Engine Oil +

**Triker** · 05-26-2015 12:33 PM

I have a V8 trike with a 1980 Chevy 267 engine in it.
It has 77,000 miles on it.
It also has a 350 automatic transmission in it.

I live in Orlando,Florida where it can get to 100 degrees and be at
almost 100% humidity.

What oil should I be running in this thing?
Should I use any additives?

What about the coolant?
Should that be 50/50 coolant & water?
Any additives for the radiator?

Thank you.

Mike

**techinspector1** · 05-26-2015 12:43 PM

Use any off-the-shelf 10W-30 motor oil and add one bottle of extreme pressure lube to the oil with each oil change....
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/isk-zddp/overview/
Flat tappets, particularly ones that have to live with stronger valve springs and/or more aggressive cam ramps, will not live long without an extreme pressure lubricant added to the oil. Additives that used to be in the oils have been removed due to the negative effects they had on catalytic converters; they were costing the OEM manufacturers too much money in warranty claims for replacing plugged converters. Later motors with roller lifters do not need the extreme pressure lubricants.

Use 50/50 mix distilled water and good-quality anti-freeze/coolant. If the radiator is aluminum, it's a good idea to screw a sacrificial anode into the drain cock hole.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/flx-32060
Recommend using a 195 degree or hotter thermostat. The motor needs this heat in the coolant to help burn off acidic by-products of combustion that blow past the rings and end up in the engine oil. Some fellows think that using a 160 thermostat is the hot tip. It ain't. Efficiency depends on the motor being good and hot.

.

**Matthyj** · 05-26-2015 03:05 PM

Great advice from Tech on this, I am no expert here but I might add one thing Isky sent me with my last cam I found interesting, they state that cam lobes get oiled mainly by the oil film in vapor form from the engines bottom end and that todays thin weight oils don't provide amble film and recommended going to a thicker viscocity oil for flat tappet cammed engines, all this plus needing the zinc zddp as stated. On another note they where huge supporters of Brad Penn motor oil and in a nut shell only recommended their oil for break in and running, I called Isky's tech on the phone and asked if I used Brad Penn oil if I needed to add additional zddp additive for break in and they said "NO" as it is the perfect additive package for flat tappets off the shelf and adding anything will ruin the chemistry package that they have. Of coarse I read all this after running regular oil in my other rod for 15 years with a can of STP with each change (Its still loaded with ZDDP, I assume similar to the extreme pressure lube Tech recommends) Anyway Brad Pen oil is pretty reasonable when you can find it, as I gave a local dealer $60 per case (yes $60 for 12!)