10-30 Mobil 1

[pitts64]

I just switched to Mobil 1 10w30 oil a Wix filter and a bottle of GM EOS for some Zinc.
My car is a 64 Pontiac Bonneville. The engine is a .030 over 72 455 (462).
I run Rhoads lifters on a large cam (Ram Air 4) 232/240.
The Rhoads lifters bleed down at low rpm to smooth out the cam at idle and low rpm.
The Mobil 1 10w30 oil made a tremendous difference over the Rotella 15-40 that I was using.

 

[Compman1988]

If you drive the car hard, I'd mix a quart or two (depending on the size of your sump) of Mobil 1 15w-50, just to thicken it up, but even if you don't, ,good choice

 

[Drew99GT]

Does that beast have a roller cam and rockers? If not, you may want to run an oil with more zinc and phosphorous.

I searched for rhodes lifters. Pretty sweet design! It's like variable valve lift for muscle cars

 

[pitts64]

I do drive it hard at times during a street match but never over 5000 rpm and not for long periods.
The engine builder is in Ohio, Cliff Ruggles.

Drew,its a flat tappet hydraulic cam.
I do have Crane 1.65 Gold roller rockers. They sound like a sewing machine.
The Rhoads work well considering the cams duration.
Since I changed to the Mobil 1, I can set my idle at 500 rpm in gear! This was totally impossible with the 15-40.
My engine seems to react so much faster now.
I can feel the friction loss.
While cruising I'm at the top of the peddle most of the time.
I was going to switch cams at one point to a Crain Hydraulic Roller set up $$$$$$!

 

[B00SS]

Welcome to the board, pitts64. And way to go keeping that old steel rolling!

 

[427Z06]

quote:

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Originally posted by pitts64:
The Rhoads lifters bleed down at low rpm to smooth out the cam at idle and low rpm.

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This is why the 10w30 is working better than the 15w40. The Rhoads lifters probably weren't bleeding down sufficiently with the more viscous 15w40. The EOS should provide all the ZDDP you need.

Thicken up the 10w30, and you may loose your newly found nirvana.

Those Rhoads lifters been around for many years (read decades), although I never did try them for any build. Never did hear anything bad about them.

 

[pitts64]

I can't get over how much an oil change has affected my engine.
I just e-mailed the engine builder and canceled the Hydraulic roller swap.

The Rhoads lifters are a very well made lifter.
The only down side is the slight ticking the valves make with them.
I like it. It sounds like an old solid lifter set up. My daughter says its part of the cars personality and to remove it would be a sin LOL.