MTFCA Forum

I have been given a booklet put out by Shell Oil in New Zealand that extols the virtues of Shell Oil for Fords. I susepct the same booklet would have been issued in Australia as well with a different front page.
There is no date on the booklet, so I tracked down its author R T Nicholson's book called "The Book of the Ford" and found a third edition dated 1918.This suggests the booklet was issued around late teens or early twenties

I will do a tidier scan and post the whole booklet in the Gallery section, but thought you may enjoy a couple of pages. I am enjoying the descriptions used :

I have a small collection of brass plaques from different car dealers. These all promote the use of Shell lubricants. My guess is Shell sponsored their production. Others are Mobiloil sponsored. Allan, from over the ditch.

Interesting to note the author recommends draining the crankcase to the lower cock regularly & adding ONE PINT.
Also @ that level "you will find nearly as much there at the end of 25 miles"
Implying less oil loss due to leakage from being kept overfilled?

That would keep the level where Ford recommended, half way between the upper and lower cocks. Adding fresh oil would do no harm, and running the oil at the ideal level rather than filling up to the upper cock might save enough oil over time to offset the fresh oil added. Under some conditions, a car could "make oil", which was actually crankcase dilution from gasoline and dirt and condensate water. Fresh oil would offset the dilution and help prevent sludging. Of course, draining ALL the oil when hot into a clean bucket and letting it settle overnight, then pouring it off into a clean container would be a more effective procedure. The used oil, if in fair condition, could then be poured back into the engine until it reached the lower cock, then a pint of fresh oil added, and any leftover drained oil put on the springs and such.

It sounds like a good idea to wipe out the roller timer in cold weather prior to starting, then re-oiling it with a light oil once the engine had run a few minutes.

I have a small collection of brass plaques from different car dealers. These all promote the use of Shell lubricants. My guess is Shell sponsored their production. Others are Mobiloil sponsored. Allan, from over the ditch.

An oil company instructing Model T Ford owners to drain the oil down to the lower petcock and then adding a pint of (I presume) fresh oil is just a ruse to sell more motor oil.

Oil was, and is, a LOT cheaper than an overhaul. Since the T had no dipstick, it was not easy to determine the ideal oil level that Ford recommended except by draining off oil down to the lower cock, then adding a pint. The drained oil could be re-used, either in the engine or elsewhere, if the owner chose to do so. My choice would be to add fresh oil as needed and use the drained off oil on the springs or on gate hinges or whatever.

Here are a few more pages - in fairness, the booklet does not actually promote Shell Oil until the last page, his information is more generic. Remember this is the time very few understood the new technology, his explanations are pretty goo. Enjoy:

And the last page: