What Oil Viscosity for Southern California Car?

[gkomo]

I've never looked at a manual for my car (1990GT) but i've been running Valvoline Restore & Protect full synthetic 5W-30 and am in San Diego.

Did not know our cars take 10W-30 from the factory.

 

[AeroCoupe]

So the recommended 5w30 is even better today, correct? That makes the factory recommendation even more valid.

The recommended type of oil in 5.0 Mustangs was 5W30 in colder climates and 10W30 in warmer. Being 5W30 started seeing the market around 1985 there have been a lot of improvements like all lubricants.

For reference, my 11:1 363 that regularly sees 7000rpm in Phoenix heat uses 5w30 semi synthetic oil. This is the oil recommended by Driven Oil techs and my builder. Taken into consideration was ambient temps and bearing clearances.

I've followed your build and its really nice and one hell of a motor for sure.

For reference even thought it is irrelevant the Coyote motors use 5W20 and some other motors are using 0W20 these days. The 331 in my Coupe likes it above 7,000 rpm and it gets 10W40 Brad Penn per the engine builder's recommendation. None of this really matters in this discussion because the OP has from what I can tell a stock 86 GT.

What I was trying to point out (and may have done so poorly) is things have advanced so do some research to see what is best for what appears to be a stock build, 85,000 mile, 40+ year old motor with today's oils.

 

[fasterthangas]

Yup. I didn't bother mentioning summer weight but it's not really important these days. Like stated, oil is so much better now so I believe he'll be just fine. As a matter of fact, I recommend Walmart Supertech synthetic changed every 5000 miles. It's actually quality oil for a stock motor. These cars were capable of 200,000 miles plus while using the oil from 40 years ago.

I had my struggles with this engine but it's now running great and I can finally enjoy the car.

 

[frwgt350net]

Well first it contains additives that are bad for cats, zinc I believe is one that is bad for cats so if your running diesel engine oil and no cats you're ok. If you have cats stop using that oil, it takes a lot of miles, like many oil changes before cats show effects.
There may be other reasons not to use it but that's the one I know about
Sorry, didn't see the post from faster above.

As of 10:35am this morning -FL-1A and five quarts 10w-40 conventional oil -

 

[General karthief]

As of 10:35am this morning -FL-1A and five quarts 10w-40 conventional oil -

What do you mean by conventional oil?

 

[AeroCoupe]

You know the stuff tree huggers think came from dinosaurs and plants….2 miles deep in the earth’s crust where no fossils have ever been found.

Pot stirred and my job here is done.

 

[Habu135]

Z2363 engine here in San Bernardino County (SoCal). I run Mobil 1 10W-40 and have had zero issues.

 

[limp]

You know the stuff tree huggers think came from dinosaurs and plants….2 miles deep in the earth’s crust where no fossils have ever been found.

Pot stirred and my job here is done.

What about the spotted owl?? And save the whales?

 

[limp]

When I was young we didn't trust those " new " thin multigrade oils that were fairly new, we ran straight 30 wt in the summer and straight 20 wt in the winter......
What I have read about using Diesel oils is that they had higher amounts of the stuff ( ZDDP ? ) needed for flat tappet cams.. It was cheaper and easier to find... The Diesel oil formulations have changed in the past few years and those desirable chemicals have been reduced or eliminated from it...
I have a Chevy pickup with the 3.0 liter diesel in it.. The requirement from GM is a Dexos D ( for diesel) oil of 0 - 20 wt... Living in Florida where its seems to Always be TOO hot lately, when my truck went off warranty I changed to a Dexos D, 5w-30.. Hard to find but Amsoil ( OH, that hurt without vaseline) makes it..

 

[86HO5.0]

What about the spotted owl?? And save the whales?

I already saved the whales from the spotted owls. Your welcome, my Noble Peace prize is in the mail.

Back to regularly scheduled programming....

 

[limp]

I already saved the whales from the spotted owls. Your welcome, my Noble Peace prize is in the mail.

Back to regularly scheduled programming....

I was born and lived in Oregon for 57 years... The spotted owl debacle was very prevalent for years their... " Tree Huggers" as was said above... Best bumper sticker back then was " I like spotted owls FRIED'
The huggers were better than the Califonicators that RUINED my native home state....

 

[SeaCorey]

You know the stuff tree huggers think came from dinosaurs and plants….2 miles deep in the earth’s crust where no fossils have ever been found.

Pot stirred and my job here is done.

Where do non-tree-huggers think oil came from?

 

[limp]

Where do non-tree-huggers think oil came from?

I have read stories of Oil riggers going back to capped off " dry " wells that were full of oil again... Some think the molten mantle of earth makes the stuff?

 

[SeaCorey]

I have read stories of Oil riggers going back to capped off " dry " wells that were full of oil again... Some think the molten mantle of earth makes the stuff?

Wow, never heard that before.

 

[AeroCoupe]

Where Does Crude Oil Come From? And 5 Other Things You Should Know About The Earth’s ‘Black Gold’ | Chart Industries

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