Gas station 10w-40 conventional

[CheezWhiz]

Suppose I want to be able to just run any old 10w-40 in a hod rod with a roller cam. Aluminum heads, hyd roller, holley, headers, you know the deal. Don't rev any higher than 6000 rpm, change the oil once a year after no more than 2500 miles.

Why not just run a cheap 10w-40 syn blend and top off every now and again at a gas station with generic conventional 10w-40? What do you really gain by running something like VR1 or a premium synthetic?

 

[ammolab]

Go ahead..run Maxlife 10W-40 and have no worry. This isn’t even very good click bait!

 

[CheezWhiz]

I genuinely did not mean it as click bait. I have a pretty sweet 65 GTO with a fairly fresh engine. I've run VR1, Rotella 15w40, and 15w-50 Mobil 1.

It's been using some oil and I am playing around with the PVC system and tracking down leaks. I just want to be able to stop at a gas station and throw a quart of generic 10w-40 in it without feeling like I am throwing crappy oil in with really premium stuff. So I figured why not just run a cheaper 10w-40 anyway?

 

[tasch72]

As long as you recognize the brand name, the oil will be fine.

The danger is when you get in to the generic gas station oils with "10-30" viscosity.

 

[blufeb95]

I'd use whatever 15W40 HDEO you can find, just because most of the HDEO you find has manufacturer specs for extended drains in diesel engines so you know it's good oil, 10W-40 on the other hand likely carries no manufacturer approvals and only carries the API S rating and doesn't have to meet meet the stringent criteria of the newer ILSAC ratings that have brought great improvements to the cheapest Xw20 and Xw30 oils over the last few iterations. Any gas station will probably have quarts of 15W40 for around the same price as 10W40 when you need top up and likely they meet several manufacturer approvals or at very least to claim CK-4 they have to have passed the T15 oxidation test

 

[CheezWhiz]

I'd use whatever 15W40 HDEO you can find, just because most of the HDEO you find has manufacturer specs for extended drains in diesel engines so you know it's good oil, 10W-40 on the other hand likely carries no manufacturer approvals and only carries the API S rating and doesn't have to meet meet the stringent criteria of the newer ILSAC ratings that have brought great improvements to the cheapest Xw20 and Xw30 oils over the last few iterations. Any gas station will probably have quarts of 15W40 for around the same price as 10W40 when you need top up and likely they meet several manufacturer approvals or at very least to claim CK-4 they have to have passed the T15 oxidation test

This response is exactly why I posted the question. Easy enough!

 

[K.Aoi]

I'd avoid any no name oil from gas stations because a lot of them don't actually meet any standards are just junk. Other than that if you want run any HDEO or I like the Maxlife 10W-40 suggestion.

 

[CheezWhiz]

If most gas stations are going to carry a brand name 15w-40, and that seems awfully likely, that probably makes sense. I will have to poke around in some gas stations. I am thinking of doing some cruising in rural areas where little mom and pop gas stations predominate.

 

[bullwinkle]

I'd use whatever 15W40 HDEO you can find, just because most of the HDEO you find has manufacturer specs for extended drains in diesel engines so you know it's good oil, 10W-40 on the other hand likely carries no manufacturer approvals and only carries the API S rating and doesn't have to meet meet the stringent criteria of the newer ILSAC ratings that have brought great improvements to the cheapest Xw20 and Xw30 oils over the last few iterations. Any gas station will probably have quarts of 15W40 for around the same price as 10W40 when you need top up and likely they meet several manufacturer approvals or at very least to claim CK-4 they have to have passed the T15 oxidation test

That's what I put in my brother's Chevy 1967 283 SB stroker motor, flat tappets & all, with a little extra ZDDP additive thrown in (Rislone, Driven, etc.). Any name brand 10W40 would be WORLDS better than the rubbery VII loaded ones of the '60s & '70s, remember bouncing sludge like an oily super ball...

 

[CheezWhiz]

That's what I put in my brother's Chevy 1967 283 SB stroker motor, flat tappets & all, with a little extra ZDDP additive thrown in (Rislone, Driven, etc.). Any name brand 10W40 would be WORLDS better than the rubbery VII loaded ones of the '60s & '70s, remember bouncing sludge like an oily super ball...

I don't remember! I ran 10w-40 in the mid-90's in a flat tappet 350 Chevy without issue. I do kind of like the idea of a 10w-40 because I want to use the car in colder weather, I don't like waiting for summer. I've heard of Pontiacs shearing the oil pump driveshaft roll pin from too much pressure, so I guess if i can get away with a 10w-40 I'd prefer it. But maybe those sheared roll pins were on engines running 20w-50 on cold days without any warmup and high pressure pumps, I have the standard 60 PSI pump and drive sensibly until the car warms up.

 

[PimTac]

I haven’t run a 10w-40 since the problems back in the 70’s.

 

[ammolab]

p

I genuinely did not mean it as click bait. I have a pretty sweet 65 GTO with a fairly fresh engine. I've run VR1, Rotella 15w40, and 15w-50 Mobil 1.

It's been using some oil and I am playing around with the PVC system and tracking down leaks. I just want to be able to stop at a gas station and throw a quart of generic 10w-40 in it without feeling like I am throwing crappy oil in with really premium stuff. So I figured why not just run a cheaper 10w-40 anyway?

carry a quart in the trunk of whatever quality oil you have in the sump.

Crap gas station oil worry…SOLVED!

 

[Gene K]

As long as it meets API SN or better. You have to be careful with some of the stuff on convenience store shelves (SA? Ouch!).

 

[CheezWhiz]

p

carry a quart in the trunk of whatever quality oil you have in the sump.

Crap gas station oil worry…SOLVED!

i don't like to open the trunk in public. that's where i keep the dead bodies.

 

[RDY4WAR]

I would at least use a common oil brand and avoid the gas station brands. Many of them are a rip-off with no additives and usually not in grade.

 

[blufeb95]

I would at least use a common oil brand and avoid the gas station brands. Many of them are a rip-off with no additives and usually not in grade.

The only ones that I've seen that are bad are absolute no name brands, if it's the store brand it should be fine.

 

[CheezWhiz]

I'm kind of leaning toward checking out some gas stations to see what their inventory looks like. If I am seeing plenty of SN spec 10w-40 I probably prefer that to the 15w-40. Also I have a 4.0 TJ Wrangler and a 396 K10, I could run the same oil in all three vehicles and make my life a little easier. Free up some shelf space for more carburetors!

 

[manicrodder]

i don't like to open the trunk in public. that's where i keep the dead bodies.

How about a small box in the backseat?

 

[CheezWhiz]

How about a small box in the backseat?

you mean the ammo box?

 

[frankbee3]

Everyone needs ample space for dead corpses and ammo. Otherwise, what good is a car? Maybe a bracket under the hood that can hold a quart of oil?

CheezWhiz, thanks for making spilling the coffee on the keyboard. A good laugh indeed.