Oil/filter recommendations for a Mopar Muscle car in Houston:

[JBrian]

I have a 1971 Plymouth Duster 340. The motor is mostly stock with some head work and a little camshaft totally rebuilt 5½ years ago. It has about 8000 miles on it now and I drive it about 1200 miles a year and drag race it for a total of about 25 ¼mile passes a year typically running 13.50’s @ 102Mph shifting @ 6100Rpm. The car runs great and can be driven anywhere as long as I add a splash of VP C12 racing fuel to the tank. It will cruise on the freeway at 63Mph @ 3000Rpm with 62Psi of oil pressure with a water temperature of 185 degrees. Hot idle pulls 18Psi @ 925Rpm in gear, very normal for this motor with full grove bearings and a high volume oil pump. There is no sludge buildup in the motor as I pull the valve covers once a year and the average cranking compression is @ 180Psi. The motor never gets beat on until it's been warmed up.

I change the oil/filter myself once a year. Since I’ve been lurking on this board for quite sometime, here is what I’ve been running:

Chevron Delo 400 15W-40 (1 gallon jug)
Valvoline MaxLife Engine Protector (15 oz.)
Supertech ST8A

I’ve seem to have good luck with this setup. What do you think? I look forward to your input.

 

[KW]

It looks like your are right in there with the oil and filter. Only I would leave the supplement out.

 

[Whimsey]

Nice car! Instead of the Supertech ST8A I'd use a Motorcraft FL1A for a buck or two more it's worth it. Especially with some of the Supertech's now using the Ecore and possible clicker bypass valve. The Motorcraft has the spring bypass valve at the base and the center core is metal. It'll most likely stand up to the race track strain better.

Whimsey

 

[KJA426]

I'd use a Purolator Pure One for a filter and maybe a synthetic 10w-30 for oil. I might consider one of the High Mileage 10w-30s for their higher viscosities also.

 

[TC]

Cool vintage ride. I too don't think much of oil supplements -- I think you can comfortably leave the oil formulation to Chrevron. Since bypass valve reliability and sufficiency are both key when routinely revving to redline ("25 ¼-mile passes a year"), I too would avoid any filter which doesn't have a proven bypass design, and run screaming from a clicker valve in this case. Wix/Napa Gold have a more sophisticated bypass valve than most, and the Motorcrafts have (apparently effective) open-end bypass as well.

 

[ebaker]

I'd continue the same oil, The additive sounds like a good idea with the cam.

 

[99]

If it were my car I'd run the Delo and a K&N or Moroso oil filter. Valvoline VR1 would be another oil choice, but I've only seen it in straight weights-that may or may not work for you.

 

[Gary Allan]

I'd ditch the Delo for D1/M1SUV. A local bracket racer noted that his times were more consistant with synth than with dino. Your oil isn't at its rated viscosity (probably) until you're halfway through your run. Shave as much drag as you can. It has all the properties of Delo ..without the wide(er) variance in viscosity that Delo will have depending on how long you warm up (oil temp/visc lags coolant temp by a good bit).

If you can fit a longer filter ..get a Wix NAPA 1773 ..less stress on the media ..if you can handle about 2" longer. There is one even bigger that's available (but I can't remember it off hand). Total costs ...about $30/year at current prices.

I'm neutral on the Valvoline moly add..

 

[JBrian]

Thanks for the input so far. I'm going racing tonight at Houston Raceway Park.

 

[TheTanSedan]

Had a 440 and a 383 from years back. Now have 318.

Only choice: BALDWIN B2-HPG

Extended-service, synthetic media, low-restriction. I order by the case from a big truck supplier, @ $7/ea.

(Higher cost: DONALDSON P169071 & a FLEETGUARD number [search posts])

I'd consider a 5W-40 full synthetic, otherwise the same in 10W-30.

(Used to run MOBIL ONE 15W-50 in the 195F thermostat 383 [hotter than the stock recommendation; 4800-lbs, AT/PS/PDB]. Have since learned that, except for extended highway or towing, that the 15W-50 may have been overkill, but it did keep oil usage constant compared to dino).

Do a UOA after cleaning up with ARX (as recommended; use a diesel-rated oil), use FP-60 (FUEL POWER) -- my carb'd cars absolutely loved it!! -- and have Terry of DYSON ANALYSIS guide you after BLACKSTONE does the lab work.

Works for me. UOA ought to, seriously, be a powerful tool for you, especially as to fuel dilution, etc.

Terry is familiar with the stresses of racing.

[ April 01, 2005, 03:05 PM: Message edited by: TheTanSedan ]

 

[99]

Seeing you're in Houston where it gets pretty hot, I'd stay with a thicker oil, especially if you're going to be "beating on it" like you are. You want the protection of a thicker oil when you have the gas pedal buried in the carpet. If you want to move onto synthetic, Mobil 1 15W50 is a solid and proven choice. That's what I run in my 509 along with dual Mobil 1 filters-I'm switching to Moroso filters at my next change.

 

[Dan4510]

I would recommend the donaldson p169071 or the fleetguard equivalent. Very high flow, synthetic media.

And I use it on my 340. Using mobil 1 10w-30, 40 psi at idle and 70 psi at speed with engine hot.

If you are going to higher weight oil, be sure you have the heavy duty intermediate shaft from oil pump to dist. A very good $25 investment.

Dan

 

[99]

http://www.moroso.com/catalog/categorydisplay.asp?catcode=20002

That's the one I'm going to.

[ April 03, 2005, 02:33 AM: Message edited by: 99 ]

 

[JBrian]

What a beautiful night for racing except for the hurricane force winds! It was blows a steady 20+Mph out of the north, right DOWN the track, but did eventually calm down to 5-10Mph later in the night. The Density Altitude worked out to about sea level with temperatures dropping down to the upper 50’s later in the evening with humidity around 45% and pressure of 30.05.

I guess a lot of other people were scared away because of the wind because the track was empty! I made a total of 13 passes in 2.5Hrs. The Mph was down to due the high winds, but I sure had a ball.

Time 60’ ET MPH Comments
6:00PM 2.080 13.884 98.23 First car down the track!
6:07PM 2.080 13.746 99.84 Hot lap
6:13PM 2.057 13.737 99.69 Hot lap
6:31PM Timing clocks failed Figures!
6:37PM 2.081 13.733 99.97 Nice and consistent
6:42PM 2.097 13.753 100.11 Finally break 100Mph as the sun goes down
6:47PM 2.053 13.768 98.62 Slowing down due to hot lapping
7:16PM 2.030 13.609 100.49 Sun down, wind subsiding; now we’re talking!
7:23PM 2.046 13.598 100.97 A model of consistency, bye, bye BMW M5!
7:50PM 2.072 13.619 100.84 Tracking getting cool, spun tires
8:07PM 2.036 13.607 100.94 Air getting better, Bye, bye Neon SRT-4!
8:25PM 2.059 13.581 101.13 Bye, bye BMW M3!
8:40PM 2.103 13.640 101.16 Fox Mustang with headers, slicks, bye, bye!

A couple of pictures:

http://www.southeasttexasracing.com...ame=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php

http://www.southeasttexasracing.com...ame=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php

 

[TheTanSedan]

13's in anything is fun!

Let us know how it goes.

 

[ted s]

only change i would make is Pure One oil filter.

 

[99]

13 passes! That's unheard of where I go. I'm lucky to get 3 or 4 most times.

Very clean car! Nice sleeper too.....some spray and that thing would clean house! LOL about the Bimmers....fools.

Are you running street tires or drag radials?

[ April 06, 2005, 12:04 PM: Message edited by: 99 ]

 

[JBrian]

99,

Street tires, Sumitomo HTR 200 205/70-14's on stock 14/5.5" rallys wheels with about 27.5Psi. No 'sticky' tires here!

 

[JeepZJ4.0]

I like the ride! I used to do exactly what you did! Well almost. I used Valvoline Synpower Oil Treatment. It is actually better than the Maxlife and costs less. Try that! If you add the whole bottle, it will raise the vicosity to a 50 weight so becareful. I added the 15oz bottle to 6 quarts of Delo. Later, i found out that it was essentially a really robust 20w50. Since you're adding the whole bottle, you're probably running the same robust 20w50. The recommended treatment on ths board is to use it a 1 oz per quart. Switch to the FL1A, it will filter more stuff out. Um... Good luck! Happy racing! Try the Synpower Oil Treatment next time! You won't be disappointed.