[Firedup6975]

We have a similar thing going on with our mercury mariner we bought used from Car Sense. If we don’t use Quacker State oil, they won’t honor the warrantee. That oil is getting harder to find.

[ponchjoe]

[QUOTE=1965gp;5925648]I use VR-1 in all of my older cars and Mobil 1 in anything newer.


X2 but do use Lucas oil products too

[ornjcr8]

X3 for Brad Penn

[geeteeohguy]

Rotella diesel spec oil in my old flat tappet cars, and Octane Supreme 130 TEL in my '65 GTO due to its 11:1 CR with iron heads. Brad Penn is excellent stuff, as well.

[MUSLCAH]

Originally Posted by Chief of the 60's

When I use any mechanic in a bottle its only Lucas products. The only fuel additive I use is Lucas fuel treatment. I run C-12 so I never use an octane booster. Oil is usually Mobil 1

+1 on the Lucas.....I buy it by the gallon...run it in everything I own....new and old. Can squeak an extra 1.5-2.0 mpg on a trip.Plus it lubes up that fuel pump in the tank.....and keep injectors clean.

[dhcarguy]

I use Castrol GTX regular oil and add a bottle of ZDDP for the flat tappet cam. My car will ping on 93 octane . When 94 was available it would stop pinging with the timing backed off a little. I have tried every octane booster out there with NO success. No harm either.
I add 1 gal. of Sunoco 112 to 3 gals of 93 Sunoco ,and the car runs good without pinging.

[GT182]

I only use Valvoline 20w-50 with a can of Restore additive in my GTO. And only Valvoline in any of the other engines I have. At least I know there's no sludge in any of them.

I'll add a 5 gallon can of 93 oct VR1 to pump gas in the GTO. Tho not for every tank of pump gas. Or 100LL if available.

[Simple Man]

Originally Posted by Verdoro 68

Valvoline VR1 + STP oil treatment for some extra ZDDP.

Pump 91, sometimes cut with 110 or Race Gas additive when I'm going to drive the car hard.

I use Valvoline 10W-30 in the 68 GTO, the 70 Mach1 and the 84 F150 with a can of STP for each. The 2011 F150 gets Pennzoil 5W-30 Synthetic, or synthetic blend.


Only fuel additive is STP injector cleaner once a year.

[fyrffytr1]

I use 10-30 Valvoline race Oil in my 67 GTO. A friend who runs big block Chevelles told me about a product he uses in them made by Rislone, called Nano Prime so I put a bottle in my GTO. The car runs quieter and smoother than it ever has. You only add it once a year.

[Heybuck]

Different countries I know but for my 2 cents, but on the recommendation of my engine builder, I have ONLY used 10w-30w Diesel in my Pontiac since I've had it. Done 40 thousand miles on the rebuilt engine and its smooth and as quiet as the first start. Plenty of zinc in diesel oil to cushion any cam wear.

We can buy 91, 95 or 98 RON fuel here. I use 98 in the Pontiac and have never used any form of additives in the oils or fuel.

Works for me.

[GT182]

I don't understand why anyone uses diesel oil on their gas engines. It's for diesel engines not gas. I used it at one time in my 79 Formula and it ruined the engine bearings. That's one of the reasons I only use Valvoline. You might think your doing your engine a big favor but it the long run you aren't. And I've heard that from a number of retailers and those that have used it.

Sorry for the rant but I hojnestly found out the hard way.

[Chief of the 60's]

There is no way running diesel oil would ruin engine bearings. Fact is, most high end engine builders use a diesel oil, like Rotella, for break-in oil.

[GT182]

Originally Posted by Chief of the 60's

There is no way running diesel oil would ruin engine bearings. Fact is, most high end engine builders use a diesel oil, like Rotella, for break-in oil.

The engine builders around here won't touch it. You tell them that and they laugh you right out the door. I'll tell one of the best [now retired] engine builders here and he'd throw me out the door or die laughing.

[Chief of the 60's]

Originally Posted by GT182

The engine builders around here won't touch it. You tell them that and they laugh you right out the door. I'll tell one of the best [now retired] engine builders here and he'd throw me out the door or die laughing.

Hmmm.... Oddy, Musi, Shafiroff, Herbert all no names.

[SRR]

Originally Posted by Chief of the 60's

There is no way running diesel oil would ruin engine bearings. Fact is, most high end engine builders use a diesel oil, like Rotella, for break-in oil.

I put a long block in a customers 81 Chevy 4x4 SBC several years ago and all he runs is 15W40 Delo. The engine sounds good and the OP is great. One of my friends runs it in all his older HFT cars, no issues.

[Fullsize455]

Originally Posted by GT182

I don't understand why anyone uses diesel oil on their gas engines. It's for diesel engines not gas. I used it at one time in my 79 Formula and it ruined the engine bearings. That's one of the reasons I only use Valvoline. You might think your doing your engine a big favor but it the long run you aren't. And I've heard that from a number of retailers and those that have used it.

Sorry for the rant but I hojnestly found out the hard way.

All that sounds good to the totally uninformed who are unfamiliar with engine and fluid bearing design, but is of course totally false. Diesel oil did not ruin your bearings, nor has it ruined anyone else's.

Diesel engine bearings are no different than gasoline engine bearings, and oil intended for diesel engines is not fundamentally different than oil intended for gasoline engines. There are additive packages that differ somewhat, but they are absolutely interchangeable with no risk of damage. Now, using a high-zinc diesel oil in a modern car with a catalytic converters and sensitive O2 sensors may cause problems with those parts, but it will do no harm whatsoever to the engine itself.

Now, diesel oil is designed for the much harsher environment of a diesel crankcase, and is thus more robust. It also has to deal with more soot contamination and diesel fuel dilution than a gasoline engine oil. The additives and properties that result are beneficial in gasoline engines as well. Conventional diesel oils are not designed for prolonged high RPM, nor prolonged high temperature use, so something like Rotella T would not be suitable in any serious race engine that sees serious track time, but it is absolutely acceptable and in many ways better for everyday road usage.

Your anecdotal story of ruined bearings obviously neglects to mention some other serious factor that was the primary reason for your bearing failures, because the oil wasn't it. So long as you were using the proper viscosity oil of course, and changing it at proper intervals.

My own anecdotal evidence includes using Shell Rotella T 15-W40 extensively in numerous old carbureted pushrod engines over the years, including nearly 50k miles on the already high mileage 455 in my '71. I used nothing but Rotella T in that engine from the moment I acquired it with 193k on the clock. When I tore that engine down at 241k miles, it was still a good runner, had good oil pressure, bearings looked perfectly fine, and I have no doubt it would have continued to run for many tens of thousands more miles. Same goes for numerous other pushrod engines that I have used it in and have put tens of thousands of miles on. Never had any sign of trouble from any of them.

But of course, just like so many things in life, people love to fall back on their one-time singular piece of anecdotal evidence, having done no additional research on the subject, and present it as a definitive argument. Anyone that understands fluid bearing design and has some knowledge of automotive engine oils would never make such a foolish claim that "diesel oil ruined their bearings the one time I used it", because that is of course absurd.

So there, there's a counter-rant. I've been fighting the ridiculous myths about oil for years, but they persist because people love sticking to their anecdotes and blaming someone else, because it's easier than accepting reality sometimes.

[locomotivebreath]

I’ve found that engine builders are some of the biggest purveyors of “ oil brand such & such ruins this , sludges that “ folklore . Most diesel oil is classified HD and suitable for gas . Any modern , name brand oil is high quality and more than capable of profecting anything most of us drive . If your machinery requires more zddp - buy according , no need for additives .

[68 461 Bird]

Originally Posted by Fullsize455

Conventional diesel oils are not designed for prolonged high RPM,.

What do you consider prolong high RPM? On a long trip (3-5 hours) at 65 to 70 mph, my engine is at 3200 RPMs.

[68 461 Bird]

Originally Posted by Fullsize455

All things "mechanic in a bottle" are snake oil. No exceptions. Use the lowest octane fuel that your car requires, use good oil and a good filter. That's it.

The marketing of fuels as "regular" and "premium" was absolutely genius, as they have the majority of the public totally fooled into thinking higher octane fuel is somehow better for their car. It isn't. Use the lowest octane fuel that your car requires. Period. No boosters, no additives, no nothing. Unless you enjoy spending money for the sake of spending money, in which case why not donate it to charity instead? Then it might actually do some good.

I have heard this several times before and I am in agreement, but a lot of people seem to agree that the "lead substitute" is necessary if you are running an old engine that hasn't been upgraded with the hardened valve seats. What are your thoughts on this?

[Firedup6975]

Wow! I had no idea just how many different fluids are out there, makes sense though, so many engine combos out there too.