Oil recommendation for a 1965 Volvo 122S.

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Well, despite the number under my username, this is not my first post here. Long long ago, I had an account here but for the life of me, could not remember my name, password, what email I had used, anything. So, new account.

Anyway, I just picked up a Volvo 122 Amazon with a Volvo B18 motor, and I'm wondering what oil the old Volvo guys are using in these. It's got higher indicated mileage (9x,xxx) and does seem to poof a tiny bit of oil smoke at startup. Runs great otherwise, though.

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Nice car, built like a Tank!

I would run 10w-30 or 15w-40 HDEO

What is the history of the car/engine? Has it been sitting for some time?

I might try a piston soak.
 
For the past couple of years, it's been driven regularly. Before that it spent 15-20 years sitting as a display in a Georgia Volvo dealership.
 
Originally Posted By: andx0r
For the past couple of years, it's been driven regularly. Before that it spent 15-20 years sitting as a display in a Georgia Volvo dealership.



The reason I asked was, I bought a Toyota PU that had been stored for 20 years. It used a little oil and ran a little ruff for the first year I had it. That was due to a stuck piston ring.

After un-sticking the ring, it has run perfectly.

Any throttle shaft wear on those SU's? Often overlooked on a higher mileage engine.
 
Nice ride, one of my college professors had one in the 60's. If he is not dead, he probably is still driving it. Guessing about oil, but any good brand of oil will work, 10w30 .....
 
Nice ride! My Shell Lubrication Guide from that era shows 10w-30 preferred for the 1965 122S. I am partial to the oil in my signature (T5) or Vavoline VR1 for the old cars like this.
 
I vote for 15w40, you'll probably get fuel loading from the carbs puttering around on nice weekends etc. Also stronger additives.

Also like the 940 in the background.
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In the early 70's, I rented a 1/2 a house from a guy that had a '63 VOLVO. IDK which model. What I do remember about this car(according to the landlord) was, that the carb had several deferent jets that could be installed in order to run, just about anything combustible!
 
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I owned one of those for 20+ years, twin SU carbs, giant A/C compressor & all. Finally removed the compressor & under-dash AC.
*Oil: Though I always ran 20w50- either Valvoline or Castrol- for one that low mileage(90-odd thousand miles is barely broken in), I'd start with a good 15w40 HD oil. I would *Not* recommend an extended oil change interval on these cars, start at about 3000-3500 miles, & then if you really want to, begin working your way up.
*SU Carburetors: For the reservoirs on the SU carbs, use ATF, type A, Dexron, etc. Do *NOT* use motor oil like the owner's manual recommends. That tip came straight from the shop manager of the OKC Volvo dealership almost 40 years ago! You might also consider putting oiled foam sleeves on those air filters. Keep an eye on the fuel filter too- I finally wound up putting 2 inline filters in mine. I eventually changed out the SU for an aftermarket manifold with a single 2-bbl, 2 stage Weber carb(32/36?)
*Valve cover/spares etc: Don't put a Samson on the valve cover screws, the cover is easily deformed & will then leak. Keep a spare valve cover gasket or two, plus a stock of copper washers for the oil drain plug. BTW, you can use a copper washer twice if you turn it over afte the first use. You can *not* use it a third dime, unless you want an oil leak.
*Tires: Stick with normal sized tires(the old 165-15, or as close as you can get to it) & it'll feel more lively & steer better & your steering parts will last a *Long* time.
*Shocks: KYB Gas-A-Just shocks really transformed the feel of mine, & I recommend then highly. That's the Gas-A-Just, *NOT* the wimpy GR2's. If you can stand the extra $$ Bilsteins would be nice I'm sure.
*Valves: the B-18 requires periodic valve lash adjustment. If this procedure is in your skill set, great! If not, you'll need to learn. If you've never done it at all, let me know & I'll walk you through it. Tools needed are simple- a boxed/end wrench, screwdriver, & feeler gauges.
*Ignition: It'll have a Bosch ignition system. I recognize that coil mount in your engine bay! Back when I had mine, virtually all parts store manuals recommended the wrong points for my car. My distributor was centrifugal-advance only, all parts books back then claimed vacuum-advance. The points are different, so find out which you have & then keep at least 1 new set of points- and their corresponding capacitor(condenser)- on hand for spares. I'd recommend you keep a spare Distributor cap & rotor too. Nippon-Denso or NGK copper core plugs will run best. In my Volvo, Champions were fair at best, & Bosch plugs were nothing but trouble. Strange but true. Remember to keep the distributor lubed!
*Drive shaft: Mine had the 2-piece, 3-U-joint drive shaft. Whatever variation yours has, be sure to keep those U-Joints lubed. You may need a new protective rubber accordion boot for the center slip joint. And since you probably don't know when or if the slip joint(s)were lubed, Grease 'Em! Use a good grease & the slip joints will be good for another 100,000 miles or so.
*Rear Hubs: Volvo used several rear hub setups on those cars. One was just like a chevy, slip the holes in the brake drum over the lug studs. And then there was mine that required a special funky long-arm puller to remove the brake drums(some early 1950's Dodges/Plymouths had the same type, tapered axle shaft end with keyway into female counterpart on hub). After looking for years I finally found a suitable puller from good ol' J.C. Whitney. With the Internet these days, if you need one it should be fairly easy to find one.
*Work Manuals: Both AutoBook & Haynes are worth having. I let mine go with the car when I sold it in 1997. One is better at some things, the other better at others. You might even fine how-to videos on Youtube!
*****
I almost forgot:
*****Timing Gear!!! Keep your ignition, carbs and *Especially* manual choke cable properly adjusted for smooth running when it starts. Otherwise, on some cold morning, it'll cough. kick, & maybe backfire- and a stripped timing gear is the likely result! The crankshaft gear is steel, the timing gear teeth are fiber, and one good kickback can-and will often- strip them. If you can ever find a replacement that has tougher teeth, that would be a great preventive measure to take. Repeat: Don't let it backfire. No Foolin'.

Your new ancient Volvo is a beautiful example. I wish you all the best with it!

*The number one question people used to ask me: "Is that Columbo's car?"
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Wow, thanks for the big post!

I DO currently have 2 sealed jugs of 15w40 Rotella sitting around. Maybe I'll try that.

Those air filters are old and are going to be replaced soon. There's a fellow in texas who makes really nice kits that allow you to stop using the OEM air filters (that now cost like $60 each!) and instead use similarly sized parts store filters. It's gotten good reviews at swedespeed so I figured I'd try one.


The fuel system already has two filters. One pre-pump and one post-pump. The previous owner had the tank boiled out and reasealed inside and out, replaced all the soft lines, replaced the fuel pump, sorted the carbs out, and installed two filters.

I do know how to adjust valves and I have feelers...and it's one of my least favorite jobs, lol.
 
Originally Posted By: expat
Originally Posted By: andx0r
For the past couple of years, it's been driven regularly. Before that it spent 15-20 years sitting as a display in a Georgia Volvo dealership.



The reason I asked was, I bought a Toyota PU that had been stored for 20 years. It used a little oil and ran a little ruff for the first year I had it. That was due to a stuck piston ring.

After un-sticking the ring, it has run perfectly.

Any throttle shaft wear on those SU's? Often overlooked on a higher mileage engine.
And make sure you put some ATF in the dampers.
 
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Originally Posted By: andx0r
Wow, thanks for the big post!

I DO currently have 2 sealed jugs of 15w40 Rotella sitting around. Maybe I'll try that.

Those air filters are old and are going to be replaced soon. There's a fellow in texas who makes really nice kits that allow you to stop using the OEM air filters (that now cost like $60 each!) and instead use similarly sized parts store filters. It's gotten good reviews at swedespeed so I figured I'd try one.


The fuel system already has two filters. One pre-pump and one post-pump. The previous owner had the tank boiled out and reasealed inside and out, replaced all the soft lines, replaced the fuel pump, sorted the carbs out, and installed two filters.

I do know how to adjust valves and I have feelers...and it's one of my least favorite jobs, lol.
THere's a west coast company called IPD which may still have some good aftermarket stuff for it. I had one in black, traded it for a 71 142E with Fi and OD. They also made a 123 GT which had the P 1800 motor and tranny.
 
Sounds like the fuel system is in good shape. My fuel pump was a rebuildable type, I even did that once back in the early 1980's. Note- the fuel pump is strictly old-school, and if the diaphragm ever tears or perforates, it will allow gasoline to go straight into the sump. Just keep an eye on it.
If someone has a gizmo/whazzit/etc that will allow you to use a "normal" air filter, that should be just the thing. If you get such a unit please post a pic or three, I'd love to see what they did.

*Gasoline- your twin SU B-18 also has a higher compression ratio than the single carb version of that engine. So be sure to feed it the highest octane super unleaded you can find. You *can* adjust the timing enough to run regular gas, but you'll turn a peppy, fun little car into a really sluggish disappointment if you do. Don't ask me how I'm so sure of that.
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(But as soon as I ran that tank of gas out, I immediately refilled s/Super & put the timing back where it was)

Oh yeah- mine had well over 300,000 miles when I sold it(had been rebuilt around 175,000 miles). Shortly after I got it- autumn of '75 I think- I drained & filled both the differential & manual 4-speed transmission with Mystic gear oil. Looked like strawberry snow cone syrup, & when I sold the car over 20 years later, both the trans & diff ran quiet & the trans shifted smooth & never jumped out of gear.

I see yours is a manual trans(spotted the clutch fluid reservoir!). One real trouble spot is the factory aluminum clutch slave cylinder, *especially* if the boot gets torn & lets dirt & other cooties in where they can eat up that soft aluminum in no time at all. If you want to keep it looking as original as possible- and indeed, it might be the most practical thing of all- when trouble starts, try to find a shop that will bore out & then sleeve both master & slave clutch cylinders with steel. If that is done they will last as long as anything.

*Clutch: If yours still has the original clutch- and at less than 100,000 miles that's a heckuva good bet- the original was the old 3-finger & coil-spring type. If you should ever replace it, be sure to use a diaphragm-spring type clutch & the corresponding parts for it. You will be rewarded with *much* smoother clutch engagement when taking off from a dead stop. When I replaced mine I had no idea about the difference in smoothness, and was very pleasantly surprised!

*Oil Filter- if it was mine I'd put a Wix 51085 or NAPA Gold on it.

Please keep us posted, I'd like to see how things go with your new old Volvo. Keep in mind that car is 50 years old now(!), & treat her with care.

BTW: once upon a time, some car writer referred to the Volvo 120 series(such as your '65 Amazon & my long gone '66 122-S) as "the poor man's Mercedes." That might be a little enthusiastic, but they didn't miss it by all that much.
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Thanks dern!

And unfortunately it's just a standard 4-speed, expat. It could use an OD too.
 
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