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Veteran
Posts: 189
 
Location: Detroit | Hello,
Before anyone grumbles, the search function didn't get me what I was looking for.
I have some basic questions on oil for a 1958 GC 350.
How much oil?
What weight?
Zinc??
Brand (Anyone using Classic Car Oil?)
Filter size / brand
Also, an odd question, I think someone put the wrong length dipstick in this car. Can anyone tell me how long it's supposed to be and where the fill lines are marked?
Thanks for your help!! |
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Expert
Posts: 2312
Location: Arizona | My standard recipe for oil for these cars is a good quality brand name NOT synthetic 10W30. To that I add a can of STP oil treatment. The STP includes plenty of extra zinc additive to protect the engine. Another option is to use oil labeled "For cars over 75,000 miles". Those oils have extra zinc in them and if you use them you could not add the STP. IMHO the "classic car oils" are vastly overpriced and are basically a scam, you get the same thing with my recipe or the 75,000+ mile oils. I usually use a Bosch or AC or Motorcraft filter. I would use Fram if that was what was available as I don't believe all the hooha people make about them being no good but I do prefer the other brands if they are available. Mobile One, Wix, NAPA and Purolator are Ok too. I tend to stay away from STP and Pennzoil because I've seen them used a lot in the cheapy oil change places so figure they are bottom of the barrel quality. Don't know the oil capacity for that engine. You are safe to put in five quarts if you don't know for sure whether it's 5 or 6. Put in 5, start it up and let it idle, shut it down, let the oil drain back, then see what the dipstick reads. Even if you never figure out if it's 5 or 6 you can tell from that initial reading when it's down a quart. |
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Expert
Posts: 3035
Location: N.W. Fla. | SM & SN has NO ZDDP in it regardless of what the bottle says. Look for oil that is pre SM. Wal-Mart has Accel brand 10W-40 that is SF (Accel 10W-40 elsewhere is SM/N). Some synthetic & 20W-50 weight oil is pre SM. CI diesel oil has zinc, CJ has little or none, have seen oil marked SM/CJ, if it's SM it has none. ZDDPlus, Lucas has it, reports say some STP versions do & others don't. Why risk if Fram is crap or not? I buy Wix. |
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 6513
 
Location: Newark, Texas (Fort Worth) | Wix or mopar! I used the Chevron delo 400, 15W40 in the poly when changed the oil. don't care it's diesel engine oil, It has some zinc. Marc. |
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Expert
Posts: 2312
Location: Arizona | Another option I've used is Redline Break-in Additive. Adding 3 to 4 oz to the 5 (or 6) quarts at each oil change will push the total zinc level up to where it needs to be. It would cost about $3 per oil change, which is a lot less then paying $7 a quart for "classic" car oil.
http://www.redlineoil.com/product.aspx?pid=121&pcid=21 |
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 7432
Location: northern germany | i've been driving GC engines extensively since the 80s at pretty high speeds too. i use(d) NOTHING BUT SYNTHETIC 0w40, or sometimes 10w60 in hot summers, mostly castrol. i just hope they do not change the formula.
i should add that these engines never caused any problems whatsoever and neither developed even an oil leak, all original and never rebuild. my 383 still runs like new at over 330 000 miles (i drove most of it) heads never been off since it left the factory. |
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Member
Posts: 43
Location: temperance, MI | Wix or mopar filters for me too, I've seen one fram come apart and pile up in a cb 550 and toast an engine and I lost a 360 with a fram on it 8 yrs ago. It was the culprit in starving my engine of oil, when we cut it open it was a mess inside and not letting oil through, been happy to use Brad Penn oil 30w. It's a non syn , it's got zinc and sticks, and I mean "sticks" to absolutely everything. expensive but the shop I get mine through gives a price break on a case. Sorry I don't have any info for you on dipstick length or amount |
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Veteran
Posts: 189
Location: Detroit | Thanks for all the feedback.
Sorry if this is a basic question, but I've never heard of "Pre-SM" before...
And it seems like everyone is all over the place on the right weight to use. I can't remember what I used last time, but it was likely Mobil1 synthetic. That was before I read about zinc issues. |
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Expert
Posts: 2312
Location: Arizona | Pre-SM means the oil ratings before the SM ratings came out. So a pre-SM rated oil would be an SJ or SL of those currently listed as not-obsolete. They had more zinc in them. As to weight, if your engine is a normal engine with normal clearances the starting point would be 10W-30. If it's bearings are getting a bit loose or the oil pump a bit worn you might need a 10W-40 or 20W-40 to keep the oil pressure up. If you don't drive when it's cold you could use straight weight, 30 or 40 if you wanted to.
http://www.pqiamerica.com/apiserviceclass.htm |
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1958 350 Oil Questions
