1973 Bronco w/original 302

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Hi there, I have an old Bronco with the original 302, still runs quite well. I use 10w30 in it but am interested if others think I should use something else. I drive it year around but not daily, in South Dakota from temps of 0F to 100F, about 3000 miles a year. It has just over 100k on it at present. Thoughts?
 
Or, if you want to save a few $ & have a farm store around, Mystik JT-8 10W30.
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5w40 that baby any brand synthetic (I tend to like moly m1, qsud, truck and gas all good choices) and since you don't put a lot of miles pair it will a spun microglass filter, Royal Purple, Amsoil EA, Wix XP and Fram Ultra seam to be the popular ones. Heat cycles and time ruin paper filters, if you do like one oil change a year, has to be spun microglass. The new Bronco's are gonna really be something, but nothing like those old ones. I've let 3 Bronco's go, I hate myself big time, especially the first one I bought off showroom floor and drove for 11 years. 0w40's are good options as well, they are actually built very well and act like 30 weights because they are built on the thin side most of them anyhow.

Just as important is coolant. Do you change it often? I say so because I did mess up one of my Bronco's cooling system by not changing yearly with IAT coolant. With so few miles maybe every two years, use an IAT coolant and distilled water.
 
Originally Posted by NH73
5w20. That is what they use now.


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Originally Posted by BKinSD
Hi there, I have an old Bronco with the original 302, still runs quite well. I use 10w30 in it but am interested if others think I should use something else. I drive it year around but not daily, in South Dakota from temps of 0F to 100F, about 3000 miles a year. It has just over 100k on it at present. Thoughts?


What does your owner's manual say? I'd say if you've been doing well on the 10w-30...stick with it, or go to a -40. 10w-xx is good down to around -18°F / -28°C
 
Originally Posted by JLTD
Originally Posted by NH73
5w20. That is what they use now.


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Originally Posted by BKinSD
Hi there, I have an old Bronco with the original 302, still runs quite well. I use 10w30 in it but am interested if others think I should use something else. I drive it year around but not daily, in South Dakota from temps of 0F to 100F, about 3000 miles a year. It has just over 100k on it at present. Thoughts?


What does your owner's manual say? I'd say if you've been doing well on the 10w-30...stick with it, or go to a -40. 10w-xx is good down to around -18°F / -28°C
A learned a lot since them. Better oils, better engines. Your old 302 will work like a coyote. The old stiff didn't last 100,000 miles.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by BKinSD
Hi there, I have an old Bronco with the original 302, still runs quite well. I use 10w30 in it but am interested if others think I should use something else. I drive it year around but not daily, in South Dakota from temps of 0F to 100F, about 3000 miles a year. It has just over 100k on it at present. Thoughts?


Apparently what you've been doing is working just fine
If I changed anything I might run a 10-40 in the summer and a 5-30 in the winter but that's just me

But hey Welcome to the club ðŸ‘
 
20 years ago an inaugural Ford Bronco died and the young man who owned it showed up to buy my sister's battered Toyota pickup.
That was December 31st 1999. He needed a vehicle fast.

I want to say it was a 1960 or '61 Bronco.
It had a cowboy on a bucking bronco emblem on the rear gate.
How I wish I had pried it off to make a belt buckle.
 
Originally Posted by BKinSD
Hi there, I have an old Bronco with the original 302, still runs quite well. I use 10w30 in it but am interested if others think I should use something else. I drive it year around but not daily, in South Dakota from temps of 0F to 100F, about 3000 miles a year. It has just over 100k on it at present. Thoughts?


If you don't drive it when it's below 0F then I would stay with 10w30. VR1 or Valvoline Daily Protection would be my choice in your case.
 
I eventually settled on M1 0w-40 for all the 302's I've owned and worked on, though I'm running D1 ESP 5w-40 in the 351W (GT4) in our boat. Tear-down results have shown excellent cleanliness in the old Windsors and even with a fuel diluting carb setup, no visible wear (I did not mic anything). That said, if you don't drive it year-round, any 10w-30 will work fine in that lo-po Windsor. I 2nd Burla's recommendation of a synthetic media filter, you'll likely be able to score the FRAM Ultra on Amazon for pretty cheap.
 
Kira said:
20 years ago an inaugural Ford Bronco died and the young man who owned it showed up to buy my sister's battered Toyota pickup.
That was December 31st 1999. He needed a vehicle fast.

I want to say it was a 1960 or '61 Bronco.
It had a cowboy on a bucking bronco emblem on the rear gate.
How I wish I had pried it off to make a belt buckle.

[/quote


Ford didn't offer a Bronco in 60/61'
It was introduced in August of 1965
 
Since it's running good, I also say stick to the 10w30. Even if you didn't say you're using it already, I would suggest it. This viscosity is a good balance.
My 1995 Corvette is spec'd for 5w30 but switched to 10w30 a few years ago, ticking on startup went away immediately and still runs real strong. My ambient annual temperatures range from 25F-110F.
 
I run 10W30 what-ever in my '75. It's all stock and I believe it currently has Supertech 10w30 Dino in the sump.

No need to overthink this engine.
 
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