oil for OLD (but not worn) engine?

[toolboy62]

Hi all,

new to this forum, hoping to get some feedback on my oil choices. I have a '62 Studebaker which has 24K original miles on it (yes, you read that right.) The engine has never been open except for valve adjustments and it *is* fairly sludgy inside. The car was driven on dealer tags by a dealer until '68 when the wiring harness caught fire and it was parked until I bought it and started working on it a little over a year ago. I've been using Shell Rotella T 15W40 and Wix filters. My reasoning goes like this: it's about the right viscosity, has lots of anti-wear additives, is very detergent, and most importantly it's cheap, as the engine leaks like a sieve. I will be pulling the engine this winter to redo all the seals but until then I enjoy driving it too much to worry about it. If I can get it sealed up I may switch to synthetic after a couple thousand miles (to let the moving parts get reacquainted.) Am I on the right track? Anything *better* to use? BTW if it matters this is an early '62 289 with a partial flow filter, not the later '62 engine with the full flow filter provisions in the block.

Also I'm running Redline MT-90 in the trans (B-W T10) and Redline Heavy Shockproof in the rear end (Dana 44 limited slip) based on the recommendation of a guy who drag races Studebakers.

Any suggestions as to what I could do to take better care of this drivetrain would be greatly appreciated. I've made my decisions based on educated guesses and after a quick read of a few topics it looks like there's some guys here that take this stuff very seriously and might have some real numbers to back up their opinions.

Looking forward to any comments,

nate

 

[deepsquat]

sounds like you are doing the right thing to me ..delvac delo or rotella

 

[Idrinkmotoroil]

I swear by Castrol High Mileage oil , has worked great in my 88 Lincoln with 5.0 motor, 200,000 kms on it. I've seen significant reduction in oil consumption and leakage since going to this oil. Worth a try and not that expensive.

 

[KW]

Man what a cool car! Looks like you are on the right path as far as oil goes. After you go through the motor and seal it up you should be able to run about any oil you want in it. I would likely stick with the Rotella 15W40 myself.

 

[DSteven]

We have had exceptional luck with Castrol High Mileage. It has stopped leaks, made engines sound great (GM piston slap issue nearly solved) and reduced or nearly stopped oil consumption. My grandfather, who enjoys working with small engines, used some I gave to him. He was amazed at how it stopped the oil consumption and smoking in a mower. Yes, I recommend the Castrol HM.

 

[jorton]

Castrol GTX stopped consumption in my F150. The rear main seal had a minor leak.
It won't stop your leaks, though. I just wanted to add to the other Castrol posts.

 

[toolboy62]

Just as an aside, in this engine I don't think any oil or additive will stop the leaks as they are primarily from the front and rear main seals, and the front seal is felt and the rear seal is the "rope" type. I have thought about retrofitting a neoprene lip type front seal but that sounds like work

nate

 

[Pablo]

Although I don't think the Shell oil is the best from a protection point of view, I think the key word is cheap and temporary. Indeed fix the seals and put a better oil in. I have nothing in general against Shell, but I have a general impression they don't fare all that great in UOA's.

Sounds like you have winner!

Interesting choice on the HD Shockproof for the diff.