I have read all the posts on which engine oil to run. What I would like to know is from the guys who say they run straight 40w or 50w, do you run it all year round, do you drive your car in the winter, and has there been any excessive bearing wear since it takes it a while to circulate when it's cold because it's so thick? Thanks guys.

If you live in cold weather country, you might not even be able to crank your engine over if you use straight 50wt during winter...

The correct viscosity to use will depend on the engines bearing tolerences and it's operating environment. Straight 50wt oil is not common today like it was years ago. Street engine building has changed directions since the 60's when everyone built their engines loose like the pros of the day. Todays trends are tight tolerences and with that comes 5w-30, 10w-30 and maybe 10w-40. Of course if you have a high mileage tired mill you might extend it's life with 40wt or 50wt.


Talk to your engine builder if you are not sure what oil to run...

Charlie I dont know of anyone using straight weight myself, most use 10w-30 or 10w-40 or if rebuilt, maybe the newer 5w-30's, it gets to be personal choice. Id never use straight weight, there is no need to use anything different that might not be available on a road trip. I use 10w-40 Amsoil Synthetic and it purrs like a kitten.

I personally use 10w40, but someone on here calls 10w30 some kind of piss and 10w40 has too many polimers in it. He said he runs 20w50 and sometimes straight weight. I just wanted to know if he has ever experienced and bearing wear. Even with 20w50 if it's cold out it may take a while to get the oil to the top. I was using Royal Purple, but switched to Valvoline. I have been hearing about oils with a high zinc content. I have been told that oils made for racing have high zinc content and that may help with wear. I know all oils have a zinc additive, but racing oils are supposed to have a higher content.

I am using 10W30 Rotella for the high zinc content to protect my solid flat tappets. I have about 50 psi at cruise. 15W40 was too heavy and the pressure was pegged.

Rotella has a high zinc content? Can you get that at a local parts store?

I use 10W30 Rotella to protect my solid flat tappet cam. 15W40 was too heavy. My pressure runs about 50 psi at cruise.

Click, what does Amsoil say about flat tappet cams?

Amsoil says that the scare of flat tappets is just that, a scare. Their additives have progressed so far that they make up for less zinc with syn additives. The syn stuff is taylor made to perform a certain function and it takes up the slack that the zinc used to perform. Most dyno oils are made to cover a wide range of functions where zinc was not an issue.
Long term the zinc is being phased out of oils to reduce their effect on catalytic convertors. When its totally gone someday, folks will have to use what the oil makers have been formulating now for years. Zinc is an additive and other products can be made to perform the same function. :)

I was told that an engine with over 75000 miles should not be switched to synthetic oils because of the sludge build up. Synthetic oils have such good cleaning agents that if there wasn't an oil leak before, the synthetic oil will actually create one because it clears out the sludge that may be plugging up a leak. I was running Royal Purple 10w30 and switched to the Valvoline Max-Life 10w40 and noticed an increase in oil pressure. Let me throw this one by you. With the Royal Purple, I have a Pwerglide w/4.10 gears so on the highway at around 55 I had 40psi and when I floored it I noticed the pressure drop a bit. Now with the Valvoline, I notice a higher pressure and no drop. What about that??? :)

Higher mileage engines can be converted to syns if they had good maintainence all along. If they were neglected then yes they can leak worse with a syn that cleans out sludge. Ive converted alot of cars and had some reduce oil consumption due to better ring seating with the syn. Everyone has somebody that 'told' them some story about all oil products. They are the subject of intense debate in oil forums. Each car is different and has had different attention to its engine. A person can try to convert to syn but you MUST use an engine flush first, a new cheap filter to catch the junk, then new high density filter and syn oil and should be ok.

I used Amsoil 10w30 in my Turbo Eclipse and it worked very well.

FULL!!

I've used a whole bunch of different oils through the years, from reclaimed to Walmarts Tech2000 Quaker State/Pennsoil stuff for more years than I care to think about until now!

But now, it would be a SF Grade that's for the older oil-burning cars or whatever the newest Grade is and probably add some good old GM EOS in her if it is a hy- or solid lifter PERFORMANCE flat-tappet cam due to them taking a bunch of the extreme pressure zinc type lube out of the newest oils!!

Got's ta protect our cams is why!!

And I have no idea how good the "Diesel-Trucker-Oils" are nowadays?? They used to be about the best there was, but now??

Rotella, Delo, URSA, etc....

pdq67

FULL!!

I've used a whole bunch of different oils through the years, from reclaimed to Walmarts Tech2000 Quaker State/Pennsoil stuff for more years than I care to think about until now!

But now, it would be a SF Grade that's for the older oil-burning cars or whatever the newest Grade is and probably add some good old GM EOS in her if it is a hy- or solid lifter PERFORMANCE flat-tappet cam due to them taking a bunch of the extreme pressure zinc type lube out of the newest oils!!

Got's ta protect our cams is why!!

And I have no idea how good the "Diesel-Trucker-Oils" are nowadays?? They used to be about the best there was, but now??

Rotella, Delo, URSA, etc....

pdq67
I second that.GM EOS with perf flat tappets.:thumbsup:

I run different flavors in different engines

Wolf gets 20-50 Royal Purp(not a winter runner but I have started it at 10* once, ain't skeered:D)
My ZZ-4 gets valvoline 30(lives in the garage now)
My 283 gets valvoline 30(never runs, mad at it's flat toppistons)
My Camry gets 5-30 Pennzoil
My Duramax gets Chevy's diesel oil 15-40

I have decided to go back to where I started. I just got back from the parts store and got 8qts of Amsoil 10w40. I am also going to try their new EA ol filters. They are supposed to have nano fibers in them so we will see.

I use 10w-30 of various brands year round. I usually buy a gas station brand (Shell, Chevron, Exxon, ect.) that is on sale at the auto parts store. I honestly think they are all about the same.

Motor oil has improved greatly over the years. You almost never see a “sludge motor” any more. Modern oil additives also do a great job of wear prevention. I have not seen any real evidence to convince me that modern motor oils cause premature cam & lifter wear. My engines are lasting longer now than ever before.

Right,

But we are talking about high performance flat tappet cam break-in so you'd better use EOS and moly paste on the lobes, p/r ends and rocker balls and such!

Only b/c the zinc and crap is pretty much out of most oils nowadays b/c the EPA is mandating that cats last like 125,000 miles and the stuff slowly poisons them.

It used to be that your GOOD diesel oils were a dark teal color and smelled about like 90wt gear lube b/c of the zinc and stuff! No more!! EOS still has that smell, check it out!!

Heck, now the gear lube has been lightened up too!!!

pdq67

I second that.GM EOS with perf flat tappets.:thumbsup:


GM EOS was discontinued permanently last week; time to find a suitable substitute. :(

You don't figure GM want's us ta abandon our old engines, now, do you??

pdq67

JohnZ,

You don't by any chance know who make's EOS for GM, do you??

Guy's are asking so they will know who to get the real stuff from is all once GM get's rid of their last inventory..

And ME TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

pdq67

Nope, don't know who supplied it to GM.

I read this article online about Redline Oil products. Apparently the API is the one who is stating that Zinc additives are harmfull to converters and the environment. Well, according to Redline, they do not make API approved products and therefore are not restricted in having to remove the zinc additives. They have just as much zinc as always. Just an info giver.

I like Valvoline 20W-50 VR1 Racing oil. Good oil at a middle of the road price. I have been using it for 20+ years in all my hot rods. :D