Best oil weight for 1977 Chevy Monte Carlo 305

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Originally Posted By: dave1251
Nope. Myth's never die on the internets.


Split the difference on the viscosity/ZDDP issue and use Defy 5w-30.
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@addyguy: It will eat the cam, and the 15w-40 won't help.
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It won't hurt, either, at least if it can be had at a reasonable price. I'm sure it would be fine on plenty of 30 or 40 grades. I'd just stay away from 0w-20 or straight 50, and things will be fine. For taxis of similar vintage with the 305, we used the Quaker State conventional of the day in 10w-30 year round.
 
Back "in the day" when those cars were new, I ran 10W-30 and I took a 1970 307 Chevy to 140K miles and it still ran well, but had started using about 1 quart every 1,000 miles (considered normal at the time).
 
Originally Posted By: Silverado12
Back "in the day" when those cars were new, I ran 10W-30 and I took a 1970 307 Chevy to 140K miles and it still ran well, but had started using about 1 quart every 1,000 miles (considered normal at the time).


The 307 was an Olds motor, IIRC
smile.gif
 
I think we need to see some pictures of this beauty! I always liked the '77, last year before they downsized it.
 
Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: Silverado12
Back "in the day" when those cars were new, I ran 10W-30 and I took a 1970 307 Chevy to 140K miles and it still ran well, but had started using about 1 quart every 1,000 miles (considered normal at the time).


The 307 was an Olds motor, IIRC
smile.gif



Yes, but Chevrolet made a 307 as well. I was a 283 bore (3.875" bore) with a 327 crank (3.25"). It replaced the 283 in 1968 and went out of production after 1973. It was a lo-po 2bbl entry level V8. The 307 Olds was introduced in 1980, with a 3.80" bore and a 3.385" stroke, estentially a "debored" 350 Olds. It was built until 1990.
 
Originally Posted By: Oldswagon
Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: Silverado12
Back "in the day" when those cars were new, I ran 10W-30 and I took a 1970 307 Chevy to 140K miles and it still ran well, but had started using about 1 quart every 1,000 miles (considered normal at the time).


The 307 was an Olds motor, IIRC
smile.gif



Yes, but Chevrolet made a 307 as well. I was a 283 bore (3.875" bore) with a 327 crank (3.25"). It replaced the 283 in 1968 and went out of production after 1973. It was a lo-po 2bbl entry level V8. The 307 Olds was introduced in 1980, with a 3.80" bore and a 3.385" stroke, estentially a "debored" 350 Olds. It was built until 1990.


Thanks, I didn't know that
thumbsup2.gif
 
Originally Posted By: addyguy
Any HDEO 15W-40 at a minimum, and evne at that, I'd add a zinc additive.

That engine is garbage and will eat the cam sooner rather than later...


I know you have posted many times about your fathers terrible 305 Malibu, but not all from this vintage were bad. We've owned several 305's of this vintage and all have lasted a long time without issue or cam failures. Some did have soft cams from the factory from this vintage though, but not ALL were bad.

But as with all my vintage flat tappet engines, I prefer a HDEO, and I have never seen the need to run anything but a 10W30. The only time I used a 15W40 was in an old V8 that had excessive consumption. My brother's 1976 350-2bbl, is essentially very similar to your engine other than the bore size, and it has about double the miles. No oil consumption of any significance and shows no signs or slowing down. It was a daily driver until 2007, but now is just a weekend car.
 
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I run Pennz HM 10w30 in my 83 Silverado 305 with 217K Original Miles, the 305 is a slug but it gets the job done and is dependable, I bought the truck new and keep it on a 3K cycle as it is my Daily Driver, Love the old Montes, in your case I would drive it a little more and enjoy it, and stay away from annual oil changes
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Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Thanks, I didn't know that
thumbsup2.gif



The 307 Chevs were a bit uncommon. We never had one in any of the taxis, and I only saw one example in a friend's vehicle, when we were doing a cam and lifter job.
 
Originally Posted By: Oldswagon
Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: Silverado12
Back "in the day" when those cars were new, I ran 10W-30 and I took a 1970 307 Chevy to 140K miles and it still ran well, but had started using about 1 quart every 1,000 miles (considered normal at the time).


The 307 was an Olds motor, IIRC
smile.gif



Yes, but Chevrolet made a 307 as well. I was a 283 bore (3.875" bore) with a 327 crank (3.25"). It replaced the 283 in 1968 and went out of production after 1973. It was a lo-po 2bbl entry level V8. The 307 Olds was introduced in 1980, with a 3.80" bore and a 3.385" stroke, estentially a "debored" 350 Olds. It was built until 1990.


Yep. We had a '68 Impala 4dr hardtop with that 307 in it paired up with Powerglide transmission.
 
Originally Posted By: Clevy
Originally Posted By: dave1251
Originally Posted By: FL_Rob
I'd go for a heavy duty 30 ,such as Rotella T5 10w30. With low miles and what sounds like a non-leaker, you can go with a nice Mobil 1 in 0w40 flavor.The ZDDP is what you're after with this engine,not just a thicker grade.


Nope. Myth's never die on the internets.

Ha. No kidding. 1100 posts and you'd think he woulda absorbed something.


Please state the myth of which you're referring to and why my opinion of which oil to run would be scrutinized as such.

Clevy...You're kidding ,right? The OP asked for opinions about oil selection and yet in the entire thread,I don't see any recommendations of your own,just an off-handed remark about not absorbing information. What's your recommendation to the OP in this matter?
 
Originally Posted By: electrolover
Another little tid bit of info on the 307
The sbc can bore to 4 inches and make a 327 or 350

Chevy actually eventually took it to 4.125 in × 3.75 in giving 400 cu in (6.6L). I believe they were all/most 2bbl.
 
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Originally Posted By: Bamaro
Originally Posted By: electrolover
Another little tid bit of info on the 307
The sbc can bore to 4 inches and make a 327 or 350

Chevy actually eventually took it to 4.125 in × 3.75 in giving 400 cu in (6.6L). I believe they were all/most 2bbl.


I had a buddy with a few 400's. One of them had Brodix heads, solid roller cam....etc. It was in an S10, ran bottom 11's.
 
Interestingly there were 265, 283, 327, 350, 302, 307, 400, 305 & 262 cubic inch versions of the "small block" Chevy V8. How's about 365hp with two 4bbl carbs (or 375hp with fuel injection) from a 327?

GM had about 3 (or was it 4?) versions of 350 cubic inch V8 motors (and 2 307's) not counting a diesel version: the Olds and Buick versions differed from the standard Chevy/GMC.
 
Originally Posted By: FL_Rob
Originally Posted By: Clevy
Originally Posted By: dave1251
Originally Posted By: FL_Rob
I'd go for a heavy duty 30 ,such as Rotella T5 10w30. With low miles and what sounds like a non-leaker, you can go with a nice Mobil 1 in 0w40 flavor.The ZDDP is what you're after with this engine,not just a thicker grade.


Nope. Myth's never die on the internets.

Ha. No kidding. 1100 posts and you'd think he woulda absorbed something.


Please state the myth of which you're referring to and why my opinion of which oil to run would be scrutinized as such.

Clevy...You're kidding ,right? The OP asked for opinions about oil selection and yet in the entire thread,I don't see any recommendations of your own,just an off-handed remark about not absorbing information. What's your recommendation to the OP in this matter?


I am sorry to offend you but released studies have established that the current levels of ZDDP are more than adequate to protect flat tappet cams especially in the OP's vehicle. IMO the whole movement there is not enough ZDDP in modern oils has been overblown to mythic proportions when oils are analyzed from the same era as the OP's car ZDDP levels today are nearly the same. Takes this along with base oil improvement, other friction modifiers, anti-wear additives, the whole movement flat tappet cams need more ZDDP then modern oils already have just does not make sense to me.


http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1049812&page=2
 
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