The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop engine oil..help?

Hey guys ,what type/grade of oil should I use up here in New England in a 1958 235 inline 6? what manual should one consult for similar questions? like transmission oil ( 3 on the tree) , rear diff, spark plug gap. points gap.

You will get a million opinions on this, lol. I have always said that over the years I am pretty sure these motors have been run on most every kind of substance, and some motors that I have taken apart I swear were run on sawdust! that being said, with the cost of rebuilding a motor these days, I switched over to 10W30 BradPenn (now called PennGrade1). Its a Pennsylvania crude based oil with a partial synthetic package. It is refined at the same refinery that made Kendell's famous green oil (its till green) and it has a zinc package added to it. I tried it a few years ago and discovered that after the car sat all winter, when I pulled the valve cover to give it a spring lookover and check the valve adjustment, the oil was still clinging onto the rockers and springs. I also use their break in oil also. I have four 235/261 motors that I built, broke in and still run on the stuff, one of them, the last one I built (a very modified 261), gets a little abuse and no issues whatsoever so I tend to stick to what works for me.

There is a discussion at least once a month on this very subject. Everyone has their favorite oil. We sure could save some server space if folks would at least attempt the search function provided in the menu bar above.🛠

No straight weight above 20 unless summer time.
In multi-grade, no winter number above 20.

thanks fellas , I did try to find a previous post but was unsuccessful .

Wendell,

There is an infinite number of amateur opinions on this subject and countless others. Those are humorous to read but of no other real value. The people who really know are the lubrication engineers at the various oil companies. They are enthusiastic gear heads themselves and want to help. All you have to do is ask. Here are some examples of questions I've asked them and got specific product information that hooked me up with the ":right stuff".

1. What gear lubricant available today has the same viscosity as SAE 160 recommended for the trans in my '36 Chevy pickup? (NO, it is NOT the "600W" stuff antique car parts vendors are offering.)
2. What grease can I use in my '72 Dodge van U-joints that have very short life spans now that I'm towing a travel trailer?
3. What grease do you have that's correct for the Vega steering gear in my '32 Ford roadster street rod?

The oil companies have toll free phone numbers for technical support.

I finally gave up on trying to decide which oil to use, and just bought the cheapest 10W-30 Walmart sells, which was Quaker State, which is light years ahead of what they had back in the day. I'll be lucky if I see a 100 miles between annual oil changes anyway.

I'd be pleased to bet with you that you will have no problems (by the way, I sometimes bet, but I never gamble) .

Ok friends, A absolutely brilliant idea came to me.... lol.. I am going to order a shop manual and an owners manual .... I may not be the brightest bulb in the chandler but I stand in my place and shine the best I can.... lol

No problem Wendell.

Check out the Tech Tips here, every so often. You might find something that might help you with whatever you are doing with/on/for your truck.

Here is the "Getting Started" section. In there, you will find suggestions for types and sources of documentation.

Thanks to the Old Car Manual Project, much 47-55 documentation is available on-line.

Virtually any oil you can buy today lubricates & protects better than any oil available in '58. I personally use 15-40 in my '38.

Not being a tribologist I'm somewhat with the above. We bought a new Dodge Dynasty for a family car back in 1988. Being thrifty by nature I changed the oil every 5,000 to 7,000 miles using Walmart oil (which at the time was made by Quaker State). Don't remember the weight but it was likely 10w30. The car died in about 2003 with over 300,000 miles due to a non engine wear related problem.

No more miles than most of our trucks go between changes, most any oil with at least a 10W on the low side (if multi viscosity) will be fine.

Check here for a manual, http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/index.htm , you should find something close to your truck age.

As for oil, use what you like, the weather in your state is not that much different from other northern areas. If you plan to drive in the middle of winter, then choose thinner oil, but in general, 10 w 30 will work year round. There is really no need for synthetic oil in these old engines, blends are OK, straight weight is also not needed.
Joe

OK, I'll fess up. I run 15w40 diesel oil in my truck in the summer. Come winter it comes out and 10w30 goes in. Well we had a bout of early near 80 degree weather recently and the old engine wasn't sounding happy on the low viscosity oil. So, since I'd just changed the oil in a couple tractors and used the last of the Delo, and I had a small bottle of STP on the shelf. Well yes, yes I did put it in the 51. And yes the old viscosity enhancer did quieten things down nicely.

I'll pick up a few cases of Delo in the near future and change the STP contaminated out for Delo and summer driving.

RonR

15w40 diesel oil up here in Edmonton area too, where today it's snowing and the wind is blowing!

"I'll pick up a few cases of Delo in the near future"

Good morning Ron. Here's a comparison of various motor oils:

https://pqiablog.com/2017-motor-oil-samples-tested/

It presents a lot of detailed information that could be useful if it is accurate. For example note the difference in phosphorus between Rotella and Delo. Isn't it zinc and phosphorus that protect flat tappet camshafts and lifter bottoms? If that is so Rotella seems to have more of those 2 components.

thank you Tclederman.

Tractors- - - -cars- - - -trucks- - - - -lawn mowers- - - - -they all get the 15W40 I buy in 5 gallon pails from Tractor supply. Haven't had an oil-related engine failure in the 30-something years I've been doing that. The chain saw gets the oil I drain out as bar & chain lube. I make sure the fire ant hills around the farm get well-lubed with drain oil, also!
Jerry

Thank you" YAR" that was an interesting link on oil samples.

Hor rod lincoln...thanks.

Yar, good info. THANKS! For many years (15) I was an active member on the Turbodieselregester.com site. A site dedicated to Dodge Cummins pickups and we tended to obsess over oils among many other things. This is a link to a study commissioned by the registry on the then available diesel rated oils. At that time, Delo was one of the best. Looks like the emission related requirements have changed things.

The linked article is worth a read if one is interested in what goes into oil and makes it good or better than the competition.