Never thoguht Id start an oil thread
Went to buy some VR1 for my 383..usually get 10/30

All they had was Mobil 1 or VR 30-40-50w
counter guy says 10/30 only acts like 10w at cold start up once warm it acts like 30.....

Reason I inquire as I have a HV pump(mistake) and the cam that ground mine screwed up and put a billet gear on so Ive gone through a few dist gears

Said straight 30 will be the same long as I wait for the oil to get hot before I start driving it which I do being as I have a bypass blocked so when cold the psi is out of this world. at $7 a quart with 8 qts want to get this right

Thoughts??

 

I don't like straight oil weights for street cars, just seems like asking for trouble at start up if the weather changes or it sits without being started.

My engine is built with close tolerances also so I tried to find 10w40 VR1 locally and it has to be ordered (20w50 makes 60psi at idle cold). After reading lots on oil I made a decision and found the oil I want to use locally. I recommend you do the same if you can't find any maybe look at being a local dealer so you can get a discount price to help cover shipping.

 

If you are never in a cold environment then I don't see the harm other than it will take longer for the oil to reach everywhere upon startup.

 

M1 0W40 is good oil. Use a filter with bypass built in. Most do have one.
For that HV pump you could get a weaker spring on the pressure relief to lower your oil pressure and reduce wear on the dist gear.
You using a melonized gear?

 

I use Valvoline VR-1 10W30 in my vintage performance cars.
I buy it by the 6 pack case from Amazon.
Current case price is $33.18 or $5.53/quart.
If you're a "non-Prime" customer, you need $35 minimum order for free shipping. Buy a filter, get free shipping.

 

Which means extra ware until that happens.

 

When you say you have the bypass plugged are you referring to the pressure relief valve in the oil pump? If so why on earth would you do that when that relief valve is there for a definite reason (like blowing the oil filter up). There is nothing wrong with running a straight grade 30 weight as drag racers do it all the time. The only problem is your engine will use a lot more oil when using a straight grade 30 weight because the oil rings can't stop the thicker oil from getting past them. For a street engine the modern multi grades are the only way to fly.

 

Mobil 1 0W-40 European Formula is a great oil for the money-Group IV true synthetic, available at Walmart for $26 for 5 Qts, 1,000 PPM ZDDP for flat tapped cam (a little low for this application, perfect for a roller cam), flows like a 0 weight at start up when cold (when most wears occurs) and a 40 weight when hot for very good high temperature protection, and is one of the only weights approved by Mobil 1 for BMW, MB, Audi, Volkswagen, Nissan GTR, Porsche and Chrysler engines (these manufacturers require a special additive package for approved oils NOT available with other weight oils from Mobil and other oils). I use Mobil 1 0W-40 in my L-82 355 AFR heads, Howard's roller cam, 10.2:1 engine. Change your oil in your C3 every 3,000 miles with a top filter like Wix, Mobil 1, etc or once per year and you are good to go...

 

The upside to both oils are specific to each , the straight weight has no additives which can break down and the advantage of multi weights is your ability to use them in much much colder climates. And when I say cold I do not mean 45 or 50 degrees I mean below freezing.

And the idea you will use a lot more oil because of oil ring issues is an opinion I find funny.

 

Another time you are showing a closed mind and an inability to learn new concepts.

The bypass idea is a pump just wasting energy. The pumps gears are moving oil and the bypass is just puting it back in the pan without filtering it or anything.

Roller cams and especial solid roller cams need all the oil they can get.

You just have to use high pressure filters like Wix and K&N. then you have be smart enough to run oil weights tailored to your engine to get the desired oil pressure. So if I want a max of 70 psi with my blocked off bypass High vol pump motors. In the hot summer I might put in 5 quarts of 20W-50 VR1 high zink oil and 3 quarts of 0w-20 to thin it down I just watch my pressure gauge and adjust the mixture.

Or I might put in 5 quarts of vr1 10W-30 and 3 quarts of vr120w-50 to make it thicker.

This is not a hard concept. Adjusting your oil pressure with the oil weight. The uninformed masses need a bypass. My stock blocks also use modified oil resistors in the back of the block, So I don't flood the rockers. My aftermarket block uses priority mains oiling built into the design.


cuisinartvette Comp Cams screwed me by sending a non gear sleeved billet custom lobed cam. The answer is to run the composite distributor gear

 

I use Mobil 1 0W-40 for the reasons mentioned. I recommend strongly against using a straight weight. Most of the wear in an engine happens during warmup. Also, the base oils and additive package in a straight weight are generally less robust.

 

cuisinartvette I was hoping that you would get back to me, but I've had very good life service out on my Comp cams poly dizzy gear. I've only had one failure of stripped gear teeth in all the years of running them so I carry a spare in my Vette since. I was actually doing about 150 when the motor went quiet and I just stabbed in the clutch and coasted off a track return road.

 

Hi Gkull I work a nightshift so dont get much time to post

I run a Lunati everwear gear...its been good so far but cant really say for sure as it sits a lot, little wear so far but not getting worse used to pull it every 30-50 mi to make sure

Thought about the Comp gear but saw what a failure did to one engine couldnt believe the carnage so little gunshy its an option though

I run the really short Wix filter due to equal length headers, kicked out pan and scattershield I have to loosen the headers some to get it out.

Always let the thermo open before i drive it and baby it til I know the oil is good and warm (when the idle psi really drops down)

Know by passing isnt for everyone but I want as much as I can filtered
\
May have to mail order some oil then...shoot got tons of M1, now this VR1...cannot find anyone within almost an hr of here that has the multi grade i used to use. Probably doesnt matter as Ill break it before it wears out most likely My goal right now is to just start driving it again period

 

I probably have over 20K miles on this last poly gear once I got the oil weight mixing down. cold fire up where i hold it at 2500 until I see water going over 100 degrees i might have 50 psi. once it is driving and over 180 idle is 30 ish My max pressure is something around 65#

I'd run 30 weight with a 0-20 blend to regulate the pressure

 

Ever consider an oil filter relocation setup? Combine it with an oil cooler and an oil temp gauge.

I am considering this.

 

Good info....

Outside the box old school hot rodder thinking...

 

Down the road (when I have a garage again) adding a remote oil filter/cooler sounds good for the time being leaving as is. Probably just add the 30w for now just to get the old oil out. Primary idle circuit was crazy rich, oil smells of gas. Plus its been sitting a long time. Doesnt get super cold out here in Ca. Once in awhile see freezing temps but not often.

 

I use the 20 50 VR1 synthetic, the nice thing about synthetics is it flows well in cold temps.

 

This is a common misconception. The 10W or 5W or 0W indicate the cold flow properties at a minimum temperature tested (the lower the number the lower the temperature tested). The oil is always a 30 weight oil, but does not thicken up as much in below freezing temps. If you are in a warmer climate and will not be running the car in under 40° temps, then straight 30 weight is perfectly fine.

 

api-engine-oil-classifications Infineum.pdf
I've tried to attach a document by Infineum that has a lot of information about motor oil specifications. Page 8 shows the cold crank viscosity specifications and minimum high temperature kinematic viscosity for the xW spec, as well as the maximum high temperature kinematic viscosity and high temperature high sheer viscosity for the 20 / 30 etc. If the attachment doesn't work, google SAE J300 viscosity chart.