Hey Guys, after my short introduction in the "wet behind the ears"-thread i have question about an oil change on my 401 powered 65 Wildcat. I was on a car show this weekend nearly 65 miles away. I wanted to make an oil change after coming back to my shop. Put in some oil system flush (Valvoline) and waited 10 minutes while the car ran at idle before removing the old oil. Left the car up on the lift to let it drip out over night. First i have no clue how much oil i have to put in there. How much goes in there? Since i read about the good experiences with valvoline vr1 racing 20W50 i will buy a can in the next few days. I already have the new filter and a new oil pan gasket. The plan is to remove the oil pan and clean it out before filling up the motor. Is the corklike gasket the only gasket i need for that? How much torque do the oil pan screws need? What kind of gasket is needed for the "driphole"-screw? I usually use copper rings for that but there is a black flat gasket ring on the screw right now. Is it possible to use a normal copper ring gasket instead? Lots of questions. I don't have a shop manual. Trying to purchase it in the next weeks. Here's a pic of my car: http://www.google.de/imgres?imgurl=...ved=0CCQQrQMwAWoVChMIvZHAlO7YxgIVxpdyCh0MZgu8
Nice Cat, I like the colors. Hopefully those with much more knowledge than I will chime in regarding some of your questions. Everyone is going to say get the shop manual, so do that ASAP. I run straight 30W Brad Penn oil - search on here or go to their website for the reasons why this oil is so good for Nailheads. Regardless, put in 4 quarts, wait, and check the level. You will be close at that point. I believe your dipstick (if it is original) will state the capacity (4 qts).
Nice Wildcat! Oil capacity with filter; 4,5 Litres Do not use that 20W-50 on that engine; - it wants 10W-30 at the most. You'll pop gaskets with the heavy stuff. The gasket for the drain plug usually is either the copper ring or a plastic gasket; - be careful not to over tighten it. You will need to get the proper cork gaskets for the oil pan or the valve covers out of the US, I don't imagine anyone sells them in Germany. The may only be available in cork, I don't think they make neoprene pan gaskets for the 401. If that engine is old, (has not been rebuilt recently) I don't think I would take it apart just to clean it. You are probably better off leaving it alone and only cleaning it up when you're prepared to overhaul it. Cleaning up an old used engine may only serve to hasten it's demise, meaning you'll clean out what is possibly holding it together. just use low detergent oil and change it more frequently, like every 3000 km. Try and find some ZDDP oil supplement for that engine, especially if you plan on running it at over 140 km/h on the Autobahn. (take out more insurance too, that car is absolutely hairy to handle at speeds of over 120 km/h!) Change your coolant, it will heat up very fast using modern fuel and modern oils, you want a totally clean and serviceable cooling system, especially during the summer months when it goes over 30 C. Viel Spass! Gruss aus Kanada!
I've used 5w30 last time, and now I run on 10w40.. Both ones is full synthetic, and have a bottle of zddp in it.. I have a little more oil pressure all-over now, than before, but can't feel any difference.. I wouldn't use higher than 10w40, and even though it's a religion, I've put a bottle zddp in.. As all ready said, it drinks 4,5l of oil before it's full.. Wouldn't drop the pan, and the oil flush is not needed if you pcv is working correct... Did it myself first oil change, but didn't change the sound or color on the oil coming out.. Good luck from Denmark
Of course you can buy stuff like that in Germany, or in other European countries. But it's cheaper to order from North America :TU:
First of all, thanks for the advices and infos so far! Valve cover gaskets came new when i bought the car. Along with other goodies to make the car street legal in germany. Like new rubber brake lines in front, new rubber parts for the sway bar, new motor mounts because the rubber part where broken and new fuel lines here and there. The cork gasket for the oil pan is already here and came from the US. About my plan to remove the oil pan, i get the point in leaving it where it's at. But not sure now. I want to do the best for the engine. Plan goes a bit further. The original 401 is not rebuild as far as i know. First i want to flush and clean all systems as good as i can without removing the motor. Coolant, oil, fuel. I think it's never been done to the engine the last 30 years. Thats why i used the valvoline oil flush. The oil was a bit thinner when i let it out i think. And the rpm goes a bit up in idle while waiting after putting the flushing additive in. Last weekend i bought another 401 out of a 64 Electra donor car. It is already disassembled and i will overhaul it, swap it into the cat and then do a proper job to the original (matching numbers) motor. Then swap it back. That way it is possible for me to run the car while working at the several motors. Since i am planning in rebuilding the original 401, do you guys think it's better to not drop the oil pan and just changing oil filter and put new oil in? What about the oil? Do in need zinc add when using Valvoline Vr1 10W30? Is it in any way better to put in some ZDP Add?
Normally yes, but the dollar is high and we pay a lot in transport and tax, so small things like a gasket, some nuts etc is cheaper to by at a local dealer, who's getting stuff home in bigger loads
If you have a local dealer, than maybe.... otherwise you still have to pay for shipping costs. And the stronger dollar isn't really an excuse, the parts dealers in Europe are adjusting the prices of their old stock to the higher exchange rates. Stuf like spark plugs and filters is something you will always need, so you can order those along with your other parts to make it worthwhile. Make sure that you stay under the amount where one doesn't has to pay import duties and it will always be cheaper to order from North America. The €235.65 engine gasket set from my link above is only €66.16 at RockAuto :TU:
I travel back and forth between the US and Europe 2 or 3 times a year for work. I would be happy to bring some basic Buick engine maintenance parts like gaskets back to Switzerland one of these trips for the cause. Valve cover gaskets, oil pan gaskets, whatever, as long as it is not too big or prohibited as luggage on an airline. You pay what I paid for the part plus shipping to your location. Let me know and I will see what I can do. My next trip is a couple of weeks.
Frankscat - Hello and welcome, nice car! If it were me, I'd just change the oil and drive it for the time being, don't disturb anything you absolutely don't have to....and for all that effort, these cars want to leak oil anyway...it's the nature of the beast. I've seen good mechanics chase fluid leaks for years, and for what? The car spends more time apart than on the road, and the car always wins. Just enjoy yourself. Prairie Canary - that's a mighty nice offer for these European guys. I choke when I hear what guys like Houmark pay for fees and taxes on things that have little or no value...things I'd gladly give away for free. My heart goes out to the folks trying to keep these cars on European/Scandinavian soil, that's a labor of love. Keep up the good work!
Frankscat: I'd leave it alone, do an oil change, and then just run the motor as is. The cooling system, yes, flush, clean and rebuild if necessary. The motor, as long as the oil pressure is good, should last until you get the other one done. However, if you feel that the engine is still the original one and has not ever been rebuilt, then I would avoid high-speed driving with it, it will have the original neoprene timing gear in it that with its age could come apart under higher temperature, high heat conditions. I'm sure you probably know this already, but if you don't, these engines are not like European engines where the top speed of the engine is cruising speed; these engines will not stand 4000 + RPM for any length of time, they are "happiest" at between 2000 and 3500 RPM which is about 100 to about 120 km/h. I would order up some ZDDP direct from the manufacturer or buy something like the Hemmings oil for old cars,( I have no idea what the generic form of it is) at least it has some zinc in it. For the new engine especially, do not, repeat, do not attempt to start a freshly rebuilt engine without ZDDP in the engine; you will destroy the camshaft within 20 minutes.
In Denmark, if the value, including transport is under $15, it's taxfree... But shipping alone is normally round $40-45, so it's never taxfree And BigPig, you are still welcome if your journey brings you round Denmark..
Exactly, so no need to send parts from Switzerland, it will be the same price when you're ordering direct from companies like RockAuto :TU:
Houmark - Thanks for the offer! A kid who works for me just went to Copenhagen to run a marathon a month or two ago, he kept trying to get me to go....Aside from the fact that I can barely run a 5k much less a marathon it was veeeeeery tempting. I'd love to go back someday. Frankscat, 66 Electrified brings up some excellent points, but I've been pretty lucky with my 75k original not flying apart after about 500 1/4 mile passes. I did change the timing chain gear, and would be cautious of running anything better than a 3.73 gear on the highway (it's got 3.23s now) but I am always worried about pistons....I took my low mile 66 engine apart and it had two pistons that had huge cracks and were about to fly apart. I need to get my other engine together and quit tempting fate. If you stay off the drag strip though, these engines are pretty damn tough....run it! And keep us posted!
Not sure I follow? If we buy parts inside the EU, the dealer has payed the tax getting the stuff in the country.. Of course it's a little more expensive, but they to have to give you a 2 years warranty.. I've just found out yesterday, that my 2 month old Monroe highjacker is leaking from the cylinder, and I wrote RockAuto about it.. I got the answer, that there's no warranty, so to fix my problem I would have to buy new ones.. That's like $45 + $45 shipping + 20% tax of the $90 + $15 fee = $123 if I'm lucky... There's good and bad things about getting things yourself, but with these shock absorbers, I'd wish I bougth them in Denmark for the warranty..
That 2 year EU warranty rule looks nice in writing, like most EU laws only look nice in writing :laugh:
If I bougth i from a Danish dealer, he had to give me a new set, if it broke because, and I'm not to blame.. Wrong mounting, abuse etc is not covered, but a bad weld or gasket for example is.. That's normally calculated in to the price of the item..
Which is probably why you pay more; - it's ludicrous to expect anything made in China to last that long, considering that next to no parts are made anywhere else these days...
I think it has something to do how things were when growing up.. All Danes are used to warranty, and high prices to support the warranty.. Didn't actual know, that you could sell parts in the US without warranty, but as you say, when the parts are getting so cheap and badly made, I wouldn't carry any warranty either.. All doctors, hospitals, roads, etc is "free" in Denmark as well, we just lay A LOT in tax ( up to 68% ) This topic is going offroad.. Let's just say, that there's good and bad things about it all..
So now it's no longer an EU thing but a Danish thing, you are starting to get it right. Don't order your highjackers from EU countries like Germany or the Netherlands, you will pay the same high price but still will not get your 2 years EU warranty p The thread starter lives in Germany, so he is better off ordering parts straight from companies like Summit or RockAuto in North America. And with RockAuto it's important to order all your parts from the same location, if you place a "mixed" order from different locations, international shipping costs will end up being sky high :Smarty:
