My cars are all trailer queens that get started once a month, but rarely driven. It is time to change the oil in them and I am hoping someone could give me some advice on what type of oil as well as possibly additives that I should consider. Also, with my use how often should I be changing the oil? Thanks for any advice.
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Re: Oil advice needed
Dave,
I'm assuming that you're talking about old Corvettes with sliding surface valve trains. Please tell us what cars / engines we're discussing here. Judging by your NCRS number, I suspect you have seen this article before:
But I would suggest reading it again. The bottom line is to use API CJ-4 oil. Shell Rotella T is one example. It can be purchased at Wally-Mart.
Joe -
Re: Oil advice needed
Dave,
You opened a can of worms...here we go again!
I change my oil every three years or 1000 miles.
I dont worry what type of oil, 10/30 here in AZ... because unless you are drag racing the engine does not get any load.
PetePete Bergmann
2005 - 2013 C6 National TeamleaderComment
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Re: Oil advice needed
Pete,
You didn't state what type of camshaft you're talking about. If it's a roller, your advice might work. I flattened the camshaft on my 66 L72 (solid lifters) because I used SM oil. The metal went completely through the engine, causing me to rebuild it. My ignorance was definitely not bliss! This is no myth, the sliding surface valve train cams need the right amount of ZDDP for them to last. Most modern oils don't have it.
JoeComment
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Re: Oil advice needed
The external load on the engine is not representative of the load on all internal engine parts. Low speed such and cranking and idling can be tougher on the valve train than redlline because the relative velocity of the sliding surfaces may not be sufficient to support full hydrodynamic lubrication.
CJ-4 costs about the same as SN, so the extra protection that CJ-4 offers for sliding surfaces costs nothing!
DukeComment
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Re: Oil advice needed
Some say the starting once a month may be causing more harm than the type of oil.
PhilComment
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Re: Oil advice needed
Joe, I had a similar experience with my 1974 SD455 Pontiac engine. By using Mobil 1. 10W30 (probably SD, SE, SF at the time) I got heavy wear on the camshaft lobes. I now use SAE 15W40 API CJ-4 Chevron Delo 400, or other brands with CJ-4 specs, in my 60's & 70"s Vettes & Pontiacs.
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Re: Oil advice needed
If you start your car once a month it is ok if you take it out for a long drive.
Otherwise you risk the accumulation of moisture (water) in the exhaust system and possibly in the engine.
Following the advice of other members I stopped starting my old Corvettes monthly.
I change the oil before winter,keep a battery charger on each car, the gas tank full and in the spring they started just fine including my early 57 FI car.Comment
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Re: Oil advice needed
A number of studies over the years have indicated that about 80 percent of engine wear in normal daily service occurs during cold start and warmup.
Some say the oil drains out of the bearings if the car sits for a long time. I've disassembled engines that have sat for years and there was plenty of oil in the bearings.
Some ask if racing my cars is hard on them. My response is that the worst thing you can do to an engine is a cold start, and that's why if I have to go to the grocery store, library, or bank, all of which are within a mile of my house, I walk!
I've been temporarily storing cars for up to 18 months for the last 20 years. Prior to storage they usually get an oil change and a full tank of fresh fuel without any "stabilizer". I either remove the battery for use on another car of charge it once a month out of the car. I've never had any fuel system problems or internal engine problems with any of them, and with a fully charged battery they start right up as if they've only been sitting overnight. (On carbureted cars I fill the fuel bowl with gasoline via syringe through the bowl vents prior to cranking.)
"Trailer queens" should be driven at least enough to consume a tank of fuel every year, which would be about 200-250 miles for most vintage Corvettes.
If the oil only has a few hundred miles and has not darkened due to high blowby or poor crankcase ventilation, I think it's fine to let it go 1000 miles or three years as suggested in a prior response.
Guys continue to obsess over oil type and oil change intervals, while often failing to pay attention to other fluid maintenance like antifreeze and brake fluid.
DukeComment
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