type oil

[skeazle]

Hey guys I have a 63 1/2 Galaxie 500 with a 352 engine. Is 15 -40 weight oil ok to use in it? I think that is what is in it now I just got it so I want to be sure. thanks,Jim

[KULTULZ]

What condition is the engine in? Is it a survivor or has it been rebuilt at some point?

[skeazle]

The car and engine are original. 40,000 mi survivor.

[KULTULZ]

I would personally use a 10W-30. 15W-40 is more of a diesel/race engine oil (heavy - hard cold startups).

Maybe a 10W-40 for summertime only in the SOUTHWEST.

40,000 mi survivor

... ... damn ...

[skeazle]

Ok thanks. I just use it in the summer months but I wasn't sure about using synthetic or conventional oil.

[dmsfrr]

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Originally Posted by skeazle

The car and engine are original. 40,000 mi survivor. ...
... I wasn't sure about using synthetic or conventional oil.

My 2 cents worth...
One of the benefits of synthetic oil is a cost savings due to longer mileage intervals between changes, approx 8000 to 10,000 miles ???
However, since the car isn't driven much you might go 10 years before that many miles. Not a good idea for getting contaminated oil out of the engine due to moisture that can accumulate while it's stored/parked during cold weather.
Oil changes once a year (or so) are generally recommended regardless of low driven mileage. But that eliminates any cost savings. If you prefer the higher quality oil there's nothing wrong with that.

[KULTULZ]

It depends on how the car is stored during the winter. Is the garage heated, low temp or outside air temp? It depends on the amount of humidity in the air.

Is the car driven any during off months? The most harm is done during extended periods of non-use. The car should be driven say once a month (in clear weather - no salt) during the off season. This is good for the engine, trans and dif.

SERVICE LIFE

Because engines in classic cars, hot rods and other perfor-
mance vehicles are generally modified, a universal oil drain
interval recommendation for these applications cannot be given.
Responsibility for determining the drain interval duration rests
with the owner.

As a general service guideline, the maximum drain interval for Z-ROD Synthetic Motor Oil should not exceed 5,000 miles or two years, whichever comes first.

SOURCE - https://amsoilcontent.com/ams/lit/da...tins/g2883.pdf

(IMO), a synthetic is better for any engine. So is it's level of ZDDP on a flat tappet camshaft.

Now here is the clincher. It was once reported synthetics caused engine gasket leaks and then that was squashed. The truth is a synthetic will at some point work it's way through old tech cork gaskets. Where the stop came in was when gasket materials improved.

What type crankcase ventilation is on the engine, road draft or PCV? Not much can be done with road draft but a PCV SYSTEM has to be maintained and operable.

And a quality filter not a WALLY-WORLD CHINESIUM SPECIAL.

You shop for quality and not price. You find the correct product and then shop by price.

There is no 'it works for me just fine' without an oil analysis.

[Ole Don]

The reason we use 15/40 has nothing to do with change interval. It's all about the cam/lifter wear. On an older engine, it may be OK. Any engine that has been worked on, may have new valve springs. It MUST have more zinc in the oil or you WILL ruin the cam.
Use Rotella or Delo, meant for older diesel engines. Or, use 10/30 with a can of zinc additive. My 312 had stainless oversized valves in well ported G heads, a wild Isky cam, and it was shifted at 7500 RPM's. No problems at all. I ran Rotella.

[5851a]

Oil is a science, I never did well in science. If you have 3 or 4 days to look up and read on it, info is out there but, in the end, it seems to be like watching the X files movie. Used to put a can of GM EOS in during rebuild for first firing. Think they have changed that now. I just run what's in the owner's manual since no HiPo cars here anymore. My take is a little zinc wouldn't be bad for older things stored for the winter. I just change it since the parts have known each other for 50+years. They do make the higher zinc (old) oils but have to be labeled as such for older cars and price adjusted.

[KULTULZ]

Nothing like a good 'which oil is best' food fight ...

Also consider while most street HI-PO oils have high zinc levels, the detergent/dispersal packages are reduced (VR-1 is one example) as these tend to aerate oil at higher RPM and then needs to be changed on a more frequent basis due to lack of the packages.

Diesel oil was once the popular go to when the FEDS called for refiners to cut ZDDP levels to comply with emission laws (cat converter damage), there was no other alternative. Then the FEDS allowed oils to be released that would lubricate older engines correctly but had to be labeled not to use on modern engines.

Then the FEDS called on lower ZDDP on diesel oils due to particulate traps. ROTELLA was reformulated. The older ROTELLA was still available but in 5-gal containers to service old diesel and to keep it away from consumers. The days of ROTELLA in a gasoline engine are over. Present ZDDP oils are more than adequate.

Again, you shop by product quality and not price. Same for a filter.

READ - https://forums.pelicanparts.com/911-...test-zddp.html

Are we confused yet ...

[Ford blue blood]

One of the biggest problems with collector cars and oil is the lack of "heat soak". A bunch of trips to the coffee and doughnuts will do more to hurts the internals then oil choice. The vehicles need to be heat soaked to remove moisture from the engine and the remaining running gear. Short trips do not get everything heated up well enough "burn" off the moisture.

[KULTULZ]

Excerpt from above referenced site -

28. “ZDDPlus” added to Royal Purple 20W50, API SN, synthetic = 63,595 psi zinc = 2436 ppm (up 1848 ppm) phos = 2053 ppm (up 1356 ppm) ZDDP = 2200 ppm

The amount of ZDDPlus added to the oil, was the exact amount the manufacturer called for on the bottle. And the resulting psi value here was 24% LOWER than this oil had BEFORE the ZDDPlus was added to it. Most major Oil Companies say to NEVER add anything to their oils, because adding anything will upset the carefully balanced additive package, and ruin the oil’s chemical composition. And that is precisely what we see here. Adding ZDDPlus SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED this oil’s wear prevention capability. Just the opposite of what was promised. Buyer beware.

If the oil is not blended with the additive, it will not likely blend in the crankcase.

As for engine break-in, there are specialty conventional oils for this.

[Merc Cruzer]

I use 20/50 Castrol GTX Classic, year round, in both my 1953 Mercury Flathead and my wifes 1970 Cougar XR-7 351 Cleveland. You can get it at Walmart.