Engine oil grade

hicomp, I run 10-30 VR1 in the 455 with a Wix filter. I would stay away from a Fram filter as I have heard alot of bad things about their filters bursting under pressure.

Just my .02 cents though.

I run 20-50 synthetic castrol which has zinc in it and napa gold filter

Thanks for all the replies. I went with a WIX filter and Pennzoil 10w30 High Mileage. The oil has additives to break down sludge and seal leaks. I'll leave it in there for 500 miles or so then replace it again. I have no service history on this car so I don't know how often the oil & filter were replaced before I bought it. I'll pop the valve covers off one of these days and see how things look in there.

I'll tell you one thing...the 330 in this car runs strong. I had 4 people in the car a week ago and while doing 50 mph I hit the gas pedal to induce a downshift by the Jetaway and we were doing 80 real quick. The front/rear drum brakes at that speed leave alot to be desired though.

I'll second that because that happened to me, thank God I was still in the driveway.

The Valvoline oils are good for the zinc content that is needed. Joe Gibbs also has some good oil for the vintage motors. That you can get at DSE

I don`t know ! Just doing some reading on the subject, at a quick glance, seems to make sense. These folks appear to have spent time researching.

COULD NEW OIL BE KILLING OUR CARS?

By: Dan Szwarc (Compiled from sources across the internet)

Owners of classic cars may not be aware that a few years ago, the
American Petroleum Institute (API) reduced the amount of
zinc-dithiophosphate (ZDDP) in the oils that bear the API seal of approval.
This was done because zinc, manganese and phosphates reduce the
effectiveness and eventually damage catalytic converters and also introduce
a given amount of pollutants into our atmosphere. No big deal, right? Our
70s Lincolns cats may last longer.

The downside to this is what the oil industry did not warn anyone about.
A reduction in ZDDP, while determined to be safe for modern cars made since about 1997 using friction-reducing roller rocker and lifter technology, is damaging to our flat-tappet Lincolns made since the 80s and before. To boilb it down, the ZDDP that has been reduced is supposed to protect our lifters, pushrods, and rockers.
The reduction in ZDDP was about 25% from approximately 1100 parts per
million to around 870ppm. The ZDDP molecules act as a cushion between the camshaft and the lifter bottom and other sliding surfaces. It seems that
once zinc levels go too far below 1100ppm, the level of SH and SL-rated oil
used from 2001 to 2005, the amount of damage that can be imparted to the
lifters from normal operation goes up significantly.

Starting in 2005, SM-rated oil began hitting the shelves. It wasn’t
until around 2006 that the SL-rated oils started disappearing and all that
is left on the shelves is the new oil, which is not adequate for long-term
protection of our Lincoln’s engines. So what is one to do?

One can look for SL, SH, or SJ-rated oil. This is very hard to find
today Not to mention that sometimes a bottle of SM oil also has the SL and
SJ ratings on them. Do not use that oil without using a zinc additive.
ZDDPlus is a product available on the internet for about $10 a bottle,
enough for one oil change. It pushes the zinc level to 1800ppm when used
with the latest oils available. If you shop around, you might be able to
find STP Red. Using one bottle (15oz.) of STP Red with 4.5 quarts of
SM-rated oil brings the zinc ppm back up to 1157, the same as the previous
SL oil. STP Red is about $3 per bottle. A reasonable price.

I’m not saying that if you don’t use these products that your Lincoln
motor will die a painful death as its lifters slowly melt without the
cushioning presence of the ZDDP. What I am saying is that if you take the
proper measures now and pay attention to the oil that you put in your car,
you will be protected when the oil industry finally puts warnings on its oil
warning about its use in flat-tappet motors.

___________________________________________________________

Having spent a good deal of time visiting other forums and other information now on the internet, I've convinced myself that our engines with flat cam/lifter Must be protected with ZDDP (zinc) regardless of the mileage or speed we put on the engine annually. IF any engine in your collection has flat tappet cam lobes then it needs the right amount of ZDDP in the oil. The general rule is an engine built prior to 1986.

I offer the following for your consideration:

Do not use standard motor oil with the addition of some ZDDP additive. You're not a chemist --- you'll have no idea what level of ZDDP you have and you're banking on the additive to really be the right stuff. Don't bank on it. Major oil companies have already done the work -- buy the right oil!

Here's a run down of the "over the counter" oils for your consideration for our STOCK flat cam/lifter engine

For years I used Shell's Rotella which is sold primarily as a diesel engine oil and had an adequate ZDDP component for stock or mild flat cams. However last year they dropped the level of ZDDP and I would not personally run it in ft tappet cam apps due to it having marginal at best zddp protection.

Chevron's diesel Delo 400 LE 15w-40 motor oil is specifically engineered for gasoline & diesel motors in fleet vehicle apps and has1300ppm zddp OK for our stock flat tappet cam/lifter protection.

Mobil 1 syn 15w-50 HIGH PERFORMANCE oil also has 1300ppm zddp thats avail off the shelf for ft cam'd motors. Caution ---> conventional Mobil 1 full syn oils (and all the other oil Brands) for pass cars/trucks dont have near enough zddp for safe/proper ft tappet cam protection.

Castrol Syntec 20W-50 is OK @ 1300ppm. Update (6-9-11)--> it's replaced by Castrol Syntec 5W-50 the exact amount of zinc is unknown.

Valvoline VR1 Racing Oil. Don't let the name scare you... it's street legal and it's recommended for street use. Comes in multi and mono grades and also dyno or syn versions. You may have to order it, but I have seen the 20-50 on the shelf at Autozone $4.95 qt. and NAPA. contains .13% of Zinc and .12% of Phosphorus

Spectro Golden MotorGuard --- A muti grade 10W40 top of the line racing type available on the internet with 1800 ppm of zinc and phosphorus. Currently $7.95 per quart. If you have no problem running mono grade 30 then Summit's brand Racing oil (repackaged Spectro Motorguard) for $5.95 a quart. (Sometimes less when on sale). Update Summit's brand now being shown as not available.

Brad Penn Grade 1 High Performance Oils --- The Green Oil that has about 1300 ppm zinc. Shop it on the internet. Last time I checked Amazon had good pricing.

VR1 will usually go on sale 50% off at autozone once a year. I buy as many cases as I can afford.

Stay far far away from the FRAM filters. Nothing but horror stories, hell I even have one.

I have also heard that Diesel oils do not have the anti-foaming agents needed for higher rpm's.

Sounds like alot of good advise has been given in this thread!

Try these guys, master distributors. Ask for Glenn or Mike. All flavors available, by the quart, 5 gal pail, or pallet

8. Harris Oil Corporation
43963 Grand River Ave
Novi, MI 48375
USA
Mike Harris
(248) 349-8485