<VV> Oil for new engine

[Mark Durham]

Patrick, you should take the time to read Richard Widman's oil article
at some point. Make sure you put an oil additive with ZDDP in, to
protect the cam, or use an oil that has it. Some people sell flat
tappet oil with the ZDDP, others use a good recommended oil and add
the ZDDP. Google flat tappet engine oil, and you will get some hits.
Here is Richard's url. http://www.widman.biz/uploads/Corvair_oil.pdf

Pay attention to the oil ratings and labels. No Starburst oil is
acceptable. There are some good Diesel engine oils being used with
good results, too. Richards article identifes the good oils and their
ratings.

It is recommended to use a good Dino oil, not a synthetic, as you need
to have a "wear in" of the rings. But, to head you in the right
direction, the engine is designed around a 30 wt Dino oil based on
1950's data. So, we have 5W30, 10W30, and a straight 30 today. Your
choice.

Put the ZDDP additive in first, pour in the dino oil, then preoil the
engine by pulling the distributer and turning the oil pump clockwise
with a long wider flat blade screwdriver or a modified shaft to fit
the pump shaft, in a electric screwdriver. I did mine by hand, took
about 15 turns to get oil thru all the bearings and to fill the oil
galleys, but when it did, I could hardly turn the screwdriver for the
pressure. I then waited a few minutes, and turned the pump enough to
get pressure, several times more. At start the lifters pumped up right
away and the engine ran quiet after a few seconds on initial start.

Some have used a full synthetic to break in their engines with no
issues. Specifically, the Mobil 1 15W50, which has the ZDDP already in
it. Or the Amsoil 10W40 also has the ZDDP, they may have a 10W30 with
it as well.

Others will tell you no, you will ruin your engine, but as for me, I
used a striaght 30 wt. dino oil and added ZDDP, for three runs of
about 5 minutes each, as a initial break-in, at low RPM, 1200-1400,
with a cool down in between each run to ambient temp, then changed the
oil to a Mobil 1 5W30 full synthetic and added ZDDP additive, and put
another 1200 miles on the engine, then changed the oil again. I did
notice it did take most of the 1200 miles to see a stop of oil puffing
at initial start, indicating the rings/cylinders took that long to
fully seat. However, I installed chrome rings in steel barrels, and
chrome takes longer to seat in. Moly rings take longer. I never saw
the oil level visibly drop on the dipstick, however, so the puffs at
start were no more than minor drops.

As a FYI, the modern oils with the latest ratings and starburst symbol
are NOT recommended for your engine, even with the addition of ZDDP.
So, you cannot just go buy a name brand oil with the starburst on the
label and use it. Richard explains it all.

Hope this helps.

Mark Durham







On Mon, Dec 12, 2011 at 7:18 PM, Patrick Murphy <litetrix at gmail.com> wrote:
> I can't remember where I read about oil for newly rebuilt engines. Might
> have been here or in a newsletter. It talked about the wrong oil causing
> crank failure. Can anyone tell me what oil to use in my engine as someone
> else rebuilt it before I got it and I don't know what's inside it.
>
> Patrick Murphy
> 1961 Corvair Lakewood Station Wagon
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