Thread: whats the best weight oil for sbc &whats good oil presure

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Originally posted by blewbyou2
so your saying oil pressure at idle will be the same whether i use a
std 55 or say a 55hv ???????

then why have i read some put a hv pump in to compansate for low pressure do to worn bearings?
are you saying the presure would be the same at idle but higher at higher rpm's?

a high volume pump holds more oil, so it will be there if needed, should be about the same pressure as a stock pump. a high volume and a high pressure pump will be the bigger pump with a higher pressure spring in it.

i use castrol 20-50 works great hot or cold and carries excellent oil pressure.

blewbyou2, if you do decide to run the MEL 10555 pump, it has a bolt on pickup. The only problem is, you can't get pickups for any aftermarket pans yet, other than stock designs. I had to by a Milodon pickup for my oil pan and modify it to a bolt on type. When I fired the motor for the first time it almost barried the gauge at 80 lbs at 900rpm. Now it runs 50 at idle with 10/30.

This is my own opinion, so take it with a grain of salt, not as the gospel truth. I've always ran nothing but straight 30W in my engines, except when the outside temp is in the teens or lower for an extended amount of time; then I run 20W 20 for easier starting. I've never had an oil related failure in one of my engines, although I've had some varnishing problems from using a cheap grade of K-Mart 30 weight. It was called LDO and I should have known that meant Low Detergent Oil. Big mistake, really dirtied up the engine I used it in.

I would stick to a well known brand, Castrol GTX and Valvoline are both good oils, Quaker State and Pennzoil are fairly good, and I don't know about the rest. I'm currently using Mystik JT-6 (I think it's 6) 30W with very good results.

As far as oil pressure in a hot smallblock Chevy goes, my Nova runs 38 psi at hot idle, and 55-60 psi when I'm workin' it hard. When it's cold, it'll show almost 80 psi on the guage (Stewart-Warner mechanical) and that's too much for running down the road; so I always let it warm up before I drive it.

There again, this is what works for me, and it might give you some ideas.

Randy

At the risk of being an heretic, I swear by NAPA 10W40.
I have been informed it is made by Valvoline and in all the years I have used it I have never had an oil related problem. With all the engines I have put it in, it has had a sudden one quart down issue at 3000 miles.
Upon teardown, I found the crankcase, valve covers, and other internal components very clean. Bearing wear was always even. I just like it. It is also inexpensive compared with Valvoline.
In my new rebuild, I use Pennzoil, and Valvoline store brand for the warranty purpose, but this change I am going back to exclusive NAPA 10W40. I just like it.
Also, the wear is pretty even on the torn down components.

i use mobil 1 fully syn. i dislike castrol because i have found it to be very waxy its like putting crayons in ur motor

i have a ton of money in my motor , im not even going to think about savin a dollar on oil , mobil1 syn is going in my motors from now on , heck wal mart sell's it for 20.00 for 5 gal jug, why bother using anything else

I remember reading an article in Stock Car Racing Magazine which said if you are still using your straight 40 or 50 weight racing oil you are living in the past. I came back to the future that day and never looked back. Not only are you not getting as good lubrication as you should , You are loosing horsepower in your oil selection. Nextel Cup guys use something down close to 0 weight for qualifing and not much more than that for racing, 5 something I think. I use Mobil 1 synthetic and Purolator pure one filters in my car and truck. Then I go about 5000 miles before changing.

"High volume pumps are for increased demands on the oil system such as higher RPM usage, racing, remote filters and or coolers, etc." where extra oil is needed.

this is what i believe would be the only reason you would need a hv pump. if it moves the oil so fast at 50 mph@50 lbs. of pressure that it cant cool the oil i don't know. it is JMO that if you have a tight motor with the proper clearances then a hv pump wont make no dif.

this is a statement i made on this thread last week and I got calls from 1/2 way around the world telling me how crazy i was so I decided to ask somebody that should know so I e-mail MELLING OIL PUMP CO. and ask them if you had a properly clearanced motor going down the rd. at 50 mph@2500 rpms and had 50 lbs of oil pressure, i told him I said it wouldn't make no dif. if you had a reg. oil pump or a hv pump, the oil pressure would stay about the same and this was his answer.

You are correct, use the standard pump.
The HV pump will have only a minor increase in pressure.

Technical Manager
George Richmond
2620 Saradan Drive
Jackson, MI 49202
Phone: 517-787-8172
E-mail: grichmond@melling.com

minor to me means not enough to make a dif.
if you have a wore out motor then the hv pump will help fill in the extra clearances and pressure will go up accordingly.

i went with a messaged m55 std pump

my dad was sayin that castrol isnt what it used to be he said that they were bought out and their oil started to suck my friend swears by it but it is like putting crayons in ur motor

80w90 works well in my winter beater, leaks less oil too. lol

Originally posted by SLAMMDS15
80w90 works well in my winter beater, leaks less oil too. lol

you mean in the dif. and stright shift trans.

castrol works fine 4 me and has for a long time lol no waxyiness in my motors lol............

Originally posted by lt1s10
you mean in the dif. and stright shift trans.

No No in the engine, it had a nasty knock, just needed enough time to get my Caprice on the road. Those 2.5L's that GM put in s-10's, man can they ever take a beating. lol