ledslinger29
Well-known member
Anybody using s synthetic blend in their little six? I live in Florida and plan on using a 10w30 synthetic on mine when I'm done with the rebuild.
don't break it in on synthetic... can use it after if you really want...ledslinger29":1sfcdo1d said:Anybody using s synthetic blend in their little six? I live in Florida and plan on using a 10w30 synthetic on mine when I'm done with the rebuild.
Econoline":54cttgcb said:5w30 is thin, I figure it will warm up by the time I reach 500 miles on the odometer, if not I may consider 10w30. My main reasoning for using 10w40 is that, unlike your vehicles my engine lives inside of a small oven in the cab of the van.
chad":30m5t2ow said:"...but I figure it's cheap insurance."
Yeah, my "mild" cam has .430" lift, and more spring then that...Econoline":3n86t98e said:I've read those previously and they are great article on the subject. But I still wouldn't recommend using straight off the shelf oil for break in based upon this excerpt from the 2nd article:
"A perfect example of proper balance can be seen is an API SN motor oil. While this spec oil is limited to 800 ppm of a catalytic converter friendly ZDDP, an API SN oil can break in a flat tappet camshaft. The flat tappet cam in question has less than .400 valve lift and no more than 215 psi valve spring pressure. So an API SN oil will protect a flat tappet cam, but you won’t see success trying to break in a Big Block Chevy cam with over .500 valve lift and over 300 psi valve spring pressure with an API SN oil. It is the different demands of the valve train loads that dictate what balance is required to protect. "
Unless you are using a stock cam with stock springs, you will be beyond both of these parameters. And often higher than stock compression.
I'm going to stick with using Gibbs HR oil and assume it will be properly 'balanced' as they say and I'll be covered.