Best oil for a 292 I-6 in a 1967 C50?

[DuckhunterInTN]

I just purchased a 1967 C50 with a 292 I-6. Before I make the two hour trip home in it I plan on changing the oil. What is the best weight oil to use in this motor?

[cdowns]

10-40

[piecesparts]

The newer oils do NOT have the zinc additives that was used in the past. Unless you have upgraded your engines internals, then you need to consider the wear on the camshaft and lifters that is not being protected as they were. There are additives on the market that makes up for the missing chemicals in your oil, but it is pricey. Just something to think about....

[Longhorn Man]

and a side note... the zink additives, are probably more important than the make of the oil.

[DANTIP]

I believe Rotella (Oil intended for diesel engines) has 1,400 to 1,500 ppm zinc which is similar to pre-catalytic converter low-zinc oils. Good Luck!!

[Fred T]

For additives, buy a bottle of assembly lube at the parts store. It contains the needed additives to keep your cam and lifters happy. Comp Cam has that on their website, but they recommend their own brand.

For oil viscosity, 10W-40 is not recommended for heavy duty use. It has been improved, but the polymers are not up to severe use. They still break down, just not as fast. Since you're in Tennessee, I will recommend 20W-50. I prefer the Pennzoil, it seems to adhere to metal better, but that's just my observation. 20W is a little thick when the temp gets below 10*F, so if you go north in the winter run 10W-30.

[Fred T]

Originally Posted by DANTIP

I believe Rotella (Oil intended for diesel engines) has 1,400 to 1,500 ppm zinc which is similar to pre-catalytic converter low-zinc oils. Good Luck!!

From what I read recently, the diesel oils have been changed to meet the new specs. The problem is that the manufacturers will not reveal what is in their oil, either for proprietary or liability reasons. So we don't know how much zinc is in the oil.

I have seen some ads for oil blended for classic vehicles. I am recommending either that oil or assembly lube as an additive. Or put in a roller cam, but I can't see doing that in a C-50.

[Longhorn Man]

rotella has less zink than car oil does now.

[DANTIP]

Shell Rotella T which is a conventional (mineral-based) oil that was originally formulated for diesel engines. Rotella T still contains 1,200 parts per million ZDDP, according to Shell - which is as much as five times the amount found in other oils. Don’t sweat it that Rotella was/is "for diesels." It’s also an excellent choice for older, non-emissions controlled engines with flat tappet cams that need their ZDDP. Rotella’s also modestly priced and readily available at most any auto parts store. Shell also markets a synthetic version of Rotella that offers even more protection - as well as longevity and a 5W-40 viscosity for those who operate their vehicles in colder climates. Standard Rotella comes in a heavier 15W-40 blend.

[DuckhunterInTN]

Thanks for all of the replies. To provide a little more info, this truck has 90,000 original miles, and still runs good. I don't plan on driving it a lot (less than 750 miles a year probably) so cost isn't really an issue as far as oil, additives, etc. I'd rather put the best protection I can into it.

What would be the absolute best to put in it to insure the best protection and longevity from the oil? Rotella T plus an additive?

[DuckhunterInTN]

Anybody else? Can anyone tell me the oil capacity of this motor?

[thirdstreettito]

[chevy29267truck]

ok i KENDALL oil sae 40 or 50

[100%Chevy]

My 292,in a 79 P-30 van takes 5 quarts and is a heavy duty engine.
Yours will take 5 quarts plus any extra required to fill optional large oil pan,oil cooler,large oil filter,etc.Some even have an air compressor mounted on the engine that use the engine oil for lubrication!
Heavy duty engines are a breed of their own!
Mike.

[bucket]

i just rebuilt a 261 for my 60 c60. the machine shop made me promise to only run straight 30 and to run the comp cam additive during break-in.

[Joe71]

I run the Rotella T in my aircooled Volkswagen with solid lifters, high spring pressure ect...I try to give it all the protection I can...some other VW guys use that plus the GM EOS "break in" additive for not only cam break in but put some in at every oil change. Theres also STP, I use it for assembly lube, I know it used to have high zinc content, not sure if it still does. I think if your worried about it, thats what I would do.

Sorry about the VW references, it's all I know (for now) as I'm new to the V8 world but we've had lots of cam/lifter failures so lots of oil/additive talk goes on.

[manimal]

Valvoline VR1 racing oil stil has ZINC in it. That is what I use in my 292,454,383. And around here it is the same price as any other oil.
-Lance

[MudBug]

I use Rotella to break in oour stockcar motors,I also us it on my 292 with a large small block oil filter. I run 20w50 untill it gets really cold then swap to 10w40.

[manimal]

It is my unuderstanding that all diesel oils have had the zinc removed per the EPA.
BUT the VR1 by valvoline is intended for "racing" which means NO cat converter.which ever oil you decide make sure you use a QUALITY filter...WIX 51069.
-Lance

[DANTIP]

Here is a response from a Shell Oil Engineer from April 2008

Subject: RE: Rotella Ask Our Expert: Oil and Fuel Additives

Richard,

With the introduction a couple of years ago of ILSAC specification GF-4 and
API specification SM for gasoline-only engine oils, the amount of
phosphorous in the oil had to be reduced to prolong the life of catalytic
converters. Zinc-based anti-wear compounds, like ZDDP, which also contain
phosphorous, were reduced as well. These zinc compounds work well to
protect flat tappet engines from excessive wear, so the modern gasoline-only
engine oils are not as effective in this regard as they once were.

Diesel engine oils don't suffer from the same requirements to protect
catalytic converters, so the amount of zinc-based anti-wear additives
remains high. Products like Shell Rotella T Oils, which also carry API
S-series licenses for gasoline engines, have found favor for flat tappet
engines.

Shell Rotella T Oils contain about 1200 ppm zinc. That's at least 50% more
of these anti-wear additives as most current gasoline-only engine oils, and
about the same amount of zinc as API SJ-rated oils had in 2000. These
levels of zinc have historically offered good protection for flat tappet
applications.

There are no proposed specification changes for diesel oils that would
significantly impact the zinc content of Shell Rotella T oils over the next
2-3 years.

Thank you for your interest in Shell Rotella Products!

Regards,
Edward Calcote
Staff Chemist, Shell Lubricants US Technical Information Center
http://www.rotella.com/

[Bob B.]

I use Valvoline VR-1 30W in the V-6.

[chevy29267truck]

KENDALL oil also has a sae 70 too i used KENDALL oil my dad used
it too his bothers and there dad they all used KENDALL oil evening
in there lawn moreers too evening some of my friends useds KENDALL oil

[Fred T]

Your 292 holds 6 quarts with the standard filter, 7 if you have the 2 qt. filter.

With the info on Rotella I would run 15W-40. It is readily available.

[newbraunie]

I run Penzoil Platinum 10-30W Synthetic in my 292. It has been rebuilt with all new internals. I have read that this is one of the best synthetic motor oils produced. It out performs Mobil 1 in breakdown analysis tests. Wally-Mart sells it for $19.99 for a 5 qt jug. Here is a interesting link to Bob is the Oil Guy.com. Has everything you want to know about oils, lubes etc. You can send this guy a sample of your used oil for analysis, it will tell a lot about what is going on in your motor. Check out the forums also.
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/index.html

Here is a quote from Bob is the Oil Guy
A lot of aftermarket additives use zinc and phosphorus for extra protection. The problem is, when you overload an oil with this type of additive, your oxidation levels tend to increase, causing an attack on the base oil, which in turn can cause an increase of viscosity, (thicken the oil) .This is why it is important not to play home chemist and blend in aftermarket additives that are not designed to be in the oil to start with.

[newbraunie]

Originally Posted by newbraunie

I run Penzoil Platinum 10-30W Synthetic in my 292. It has been rebuilt with all new internals. I have read that this is one of the best synthetic motor oils produced. It out performs Mobil 1 in breakdown analysis tests. Wally-Mart sells it for $19.99 for a 5 qt jug. Here is a interesting link to Bob is the Oil Guy.com. Has everything you want to know about oils, lubes etc. You can send this guy a sample of your used oil for analysis, it will tell a lot about what is going on in your motor. Check out the forums also.
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/index.html

Here is a quote from Bob is the Oil Guy
A lot of aftermarket additives use zinc and phosphorus for extra protection. The problem is, when you overload an oil with this type of additive, your oxidation levels tend to increase, causing an attack on the base oil, which in turn can cause an increase of viscosity, (thicken the oil) .This is why it is important not to play home chemist and blend in aftermarket additives that are not designed to be in the oil to start with.

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