SS1970CHRYSLER I NEED YOUR OIL ADVICE

[shell_user]

If any of you guys are of SS1970CHRYSLERS age, I need oil advice. I am getting a 78 Cadillac Coupe De Ville with the 425 in it. I have a 472 and 500 cad engine from my brother, both mild/stock rebuilds. I am wondering what oil I should use in this cadillac with the 425 engine, might swap the 425 out and put the 472 in it. Friend of mine on cadillacpower.com has a 79 with a 500 in it and he runs T5 10w30. I am thinking about Valvoline maxlife in 10w40 or 10w30 or just some T5 Rotella or Pennzoil Conventional 10w40


THANKS in advance gentlemen for your inputs and advice


adam

 

[dave1251]

In SBC and Ford Truck engines of that era we just use conventional 10W40 and most of the time that is either Quaker State or Castrol GTX.

IMHO your situation sounds like 10W30 Defy duty to me.

 

[shell_user]

I think I may give the Defy a shot if not the T5 10W0 rotella

 

[bullwinkle]

The 10W40 Defy has more zinc than the 10W30, and if that Caddy BB is like the Chevy BBs the 10W40 will probably require less topping off. Glad I'm not buying the gas!

 

[SS1970chrysler]

Hmmm.

I've had 1-'76 w/500 EFI and 2-'77's w/425 1 4bbl and 1 EFI. Depending on your location and temperatures, Rotella 10w30 or any good 15w40 HDEO should be just fine. My 2 '77's seemed to run best on 20w-50 in summers. All 3 developed rear seal leaks around 85-90k miles. Oddly, they didn't leak while driving/running, but only when first put into gear. You'd get a tell-tale squirt on the ground when you first pulled out. When I pulled the engine from the '76 to save it before scrapping the car due to rot, I pulled the pan and checked the bearings. I was still able to read the painted on date-codes on the undersides of them. All 3 of these cars got better mileage than the 2 350-powered cars I also had then: a '76 Impala and a '72 LeSabre.
I averaged a very reliable 14mpg around town with the last '77 I had.

 

[shell_user]

Guys this car will probably serve as my 3rd backup as the Civic runs great and so does the 90' pickup I have. Bullwinkle, I am leaning towards rotella conventional 10w40 as found a place that I can get a case of the stuff for good price.

 

[SS1970chrysler]

Keep an eye on the P-side exhaust manifold, they like to split on the center bolt hole on those. I think I still have owners' manuals and a couple hood ornaments for those here somewhere.

 

[shell_user]

Thanks for the heads up SS1970CHRYSLER

 

[oldhp]

+1 on 10W40 plus small bottle GM EOS/zinc additive to keep flat tappet lifters, camshaft happy.

 

[3311]

10w40defy

 

[Norm Olt]

I like the HDEO suggestions, but...

As has been said before "usa" doesn't say much about where the vehicle is to be operated.

Cheers!

 

[shell_user]

PA is where the vehicle will be driven when needed.

Got some Rotella T5 waiting to go in the car when I get it.

 

[Norm Olt]

Ahhhh... But to WHICH T5 do you refer?

 

[shell_user]

The only T5 I know of which would be Rotella gray jug, synthetic blend T5 10W30

 

[Norm Olt]

Originally Posted By: shell_user
The only T5 I know of which would be Rotella gray jug, synthetic blend T5 10W30


FYI: They have a 10W-40 on their website. Which is why I asked...

Cheers!

 

[shell_user]

Is it a 10w40 Conventional or syn blend? I have never saw a T5 10W40 SYN blend.

 

[Norm Olt]

Google Rotella T5 and... (HINT: SemiSyn Blend)

Cheers!

 

[shell_user]

Yeah, I just did this and all I see is T5 gray jug, syn blend.

 

[shell_user]

I see it on their canadian site, not in the U.S.A. it does not seem. I have never saw the T5 10W40 here in the U.S.A.

 

[Norm Olt]

You are 100% correct. There is no picture of a gray jug marked 10W-40, but read the text...

Cheers!

p.s. I don't see it very often, either. I almost never see any 10w30 HDEO's and they are never really "On Sale", either.