Dodge55Royal Posted July 2 Share Posted July 2 I'm going to do an oil and filter change on my '55 Dodge with the 270 hemi V8 and I would like to know what's the best oil to use. Doesn't Shell make some kind of oil that's good for old cars? If so what weight should I use? Thanks in advance.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted July 2 Share Posted July 2 You should search. This topic is covered in numerous places. I would suggest Valvoline VR1. It is used in multi-million dollars cars regularly. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryB Posted July 2 Share Posted July 2 Your owners manual probably suggests 10W-30 oil for general use. Any good brand of oil should be fine in the type of use your car sees. Some people use Shell Rotella oil for diesel applications (15w-40) because it has more zinc additives than regular automotive use oil. The big thing with lube is to use a quality product and maintain the level. A good brand oil filter too should be used for best fit. Thats my 0.02 worth of advice. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The 55er Posted July 2 Share Posted July 2 If you ask ten people what kind of oil they use in a typical 1950s car, you'll get ten different answers. I've been using a good grade 10W-30 detergent (Kendall, Pennzoil, Shell, whatever) in all my fifties cars over the past 50 years and I drive 'em pretty much year round. Everyone says all the oils available today are of much better quality than what was available in 1955. I feel that regular oil & filter changes and some occasional vehicle exercise are more important than the actual brand of oil you're using. This works for me and I'm sticking to it. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge55Royal Posted July 2 Author Share Posted July 2 56 minutes ago, TerryB said: Your owners manual probably suggests 10W-30 oil for general use. There were no multi-viscosity oils in 1955. The owner's manual basically says to use 10w in cold weather and 30w in hot weather. Thanks for explaining why the Shell Rotella 15w40 diesel oil is recommended. Amazon recommended that when I bought a couple of oil filters from them and I thought they were crazy. Thanks to the other two guys for their comments too.... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimy Posted July 2 Share Posted July 2 My fleet is earlier, but for what it may be worth I use Rotella T-4 (dino) 15W-40 in all of them. Rotella T-5 is semi-syn, T-6 is full synthetic. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelmackay Posted July 2 Share Posted July 2 2 hours ago, Dodge55Royal said: I'm going to do an oil and filter change on my '55 Dodge with the 270 hemi V8 and I would like to know what's the best oil to use. Doesn't Shell make some kind of oil that's good for old cars? If so what weight should I use? Thanks in advance.... MD’s Pick은 매일 오후 5시에 진행되는 할인 특가 프로그램입니다. 매일 다양한 상품이 할인률이 적용되며, 상품 종류도 매일 바뀌어 다양성을 제공합니다. 특히 MD’s Pick에서는 인기 있는 상품들이 주로 제공되어, 자주 접속하여 원하는 알리익스프레스 프로모션코드와 같은 특가 상품을 찾아보시는 것을 추천드립니다. 원하는 상품이 등장하면 특가를 적용받고 구매해보세요. I have a question regarding the best type engine oil for my wife's 1974 AMC Javelin that was just recently rebuilt. The engine is a 360 V8 and was rebuilt back to stock, and the car is only going to be use for normal type driving. Since the rebuild, the engine has about 200 miles and I plan to change the breakin oil at around 500 miles. I am unsure what oil is best, but I have been told I need to use an oil with a good amount of ZDDP. I was thinking about either: Shell Rotella T 15w40, or Mobile 1 20w50, or maybe even Lucas Hot Rod and Classic Car Oil 10w30. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pfeil Posted July 2 Share Posted July 2 (edited) 1 hour ago, Dodge55Royal said: There were no multi-viscosity oils in 1955. The owner's manual basically says to use 10w in cold weather and 30w in hot weather. Thanks for explaining why the Shell Rotella 15w40 diesel oil is recommended. Amazon recommended that when I bought a couple of oil filters from them and I thought they were crazy. Thanks to the other two guys for their comments too.... here is the image of type of oil recommendation for a 1955 Pontiac. Click on the link. looks like they had multi grade oil in 1955! https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/9yQAAOSwZrBefRls/s-l1600.webp Edited July 2 by Pfeil (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTR Posted July 2 Share Posted July 2 For what it's worth, I've been using 20W-50 in hundreds of post-war vintage cars, both my own and my clients, for 4+ decades and hundreds of thousands of miles. In past 20+ years my go-to brand/type has been (and is) Valvoline VR1, which has sufficient amount of ZDDP, a.k.a. zinc, so no additives are needed. YMMV. As for OP's 270", from the looks of its general appearance, after draining the old and before re-filling any new oil, I would drop the oil pan to see how much sludge has been accumulated over the decades. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryB Posted July 2 Share Posted July 2 In Pennsylvania where I live it was normal to use 10W-30. In our cold weather the lighter oil circulated faster in the engine than heavier oils did. When I worked at a gas station in the 1960s we kept the straight 30 inside in the winter months because it was like pouring molasses if kept outside. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_padavano Posted July 2 Share Posted July 2 People lose more sleep over this that over just about any other topic. The reality is the cheapest crap oil you can buy today is light years better quality than what was available when these cars were new. I use high-zinc oil in my cars with flat tappet cams. Any one of them has more than enough zinc, so don't fret over getting the "best". I use Amsoil because I have a discount deal with them, but Penn, VR-1, Driven, whatever, are all comparable. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Dobbin Posted July 2 Share Posted July 2 For old cars with unknown mechanical history 20W50. Been using it for years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_padavano Posted July 2 Share Posted July 2 3 minutes ago, Paul Dobbin said: For old cars with unknown mechanical history 20W50. Been using it for years. Why? Do you want to increase drag in the engine and lower HP? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge55Royal Posted July 2 Author Share Posted July 2 2 hours ago, Pfeil said: looks like they had multi grade oil in 1955! My owner's manual only mentions 10w and 30w. I went to Walmart and bought 3 gallons of Shell Rotella 15w40 and will do the oil change tomorrow when the Wix oil filters get here from Amazon. Thanks to all who responded.... 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTR Posted July 2 Share Posted July 2 1 hour ago, joe_padavano said: People lose more sleep over this that over just about any other topic. The reality is the cheapest crap oil you can buy today is light years better quality than what was available when these cars were new. I agree. And as I said, I’d be more concerned about the potential sludge and other contaminants/debris inside a nearly 70 year old used engine with presumably unknown maintenance/service history, but that’s just based on my 45 year experience with countless vintage cars. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAKerry Posted July 2 Share Posted July 2 This topic was touched on a bit at the national convention. I apologize in advance as I forget the fellows name that was doing the presentation. However one of the things like mentioned above is that just about the worst oil today is better than what was around in 1955. One of the factors that he said to look for was a high zinc content. I use Shell Rotella 15w40 in everything I own now. When I checked with their stats it indeed does have a very high zinc level. I think it is supposed to be a diesel oil. I started using the rotella on the advice from the fellow that built my motor's. I needed to top off a bit and asked him what I should use. His reply was that the only oil he uses for everything was the rotella 15/40. He has 2 very busy auto shops. My cars run fine and I buy it by the gallons now. No need to worry about what oil goes in what vehicle. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_padavano Posted July 2 Share Posted July 2 Zinc levels in diesel oil have been dropping Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Roth Posted July 2 Share Posted July 2 I use Rotella 15w-40 Diesel in most of my cars, 10w-50 Synthetic in others Just about any modern oil will be ok for your Dodge, but probably not the super low viscosity ones like 0-30 or 5-20. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted July 3 Share Posted July 3 6 hours ago, joe_padavano said: The reality is the cheapest crap oil you can buy today is light years better quality than what was available when these cars were new. I agree 100% 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge55Royal Posted July 3 Author Share Posted July 3 I drained the oil and removed the cartridge type oil filter (big mistake) and now I can't get it put back together with the new oil filter in it. I can't compress the spring enough to get the bolt started. Am I supposed to do it by leaning over the fender or lying on the floor? Somebody mentioned installing some kind of adapter so I could use a spin on oil filter. How difficult are they to install? Do I have any other alternatives? Thanks.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryB Posted July 3 Share Posted July 3 Are the two filers the same height? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge55Royal Posted July 3 Author Share Posted July 3 30 minutes ago, TerryB said: Are the two filers the same height? What are filers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryB Posted July 3 Share Posted July 3 2 minutes ago, Dodge55Royal said: What are filers? Sorry, filters…damn glasses need cleaning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge55Royal Posted July 3 Author Share Posted July 3 Yes, they are identical.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryB Posted July 3 Share Posted July 3 There was a thread a while back with the same problem as yours, new filter didn’t fit. Problem was something with a gasket that was wrong and didn’t allow things to fit right. Might want to look close at all the parts and pieces and something dumb, try reassembly with the old filter just to make sure it goes back together. That might help identify if something is misaligned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge55Royal Posted July 3 Author Share Posted July 3 The new filter is the same length and diameter as the old one and has the exact same Wix part number. What about an adapter for a spin on filter? Or can I just block off the line and run it without an oil filter? It's in an extremely difficult area to reach which makes it very frustrating.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryB Posted July 4 Share Posted July 4 Speedway Motors or Summit Racing might have a setup to add a spin on cartridge. The old hemi motors have a long racing history and kits to make the change are probably offered there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge55Royal Posted July 4 Author Share Posted July 4 40 minutes ago, TerryB said: Speedway Motors or Summit Racing might have a setup to add a spin on cartridge. The old hemi motors have a long racing history and kits to make the change are probably offered there. Neither company had them but I did watch some YouTube videos on how to do it.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing Coyote Posted July 4 Share Posted July 4 I'm using Lucas 10-40 hot rod and classic oil in the Vette. Big block car with a lot of high performance parts and flat tappets. The zinc is rated at 2100ppm. That's the highest I've found compared to the diesel oils. VR1 is lower, but still a good oil. Used it in my 61 Mercury. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted July 4 Share Posted July 4 14 hours ago, Dodge55Royal said: The new filter is the same length and diameter as the old one and has the exact same Wix part number. What about an adapter for a spin on filter? Or can I just block off the line and run it without an oil filter? It's in an extremely difficult area to reach which makes it very frustrating.... By chance is there a seal that is on top of the new filter and the filter that you took off did not have that seal there? If so, the old seal may still be on the oil filter part. It could be on the top or the bottom of the filter. Just a thought, ask me how I know. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Dobbin Posted July 4 Share Posted July 4 On 7/2/2024 at 3:14 PM, joe_padavano said: Why? Do you want to increase drag in the engine and lower HP? Multi grade works for me because it can run thin or thick depending on temperature and it does not leak as easily as thinner oils Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge55Royal Posted July 4 Author Share Posted July 4 54 minutes ago, Larry Schramm said: By chance is there a seal that is on top of the new filter and the filter that you took off did not have that seal there? If so, the old seal may still be on the oil filter part. It could be on the top or the bottom of the filter. Just a thought, ask me how I know. There is no seal on it. Both sides of the filter look the same so I figured that it can go in either way. I didn't see any arrows or anything else saying top or bottom. Does it make a difference which end goes in first? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted July 4 Share Posted July 4 Was there a seal in the box with the new filter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_padavano Posted July 4 Share Posted July 4 57 minutes ago, Paul Dobbin said: Multi grade works for me because it can run thin or thick depending on temperature and it does not leak as easily as thinner oils 20W-50 is higher viscosity than 10W-30 at any temp. This increases drag, increases heat, and costs HP. If the factory engineers designed the engine for 10W-30, why do you think you know more than they did? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Dobbin Posted July 4 Share Posted July 4 38 minutes ago, joe_padavano said: 20W-50 is higher viscosity than 10W-30 at any temp. This increases drag, increases heat, and costs HP. If the factory engineers designed the engine for 10W-30, why do you think you know more than they did? Because for 60 years I've owned leaky cars 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge55Royal Posted July 4 Author Share Posted July 4 (edited) 6 hours ago, Larry Schramm said: Was there a seal in the box with the new filter? Are you referring to the big round rubber thing in the box? There was one of them in there which I put between the canister and the engine block.... Edited July 4 by Dodge55Royal (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted July 4 Share Posted July 4 (edited) Is this the oil filter you are using? Can you post some pictures of the oil filter/ part number and what you are putting in on the car. Edited July 4 by Larry Schramm (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge55Royal Posted July 4 Author Share Posted July 4 4 hours ago, Larry Schramm said: Is this the oil filter you are using? Can you post some pictures of the oil filter/ part number and what you are putting in on the car. I'm using this Wix oil filter which is the same number as the one I am trying to replace. The third pic shows the canister and base that I am having trouble reaching. Thanks for your interest.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryB Posted July 4 Share Posted July 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryB Posted July 4 Share Posted July 4 Can you post the opposite side of the filter? And any other gasket or rubber ring that came with the filter. There seems to be something that resembles an old rubber ring on the seat for the filter in picture 3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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