Best oil filter for 1965 AMC Rambler American
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Originally Posted By: JimPghPA
My grandmother had a 64 Rambler. There was a strange notation in the owners manual that if you selected 2nd on the automatic transmission gear selector that the trany would pull out from a complete stop in second gear, and first gear would not be used.
Other cars with automatics would do the same thing. They would say to use 2nd in the snow to help reduce wheel spinning when starting from a stop.
My grandmother had a 64 Rambler. There was a strange notation in the owners manual that if you selected 2nd on the automatic transmission gear selector that the trany would pull out from a complete stop in second gear, and first gear would not be used.
Other cars with automatics would do the same thing. They would say to use 2nd in the snow to help reduce wheel spinning when starting from a stop.
That car deserves conventional, using a synthetic would just be wrong.
Originally Posted By: BrocLuno
For that classic engine, I'd run Delo 400 15W-30 SD (severe duty). But the premium conventional oil part would help a good bit in offsetting any drain-off
I agree, 15W-40 has the additives your car needs.
For that classic engine, I'd run Delo 400 15W-30 SD (severe duty). But the premium conventional oil part would help a good bit in offsetting any drain-off
I agree, 15W-40 has the additives your car needs.
Originally Posted By: BrocLuno
It's almost certainly the ADBV that is causing the issue, and maybe if you are running "synthetic" oil. You have not stated the oil?
Some syns tend to drain-off more than others. Slow to come up to pressure is a classic example of no ADBV and low surface tension (syn) oil ...
Put on the right filter first. Then think about the oil ... If it were me, it'd be Baldwin all the way
This does not look like a daily driver. So sitting and synthetics are not always a good combo ...
For a car that can sit a week at a time, it's often best to use a premium dino oil or a really good Group III.
For that classic engine, I'd prolly run Delo 400 15W-30 SD (severe duty). You don't need the SD part. But the premium conventional oil part would prolly help a good bit in offsetting any drain-off
First, I want to thank everyone here for all the kind comments about my '65 Rambler. You don't see many of these cars because they were cheap, use-'em-up, throw-'em-away vehicles back in the day. I'm fortunate the original owner's widow "allowed" me to purchase the car, but only after I promised to keep it in original condition. She has fond memories of riding in this ol' Rambler with her husband behind the wheel, and she still comes to my house to visit the car once in a while. She likes to sit silently in front passenger seat for a few minutes. I'm sure she's recalling good times that happened half a century ago.
But back to motor oil and oil filters ... I've been using conventional Shell Rotella 15w40 in the Rambler since I bought the car in 2007. It doesn't leak or burn oil, so I plan to keep on doing what I've been doing. I'll make certain the next oil filter has a silicone anti-drainback valve, then keep an eye on the oil-pressure indicator lamp (a/k/a idiot light) to make sure it goes dark immediately after starting the engine.
Again, thank you all for your advice and suggestions.
It's almost certainly the ADBV that is causing the issue, and maybe if you are running "synthetic" oil. You have not stated the oil?
Some syns tend to drain-off more than others. Slow to come up to pressure is a classic example of no ADBV and low surface tension (syn) oil ...
Put on the right filter first. Then think about the oil ... If it were me, it'd be Baldwin all the way
This does not look like a daily driver. So sitting and synthetics are not always a good combo ...
For a car that can sit a week at a time, it's often best to use a premium dino oil or a really good Group III.
For that classic engine, I'd prolly run Delo 400 15W-30 SD (severe duty). You don't need the SD part. But the premium conventional oil part would prolly help a good bit in offsetting any drain-off
First, I want to thank everyone here for all the kind comments about my '65 Rambler. You don't see many of these cars because they were cheap, use-'em-up, throw-'em-away vehicles back in the day. I'm fortunate the original owner's widow "allowed" me to purchase the car, but only after I promised to keep it in original condition. She has fond memories of riding in this ol' Rambler with her husband behind the wheel, and she still comes to my house to visit the car once in a while. She likes to sit silently in front passenger seat for a few minutes. I'm sure she's recalling good times that happened half a century ago.
But back to motor oil and oil filters ... I've been using conventional Shell Rotella 15w40 in the Rambler since I bought the car in 2007. It doesn't leak or burn oil, so I plan to keep on doing what I've been doing. I'll make certain the next oil filter has a silicone anti-drainback valve, then keep an eye on the oil-pressure indicator lamp (a/k/a idiot light) to make sure it goes dark immediately after starting the engine.
Again, thank you all for your advice and suggestions.
dnewton3
Staff member
Nice car!
As a more general answer to your question, I'll add this ...
There really is no "best" filter in terms of real tangible data.
There are PLENTY of good filters to choose from.
Make sure you get one that is correct for the specific application; that way should any untoward thing happen (extremely remote), then you're covered by the filter maker's warranty statements. It's not like you're likely to run extended OFCIs in this show quality car! So just use a filter from a brand you're happy with, use the correct filter for this application, and be happy in that nice ride!
As a more general answer to your question, I'll add this ...
There really is no "best" filter in terms of real tangible data.
There are PLENTY of good filters to choose from.
Make sure you get one that is correct for the specific application; that way should any untoward thing happen (extremely remote), then you're covered by the filter maker's warranty statements. It's not like you're likely to run extended OFCIs in this show quality car! So just use a filter from a brand you're happy with, use the correct filter for this application, and be happy in that nice ride!
Anyone remember when Nash Vehicles had a water pump driven by a shaft off the generator? The water pump was positioned low
on the side of the block. Never saw one that didn't leak coolant with that setup.
Every vehicle in this class was a cheap throw away at the time, whether American, Chevy II, Falcon or Valiant. There were also Canadian built Studebaker Larks as late as 1966 in this class and then there was the Corvair.
It was astonishing that most of these cars were actually available as ragtops and even station wagons.
All of these cars also rusted like crazy and went through a period of being hundred buck beaters, so for this Rambler to have survived all these years in such lovely condition makes it something very special indeed.
This was a time when 100K was considered a pretty good life for a car and now common 200K cars would have been very rare indeed.
It was astonishing that most of these cars were actually available as ragtops and even station wagons.
All of these cars also rusted like crazy and went through a period of being hundred buck beaters, so for this Rambler to have survived all these years in such lovely condition makes it something very special indeed.
This was a time when 100K was considered a pretty good life for a car and now common 200K cars would have been very rare indeed.
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
... This was a time when 100K was considered a pretty good life for a car and now common 200K cars would have been very rare indeed.
That's kinda subjective, but I think the common assumption that 100K was "pretty good" was already obsolete by 1965. That assumption was based on folk wisdom from much earlier models. Most of those cars you listed could easily pass 100K with reasonable care, if not sabatoged by salted roads.
The first car I can recall knowing that went over 100K was relatives' '53 Plymouth flat-head. Second was a circa '59 Rambler American flat-head that did it in a single year. Our '54 Chevy went over 120K, despite adverse conditions. A high school buddy had a '56 Chevy V8 (the original 265) with over 100K. Much later, I met a lady who still had a '50 Dodge she got for high school graduation and it was still running well with over 100K. Oil, engines, and filters were much better by the mid-60s than when those 50s cars were new.
... This was a time when 100K was considered a pretty good life for a car and now common 200K cars would have been very rare indeed.
That's kinda subjective, but I think the common assumption that 100K was "pretty good" was already obsolete by 1965. That assumption was based on folk wisdom from much earlier models. Most of those cars you listed could easily pass 100K with reasonable care, if not sabatoged by salted roads.
The first car I can recall knowing that went over 100K was relatives' '53 Plymouth flat-head. Second was a circa '59 Rambler American flat-head that did it in a single year. Our '54 Chevy went over 120K, despite adverse conditions. A high school buddy had a '56 Chevy V8 (the original 265) with over 100K. Much later, I met a lady who still had a '50 Dodge she got for high school graduation and it was still running well with over 100K. Oil, engines, and filters were much better by the mid-60s than when those 50s cars were new.
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