66-67 Dodge Charger Source Guide
Oil Q & A
Q |
12/01/03 Donnie Ripley: I have been curious as to what brand and type of oil you all have been putting in your cars. I just use NAPA brand 10W30 oil with some Lucas additive. Seeing my engine is an all original '66 engine it needs a little help. Anyone here use synthetic? I'd use it but I'd leak it all out!! What about Lucas Oil Additive? |
A |
12/01/03 Don Dodson: I use what my mechanic says to use and that is Castrol GTX drive hard 10W-40 My engine has been completely rebuilt and blueprinted and has stainless steel valve seats with enlarged intake valves and a Comp Cam with NO lope to the cam specs. |
A |
12/01/03 Gordon: If you have a high performance sophisticated blueprinted engine, then you would run the super thin 10/40 like a new style motor. But the rest of us with these old style motors and standard high performance rebuilds, should not run thin 10 w oils - unless it's 10 above in the winter. Run 20/50. A couple years ago the car and motorcycle clubs circulated an article where one of the universities tested all of the major oil additives on the market. 50+ products broke down in to just 2 or 3 catagories. Most did nothing, some actually hurt the engine by plugging up oil channels, none were really beneficial. The article concluded by saying that if there was anything to improve motor oil, then the big companies like Valvoline, Quaker State etc., who are in fierce competition and spend millions on research, would have it in their oil. Basically oil additives are BS. |
A |
12/01/03 Bob: As an engine builder (and performance machine shop owner) the main thing is to make sure you do regular oil changes. From what I see todays oils all offer great protection but I can usually spot an engine that has had Pennzoil as its main brand due to the crud that is in the engine. As for weight I usually recommend either 10-30 or 10-40 and have never recommended any additives. My concern with your engine would be the valve seats (assuming they have not been updated). Your engine was designed to run on leaded fuel which offered lubrication along with a cushioning effect on the valve seats. If you drive your car on a regular basis eventually the valves will sink into the heads. This is not something that needs to be addressed immediately but in time you will need to have the hardened seats intalled which will eliminate the valve sinking problem. |
