine design which GM used from, with displacement increases, from ~ the mid-30’s through 1954. Ours had no oil filter but, as mentioned above, the owners manual claimed it cleaned the oil through centrifugal action. It was serviced on schedule (the recommended change interval was 3000mi.) but because my grandfather drove only ~ 3000mi/yr and it used straight weight oil that required changing with seasonal temperature changes (30wt in Summer, 20 in spring/fall, and 10 in winter the change intervals were more frequent. I imagine that most of its early oil changes were with non-detergent oil but by the 60’s it was on detergent oil, probably Shell.
In 1967 at 87kmi it was still holding oil pressure and running fine, but burning oil - going through the first quart in ~ 500mi. (about the same as when new) but dropping to around a qt. per 200mi. by 1000mi. - by this time it was mine and being driven 8-10kmi/yr. I did a ring/valve/bearing job and found about an inch of sediment in the (deep) pan and an insoluble coating on walls crankcase walls and the cylinder walls were glazed. Crank bearings clearances were worn about 2-3mils on the diameter but, oddly, the main bearings were worn only ~ 1mil and still within original spec. 20kmi later I sold the car to a friend who still had it.
I learned a lot here about old cars. But as far as synthetic oil goes I know that as they are synthesized hydrocarbon chains that have the same length. This makes the oil more “slippery”, if you will. Refined crude oil has some much shorter hydrocarbon chains. These shorter hydrocarbon chains actually roll between the longer ones and cause a breakdown of the longer chains. When the longer chains breakdown the oil loses its ability to lubricate. Modern oil chemistry is vastly different than even 20 or 25 years ago. I feel safe with the close tolerances of today’s engines and synthetic oil to let my oil go for 7500 miles or about twice the 3000 mile suggested oil change period.
@paulpauliepablo Sure I can help you fix a carb, adjust points, and sure I could look it up on the internet, but efficient guy I am I will ask you as you seem to be a guy in the know.
Is synthetic oil made from regular oil?
Are there additional additives in synthetic oil that improves performance?
Is there a longer engine life of 3k dino oil changes vs 7k synthetic oil changes, Is there a cost comparison and engine wear comparison you know of?
