Benefit of SAE30 over 10W30 in my application ?

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I have a SBC 383 recent rebuild with ~300 miles on it with flat tappet cam, 10.5:1 compression, Holley 750cfm etc. The cam was broken in with Rotella 30W and a bottle of ZDDP additive for extra protection. I am running a 7 qt oil pan, HV oil pump and a larger "truck" filter that fits this SBC (AC delco PF1218 or equivalent). At most I put a few thousand a year on this car and will be doing the oil change each spring. I am in the south so I am guessing if I don't drive the car in the winter it will at worst see temps in the 60s. I have posted my scenario on another board regarding what oil to use or at least to understand the thinking of my builder and thought I'd try posting on this site that specializes in oil !! My car is coming up to its 500 mile oil change and the builder wants me to use 7 qts 30W valvoline conventional oil with 1/2 quart of lucas oil stabalizer. I have been doing a lot of reading and it "seems" like 10W30 should be fine for my application, but I am in noway an expert ?? Anybody have any idea what the SAE 30 is suggested or could it be just what was used in the past ????

As far as using valvoline I feel like that is what the builder has been using the last 30 yrs along with the lucas..just stuck with what works for him. I would like a bit more flexibility and would like to understand if I really "must" run the straight weight vs mult-weight oil. Thanks.
 
See if you can find some Rotella 10W30 diesel oil. Great stuff. But really a straight 30 would probably be fine. I would stay with Rotella here, as well, and skip the Lucas.
 
" I feel like that is what the builder has been using the last 30 yrs along with the lucas..just stuck with what works for him."

I have that feeling too. If there's any sort of warranty, implied or not, I guess I'd stick to his recommendation to make things easier if you ever have a problem.

Otherwise, I'd also be inclined to use an easier-to-find 10w-30. On the other hand, since it's probably not energy conerserving, does a straight 30 have more ZDDP out of the bottle than an SM 10w-30? That would be my only concern.
 
I run Chevron Delo SAE30 (HDEO) in my 2.5L Jeep. This rig is a 95% trail rig, is geared low, and sees everything from extended operation at 2000-2400 RPM when driving around, to many start/stops throughout the day depending on the trail conditions. I've found that the SAE30 holds up better and doesn't shear compared to a 10W30. I also believe it has more ZDDP. I've had good luck with 10W40's too.

Keep in mind that I'm comparing my SAE30 to a dino 10W30. A synthetic 10W30 would obviously hold up better than a dino, if you want to try a syn at some point.
 
If your temperature range is never below 40 degrees, I'd stay with the 30 weight. But, I would not use Lucas, and I would opt for Chevron Delo. Delo's specs reveal it's really a 20-30, it has very good cool weather properties, a high TBN, and a boatload of zinc. But, that's me. If your builder has any kind of warranty, and he feels his combo is better, I would use what he says, just for his warm fuzzy in the event something happens.
 
Warranty is more "immplied"; stands behind his work and only advertises word of mouth/referral. I also asked about ZDDP additives or using Rotella after the cam break in but did not think it was necessary (along with adding zinc additive when breaking in the cam...which I did anyway for piece of mind...warranty or not. I am leaning towards using Rotella 30W at least it has some higher zinc levels and is the weight he requests.
 
I'll look into the Chevron Delo. Thanks.

How does the zinc levels comapare to the Rotella ?
 
In your climate, there's no reason to not use a straight 30wt.

You may look at Amsoil ACD. It's a straight 30 synthetic with lots of ZDDP that also qualifies as a 10w-30.
 
Originally Posted By: y2k600f4


As far as using valvoline I feel like that is what the builder has been using the last 30 yrs along with the lucas..just stuck with what works for him. I would like a bit more flexibility and would like to understand if I really "must" run the straight weight vs mult-weight oil. Thanks.


But but but....

The Valvoline conventional you buy today has < 800 PPM of ZDDP if it meets all the latest ratings. Whether or not that's OK for a broken-in flat tappet cam is an open question (I've started an experiment that will be documented on the UOA forum under the 66 Dodge RP 0w40 thread- a data point of one isn't enough to close the matter but the first data point has elevated iron)

If you really want to play it safe, stick with either SL rated oils or HDEOs (and even with HDEO, the SM rated ones will be down on ZDDP compared to previous versions).

I'm not saying that its certain that you NEED gads of ZDDP, just pointing out that the "Valvoline has always worked for him" argument means nothing since oils have been reforumlated many times.

Oh, and its JMO but Lucas stabilizer = useless. If you're going to add something, add GM EOS or another additive intended for AW.
 
No offense to your builder but you'd have to pay me a lot to use lucas oil stabilizer in a car of mine.

Two good choices would be Red Line 10W-30 (1200 ppm phosphorus)and
Joe Gibbs 10W-30 Hot Rod oil.
 
My thoughts exactly on the lucas,he has it in his head that it "slicks" up the oil making it better on lubrication. I don't know some get caught up in the hype.
 
If you are not going to run the oil longer than 3000 miles go with Valvoline VR1 which comes in SAE 30, 40, 50, 60, 10w30, and 20w50 and has boatloads of zddp. It is streetable racing oil.
 
engine builders, mechanics, and some of us rely on experience, heresay, and a little bit of religion when it comes to oil. for your use you dont need a multi=weight oil, just be easy on the engine until the oil is warmed up. My boat specs a 30 weight oil - yet I use a 15-40 in it (synthetic). and in the case of a boat, its normally running from 3000-5000 RPM under a constant heavy load - something that most cars dont see.

I dont know enuf about Lucas to make a recommendation - but I normally dont like additives. So use a 30, 10-30, or 15-X diesel oil with confidence.
 
Originally Posted By: CATERHAM
No offense to your builder but you'd have to pay me a lot to use lucas oil stabilizer in a car of mine.

Two good choices would be Red Line 10W-30 (1200 ppm phosphorus)and
Joe Gibbs 10W-30 Hot Rod oil.


Forgot about the Redline and I believe the 10w-30 uses no VIIs so it's a straight 30.
 
Did he defeat your bypass mechanism? This is a question I always ask anyone with a warmed over SBC.
 
Originally Posted By: Gary Allan
Did he defeat your bypass mechanism? This is a question I always ask anyone with a warmed over SBC.


Gary to answer your question bypass mechanism is stock, no mods made.
 
Lose the Lucas oil stabilizer.
Some options for you are HD [diesel] oil in 10-30 15-40 or synth 5-40.
Straight 30? Made a lot of sense decades ago when multigrades would break down. It's old advice that does not really apply now.
If you use it [straight 30], take it easy until she warms up.
 
Do all the HD(diesel)oil available in 30W or 10W30 have sufficient amounts of zinc ?
 
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