I've done lots of searching and read hundreds of posts on here but haven't really found exactly what I'm looking for. Seems like I can't find anybody on here in the same situation as me. People on here are daily driving modern cars with roller cams, and then there are people with older flat flat tappet V8's that get raced and rarely or never driven on the street. My car is parked for 5 months of the winter when the snow flies but in the spring, summer and fall it gets driven over an hour a day every day mostly country driving at 50-60mph. My car has the factory flat tappet cam, which should mean it requires an oil with higher ZDDP levels, but it wouldn't be as bad as an engine built for performance cause it's a low lift cam with low valve spring pressures, only meant for turning 5000rpm max. I race the car at the 1/4 mile track once every couple months but being a 200hp engine it's not going to be that hard on the oil even when racing. I know I don't want an all out racing oil for a car that sees mainly highway driving, but I don't want to use a cheap dino oil. I have no idea how many miles are on the engine and I need to get quite a few more out of it before I can afford to build my performance engine (a 455 Olds), so I want to use whatever is best for it. I've been running synthetic 0W40 HDEO as well as Valvoline Maxlife synthetic 10w30. I notice no real difference in the way the car runs although it seems to have a little bit of a lifter or rocker arm tap with the HDEO that the Maxlife didn't have, it could just be imagining it though. Anyways, hoping I can get some good advice/opinions on what oil to run to keep this Olds runnin forever. Thanks.
what oil for daily driven bone stock 1974 Olds 350
- Thread starter caprice_2nv
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I have a 74 AMC daily driver [NO RACING OF COURSE BUT I DON'T DRIVE LIKE AN OLD LADY], That I put up for the winter as well. I have used Mobil 1 15w-50 w/Mobil 1 filter, for the 7 years I have owned the car, changing both oil and filter ONCE PER YEAR of driving 5-7,000miles , stop N go, severe service.. The Oil looks in very good clean shape at change time, and passes the blotter test easy, I am sure I could go longer OCI but Since I change it myself [AND I AM AN OILNUT} that good for me!
I would use a 10w-30 HDEO like rotella year round, like I do in my vintage bronco. If you wanted something thicker for the summer, I'd use a 15w-40 HDEO.
It's cheap and the older spec HDEO's will have a healthy dose of ZDDP and other AW additives.
It's cheap and the older spec HDEO's will have a healthy dose of ZDDP and other AW additives.
So far all the HDEO's around here I've seen are still CI4, CI4+ or CG4 except the dino Rotella 15w40 it's CJ4. I prefer using synthetic cause I want this engine to last forever.
My father-in-law still has his bone stock '74 Cutlas S(swivel cap't seats and a consol shifter) with a Rocket 350/4bbl carb and a 3 speed auto that he purchaced new. Im gona say that the engine has about 160,000 original miles. He runs anything 10W30 in the engine and he lives in Florida. I've driven the car within the past couple of years and it runs fine. Could use a little carb tuning but thats it! Smooth ride and lots of torque.
^They are a really nice engine for what they were. Works even better after putting it in a lighter 84 Cutlass with an O/D transmission and 3.73 rear gears. Traction is always a problem though.
I can currently still get CI4 Esso XD3 at Walmart, for $24 I can get the synthetic 0W40 that I've been using or for $11 I can get the regular dino 15W40. Unfortunately they are 4L jugs so I have to buy 2 since the car takes 5L's. Anyone think the synthetic will make a measurable difference in how long this engine lasts for me? This 350 probably has over 200K miles on it already and I'm putting maybe 12-15k a year on it and I need it to last another 5 or more years at least. I'm going to be changing it by 3k miles everytime. It's going to seem like overkill to use a synthetic for only 3k miles but consider the age and mileage on this engine and being carbureted it will likely have some fuel dilution. If you were trying to get more than 300K miles out of one of these engines what would you do? Thanks.
I'd go with a 10w30 dual rated (gas and diesel) oil for the extra zddp and other extras of a HDMO, like greater TBN which is partly related to the higher zddp.
I haven't really seen any 10W30 diesel oils around here in any of the places I go to.
+2 for the mobil 1 15w-50. i use it in my 1974 Ford LTD. has the 400 inch small block. seems to work out real well. i use a napa gold filter also.
Amsoil ACD would be a good choice. I've got the 15w-40 version in my '65 Corvair (different beast than your's), but I wanted something with the same characteristics as you mentioned, except a tad thicker.
Caprice,
Just brought the car out of storage? You've been away since November! I remember this post because my father-in-law has a similar vehicle. Those Rocket 350's were quite durable in their day and I think that you can reach that 300,000 mile mark. Carburator tuning will help the engine stay on track as the carb will probably be in need of a rebuild before the engine wares out. Regardless of which oil you choose, the best way to get 5 more years out of the engine(at 12-15,000 miles per year)is to drive it easyier than you have in the past(No 1/4 mile runs). Just drive it everyday maybe with an occasional WOT.
Talk to ya in about 5 years!
Just brought the car out of storage? You've been away since November! I remember this post because my father-in-law has a similar vehicle. Those Rocket 350's were quite durable in their day and I think that you can reach that 300,000 mile mark. Carburator tuning will help the engine stay on track as the carb will probably be in need of a rebuild before the engine wares out. Regardless of which oil you choose, the best way to get 5 more years out of the engine(at 12-15,000 miles per year)is to drive it easyier than you have in the past(No 1/4 mile runs). Just drive it everyday maybe with an occasional WOT.
Talk to ya in about 5 years!
Originally Posted By: HM12460
+2 for the mobil 1 15w-50. i use it in my 1974 Ford LTD. has the 400 inch small block. seems to work out real well. i use a napa gold filter also.
I had a 2-door '74 LTD back in the late 70's & early 80's. I loved that car. The 400M was a pretty good engine (derived from the 351 Cleveland, IIRC) and I put an Edelbrock Performer 4-bbl intake on it with a 600 cfm Holley 4-barrel. That really woke it up!
I got it with about 75,000 miles on it & as I recall it had about 160,000 miles on the original engine when I sold it and it never saw anything other than Valvoline & Pennzoil dino & Fram filters.
True story about this car:
One winter I forgot to make sure it had antifreeze in it and the block froze. (This was when it had about 90k-100k miles on it.) Luckily the water pump busted and not the block. But driving to work (I didn't know it had a water leak) the temp light came on. I thought it was just kidding, so I continued driving. (I was only about 17 at the time & didn't know a great deal about cars, and didn't know that they have no sense of humor whatsoever.)
As it got hotter I noticed it started pinging real bad and I was having to give it more gas to keep it moving. Still not convinced there was a serious problem, and figuring the car was just having a laugh at my expense, I kept driving. Soon I had the pedal on the floor, it was smoking like a locomotive, pinging and knocking like crazy, and it got slower, and s-l-o-w-e-r-, and s--l--o--w--e--r, till finally, after about 10 minutes of this, it seized.
Well, I had it towed home thinking I was out an engine. The next day I bought a water pump, put it on with the help of a friend, filled it up with water, and it fired right up. I then proceeded to put another 70,000 miles on that same engine, with nary a hiccup.
If you're feeding yours Mobil 1, it will probably outlive us all!
+2 for the mobil 1 15w-50. i use it in my 1974 Ford LTD. has the 400 inch small block. seems to work out real well. i use a napa gold filter also.
I had a 2-door '74 LTD back in the late 70's & early 80's. I loved that car. The 400M was a pretty good engine (derived from the 351 Cleveland, IIRC) and I put an Edelbrock Performer 4-bbl intake on it with a 600 cfm Holley 4-barrel. That really woke it up!
I got it with about 75,000 miles on it & as I recall it had about 160,000 miles on the original engine when I sold it and it never saw anything other than Valvoline & Pennzoil dino & Fram filters.
True story about this car:
One winter I forgot to make sure it had antifreeze in it and the block froze. (This was when it had about 90k-100k miles on it.) Luckily the water pump busted and not the block. But driving to work (I didn't know it had a water leak) the temp light came on. I thought it was just kidding, so I continued driving. (I was only about 17 at the time & didn't know a great deal about cars, and didn't know that they have no sense of humor whatsoever.)
As it got hotter I noticed it started pinging real bad and I was having to give it more gas to keep it moving. Still not convinced there was a serious problem, and figuring the car was just having a laugh at my expense, I kept driving. Soon I had the pedal on the floor, it was smoking like a locomotive, pinging and knocking like crazy, and it got slower, and s-l-o-w-e-r-, and s--l--o--w--e--r, till finally, after about 10 minutes of this, it seized.
Well, I had it towed home thinking I was out an engine. The next day I bought a water pump, put it on with the help of a friend, filled it up with water, and it fired right up. I then proceeded to put another 70,000 miles on that same engine, with nary a hiccup.
If you're feeding yours Mobil 1, it will probably outlive us all!
Ya I just brought the car out again and its running just as nice as when I parked it! other than a few annoyances like an exhaust leak, bad wiper blades and I haven't put the stereo back in yet. I rebuilt the quadrajet already when I installed the engine so I shouldn't have a problem with it for a long time. I also replaced the water pump, timing set and all gaskets and seals except the head gaskets. This is at least the 3rd vehicle this engine has been in, cause I pulled it from an 80's Monte Carlo. Wonder how many cars the engine can outlast? My uncle got over 300k out of a 78 Delta 88 350 Rocket and he drove pretty hard too.
Originally Posted By: Char Baby
Caprice,
Just brought the car out of storage? You've been away since November! I remember this post because my father-in-law has a similar vehicle. Those Rocket 350's were quite durable in their day and I think that you can reach that 300,000 mile mark. Carburator tuning will help the engine stay on track as the carb will probably be in need of a rebuild before the engine wares out. Regardless of which oil you choose, the best way to get 5 more years out of the engine(at 12-15,000 miles per year)is to drive it easyier than you have in the past(No 1/4 mile runs). Just drive it everyday maybe with an occasional WOT.
Talk to ya in about 5 years!
Originally Posted By: Char Baby
Caprice,
Just brought the car out of storage? You've been away since November! I remember this post because my father-in-law has a similar vehicle. Those Rocket 350's were quite durable in their day and I think that you can reach that 300,000 mile mark. Carburator tuning will help the engine stay on track as the carb will probably be in need of a rebuild before the engine wares out. Regardless of which oil you choose, the best way to get 5 more years out of the engine(at 12-15,000 miles per year)is to drive it easyier than you have in the past(No 1/4 mile runs). Just drive it everyday maybe with an occasional WOT.
Talk to ya in about 5 years!
I would recommend Castrol GTX 10w/30 or if you want a heavier oil, 20w/50 since you only drive it in the summer months.
I didn't think the regular 5w30 or 10w30 dinos had the extra ZDDP that would be preferred in my engine? If I was going with the Castrol I'd probably get the 10W40, anyone think that's good stuff? Not sure my engine is worn enough for 20w50, or if that might hurt my fuel mileage.
Originally Posted By: caprice_2nv
I haven't really seen any 10W30 diesel oils around here in any of the places I go to.
Valvoline VR1 Racing Oil is fully street useable and lists the high zddp antiwear like heavy duty engine oil.
I haven't really seen any 10W30 diesel oils around here in any of the places I go to.
Valvoline VR1 Racing Oil is fully street useable and lists the high zddp antiwear like heavy duty engine oil.
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