Hey guys, I live in central CA (friggin hot up to 105). I was curious as to what oil I should use. Right now im runnin valvoline 20-50. non synth. The reason why i stepped it up to 20-50 was because my oil pressure seemed a bit low to me. It sat on the white line above the red hot and at idle, but jumped up to over 30 when on it (cant remember exactly). The car has less then 50k on it. So what do you guys recommend? I noticed with the 20-50 it seems sluggish. Thanks guys!

 

I switched my L03 over to Valvoline Durablend 10w-40 at about 120k. It now has 238k on it, and the Durablend has worked wonderfully. You basically get a lot of the benefits of running a full synthetic oil without the higher cost of it by using the blend. We probably had 2 solid months of 100+ weather here this summer, and I had no problems using this oil. I run the Valvoline 20w-50 racing blend in my 69 Camaro, and it's pretty interesting to crank it over when it's less than 30 degrees outside. Thick stuff! Most people run 10w-30. Since my L03 has so many miles, I figured the 10w-40 would be a good idea, and it seems to do just fine, even in the dead of winter.

 

I live in Mesa, AZ.

Temperatures are extreme (110*+)

I run a 10w-40 Valvoline Premium Conventional on
my build, I never warmed up to synthetic.. In winter,
Ill run the 10w-30, our winters are still warm though
(between 65-85*) ..Ive had great luck with Valvoline.

Ill never run Castrol synthetic again, I thrashed a few
rod bearings on the highway, and never figured out why.

that was years ago, hehe.

 

Valvoline 10w30 Synthetic blend...I have the same engine at 130,000 and it runs great on the blend...

 

hmm..i run the cheapest 2.30 gas station special shiI i can find..lo3 runs awsome

 

20-50 seems excessive for a stock regular small block chevy. I wouldn't run heavier than 10-40 in it, especially w/ low mileage.

 

I live about 30 miles south of Atlanta 90-100 degree summers and the occasional 20-40 degree winter days. I have 176K+ and have run nothing but Pennzoil 10W-30 and always add a bottle of STP oil treatment since the day I drove the car off the lot brand new. A winning combination for me so far!

 

I can relate to being on a budget. Thing is, the Valvoline synthetic blend is only about $3 a quart, and since it's basically half synthetic, I run it 6k between changes with no problems. So you're getting twice the mileage between oil changes for only 70 cents more per quart. Another plus is that I used to have to add about a full quart between changes with conventional oil. Ever since switching to the blend, I only have to add about 1/2 quart between changes. I agree with 327_TPI_77_Maro. The 10w-30 is great for any SBC with normal mileage. I only run the 10w-40 since I'm up around 238k on my L03. Speaking of which, I'm now running the 10w-40 in my 69 Camaro as well. I used to run the conventional 20w-50 in the 69, but when I replaced the oil pan gasket on it this spring, I went ahead and switched it to the same oil as the L03. I didn't want to use the more expensive stuff until I fixed the leaky pan. Btw, the 1 piece oil pan gaskets are one of the best things they ever came out with for the old 2 pc. RMS motors. It doesn't leak a drop now. The old 4 piece cork/rubber gaskets are a joke.

 

you just describe my last oil change .

it is a winning combianation.......

 

awesome guys! thanks for the help. Im gonna go and pick up some valvoline synthetic blend. Ive never tried synthetic because ive only ran conventional. And I hear alot of people moaning about leaks. But Ill give it a shot. Thanks again.

 

And alos. What is normal oil psi for a stock L03?\


**mine on a hot day will idle ont he white line below the 30. idling at 650 RPM. But scales with RPM.** not sure if those are good numbers. (this was with the 10-30. its alot higher with this thick stuff). I havent had it in long but my buddy said its really not good for the bearings so it got me worried lol. Goin back to 10-30 tonight.

 

Not good for the bearings??? That's a new one on me. It doesn't really hurt anything to run the thicker stuff. It just makes it a little harder to crank it over when the weather gets cold. For normal oil pressure, I'd say anywhere from 25-35 psi at idle should be fine. Mine usually runs around 25-30 at idle with 238k on the motor. I suggest you compromise between the two, and run 10w-40. It's thicker than the 10w-30 wt., so it'll help your oil pressure, but it's not as thick as the 20w-50. As far as worrying about leaks, the Durablend isn't a full synthetic. It's part synthetic, part conventional stuff, so you get the benefits of both types. I've never even removed a valve cover on my motor since it was new, and it doesn't leak a drop anywhere. Knock on wood of course.

 

Thanks for the response Pat. Gonna go throw some 10w-40 in it now.

 

you might wanna check your oil pressure sending unit down there too it might be giving you the readings cause its leaking oil from right there and it all gunked up, mine was doing that and it was drop all the way down and i would freak out so i just replaced it a walah, but it still leaks from there such a PITA, but i always use valvoline vr1 straight 50, ive got 127k miles right now and ive never had any mechanical problems and i make a nice 45lbs of oil pressure at idle

 

2.30/gal must be nice. here in buffalo, ny i pay 2.80+ for that same cheap crap fuel, and yes my l03 runs great on that paint thinner

 

lol, I think he was referring to 2.30/quart for crap oil.