engine and drivetrain What wight and kind of oil and filter is recommended

[webthread]

I know this question has been asked a 1,000 times on here but everybody's set up is different. I have a 74 automatic with a crate motor that was ordered from vasek polak dealership in 1991, and installed about 100k miles ago. any suggestions on what to put in it? what is the preferred brand of filter for these engines?

[Nicad]

I'm going to get some BMW filters for mine and run 15w40 oil. Not sure what brand yet. I was told that the old engines like an oil with Zinc in it for the valve rockers.

[Psymon]

Your BMW manual recommends 20w50 for most driving conditions and yes zinc is good. For filters, you can use oem, Mahle or Mann. A quality filter is key for these cars.

[HBChris]

Castrol 20/50w from day one with BMW filters, Mann, Mahle or Bosch.

[c.d.iesel]

15W40

15W50

20W50

what oil was used for the first 100,000 miles?

don't you think that was a good formula?

[Cameron]

I use valvoline VR-1 20w50, my friend swears by Brad Penn 20w50. Anything with high zinc and a 20w50 viscosity will do. Don't bother with Mobil 1, Castrol GTX or any of the other synthetics that are meant for new cars, they don't have the level of protection that an old engine needs.

[roadhog0]

20w50 and I've used a wide range of filters (Mahle, Wix, Fram.) I usually use a WIX.

[Guest Anonymous]

I use valvoline VR-1 20w50, my friend swears by Brad Penn 20w50. Anything with high zinc and a 20w50 viscosity will do. Don't bother with Mobil 1, Castrol GTX or any of the other synthetics that are meant for new cars, they don't have the level of protection that an old engine needs.

Castrol GTX is not a synthetic....it is normal dino oil and its highly recommended.

[Guest]

Wix, Fram

I don't know what WIX is, but fram filters are garbage and you shouldn't use them. Mahle or Mann filters often cost less(blunttech has them for $4.50) and are definitely the way to go. I'll bet bosch ones are good too, but this is one place to go OEM.

Right after I bought my car the fram filter blew it's base seal out and droped almost 3 quarts of oil on the ground.

[KFunk]

Wix is actually decent (same as NAPA Gold). I'd still go with Mahle/Mann if possible, but if you're in a pinch and need to go to the local parts store, Wix or Napa Gold are actually good quality filters.

I also wanted to say this about Zinc/ZDDP.... While I think the concerns about it may be a bit overblown, I do want it in my old engines. Yes, Valvoline VR1 20W-50 still has plenty of it, and I love the stuff in my 02. But, it's been getting tough to find lately, and it is a bit more expensive than regular dino oil. If you can get it for cheap, awesome, but if you can't... then I've found out that the little blue bottles of STP oil treatment are chock full of Zinc/ZDDP. STP won't say how much exactly, but they say its similar to what you used to be able to get in 4 quarts of old school oil before they cut out the ZDDP to meet the new standards.

So... if you want normal old school levels of Zinc/ZDDP, you could probably just add a bottle of the STP blue treatment along with your regular oil change. That's what I did in my '65 Datsun. Partly because I couldn't find 15W-40 with ZDDP, and partly because I didn't want to put expensive racing oil in a work truck for no reason.

[TobyB]

heh... if you look at a current Bosch filter, it says Made in USA on it.

And when you cut it apart, it seems to be identical to the Wix.

20-50. Even in an E30. Unless it's winter, then 10-40's ok

ZDDP- it's essential for break- in. Especially with a high lift

cam and stouter springs.

The reason they're getting away with cutting levels is that it's not

super- critical on a stock motor with a bedded set of cam and rockers.

In fact, I don't bother on the street motors. And they don't show particularly

high levels of cam wear.

I WOULD use it for the first 5000 miles in a new motor.

And yeah, the additive packages from the cam manufacturers can be used

to boost ZDDP levels. I do that with the race car when the cam's less than

5 weekends old. In fact, that's a better way than trying to buy a ZDDP- rich

oil over the counter-- unless you buy a race oil, there's no real guarantee

that the street formulation has much in it. Delo does not, Rotella doesn't...

But when it's bedded, I run Mobil1 15-50, and haven't had a cam wear

problem with it. I run a relatively mild spring (110 seat, 250 nose) and

a moderate cam (on the order of a Schrick 315) and the lobes stay on.

According to Mobil, it still has a bit of ZDDP in it...

The cam guys desperately want you to run a synthetic- it's apparently

a LOT better with sliding friction, and makes up for the lack of ZDDP

(also good for sliding friction) to some degree.

The ring guys won't let you break in a block on synthetic.

I've started cycling the race parts so I never have to run a new cam on non- synthetic...

that's me.

t

[kbmb02]

The cam guys desperately want you to run a synthetic- it's apparently

a LOT better with sliding friction, and makes up for the lack of ZDDP

(also good for sliding friction) to some degree.

The folks at Web Camshafts do NOT suggest a full synthetic, (especially Mobil1). And the Camfathers at Iksy tend to agree. But "that's them", as Toby might say - such differing opinions are typical, and part of the 'fun.'

I'm giving the Brad Penn blend a whirl, results TBD...

-KB

[Catman]

Penzoil 10 -40 with some Lucas.Slippery is a good thing.Wix makes all of the filters for napa and a bunch of others Fram and Quite a few others are all made by a parent company called Kadon in LaGrange Georgia.

Purolator develeoped the oiling system in this engine with BMW and provided the oil and air filter hard ware designed , it is cast into the parts.

I'm running a purolator filter from Advance Auto.It was under 5 bucks .Has the pop off valve as designed .But have 2 Mann filters on the shelf and One is going on next time around.

Catman

[TobyB]

The folks at Web Camshafts do NOT suggest a full synthetic

interesting. Delta said, all things considered, that a synthetic would

take longer to bed properly, but would also have a much better chance

of not allowing 'sticking'- and that would reduce the chance of wiping a lobe.

Your mileage DOES, in fact, vary!

heh

t

[webthread]

Thanks guys, I'm going with an OEM filter and some 20-50. it's my first oil change since i got it this July so i wanted to make sure i am going to protect and prolong the engine's life as much as possible.