motor oil

J

jobob330

New member
my 55 bird has a rebuilt engine. i am wanting to change oil and wonder if the modern oils will be ok for this flat tappet engine or do i need to get the special oil. thanks johnny
 
any brand of oil will be fine as long as it does not have the red seal on the front of the contaner that says for gasoline engines, that oil is for modern engines with roller tappets ,roller tappet cams dont need zinc
 
Delo 400 10W, 20, 30, 40, 50

"Delo 400 heavy-duty motor oils are mixed fleet engine oils recommended for older four-stroke diesel and gasoline engines. Formulated with advanced additive technology, they provide excellent control of deposits and sludge, minimizing oil consumption and optimizing engine overhaul intervals."
 
Dobie Gillis said:
Delo 400 10W, 20, 30, 40, 50

"Delo 400 heavy-duty motor oils are mixed fleet engine oils recommended for older four-stroke diesel and gasoline engines. Formulated with advanced additive technology, they provide excellent control of deposits and sludge, minimizing oil consumption and optimizing engine overhaul intervals."
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I stand corrected. It appears Chevron has reformulated Delo 400 LE (Low Emissions). It also has less ZDDP than the "Old" Delo 400 in order to meet 2007 Cat Converter requirements.

I think I'll stick with what I've always used… :eek:
 
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Any oil that has a weight of 40 or more (10/40, 20/50, 15/40 diesel) is great for your Tbird with out an additive. PPM's of ZDDP in all of these are in the 1000 to 1100 range or better. Original type oils had a lot less ZDDP that the oils of today, even with the reduction in the diesel oil about four years ago..

I use Rotella 15/40 in my 56 Bird. I have gone on two trips from the east coast to the west coast and back in my basically stock 56 Bird with this oil. No problem with bearings or the camshaft. I don't use any additive.

I use 20/50 in my small block powered 48 Ford which I have driven all over. In the 30 years of it, never had a bearing or camshaft problem. The only reason I haven't changed it to Rotella is that I always used this oil in this car.
 
Dobie Gillis said:
...and that is?
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20W-50 Castrol GTX.

Delo 400 is a good oil if used in the correct application. I worked 24 years for Chevron USA so I don't have anything against the brand.

But I have known a few guys that have had problems using diesel oils in gasoline engines in the past. Seems the detergents work too good in a gasoline engine because they aren't as "dirty" as a diesel and they wash the oil off of the cylinders and other parts, causing premature wear.

I know of one guy who had more than one cam go flat when using Delo 400. But man was that engine CLEAN inside. He switched to a 20w-50 and had no more problems.

This is just my experiences and I hope you have better luck.

On another point, I read more than once that it isn't good to have too much ZDDP either. You may want to research that before adding any more.
 
I'd think the Delo 400 would be OK based on Chevron's statement. I'm running Rotella 20W-30 for the zinc but confess to having some concern about the detergents in it.
 
I have run Rotella 15w40 since 2000 in my Y block. It is available anyplace you can drive your car. Just a few years ago, I drove it all over. It starts in cold weather, protects in hot weather, the inside of the motor is clean as a whistle, and for two years, the car was shifted at 7000 RPM.
 
I've used Rotella 15w-40 in everything I own for 35 years--lawn mowers, four old cars, several old tractors, daily drivers, diesel pickup, heavy equipment and never had any problem I could attribute to oil. I'm a rural mail carrier and have driven Chevy S10 Blazers for ever. 120 miles five days a week, with 600 mail boxes to stop at. Buy 'em with about 100k miles on them. Average mileage when they "retire" is between 250k and 275k and all of the seven I've quit driving have still been running good with very little oil usage. Rod
 
I firmly believe if we read the adventures of others, it can be a learning experience. The Y Block Magazine, Issue 119, has an article written by Ted Eaton. The tittle is "Oil viscosity and its Effect On Horsepower". The article has dyno runs with different motor oils at different temperatures, to show whats what inside the engine under load. The results are very interesting to say the least. Anyone who is interested in promoting Y blocks, or running them hard, should be getting this magazine. Most articles have proof of ideas in the article. The bottom line on motor oils is, any name brand motor oil available over the counter with 40 in its nomenclature is good with no further additives.
 
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