Old Cadillac stroker oil

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Feb 2, 2012
Messages
10,528
Location
Nut farm
Yes, another question from me (sorry)...I have owned my 1979 Coupe de Ville a very long time. For much of that time, it has been powered by a stroker engine. It was bought used, so the internals are somewhat of a mystery. Here is what I know of the internals:

472 block from 1973 Fleetwood, .030" over (4.33" bore)
500 crank from 1971 Eldorado, offset-ground to 4.6" stroke (Engine is 542ci)
Main-bearing studs and slight clearancing on the bottom of the bores, otherwise stock block.
1971 closed-chamber heads, ported, stainless exhaust valves, probably from the same 500 as the crank
Double-roller timing chain
Hi-volume oil pump
Dished pistons, compression between 8.5 and 9:1; I was told they were Federal-Mogul cast hypereutectic, with press-fit pins & moly rings
Standard oil pump (no HV available at the time)
Redline 5200, trans shifts at 5100
Hot runner, between 200 & 225 degree coolant most of the time.

Here is what I DON'T know, but think is correct:
Crank was offset ground, using what look like either BB Chevy or BB Olds rods...either way, they are H-beams with capscrews
Hydraulic cam I think is a Crane, specs unknown, but has a glass-smooth 600RPM idle and plenty of vacuum. (Of course, 542ci will cover up a lot of cam.)
Single-wound valvesprings with dampers, pressures unknown
Some aftermarket rockers, looks like Larry Kruzik's modified Ford 460 setup. (Stock Cad rockers tend to break above 4500RPM.) Nonadjustable, look like custom pushrods.

I bought the hype and ran 15W-50 synthetic oil (Syntec or M1) for quite a while...maybe 25,000 miles ago, I switched to diesel-rated 15W-40...I had a bunch of old high-ZDDP oil, but the last of it went in last summer. Caddys have large bearings with high bearing speeds, and a somewhat marginal oiling system. With a 4.6" stroke, I suspect mine also has some scary piston speeds.

So...the 15W-40 seems to be working fine. Any suggestions what to run? (And anyone that cares to scare me with piston speeds at 5000RPM, that would be OK.
smile.gif
)
 
Torque monster! If the timing is set correctly and she doesn't detonate that's a 600 pound foot motor!!!

If you like to give that girl legs then you want Amsoil Dominator. 3 weights too.

Their new Z-Rod oil is also excellent if you are just cruisin' with an occasional blast. Only two weights there.
 
Normally, the car is a commuter...sometimes a road trip, an occassional 1/4 mile run.

It took me almost a year to get everything set properly, but I did: 12.40's on the motor, 16-18MPG on the highway (I love Q-jets, overdrive, and vacuum advance), and looks like a stock CDV. Only spinning about 2000RPM at 75MPH (TH-200-4R and 2.73 gears).
 
The Pennzoil (Oreilly can order it) is only $4 a quart and has a ton of zddp if you need it. Johnny from this site said it`s one of the best oils you can get,plus it`s cheap :^) There`s also Valvoline VR1.
 
Piston speed (in feet per minute) = stroke (in inches) / 6 X rpm

4.6/6*5000 = 3833 fpm

Not very scary. Pretty common for high-performance street engines. NASCAR & F1 engines are designed at 4800 fpm.
Drag engines go to 5600+.
 
That's not bad...I expected it to be scarier. Still, that's enough for me on a 40-year-old offset-ground cast crank!
 
BB chevy cranks are very beefy even the cast one's. I have a turbocharged 454 with a cast crank. But I don't rev it above 6000.
 
About 35psi hot idle. No-load at 2500RPM, it's 70-80psi. (The car has no oil pressure gauge.) No idea on temps, but there was zero sign of coking when I had the valve covers & oil pan off a couple years ago.
 
Sounds like the 40 grade HDEO is an affordable and suitable choice. Maybe Rotella T6 if it does any winter duty. The HDEO should have enough zinc and phosphorous to keep your cam happy.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom