"SG(+)" 15w40 or better oil 1987 BBC 454

[Garak]

Originally Posted by DoubleWasp
Volvo Penta tried to game the system using a straight 30 synthetic oil, which was a mirror direct copy of amsoil HDD and ended up losing big block engines to valvetrain failures as a result. Nowadays, they call for a 15 w 40 diesel engine oil. Keep in mind that all of this drama went down in the roller cam BBC engines. OP has a flat tappet cam.

That's interesting to hear. One would think an Amsoil HDD mongrade clone SAE 30 would work just fine. There was a 454 on the farm, bought new. It ran solely on the 10w-30 PCMOs of the time, and was certainly flat tappet; it was a 1974. The engine greatly outlasted the body. Of course, that's no major feat, since a papier-mache body in a rain storm would have outlasted the one GM fitted it with.

 

[BrocLuno]

The "stay away" from 10W-40 was because back in the day, they were loaded with VII's to make the spread. That is mostly not the case now days.

I'd be looking at other retail sources - Farm & Fleet, Tractor Supply, your local Deere dealer, etc. You will find all sort of good oils. Mystic JT8 is excellent. So is JD's +50.

I'd also drop the annual changes. It gets to op temp every time it's run, so condensation is not an issue. Therefor little likelihood of acid formation. At least stretch to two or three years on changes. It's well broken in by now

Although, I would drop a full can of BG109 in there one outing before it gets changed. Just knock down any varnish that may have formed ... Drive it, change it, good to go

454 truck engines do not generally wipe cams. They never spend much time below 2,500 RPM. Since the cam is lubed by sling oil off the crank, anytime you get above 2,000 there is plenty of oil to keep it happy.

It's in cars idling around that things get sketchy ...

 

[F239141]

I found Delo 400 SDE 15w 40.

It happens to have the SN rating too, and is dirt cheap on my commercial account.

I don't think adding a zinc treatment will hurt anything, I don't have cats on the exhaust so no worries there

Still open to opinions and other thoughts and ideas on the subject.