right kind of oil for DIESEL 1984 corolla

- M
- masterofyeoldepuppets
  
  Contact options for registered users
posted
17 years ago

Mon, Jul 24, 2006 11:28 PM

howdy, i just purchased a 1984 toyota corolla with an '84 camry diesel engine in it. the previous owner said it was due for an oil change, but when i looked in the service manual for what type of oil to use it only says API SF/CC. i don't know what SF/CC means and neither has anyone who works at any auto parts stores i've been to. i have been told completely contradicting things by different workers, such as 10W-30,

15W-40 (someone else told me this was too thick and could lock the engine up), but i finally ended up going with a synthetic 5W-40. if anyone has good reason to think that this blend might cause me problems, please let me know. any advice is appreciated. thanks

nathan hall

- R
- Ray O
  
  Contact options for registered users
Vote on answer
posted
17 years ago

Tue, Jul 25, 2006 2:33 AM

Here is a link to the American Petroleum Institute (API) guide for motor oil:

formatting link

SF/CC is a grade of oil that is probably no longer sold. You should use oil with a grade of CI-4 or SL/CI-4. The "C" prefix applies to diesel engines.

The link also has information on which viscosity to use, depending on the ambient air temperature you are likely to encounter before the next oil change. If in doubt, use the viscosity recommended in your owner's manual.

5W-40 should be OK.

- A
- Ad absurdum per aspera
  
  Contact options for registered users
Vote on answer
posted
17 years ago

Wed, Jul 26, 2006 1:06 PM

I don't have any firsthand experience with your engine, but just looked in my '86 Camry owner's manual -- a diesel was still a US option that year and the same manual describes them both. As I expected, 15W40 is the very picture of what Toyota was suggesting under temperate to summer weather conditions, amidst a variety of possibilities, for their diesel.

The API service rating they recommended was CD, probably the best readily available for diesels back then and an approximate contemporary of SF (for gas engines).

With the big increase in the popularity of turbodiesel pickups, several brands of universal fleet'n'farm oils that resemble those remarks (with more modern API ratings) are available at auto parts stores and wherever CB radio antennas and hash browns are sold.

The 5W40 is generally a modern synthetic superset of that. If it works well for you, it's a superior oil in various ways. If it burns and/or drips out the bottom too fast, switch back to 15W40 dinosaur-based oil and you should be okay for anything but a severe winter.

Best of luck,

--Joe