Slant Six Oil Recommendation

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Hemidart

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Jul 18, 2004
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North Hollywood
I have a 1970 Dodge Dart Swinger with a 225 Slant Six. The car is in great condition, but has unknown miles. The car is only driven 100 or so miles a month. I plan to someday drop a 360 in it...but that is a way off. I live in Los Angeles were the temps currently are in the 90's with winter temps rarely in the mid 30's or higher. Looking under the valve cover there is no sludge, only varnish. There is a slight leak from the rear main but over all it runs very strong.

I am looking for non-synthetic oil recommendations that I can buy locally. I was thinking Castrol HM 20W-50.
 
My 87 year old mother drives like you and the dealer recommended Castrol Blend.
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Nice car by the way those were pretty good engines if I recall.
 
quote:
Originally posted by dropitby:
My 87 year old mother drives like you and the dealer recommended Castrol Blend.
dunno.gif
Nice car by the way those were pretty good engines if I recall.
Click to expand...
Yeah....I would drive it more, but I hate to sweat going to work when I have to wear a shirt and tie. So only on the weekends, but yeah the /6 is a cool engine.
 
In your area i would recomend Chevron Delo 15w40. This product will give you quicker oil flow in the winter and give you better fuel economy than the Castrol 20w50. It also has a much better additive package, and you could easily go with once a year oil changes with the mileage you say you are going to put on your Dodge Dart Swinger.
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Your 225 has O-rings that seal the spark plug tubes. The next time you replace the plugs get some new O-rings to help stop the oil leaks these engines have.

Your lifters are Mechanical. You need to ocasionally adjust the valves.

Intakes: .010
Exhaust: .020 both done hot.
 
I recommend the delo 15w-40. I am using it currently on my 70 dart for an arx treatment and then I will go to the delo 5w-40 synthetic.

You cant go wrong with the delo syn or dino. Both are very high quality hdeo oils.

Dan
 
quote:
Originally posted by Dan4510:
I recommend the delo 15w-40. I am using it currently on my 70 dart for an arx treatment and then I will go to the delo 5w-40 synthetic.

You cant go wrong with the delo syn or dino. Both are very high quality hdeo oils.

Dan
Click to expand...
Where can I get Delo 15W-40?...I have not seen it in any of my local Pep Boys, Auto Zone, Napa....etc.
 
After the thermonuclear war, only a few functioning entities will remain. They'll include cockroaches, Joan River's heavily plasticized and preserved face (the rest of her will turn to dust), and the Mopar Slant Six engines. Only those three entities will survive. My brother-in-law's sister once ran a slant six Dodge Dart without water until the pistons literally started to melt (confirmed upon tear-down), but it took a while to get to that point. One tough bugger!!!

ANY SL-rated lube will be a million light years ahead of what that ride was designed for, so it really doesn't matter what name brand oil you put in that less-demanding engine. 10w-30 was the standard weight in those days, with 10w-40 for hotter climates and heavy duty applications (heavy loads, towing, hard driving, etc.). 20w-50 was mostly a child of the European rides of the 80's and 90's, and I'd steer towards 10w-40 in So. Cal. (All of these comments can be verified through the Chevron and Havoline oil spec sheets.) The mixed fleet "diesel" lubes mentioned are even better, and 15w-40 would do fine year-round where you live; the Motorcraft diesel lube at Wal-Mart for $1.45 is probably the least expensive version for ya. But if I stumbled across a name brand SL for 50 cents/qt after promotions, that would wind up in my Slant Six crankcase faster than a donut flying into Rosanne Barr's mouth.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Hemidart:

quote:
Originally posted by Dan4510:
I recommend the delo 15w-40. I am using it currently on my 70 dart for an arx treatment and then I will go to the delo 5w-40 synthetic.

You cant go wrong with the delo syn or dino. Both are very high quality hdeo oils.

Dan
Click to expand...
Where can I get Delo 15W-40?...I have not seen it in any of my local Pep Boys, Auto Zone, Napa....etc.
Click to expand...
I buy it at otr truck stops, i gallon 8.59 yesterday at truck stop.

blue jug.

Dan
 
My mom, bless her car abusing heart, drove a 73 Dart with this exact engine for over ten years. Oil changes for her were virtually unknown. As I became car curious and started exploring under the hood, I first thought all that black slimy stuff inside the oil filler was some sort of grease that was supposed to be there! Boy, did I have a lot to learn. But it ran at least another six years that way. Perhaps we are a bit paranoid here at BITOG...
 
Chevron Delo 15W-40 would be my choice. An excellent oil for those big old motors, easy to find in California and well suited to your climate.

Here in Northern California it is sold just about everywhere. Mostly it comes in 1 gallon jugs, so maybe you didn't look on the shelf. It is a Heavy Duty/Fleet oil, sometimes eroneously called a "diesel" oil and is generally in a slightly different place from the quarts. Around here Kragen, Autozone, WalMart, Costco and most of the independant auto parts stores stock it.

John
 
I'd go for 15W-40 summer and 10W-30 winter.
Twice a year oil changes aren't unreasonable, even if the miles are low.
That engine will take the "old Ford" oil filter which can be found quite cheaply.
 
I picked up two gallons of Delo 15W-40 today along with a Mobil 1 Oil FIlter. Planing on doing the oil change tommorow morning.

Thanks for all the replys!
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I use 15W-40 Mobil Delvac 1300 in a 1964 Slant 6 - 170 ci.

Any HDEO should work well for yearly changes.

I really dont think you can hurt a Slant 6 engine with anything though .

Gene
 
Even though this topic is somewhat dated I reckon I should toss in my two cents' worth:

I've driven slant sixes almost continually since 1977; a truly incredible engine bar none. My 1975 Dart Sport (inherited it when my mom passed away 3 years ago) is the latest vehicle of the 30-degree economy 6 heritage. I ran Delo 400 15W-40 oil in it for a while and developed sticking problems with the oil bypass valve, so I went synthetic. No more problems. Most likely the bore for the valve is either scored or gunked up.

Still, if that problem didn't develop I'd use Delo 400- I believe it's one of the very best dino oils around.

The Dart is now retired but I just can't seem to part with it... Long live the slant sixes!!!!!!!
 
I agree with TC, but with short trips I'd go with 10w30, the weight originally specified for the motor, IIRC. No need to go to heavier weights that will sludge up and do more harm than good. Any quality brand of SL oil will do.

I've owned a couple Darts in years past, great engine & trans (TorqueFlite).
 
I bought a 71 dodge dart that had one of these things in it...plan being to replace it with a screamin 440....logic being i would blow the slant 6, tell wifey i needed to replace the engine...drop in big block..."I got it cheap"...she would be naive'...(wonder if that is one of the reasons we arent married any longer?"

I drove the **** out of that thing...three speed on the tree....i shifted when it would rev any higher....never used third on the highway, just ran it in second and wound the **** out of it...in the end...i lied, told her it blew up...

darrell
sin city
 
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