Re: oil type?

Posted by Owen_Dyneto On 2011/11/20 9:18:28

Lots of different opinions as to oil, gas and trans fluid. But before you consider oil I'd very strongly recommend you drop the oil pan and clean it and the oil pump intake screen. Many of us use Shell Rotella T SAE15-40 oil which still contains the zinc/phosphorous oil additive (though at slightly reduced quantities) which some folks believe contributes needed added protection. Whether such additives are really needed in these low-stressed engines is open to question.

Your compression ratio is 9.5/1 which may prove marginal for regular (87 octane) gasoline. Certainly you could start out with regular after you drop and clean the tank, flush the fuel lines, replace the filters, etc. You'll almost certainly have to rebuild (or have rebuilt) the fuel pump as the rubber components in it likely date to the era before ethanol-containing gasoline and thus will have a very short life. Chances are after all those years the carburetor will also require diassembly and cleaning, at the very least. If after road testing and the ignition timing has been verified, you experience any spark knock, move up to mid-grade or premium.

It would probably also be a good idea to drop the transmission pan and clean it and the filter (reusable filter). I'd also drain the converter (see shop manual) and refill with the fluid of your choice. It seems almost every type of fluid has found an advocate somewhere; that most closely resembling the original is Type F, widely available.