Oil for my 71 440

[Turboomni]

I did a search!!! I tried! I am close to doing my first oil change on my 440. The oil filter I will use is a WIX 51515 unless anyone has a better idea. The oil in the car the former owner stated was Valvoline VR which he says has zinc and was 10w30. I can't find this oil in 10w30 ,only 20w50. Anyways what is a good oil you all use and viscosity and is zinc important?
Thanks

 

[commando1]

20w50 is fine for Massachusetts.

 

[Big_John]

I use Brad Penn (which is now PennGrade1) in 10W-30.

You need the zinc to lubricate the cam and lifters.

 

[Turboomni]

Thanks guys.

 

[detmatt]

I use Brad Penn as well but in straight 30 weight. Seasonal cars don't require multi-viscosity oils and the it's about 10 bucks cheaper by the case.

 

[Ripinator]

I did a search!!! I tried! I am close to doing my first oil change on my 440. The oil filter I will use is a WIX 51515 unless anyone has a better idea. The oil in the car the former owner stated was Valvoline VR which he says has zinc and was 10w30. I can't find this oil in 10w30 ,only 20w50. Anyways what is a good oil you all use and viscosity and is zinc important?
Thanks

I use Brad Penn 20W-50. It has the needed zinc. The WIX filter you got is the hot setup in filters. Stay away from Fram. And yes, the zinc is needed for an engine with a flat tappet cam.

 

[e-440]

Do an internet search for 540 Rat and you will learn a few things about oil. Read the whole article with a open mind.

 

[Nadir Point]

Do an internet search for 540 Rat and you will learn a few things about oil. Read the whole article with a open mind.

Yeah, I don't why people keep using those heavy lubes. They only belong in tractors and heavy equipment.

 

[70bigblockdodge]

Do an internet search for 540 Rat and you will learn a few things about oil. Read the whole article with a open mind.

Hope that guy did not break his arm patting himself on the back. Compared to today's engines, the engines powering our beloved cars are built/overbuilt and crudely simple much like a tractor.

 

[twostick]

15w40 Rotella in all my flat tappet stuff. ZERO problems.

Even with the reduced levels for emissions engines there is more than enough zinc/phos for flat tappets to live a long and happy life.

Kevin

 

[commando1]

Hope that guy did not break his arm patting himself on the back. Compared to today's engines, the engines powering our beloved cars are built/overbuilt and crudely simple much like a tractor.

These ½ Litre, twin DOHC, variable timing, multi-displacement, twin turbo fours don't break. They explode into buckshot sized shrapnel.

 

[70bigblockdodge]

I do agree with the Chevy guy in that rambling article that to much zddp is not good either which is why additives of zinc to regular oil are not a solution, Article seems like the old timken grease test with more smoke and mirrors. Then he wants to enlighten the very people he insults, like all gear heads are simple mouth breathers that he has happened by to help them. Thanks but the good ole boys down south where modifying sedans to carry a thousand pounds of liquor on 2 lane country roads at way over the speed limit long before the engineers showed up. Some gear heads from So. Ca. And one from Florida figured out how to go 0-200 mph in a 1/4mi and then move the drivers position so that they would not continue to injure or kill themselves, before the engineers showed up, except some gear heads/engineers from Chrysler. I'm pretty sure the chemists heads would have exploded about adding hydrazine to the fuel.

 

[65Fury440]

I read that article by Rat540. While the actual lubricating qualities of the oils may be in line with his testing, the forces and heat a FT cam see are probably not repeatable, other than in a running engine.
The zinc forms a sacrificial coating on the cam/lifter surface. I'm sure not going to test out his theories on my engines.

 

[cantflip]

FWIW... I had lots of clean engines once SF grade oils came around and the recycled "generic" stuff fell out of favor... working on MB product I got into lots of stuff that lasted really well on mobil1 15w50 and It was free to us(in a way) so I ran it for years very happily. When they switched to 0W40... I just didn't like the drop in pressure on my older stuff.

Seriously, when is the last time someone here took of a valve cover so loaded in parafin that the rockers had left impressions and the block drains couldn't do their jobs anymore. I like what he said... now I will resume with my other thoughts.

 

[Big_John]

Seriously, when is the last time someone here took of a valve cover so loaded in parafin that the rockers had left impressions and the block drains couldn't do their jobs anymore. I like what he said... now I will resume with my other thoughts.

(Raises hand)

I have.... but it was 50's vintage Mopar flatheads that spent most of their life with non-detergent oil.
And before anyone says "no valve cover"... (not mine) the covers are on the side.

 

[70bigblockdodge]

The zinc forms a sacrificial coating on the cam/lifter surface. I'm sure not going to test out his theories on my engines

This is 100% correct it barriers the sliding metal parts the barrier builds up when you are cruising down the highway then when idling in traffic, red lights, etc. it gets worn away. So the trick is will it wear away before you start cruising above rpm where your oil pressure snaps up off idle pressure ~2000 rpm this is why you break in the cam above 2000 rpm this allows the lifter to wear into or lap itself into the lobe with plenty of oil flying around and build up a initial barrier hopefully before the cam lube washes off this is the lifter failure time. Oils being sold now still have ZDDP in them just not as much as in years past. Will they be okay in your 318/383 2bbl with its wimpy valve springs that are 40-50 years old, I would say yes. Is Wal-Mart 10-30 going to be okay for my Barracuda with dual springs and a 296-.557 cam NO. I agree with Doug, I am not trying his trails on my cars. Another point as I understand it is ZDDP is added as the oil is blended /made it is not something that can be added to common oil from shelf and the new detergent package with reduced ZDDP will break down or consume excess levels, older oil that had lots of ZDDP has a detergent package that works with high ZDDP levels. Last point then I will shut the hell up on this is is in regards to weights. Anything above 40°f pressure and flow happen rather quickly below that is when lighter weight would be beneficial.
Who is driving one of these classics around in 20° weather. If your starting it up every month or so in the winter and it is idling with no load for anything less than 20 min you are probably doing more harm than good, really needs a load on it and 200° oil temp to boil out condensate and gasoline dilution. I have used the Valvoline VR 20-50 just don't go slapping it in gear right away give it a few seconds to get oil everywhere before loading engine.

 

[Turboomni]

Great info here and an interesting read from e 440. I am going to stick with the Valvoline VR 10/30 and a Wix filter.

 

[65Fury440]

I don't know of any other off the shelf, non diesel oil, that has enough zinc other than VR1. Here is a cut and paste from another forum from Valvoline that addresses VR1 non street legal, versus regular VR1.

We are not able to join the forums, but we can give you the answer you need, or maybe would like to add to the forum. Our VR1 Racing Oil is NOT just an "ordinary new car street oil" as listed. Our Valvoline VR1 Racing Oils can be used in street applications, but still contains the high amount of ZDDP (Zinc and Phosphorus). This information can be found on our Valvoline.com website, under the section where it lists the Racing Oils. We have also added the product information sheet for both the VR1 and the "Not Street Legal" Racing oils. As you will see, Valvoline still contains 1200 ppm Zinc content in our regular conventional VR1. It does carry the API Service "SM" rating, but this oil was not made to change for emission standards due to it not being a "ordinary street car oil." This information clearly states the amount of both the Zinc and Phosphorus levels in the oils. The main difference between the the "Not Street Legal" racing oil, or commonly known as Conventional and Synthetic Racing oils, and the VR1 is the Calcium content. Calcium levels are higher in the NSL oils, compared to the VR1, and the NSL oil is only recommended for 500 mile oil changes, while the VR1 is a 3 month/3,000 mile oil.
Valvoline stands behind the flat-tappet and more aggressive type cam applications 100% with our Valvoline VR1 and NSL Racing oils. The proof is in our product information sheets, which are online for the viewing as well.

Here are the product information sheets with test results for all of VR1, Not Street Legal conventional, and Not Street Legal Synthetic.


Thank you,


Valvoline

 

[Turboomni]

I also found this on the valvoline website which I found interesting....


What is the controversy surrounding the amount of zinc in motor oil?

The controversy exists as a result of many hands-on car enthusiasts and engine experts belief that lower levels of zinc in API SN and SM motor oils can cause excessive wear in older style push-rod and flat-tappet engines. They hold this belief despite the fact that all new motor oil classifications are intended to be backward compatible.

This was found here.

Motor Oil FAQs - Valvoline®

I am still going to use it.

 

[Dobalovr]

Royal Purple 10W30 and a Mopar filter is what goes into my girls. Rotella is my second choice. We can have temp ranges from 40F to 100F here at any given day during "Summer" so multi viscosity lubricant is a requirement. I've been really happy with my Mopar filters (cross references with Wix 51515) but strangely enough I have never looked into who makes them for us.