"Engine Oil for Vintage Corvettes" - hot links!

[Duke W.]

For those of you who read the article in the current "Corvette Restorer" magazine, here are "hot links" for the Internet references. They will save you some typing.

I encourage all to look at these sources. The two recommended courses at the lubricants university site should take no more than an hour to complete (both) and they will bring you up to speed on lubrication and engine oil technology.

For a deep dive download the API 1509 document and Appendices E and F, and the the lubricants.S5 site has some very good background on all automotive lubricants and current refining technology.

www.lubricantsuniversity.com

http://www.api.org/certifications/engineoil/pubs/index.cfm

http://www.api.org/certifications/engineoil/categories/upload/EngineOilGuide2006.pdf

http://lubricants.s5.com

Duke

[John H.]

Re: "Engine Oil for Vintage Corvettes" - hot links!

Excellent article, Duke - well done!

[Kirk M.]

Re: "Engine Oil for Vintage Corvettes" - hot links!

Great article Duke. Explain the fundamentals and then tell me exactly what I need to go get. Doesn't get any better than that! Carried the article to three "auto stores" before I could actually find the properly API marked oil for my car. Finally picked up some at Autozone - "Pennzoil Longlife Gold 15W-40, Diesel Engine Protection". API Service CJ-4/SM. There was only one other maker that had a CI designation that was listed for turbo trucks. Anyway, thanks again for sharing the knowledge and setting me straight on what oil I need to use. Oh, by the way, I shared the knowledge forward with the young workers at Autozone and showed them the article. Started a nice little conversation about old vettes, and now the guys there know what to tell classic car owners to buy as oil!

Kirk

[Stuart F.]

Re: "Engine Oil for Vintage Corvettes" - hot links!

Duke;

My voice as well on congrates for a great article and invaluable information. Seems there are a lot of Auto parts store employees, as well as those at service facilities that can use some education on this and a lot of other classic car issues - and they seem more than willing to learn. Guess that comes from a general love of cars (Car Crazy).

Thanks for the specific links too. Makes for some good reading.

Stu Fox

[Duke W.]

Re: "Engine Oil for Vintage Corvettes" - hot links!

Carried the article to three "auto stores" before I could actually find the proper API marked oil for my car.
Kirk

I suppose the availability of C-category engine oils varies with location. Around Southern California all the major auto parts chains - Pep Boys, Autozone, Kragen, NAPA always have at least one national brand and maybe a house brand - usually in the 15W-40 viscosity grade.

On my last visit to the Walmart in Torrance they had the three national 15W-40 brands in stock and one in 5W-40, but did not have their SuperTech brand 15W-40 in stock. (AFAIK the 5W-40 and 15W-40 viscosity ranges are exclusive to C-category oils, so it's a major tipoff on the API service category, but always check the API donut.)

My local Costco also carries 15W-40 Chevron Delo at competitive prices, but you have to buy a case of six gallon jugs.

Be careful about "stocking up" on oil. It does have a shelf life (a few years) due to separation and drop out of some components. I've seen a black film on the bottom of old (say five years or more) oil bottles after the oil was poured out. Always store you inventory in a cool, dry place.

I stock up when good price deals come along (see my recent thread "Mobil Delvac rebate" from a couple of days ago), but rarely have more than a two year supply - usually no more than about a year.

Duke

[Paul H.]

Re: "Engine Oil for Vintage Corvettes" - hot links!

Duke, nice article in the Restorer. Kind of cuts through all the myths and BS floating around out there. I have photostated it and passed it on to a couple of friends since they won't believe me

[Stuart F.]

Re: "Engine Oil for Vintage Corvettes" - hot links!

Duke;

Some good advice about stocking up. It's all too easy to jump at a sale and get perhaps more than you can use in a reasonable time frame. I bought the Shell Rotella 15w-40 at Sam's club in a 3 gallon box for around $25.00. I figured that's 2 oil changes for the year which should be about right for my use, which is limited.

Just got my 63 running again in the 95* heat here in Orlando after rebuilding/refurbishing my distributor. Guess I still got it. I dropped it back in to w/i 2 degrees of time. Some time back we had a discussion in which I said that my VAC was real close to the manifold and you commented that I probably had the gear installed 180* off (dimple to back instead of front). I thought I was still correct and assumed the difference may be due to my shimming the gear for the Petronix Ignition. But, as always, you were right. I don't know if my fingers have gotten fatter or it's the arthritis, but hooking things up don't seem so easy any more. I had to take the VAC off to get the hold down in place. I don't recall ever doing that before. Runs like a top w/ that new B28 (first one popped the diaphragm).

Stu Fox