Johnjgonzo8D
Well-Known Member
Hey I was wondering which type of motor oil I should use for my 1964 Dart GT. It is a slant six 225.
Oil Type
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nm9stheham
Well-Known Member
0W20, 5W20, 5W30 would work good. I use Mobil 1 synthethic in pretty much everything.
Is the engine leaking anywhere?
Is the engine leaking anywhere?
Johnjgonzo8D
Well-Known Member
Yeah it is leaking from the valve cover not being sealed, as the rubber valve cover gasket is old and cracked. I need to get a new one and then it won't be as leaky. Beside that it does leak just a little but it is not like a flow. just a drip here and there. Thanks for the advice
here we go again lol .... shell rotella . dinosaur or synthetic .
1970Dart198
Well-Known Member
Ah yes, the can of worms has now been opened! Believe me when I tell you that you wont get a constant answer. Some will say synthetic, some will say regular, some will say cheap, some will say expensive. Different weight oil IS for different climates and driving/racing styles. Choose what is best for your application.
The valves in your car are mechanical and thus, are before the age of hydraulic valves and "emissions control oil". The oil back then had high amounts of Zinc, or "ZDDP" as the technical abbreviation for it. Get a good racing oil that has these higher amounts of zinc to protect your tappets from ever-so-slowly wearing themselves out.
70Dart198
The valves in your car are mechanical and thus, are before the age of hydraulic valves and "emissions control oil". The oil back then had high amounts of Zinc, or "ZDDP" as the technical abbreviation for it. Get a good racing oil that has these higher amounts of zinc to protect your tappets from ever-so-slowly wearing themselves out.
70Dart198
ArizonaKid
Well-Known Member
I just use regular valvoline 10W-30, my engine seems to like it.
nm9stheham
Well-Known Member
There is rationale for the lighter weigths at least: The start up oiling will be faster, and the oil pump gear in the /6 is on the small/weak side so lighter oils present less pumping load. (Check out the oil pump article on www.slantsix.org). So be cautious with the oil weight and keep it on the low end.
Certainly any good quality oil will work. The need for the higher zinc levels on these low lift cams is arguable.
I just prefer synthetic for the lower cylinder and ring wear that you will definitely have, the superior bearing protection in case of a loss of oiling, and the almost no-breakdown of the synthetic oils.
The leak that the OP has will be easy to fix. When you pull the vavle cover, adjust the valves.
Also check for sludging in the engine. If you have a lot of sludge, it might be wiser to run a high detergent motor oil for several quick oil changes to try to dissolve some of the sludge out. Running it repeatedly to where it gets hot at highway speeds will help dissolve some of the sludge and change out after say 500 miles or so. Change the filter each time. There are 'recipes' for cleaning sludge; can't say if you should try that or not.
Certainly any good quality oil will work. The need for the higher zinc levels on these low lift cams is arguable.
I just prefer synthetic for the lower cylinder and ring wear that you will definitely have, the superior bearing protection in case of a loss of oiling, and the almost no-breakdown of the synthetic oils.
The leak that the OP has will be easy to fix. When you pull the vavle cover, adjust the valves.
Also check for sludging in the engine. If you have a lot of sludge, it might be wiser to run a high detergent motor oil for several quick oil changes to try to dissolve some of the sludge out. Running it repeatedly to where it gets hot at highway speeds will help dissolve some of the sludge and change out after say 500 miles or so. Change the filter each time. There are 'recipes' for cleaning sludge; can't say if you should try that or not.
EL5DEMON340
Well-Known Member
For that engine in So Cal I would use 15/40 rotella hi detergent and still has hi zinc!
inkjunkie
Well-Known Member
Pretty sure the Rotella no longer has a High Zinc content....least that is what some folks are saying....but take what I am saying with a grain of salt please. These oil discussions get old after a while. I really wish someone would post the zinc levels of the Rotella T that is available now. Only stands to reason, and I know that is a dangerous thing to do that with diesels having cat convertors in them, at least that is what I am reading, that the Rotella may have the zinc reduced.
I have browsed thru several different reads that claim the scare about using an oil with the lower zinc content is exactly that, nothing but a scare....after break in that is.
Johnjgonzo8D
Well-Known Member
Alright I think I will go with some high zinc content and a detergent, that seems to be the theme here. thanks guys
EL5DEMON340
Well-Known Member
They lowered the zinc in diesel, but it's still much higher than your regular oil.
Charrlie_S
Well-Known Member
I run 10-30 "house" brand oil in everything I own. Even my race cars, for the last 15 years. Prior to that Quaker State 10-30, as they supplied my lubricants from 1974 on. Never had a bearing failure or cam/lifter failure.
TrailBeast
AKA Mopars4us on Youtube
Ricodart
Member
use what ever brand of oil you want ( not penzoil ) use risolone zinc additive its the 3x concentrate and not the engine treatment or run a top brand full synthetic those are your options. If you are not sure talk to an engine builder.
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