The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Best Oil and Filters

I am sure this has been addressed a gazillion times but I can't seem to find it.. On a newly rebuilt 261 engine what is the best year around and all around oil weight and brand? Also, is there one oil filter that's better than another. I am using a spin on adapter that uses the RRAM PH8A (Napa 1515, Royal Purple ROY-30-8A)

Thanks again!

The FRAM filter is fine. If you want better filtration add a by-pass filter.

Using synthetic oil is a matter of choice. No reason to spend $5-7/qt when $1.50/qt is going to do the same thing.

Here goes a can of worms.

You think Cletis?? LOL for my 2 cents I just use regular oil too. Might as well stir the pot a little here.... Though I think most mineral based oils used synthetic oils in them too anymore.

John

What year model 261? If it has 1/2 pipe fittings and hoses to the housing then you will need the full flow filter like you have with the PH8A.

I agree about the Royal Purple being overkill.

What I use is Valvoline vr1 racing oil 10w 30.

What weight oil? Its a 59 261. You see lots of propaganda on how oil filters are made, so I wanted to hear from those who have an opinion on the best. Even if synthetic is overkill, what brand, weight would you use if you were into overkill, then what brand weight regular oil would you use? OPEN THAT CAN!!

From a lot of years of opening up oil filters as teaching aids, I've found two filters that stand head and shoulders above the rest. WIX is tops, by a large margin. More commercial truck fleets use WIX than most of the other brands combined. Next best is NAPA, probably because WIX builds them and puts the NAPA name and part number system on the canister. Next, also used a lot by the over the road truck fleets is Baldwin. Fram, Purolator, Motorcraft, AC, etc.- - - -not enough difference to matter. Walmart and the other house-brand filters, low-bid orders filled by whichever major manufacturer happens to get the contract. No-name house brand filters are a crapshoot but they're better than none at all.
Jerry

Where are you finding conventional oil for $1.50 a quart? Around here, the average for a quart of conventional oil is around $3-$4 a quart, maybe get it for $2.50 a quart on sale if you buy it by the case (which I do).

.....marketing guys. Its all about marketing! Use what you want just be sure to change it and the filter regularly. As Jerry says, other than a brank name its a crap shoot. I've cut filters apart myself for a few years, just curious as they say, and on the same engine for the last 262K you can get an idea of which works for YOU.
Wix works good on the riding mower too!!

I run royal purple and a wix filter on my 750hp small block. 1965 c-10 lwb.
2 gallons of havoline, 1 gallon of Lucas heavy duty stabilizer and a fleet guard filter on my '04-1/2 cummins.
Mobil1 and factory Toyota filter on the wife's '00 Camry.

Those universal filter mounts accept quite a few different oil filter media. They can be mounted & plumbed on just about any ICE. They are definitely universal.
The very same mount I installed on my 72 air cooled 1600CC DP VW engine will also work on my 1949 216 Stovebolt engine.
I run the WIX 51515 filter on the 1600cc w/5w30 oil with no porblems. It holds nearly a full qt of additional oil which IMHO is good.
WIX also makes a 51515R filter that is for high perfomrnace engines. It allows more oil to flow by reducing the amount of filtering it does. Some folks like it for the thicker 20w50 oils.
The Motorcraft 820S (I know it's a Ford) is about half it's size and mounts right on up to those universal mounts also. It is what I run on my 98 F150. 140k miles without 1 single oil related problem so I also consider it a good filter. It would be good in an application where you need a lower filter profile.

On my 49 216 I've settled on Rotella 15w40 oil. I like it's thiner cold properties to get circulating fast and it's thicker properties to help fill in all the expanded clearances on my high mileage lower end when it warms up. The engine has the original optional bypass filter which I run a WIX 51100 filter in.

Oil is one of those topics that I like to bring a box of popcorn and coke with me to watch these kinds of threads. This should get interesting.
Of course my choices are JMHO
Dave

The oil and oil filters available today are far superior to the products that were available when our Stovebolts were new.

I use WalMart supertek in the 5 gallon jugs for like $11, less 10% employee discount (comes out to a little less than $2/qt). Local prices may be different. If you want to argue price to 4 decimal places, don't bother.

Whomever cut open an oil filter and then had the audacity to make a statement on a filters quality is just showing their ignorance on the subject. One guy was complaining about no backflow valve. Not many motors mount the filter in such a way that that is a problem. Some V configs do put a them at weird angles, but nothing that a few rotations of the oil pump won't fill back up. EVERY start is a dry start.

On my 66 M35a2 the cans had no backflow valve and drained back in the crankcase when shut down.. the filters were mounted UPSIDE DOWN and those motors lasted years.

Paper media is a great filter, ever wander what they use in by-pass filters that catch sub 5 micron particles??? hint: PAPER.

As for what viscosity... the motors originally were spec'd with 20 weight oil. Most use 30 and a few 40 if they have noisy internals.

I use 30 in my 270 and 235, and 40 in my 134 because its worn out and needs a rebuild... but still has miles left in it.

Multigrade is fine... 5-20 or 5-30 is probably the best, again, film strength and starting/cold viscosity are the key parameters.

I change oil in my 97 Jeep for $16 (5 qts and a filter). Jeep has 152k on it. Can't find any compelling reason to not do the same for motors that are gonna sit most of the time.

Now for the real can of worms: NEVER ADD ANYTHING TO YOUR OIL.

"Ignorance can be fixed- - - -stupid is forever!"
Jerry

By 1954, GM recommended multi-grade oils along with the more readily available single grade oils.

Deve is referring to a 1959 261.

10W30 or 15W40 would be good grades.
I like Rotella-T 15W-40

Bought a 87 F150 5.0 that had 105k miles from a guy that had it since new. I kept the same oil change regimen he did. (Mobil Del-vac 15w40 and a bottle of STP) Don't ask me why I just done it. With a name brand filter, Motorcraft mostly. When rust finally ate up the truck to where you could not drive it anymore the engine had 367k miles and still going strong.

Deve, after all that's been said, I think you know a good brand of oil and filter, and to change it regularly, and I think you can make a good decision on what will work for you.

All this yeng and yang about "I'd use this oil, this brand, the cost of it, or this weight or viscosity" it all boils down to doing what you know to suit YOUR needs.
I don't recall every seeing a filter that doesn't claim to meet OEM standards.... but I'm sure pfarber will know of one

The climate in which you live, how often you change your oil, and your driving habits, will have more effect on how well the filter and oil does it's job as much as anything else!
Since the early 80's I've never put less than 185K on a vehicle before giving it away to a family member. Currently my daily driver has 262K on it and still runs great. They all got a filter and oil change every 5000 miles... but I know there are some here that would think that is a crime! Do what you think is right and I believe you will not be wrong.

Oh, and pfarber, your not the only that knows about engine supplements so let that can of worms stay closed for now and not dilute Deve's very first post.

Just for reference here's the page from the 59 Owners manual with oil chart:

http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/chevyowner/59tom076.htm

Most people now a days think that using 5 and 10 weight multi-grades is some new efficiency thing.... seems that they knew that in the 50's.

Like I said, 20 or 30 weight.

The first chart with multi-grade oil was made available by GM in the 1954 Service News.

It is interesting to see 5W-10 listed.

All this talk about viscosity and what if any additives to use also the type of filter is informative and subjective, BUT in this case the subject engine is a 261 and they unlike earlier 235 or 216
engines NEED A FULL FLOW filter system!!
Merry Christmas bolting to all.

Howies551Ton,

Yes, the 58-63 USA 261s use a full-flow oil-filtration system. Deve plans on using an after-market spin-on-filter head on his 1959 (I think) 261 engine.

The filter, oil, and additives that might interest Deve should not be affected by any full-flow filter system (stock system or after market system).

Merry Christmas to you, too.
What is your temperature in Alberta (6pm on 22 Dec)? Our friends back home in Albany, NY are at 39 F and we are in NC at 65 F.

Yeah. So what I gather from this very informative discussion is 10w30, Wix filter and no additives. Im good.

Since this truck stays indoors all year around at about 70 degrees, Im sure I have what I need for this one. Thanks to all.

I just want everyone to know how much I appreciate all of you and even tho I hate this time of year to a purple passion.. since my kids live so far away and the wife and I celebrate by wishing we had family close by, you guys keep my projects going and make it possible for things to progress year around. It matters. So, don't take any wooden nickels, and thanks again!