Which oil should I use for 78 Dodge Custom 150 ?
- Thread starter OldDodgeJohn
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They were until 1985.
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Carb'd fuel dilution and Ga southern location...any 40 grade oil. Any HDEO or Euro oil is a good start. QS Defy it!
Any Dino HDEO 10W30 or 15W40 (Rotella, for example) or Valvoline 10W40 motorcycle oil.
All are inexpensive and have higher ZDDP for old flat tappet engines
All are inexpensive and have higher ZDDP for old flat tappet engines
There is no need for a high ZDDP oil in this engine design. It has a very mild cam and valve springs. I also don't know why there are so many 10W30 recommendations as it's obsolete when compared to modern 5W30's.
Originally Posted By: marc1
Originally Posted By: OldDodgeJohn
...when I asked the owner what oil he has been using he just said whatever is on sale.
This is the best answer.
There you go. 5W30 Supertech, Quaker State Conventional, or Mobil conventional would perform just fine.
Originally Posted By: marc1
Originally Posted By: OldDodgeJohn
...when I asked the owner what oil he has been using he just said whatever is on sale.
This is the best answer.
There you go. 5W30 Supertech, Quaker State Conventional, or Mobil conventional would perform just fine.
im with the higher zddp crowd. i had a stock 302 ford,318 ,340and 360 chryslers eat cams .qs defy or rotella imo.
btw it probly needs a timing chain and gears by now.its an interference engine. it will bend every exhaust valve if the chain jumps. Been there done that with a 77 volarie,same one that ate a cam in its 318
btw it probly needs a timing chain and gears by now.its an interference engine. it will bend every exhaust valve if the chain jumps. Been there done that with a 77 volarie,same one that ate a cam in its 318
+1 Vote for double-roller timing chain, or "quiet" timing gears.
I have also had factory engines wipe cams. Doesn't seem to take that much when an engine's been banging around out there for a while.
I have also had factory engines wipe cams. Doesn't seem to take that much when an engine's been banging around out there for a while.
They've been using what ever has been on sale for 36 years.
That factory 1978 cam is going to wipe away without high ZDDP oil.....
That factory 1978 cam is going to wipe away without high ZDDP oil.....
I like Maxlife and SOPUS products. T5 or T6 with a good filter like an Ultra or NAPA platinum and you should be good. I too live in Georgia and like at least a syn blend for the heat and traffic we have here........traffic only applies to the Atlanta area. You might live in a different area without the traffic but you will still have the heat.
Those 318s were / are solid motors. I had one in a 4x4 Ramcharger when I was in high school back in the 80s.
Those 318s were / are solid motors. I had one in a 4x4 Ramcharger when I was in high school back in the 80s.
I'd bet that 10w30 was the recommended oil when it was new and would work fine now.
The oils of the late 'seventies didn't have a bunch of zinc either and the cams survived just fine.
This is a low rev low performance engine, similar to the 318 in the Volare college car my sisters shared.
Any decent thirty or forty grade oil will work just fine in it.
Rotella T5 would be a good choice, but so would any other API SJ/SL/SM/SN 10w30 or 10W-40.
The oils of the late 'seventies didn't have a bunch of zinc either and the cams survived just fine.
This is a low rev low performance engine, similar to the 318 in the Volare college car my sisters shared.
Any decent thirty or forty grade oil will work just fine in it.
Rotella T5 would be a good choice, but so would any other API SJ/SL/SM/SN 10w30 or 10W-40.
Keep in mind that engine will have nylon timing gear.
Having owned an 89 dodge ram with a 318 which I drove til the wheels basically fell off,putting in excess of 450000kms on the engine using the cheapest oil available(pre-bitog,pre-20s) I can assure you oil choice isn't a big deal. Just make sure there's oil in it. The engine was never opened up and ran like a top but the rest of the truck was toast.
My second 318 was in a 95 or 96 ram,which was driven to hades and back,twice,and was t-boned with in excess of 450000kms as well,with a great running engine.
Again I wasn't much of a maintainer at the time,beer was more important in those days,so it got a steady diet of the cheapest motomaster oil I could find,yet it still ran great when that lady ran the light and smoked me.
I'd go a bit thinner rather than thicker,only in an effort to reduce the strain on the nylon gears when cold started,and toe in to the throttle gradually instead of just flooring it to prevent the nylon gears from failure.
If you don't drive it line a race car I'm sure it'll run for nearly forever.
What transmission?
That's the only thing I ever had to fix on those 2 dodges,was the trans,on both of them,well and the rear end on the 89.
Having owned an 89 dodge ram with a 318 which I drove til the wheels basically fell off,putting in excess of 450000kms on the engine using the cheapest oil available(pre-bitog,pre-20s) I can assure you oil choice isn't a big deal. Just make sure there's oil in it. The engine was never opened up and ran like a top but the rest of the truck was toast.
My second 318 was in a 95 or 96 ram,which was driven to hades and back,twice,and was t-boned with in excess of 450000kms as well,with a great running engine.
Again I wasn't much of a maintainer at the time,beer was more important in those days,so it got a steady diet of the cheapest motomaster oil I could find,yet it still ran great when that lady ran the light and smoked me.
I'd go a bit thinner rather than thicker,only in an effort to reduce the strain on the nylon gears when cold started,and toe in to the throttle gradually instead of just flooring it to prevent the nylon gears from failure.
If you don't drive it line a race car I'm sure it'll run for nearly forever.
What transmission?
That's the only thing I ever had to fix on those 2 dodges,was the trans,on both of them,well and the rear end on the 89.
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