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I use 10w-30 castrol syn.
What Oil do you guys use (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter 77cruiser
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Valvoline 10w-40, motor is a Chevy 350.
HKforte
SILVER Star
"Any oil is better than no oil...."
+1 Probably the most simple, but most important take away point from this thread.
20W_50 Castrol
I've noticed a trend after reading all these oil posts.
There are two popular choices in brand, Castrol and Shell Rottela.
Is this because of price or quality?
Why are so many buying Castrol?
Why are some (not as many, but still enough to make me think there's something there) buying Shell Rotella?
There are two popular choices in brand, Castrol and Shell Rottela.
Is this because of price or quality?
Why are so many buying Castrol?
Why are some (not as many, but still enough to make me think there's something there) buying Shell Rotella?
Coolerman
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Well I'll fall outside the norm I guess. I just filled the oil pan full of Advance Auto brand 20W-50 oil.
Bodean
Hot Damn
Boy, Castrol has a great marketing campaign especially since they don't even own a refinery. I buy name brand oil and run the 20w50 flavor. Has worked well over the years. I am going to change to Mobile 1 15w40 diesel oil on my next change since it's what I run in the CTD.
Later,
Later,
Good stuff....anyone have an Oil Filter they prefer over another???
Devilmans Hand
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I'm gonna try that huge Napa oil filter made for a dumptruck next.
20 w- 50 Shell Rotella
I think the trend towards Shell Rotella is that it has more zinc (which has been removed from most other oils thanks to the EPA - which didn't tell anybody). That is what the rebuilder of my new engine recommended, plus a bottle of ZDDP.
I wonder if there will be a trend away from Castrol since they are a BP product.
If you want some good info on oil, and how it relates to our " Old School " motors, go to Team Chevelle, and look thru the oil sticky's made by Scott Wheaton in the Performance section. These guys run anything from stock to big inch BB Motors. The one thing in common with our motors, is 95% are running a flat tappet cam. Scott has spent money out of his own pocket, having various oils tested at Blackburn Labs, and has posted the results. He has a wealth of info to offer when it comes to oil, and there are a LOT of choices reguardless of manuf, when it comes to the Zinc/Phospourus levels needed to keep a flat tappet cam alive. Delo 15-40 LE, with a Wix filter here. Al
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76 fj40 stock 2f and I use 15-40. I get all I can use free from work, Sometimes I feel guilty when I change my oil after 1,000 miles. I always make sure to pour about a gallon on through her, while the drain plug is out, just to flush the remnants of the old oil all the way out. Mater of fact I run 15-40 in my carolla engine as well (290k).
FishNinJay
SILVER Star
I'm getting a brand new SBC 350 crate. So, it's not an old engine anymore! So now what would you guys recommend? .. just go to regular wt oil? I notice a lot of "high-mileage" or "older-engine" oils now. What makes an oil better for High-Mileage or Older Engines? Is that just a marketing gimmick? My rig is '71 and I'm in Orange County, so winter weather not much of an issue for me.
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Cruiserdrew
On the way there
I'm getting a brand new SBC 350 crate. So, it's not an old engine anymore! So now what would you guys recommend? .. just go to regular wt oil? I notice a lot of "high-mileage" or "older-engine" oils now. What makes an oil better for High-Mileage or Older Engines? Is that just a marketing gimmick? My rig is '71 and I'm in Orange County, so winter weather not much of an issue for me.
Use the default oil-good for everything all the time....
Chevron Delo 15w-40
Mobil Delvac 15w-40
Rotella 15w-40
Valvoline Premium Blue 15w-40
Any name brand heavy duty oil will give excellent service. Don't sweat it. Delo is my favorite but I don't know why. Probably the blue bottles.
On all the motorcycle boards I'm on, oil threads are greeted with a collective groan, as in "oh no, not again!"
What I've learned from these threads is:
- For real oil info, go to bobistheoilguy.com. That place is filled with oil geeks and when you leave you'll either be an oil geek yourself, or be tearing your hair out, buying sam's choice oil.
- gear oil and motor oil use a different viscosity scale, so 75W90 gear oil is the same viscosity as 10W60. So the person that wanted to try 90 weight--it's not that much thicker.
- Rotella is good for just about anything (though don't try it on your cornflakes.)
I'm more picky with my bikes, but my FJ55 and my 280Z both get Rotella Synthetic (20w50 and 10w40 respectively). It's a bang for the buck thing.
I have a case of Agip 10w60 for my Aprillia, but at $15 per liter, I'm not going to try it in my 55.
Geof
Edit: my bad, 15w40 is what is currently in my 55 and is the thickest Rotella makes. Next oil change, I'm going to try Valvoline 20w50 racing oil which is high in ZDDP.
What I've learned from these threads is:
- For real oil info, go to bobistheoilguy.com. That place is filled with oil geeks and when you leave you'll either be an oil geek yourself, or be tearing your hair out, buying sam's choice oil.
- gear oil and motor oil use a different viscosity scale, so 75W90 gear oil is the same viscosity as 10W60. So the person that wanted to try 90 weight--it's not that much thicker.
- Rotella is good for just about anything (though don't try it on your cornflakes.)
I'm more picky with my bikes, but my FJ55 and my 280Z both get Rotella Synthetic (20w50 and 10w40 respectively). It's a bang for the buck thing.
I have a case of Agip 10w60 for my Aprillia, but at $15 per liter, I'm not going to try it in my 55.
Geof
Edit: my bad, 15w40 is what is currently in my 55 and is the thickest Rotella makes. Next oil change, I'm going to try Valvoline 20w50 racing oil which is high in ZDDP.
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10W-40 Mobil 1 Synthetic high mileage in my F stock 71. Uses 0 between changes, no oil leaks whatsoever. 40-48# oil pressure. Change every 5K. Use Mobil 1 since intro in the '70's. Every time I check valve clearance, no adjustments necessary. Love Mobil 1.
If you check the temperature range for the different viscosities you will see that 20W50 will cover your entire range unless you live in the Arctic zones. In my motorcycles (crotch rockets) I rode daily, year round in Seattle, I ran Honda GN4 20W50. Only once did a motor "fail". It spit a front timing chain due to a manufacturing design defect and Honda popped for total repair when the mechanic informed them the motor was spotless inside. That oil is pretty expensive to be dumping 2 gallons into the tractor motor but good quality 20W50 is the way to go for these engines. The lighter weights are specified for late model computer controlled engines. The main driver behind the lighter oil is the tendency of motorists to start the engine, drop it in gear and go so the lighter oil gets to the lifters faster.
. In my motorcycles (crotch rockets) I rode daily, year round in Seattle, I ran Honda GN4 20W50. Only once did a motor "fail". It spit a front timing chain due to a manufacturing design defect and Honda popped for total repair when the mechanic informed them the motor was spotless inside. That oil is pretty expensive to be dumping 2 gallons into the tractor motor but good quality 20W50 is the way to go for these engines. The lighter weights are specified for late model computer controlled engines. The main driver behind the lighter oil is the tendency of motorists to start the engine, drop it in gear and go so the lighter oil gets to the lifters faster.
