Oil/Filter Question for Classic Chevy

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So after about 5 years in storage I managed to dig my old 70 Nova SS 396 out and begin the drive train rebuild. I am rebuilding it back to the 375hp specs it had before, but with a vintage Edelbrock cross ram manifold and two Carter AFB carbs.

My question is with the newer oils being low on zinc, I have decided to put good old HDEO Rotella/Delvac/Delo in it with a wix filter in it. How long do you figure the oil will last in her? I always used to use Pennzoil racing oil, but the place I got it from closed last year.
 
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The lower ZDDP additives in todays oils will do a fine job in any older engine that requires these additives. They just won't hold out for as long as they would with more ZDDP.

If you are using stock valve springs with your flat-tappets (assuming this is what you are talking about) it will be fine with modern oil for up to 3K miles. (NO MORE unless you do a UOA)

If you have high performance or heavy duty valve springs causing excess pressure on the cams then I would use a modern oil for no longer than 1K-1500 miles without the use of a ZDDP booster.

I would even use a cheap synthetic so that you get the higher PSI film strength to go along with the ZDDP additive or use a non API Licensed motor oil like Red Line / Amsoil which has oils for these applications. Using a Syn which has superior film strength over dino will help provide better protection in addition to the ZDDP.

Also make sure you carbs are tuned properly as running too rich will cause fuel dilution issues and can also accelerate wear no matter which oil or ZDDP additives you are using.
wink.gif


Would love to see a before/after picture of your project...
 
A 10w30 or 15w40 HDEO oil like Chevron Delo or 5w-40 Shell Rotella syn for example would work great. Nice car by the way .
 
I think you are doing the correct thing with Delvac/Delo/Rotella and the Wix filter. BBC's are pretty tough on cams anyway with long pushrods and 1.7 rocker ratios and long valve stems.

IMHO, I would not use anything lower than 1200 ppm ZDDP in a BBC with a flat tappet cam. Be conservative and change it every 3000 miles.
 
I will have to get some pics of her. We are getting ready to restore her. One of the previous owners shaved all the exterior badges off and repainted it. He also sold the original motor out of it and put an old, but pretty strong 327 in it. It got me through high school, but now she needs to get all fixed up. It will take some time to get her back to her former SS glory as I round up SS trim parts. My dad ran a speed shop for 30 years and had a year correct 396 for it that was needing a rebuild, so that is what I am rebuilding and putting in her. I am building her side by side with my dad who is doing his 32 Ford street rod with a 409.
 
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I really like 396 engines I had one in my Hondo flatbottom boat That engine I built with stock HP parts, with headers and tunnel ram would run 7,500 rpm all day . They are a real good bore stroke combination. Cams ant the valve train are under stress though.
 
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Toilet Paper Oil Filter?
"That toilet paper will ruin your engine."



Have you ever had someone say to you "that toilet paper oil filter will ruin your engine?" "All that paper will dissintegrate and go throughout your engine clogging up your lines, oil pump, filter, and eventually seize your engine making it worthless." Well, fear not.

Have you ever accidentally dropped a roll of toilet paper into the toilet? Perhaps your youngster did it for you. Did it dissolve? Of course not. The paper has a tendency to cling to itself and doesn't even unwind easily. That same characteristic occurs only even more so when dealing with oil.

First, the entire roll is supported upon a reinforced screed inside the Frantz Oil Filter unit. A metal tube goes up through the cardboard tube from the base of the Frantz Oil Filter unit and is locked in place by a snap ring circumferencing the outer edge on top of the roll of paper. Held tightly and snug inside the cannister now, the TP is ready to go to work for you filtering the foreign substance and materials that actually does the harm to your engine.

Not just any toilet paper is appropriate for the Frantz Oil Filter. Certainly, do not use the squeezable, soft, and fuzzy paper you enjoy in your moments alone. The best paper to use is that which is wound tightly, has the correct size cardboard tube both diameter and length, and is firm and hard to the squeeze.

The reason the Frantz Oil Filter is so efficient is due to it's design and the lack of design of the other filter units. If you were to cut open a spin on filter you normally use, you would find a thin paper or cardboard (or some other recycled material) about as thick as five sheets of copy paper. This paper is then placed on end in a circular design and for strength, it is corrogated in this circle. The oil passes up through the center of the filter opening at the bottom and penetrates through the paper sideways discharging out the exit again at the bottom of the filter. The filtering is all done similar to that of a coffee filter - just a little thicker - perhaps two or three filters. Do you really think that is enough filtering for YOUR engine? I don't.

Now, the Frantz Oil Filter with it's toilet paper element design, filters up through the center at the bottom of the unit but now it delivers the oil down the entire 4" height of the TP roll exiting at the bottom and being recirculated again back to the engine. The oil does not penetrate sideways through the roll as if from inside the cardboard and out the last row of paper. It filters down the entire height of the roll as when it sits on your bathroom sink.

Would you rather filter three coffee filter papers worth of filtering or 4" of filtering material? This is why the Frantz Oil Filter can filter up to ten times as fine as your stock oil filter your car manufacturer wants you to buy. Don't be fooled.

If you prefer, you can order the perfectly-fitting filter element from me for a very respectable price that will probably last you all year of averaging driving. The filter elements only cost $3 each. Why gamble and be disappointed using incorrect filter material? Order today.

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Put in the diesel oil, if you are going back to stock spec, that L-78 (396/375hp)has a mechanical flat tappet. Even with the lazy ramps on the cam, it'll want higher zddp than a SM spec oil has.

My vote would be M1 15w-50 after break in.

Nice ride, have fun, and don't forget the progressive linkage for those carbs.
 
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I emailed my fathers old sales rep at Clay Smith Cams and he recommended Delvac or Delo for good inexpensive oil. He said that no mechanical non roller cam would live as long as it should with oil under 1000ppm of zinc, and he himself is not comfortable unless its a little higher. So I might buy some red line break in additive and shoot 4-5 ounces in to boost the zinc levels a bit.

I know about progressive linkage. My dad and I built a progressive linkage for a tri power 348 in a 61 Bel Air that was day and night smoother and better than the OEM vacuum linkage.
 
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The 32 is about half done right now. It was my fathers first car he bought in the early 60's. We have the body work done, the frame boxed in, the suspension in it, and a mock up motor and transmission in it so we can fit everything. It will be pretty cool.
 
The diesel HDEO sounds great for you.
Reconsider using a single carb, instead of the problematic and not as versatile dual carb set up. [and save $]
Coolness and looks count for sure, but you'll have better overall performance with a proper single carb set up for the street.
 
I gotta go with more than one carb. They are not that problematic in my experience. I used to have dual quads on my first rodded car, a 71 Vega with a 377 and dual Holleys.
 
Nice cars. HDEO 10w30, 15w40, or 5W-40 are good choices, but racing oils, like Valvoline VR-1 10w30, are also a good choice if you can get them easily.....
 
Originally Posted By: Gunatics_Adler
I gotta go with more than one carb. They are not that problematic in my experience. I used to have dual quads on my first rodded car, a 71 Vega with a 377 and dual Holleys.


Why?

Just curious.
 
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