65,000 original miles. What kind of oil would you put in it if you planned on driving it as much as possible?
put Zinc or ZDDP in search. Some controversy on if zddp is actually needed on a high milage stock engine (especially where the valve springs may have weakened a bit over the yrs) or not, but better safe than sorry. Use pre SM oil or additive. The new CJ diesel oil doesn't seem to have any more zddp than SM.
If everything is clean and oil is flowing as it should use a good quality oil with an API rating SM that is 40 or above that will give enough ZDDP for any old flat tappet cam. I use only Brad Penn 20w-50 but 10w-40 or 15w-40 will work just as well. 10w-30 not so much unless you go with an addative such as ZDDP Plus.
Shell Rotella T 10W40 has plenty of zinc and you can buy it cheap at Wal-Mart. I use it in all high miles Y-Blocks. I did use it in my '55 TBird until I rebuilt the engine and machine shop then recommends 10W-30 with zinc additive for new bearings and tighter clearances. Now that my engine has several thousand miles on it I use AMSOIL ZROD 10W30 (as recommened by Street Rodder magazine). Don't know what car you are putting it in but MOST Y-blocks take a total of 6 qts when you also change the oil filter. Check an old MOTOR'S Manual for your engine's oil capacity if you don't believe that. Check the Classic Thunderbird Club International site (CTCI.ORG) under technical, Gil's Garage for two great articles on oil to use and zinc content for Y-Blocks - that site's article tested several oils and specifically tested the Rotella T and they recommend it. I have a link on my website to CTCI on my shop site www.rtclassics.net. Best Regards RT
have a look at http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/ lots of good info/debate over there. in terms of the commonly available multi-grade stuff, it seems like a lot of guys with older motors with flat tappet cams are running pennzoil 10w30, it apparently has the best additive package compared to old single weights. lots of guys are running diesel for the extra zinc and phosphorous too.
You can use just about any quality oil in the weight of your choice by adding a small amount of zinc additive at each oil change. Several companies make them, including Comp Cams. There are oils available from Amsoil and Royal Purple that have a high zinc content specifically for older, flat-tappet engines, but those are synthetic oils. Some people don't like to use synthetics in older engines with high mileage on them because it can make any oil leaks even worse. (I didn't believe that till I tried it myself!) In short, use your favorite brand of motor oil and pour in a small bottle of zinc additive at every oil change...or even every other oil change and you should be golden.
Advance auto parts sells the Valvoline Racing oil which has the ZDDP in it. They also sell Rislone ZDDP additive. It is not the normal Rislone, specifically says it is for adding the zinc to your oil. I've read that most of the diesel oils are reducing the zinc in their formulas, cause the zinc will plug up the converters put on the vehicles today.
Yup! There's jugs of oil out there marked SM/CJ, so no more zinc than car oil. Also Diesel is highly detergent &, as mentioned earlier, probably a bad choice if the engine is sludged up.
I see Wal-Mart now has STP with zddp & phosphorus. Have to have both ingrediants or the zddp won't work.
Read this, maybe it will help. http://www.y-blocksforever.com/forums/Topic50595-3-1.aspx?Highlight=zddp
Had a guy try to convince me to run this in our fleet trucks. http://www.wsbindustries.com/ Take a look at the engine oil additive. Never heard of the stuff or used it but it sounds too good to be true. The guy claims that one of the grocery store fleets is using it now and goes to 50,000 miles per oil change rather than the normal 20,000. I don't see how it is cost effective, it is't cheap. $68 per gallon if you buy it bulk. At a gallon per oil change I just don't see the return. I might try it on my Y-Block but who knows.
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