Low use '69 Mustang 428CJ

[StevieC]

Amsoil is a good oil to run because it generally has higher ZDDP levels which older engines seem to require for wear on their Flat-Tappet Cam's (not sure if you have those). 0w/5w/10w are all essentially the same weight oils at operating temperature, it's just how well they flow when cold. Eg: 5w30 flows better than 10w30 when cold but at operating temperature are the same.

 

[Barkleymut]

I will only give you my expert advice if you bring that beast down to VA and let me drive it for 50 or so miles. In trade you can drive my '07 300HP GT. Sound fair? see ya tomorrow!

IMHO you cannot go wrong with Amsoil, contact one of the dealers on this board. For a classic like that you need an expert that understands exactly what you need.

 

[NYBob]

Originally Posted By: Barkleymut
I will only give you my expert advice if you bring that beast down to VA and let me drive it for 50 or so miles. In trade you can drive my '07 300HP GT. Sound fair? see ya tomorrow!


I've owned mine a long time... I drove a car like yours recently, when you step on it - it just keeps on going!
Thanks, everyone for your advice.

 

[Trvlr500]

Originally Posted By: NYBob
Thanks, everyone for your responses. I'll need to look into a pre-luber if I can keep it discreet. Otherwise the Delvac sounds like a possibility - I'm just looking for something that will cling for a long time & pump up quickly. I'm not sure if it will harm anything if I use a 5W weight.

The engine was rebuilt to stock clearances & parts (with the exception of hardened valve seats). The type of driving I do is typical cruising where I drive a lot around town & then blast it up & down the highway some

Brad Penn was mentioned earlier, I never heard of it - but looking at their website, it seemed interesting.

I have a couple of questions.
I've read on this Forum that many people don't like Royal Purple, are there any drawbacks to using it for such low mileages between changes?

Anyone have an opinion about ZDPlus? I could go back to Mobil-1 & just add 1/2 bottle of that if it is really compatible. Or should I just use Amsoil, it seems to be real popular & has plenty of ZN & Phos.


I have a '73 Coupe DeVille. No show car just a driver. I'm an OTR truck driver so it sits for 3 weeks at a time. Usually only about 2 though.

I use Mobile 1 15-50 in it year round now. Though for a few years there I changed to the 10-30 in the winter.

It gets down into the 20's in Utah and it does turn over slower when it is that cold but the difference I noticed with the 15-50 is that when I start it up after it has been sitting for 2 to 3 weeks the oil light never even comes on where as with the 10-30 it stayed on for a few seconds.

I always let it warm up before I drive off which is the secret to using heavier oils but even though the 15-50 EP has 1200 PPM of ZDDP I add ZDDPlus at every oil change because the older oils of that era had as much as 15 or 16 PPM of ZDDP.

Your 428 has a MUCH stouter cam than what they put in a Cadillac so I would definyely recommend adding some ZDDP even if you use Amsoil or another high quality product. Maybe just a half a bottle with Amsoil or Red Line though.

IMO if I had YOUR car I would probably use Amsoil or Redline. I don't need an oil that good for my car because the Cadillac 472's are NOTORIUOSLY under stressed and have INCREDIBLY weak valve springs. Although they DO run very hot by design. I probably don't even NEED the ZDDP additive but it IS good insurance.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Trvlr500]

The type of driving I do is typical cruising where I drive a lot around town & then blast it up & down the highway some

SOME?!! Beat that thing from time to time. Those older V-8's NEED it to last a long time. Burns all the [censored] out of them. They don't have computers to monitor everything just right. LOL

 

[Ed_T]

Trvlr500 you would have liked the pre-smog 472's, I think they 1st came in 69. Would completely shred tires with the oh so slightest twitch of the foot...from a roll, standing start, it didn't matter. The only thing I can compare that with torque-wise were the pre-smog big-block Olds 455's and such. Completely unreal.

What you said about running that big block in hard is correct. All those engines needed hard hard hard runs to loosen them up. A buddy had to do that with his factory-new big-block pre-smog Pontiac GTO, it made a world of difference in performance. That motor loved being broken in, judging from the way it hauled.

 

[lazaro]

Originally Posted By: NYBob
I stumbled on this site recently & spent many hours surfing around. I have a different application than what I have been reading here & would really appreciate some of your opinions…

I have a 1969 Mustang with a high compression 428CJ that was rebuilt about 15,000 miles ago (about 8 years ago). It was broken in with several changes of Castrol GTX 10w30 and I then moved on to Mobil-1 10w30 for the dry start advantages. I live in the northeast & the car is only driven about 1,000 – 2,000 miles per year & rarely in winter. The engine does not burn any oil & never needs any additions before my annual spring oil change.

I’ve been concerned about the SM standard & the lowering of Zinc & Phosphorous in general as the engine is stock with flat-tappet lifters. I recently changed to Royal Purple 10w30 (at $9.00 per quart!) as it was still listed with the API SF standard. I had considered Mobil-1 High Mileage 10w40, but I’m not sure if the HM additives would do more harm than good to an engine with only 15K on it... also the builder had recommended that I stay with 10w30.

With the low mileage & cold start-ups (often weeks apart), I would like to keep engine wear to a minimum, which is why I switched to synthetics in the first place. But, going forward, what kind of oil would everyone recommend that I use for my application?

Thanks very much & Happy New Year!



Nice car, nice engine, have fun putting it in the car?
I have fooled with these engines for years, still do.
I just finished two 428 CJ Mustangs and one 390/stroker Fairlane, all three had flat tappet damage, round lobes.
after a pricey rebuild we told the customers to use Amsoil 10w40 AMO oil, wich is specific for these types of engines.
the oil is so good I can break in the cam without having to remove the inner spring for intial startup,"breakin"
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
AMSOIL Synthetic 10W-40 Premium Protection Motor Oil is specially formulated to provide superior protection and performance in a wide variety of demanding applications. By incorporating high quality synthetic base stocks and additives, AMSOIL Premium Protection Oil exceeds the needs of large and small gasoline or diesel engines in cars, motorcycles, trucks, motor homes, maintenance equipment, heavy equipment, street rods and marine applications. It is ideal for high mileage vehicles with flat-tappet cams and high-stress vehicles subject to hot temperatures, heavy hauling, trailer pulling or off road use. AMSOIL Premium Protection Oil resists oxidation, neutralizes acids, inhibits corrosion, reduces wear and protects against deposits. It provides the extra anti-wear protection required by engines with flat-tappet cams and high-tension valve springs. AMSOIL Synthetic 10W-40 Premium Protection Motor Oil offers flexibility and performance beyond conventional oils for convenience and trouble free operation.

 

[OVERKILL]

Local engine builder, who has a big block Chevelle, recommends diesel oil. He personally uses Kendall 15w40 synthetic, but the use of an HDEO of 15w40 or 5w40 weight has yielded good results in general. He builds engines for sprint cars and stockcar.

 

[steve20]

Hey Bob
I had a black/black 69 Mach I with the 428CJ, 4.10 gears and an automatic. Only option was a AMFM radio.---> no power steering, no power brakes, and they were all drums, no a/C, What a beast to turn in the lot, but boy was it fast-fastest car I have ever driven till I got the 02 Corvette Z06-
Enjoy your ride-If you dont use the 10-40 Amsoil as suggested above, try adding 1 container of SLOB (street legal oil boost) which is a discontinued item and found only at BigLots--- now that will add a hefty dose of Ca Zn and Phosphorous. Use it with confidence- I did back to back UOA one without SLOB and the next one with SLOB-brought the Zn/Phos levels up to 1200 each on Castrol GTX, with no downside to any other wear metals.
Steve

 

[Trvlr500]

Originally Posted By: Ed_T
Trvlr500 you would have liked the pre-smog 472's, I think they 1st came in 69. Would completely shred tires with the oh so slightest twitch of the foot...from a roll, standing start, it didn't matter. The only thing I can compare that with torque-wise were the pre-smog big-block Olds 455's and such. Completely unreal.

What you said about running that big block in hard is correct. All those engines needed hard hard hard runs to loosen them up. A buddy had to do that with his factory-new big-block pre-smog Pontiac GTO, it made a world of difference in performance. That motor loved being broken in, judging from the way it hauled.


Yep, the old V-8's have tendency to load up when you just drive them around town. They need to be taken out every now and then and rolled on up to redline to keep all the garbage from building up in them.

I run some BG44 through mine every 5 or 10,000 miles. It seems to help. As for torque. You're right. The '70 500 Caddy motor had the most torque of any V-8 ever made. They basically have a powerband just like a Powerstroke Diesel. They just use gas.

The smog [censored] killed them though. My '73 is no '70 that's for sure but it is still like driving a diesel around.

 

[demarpaint]

Just out of curiosity what would the time for a 1/4 mile run be with that car. I remember my cousin's 70 428 Cobra and all the work he did to it. IIRC he was pushing close to 600 HP with all the mods. I can't for the life of me remember his 1/4 mile times, and he's no longer with us so I can't ask him. RIP Dom!

I do remember being pinned to the seat when he took off with that beast, a feeling I'll never forget.

Frank D

 

[OVERKILL]

Well, a Fox I've had the privilege of seeing has a 534ci (460 stroked) with CJ heads, CI camshaft, and some other goodies. Makes north of 700HP flywheel. Runs high 9's on motor. And it's daily driven through the summer.......

 

[demarpaint]

Thanks. All I remember was a speed shop in Lindenhurst running this beast on a dyno and my cousin saying 600 hp, and I think that was at the rear wheels. I wish I could remember. I was a kid at the time, and spent many summers at the track with him running that car. His was a daily driver too, and when he went to work in Brooklyn the bumper to bumper traffic took its toll on the car. Wish I had that car today!