Just curious what type of oil everyone is running in their nailhead. I'm about to change my oil 55 with 72,000 should i use 5w 30w syn or reg oil ? Cheers and thanks in advance for any info Will
Some general info here (Re: What OIL for the nailhead) Hi Will, Just in case you haven't already come across this thread, you might find Jim Weise's general observations on oil for classic engines interesting: http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?t=222499 Certainly most of issues noted there apply to Nailheads. Cheers, Edouard :beer
Oil is a very emotional topic. These nailheads still have carburetors. That means they don't meter the fuel very carefully, compared to modern fuel injected engines. You get more unburned fuel in the oil and carbon contamination in the oil due to excess fuel than you do on a modern car. So the long drain intervals from modern (synthetic) oil are not a good idea on a car with a carb. The oil gets contaminated faster. You still have to change the oil on a frequent basis, per original owners manual guidelines. So, if the oil is not in there so long, in my opinion, there is less benefit from the higher priced synthetic oil. A high quality mineral oil changed often will meet your needs. Use the oil weight that the owners manual says. Do not go with the modern 5W-something oils (except in Minnesota in the winter ). The tolerances on your engine are not right for that oil. Depending on your climate, a straight 30W high detergent oil is probably what the owners manual calls for. There were not too many multi-weight oils out in '55, so they usually specify "summer oil" and "winter oil". My '63 Riviera book calls for a 10W30. Because it has 90 k miles on it, I use a 10W40 high mileage oil and change it often. The difference between changing regular oil often and changing synthetic oil often is just $$$ :dollar: . If you know you have loose bearings, low oil pressure, etc., the 20W50 is a good way to go in the summer. Pretty thick for the winter... Hope this helps.
:gp: Absolutley, I agree. 30w and, an ZDDP additive. I've, for years, used; Texaco Havoline 30w. It's been hard to come by; recently, however. So, I've been using Mobil1 30w and, an ZDDP additive. You definately want to put the ZDDP in there. And, if you use a multi grade oil with detergents; the detergents will wash away the zddp........... From, the '55 owner's manual; http://www.55buick.com/OwnersManual/om22.htm
I would never put non-detergent oil in any overhead-valve engine that has an oil filter. Ever. Just my opinion.
At the annual ROA meeting this past week there was quite a discussion about this same topic. One of the members happens to be a friend of the chemical engineer that created the oils for Joe Gibbs Racing. (NASCAR guys run flat tappet engines too.) Open this link and get a lesson in oils, ZDDP, additives, etc. You can now make up your own mind. Ed http://www.joegibbsdriven.com/
I have been told, that; to add, zddp to detergent oil is fruitless. The detergent, washes the zddp away.
My thought on this is that some years ago, detergent oils contained zinc. I cannot believe that the oil companies would put two additives that would fight each other in the same can. I have driven about three million miles, mostly behind OHV flat-tappet engines. The only cam that I ever had to replace due to lobe damage was a 267 inch SBC. The cam was trashed when I bought the Malibu it came in. My Nailhead was broken in with Rotella, and presently has AMS synthetic with ZDDP in it. For nine bucks per quart, the AMS should also install itself.
You're beginning to sway me back to detergent. Does, Rotella have detergent? Today, I bought Rotella 30w. Instead; of the Valvoline 30w. I've always run some Marvel Mystery oil in the crankcase a bit before I change the oil. What, do you think of that? Are a few miles with Marvel Mystery Oil, enough to clean everything up? I hate the EPA.
to Go with what Nailheadnut posted (Ed) This is a reponds that the folks at Joe Gibbs oil sent my in reguards to my 1963 riv with a 401 in it Mr. Rock, Thanks for the email. The BR Break-In oil is perfect for breaking in your engine if it has been rebuilt recently. If the engine already has a few thousand miles on it, then the HR-1 high zinc motor oil is the correct choice. It has the high zinc content your engine needs, and the HR-1 has extra rust and corrosion inhibitors to protect your engine while the car is in storage. Most older cars are not “daily drivers”, so the need for storage protection is greater. The HR-1 delivers both the high zinc wear protection and the storage protection your engine needs. You can purchase our oils on our webstore or at Amazon.com. [/font] Thanks, Lake Speed, Jr. Certified Lubrication Specialist Joe Gibbs Racing 704-239-4401 lspeed@joegibbsracing.com I thank you Ed for the info and hope this helps other Nail head folks out there[/font]
