Apologies if this is an oft asked one, butI recently picked up a ‘78 E-150 with the 351W that runs and drives great, but I’m about to change the oil and want to make sure I’m using the right stuff.

It’s a factory no cat, but it still has to pass tailpipe emissions, which it did easily once I tuned the carb to where it oughta be. My first question is, should I be running a higher ZDDP oil like Valvoline VR1 in this motor? I’m happy to change it every 2,500-3,000 miles, which Valvoline says is fine. Second question, would running a higher ZDDP oil cause me to have more difficulty passing emissions?

Thanks for any help and apologies if this is a tired subject.

 

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How many miles on the motor? Does it burn and/or leak oil?

Any of the brand name oils would be fine IMO. If it burns and/or leaks, then the cheaper the better...

I've been using Valvoline Max-Life for years.

 

Its not a tired question but you might receive more replies from those with your same engine if asking this question in that FTE sub-forum? Like so many other aspects of vehicle use and maintenance there are tons of ideas what works best.

I myself use Motorcraft oil filters which are commonly dismissed as junk in several forums here so take that for what its worth. Wix and Baldwin are two highly regarded brands---IIRC NAPA Gold are one of those. Oil-wise my higher mileage 5.4 motors (100K + miles) get Valvoline MaxLife 5w-30 which is claimed to be formulated for that use. Your viscosity requirements might be different but that brand and type are good considerations. I find it on Amazon in 5 quart jugs for just under $18 each---so I buy up to 12 of those at a time, same for oil filters too paying just under $4 each for Motorcraft FL820S's.

I'm not sure how higher ZDDP formulas affect emissions testing but from what I've read here on FTE that's more useful in flat tappet motors which typically aren't found in stock daily driver vehicles---its more of a racing engine from what I've gathered.

Since you're changing oil at about 3K mile intervals (same as I do FWIW) its probably not vitally necessary to go with some super new/improved oil that could be more hype than actually helpful. A good quality oil meeting the engine spec's and requirements will be more than adequate for a long life.

HTH

 

Thanks for the replies, guys! The motor doesn’t leak and doesn’t seem to burn very much if any at all, has about 120k on it. It was very loved and well maintained before I got it, so I’m lucky in that regard.

Being the age that it is (pre-‘93), it’s a flat tappet 351w, so I was thinking of using the Valvoline VR1 10w-30 just to be safe. I had used that in a ‘60 Ford Falcon and a ‘73 F100 I had and it seemed to work great in both until the crud carb in the truck let loose a bunch of gas into the intake and that was that lol. No fault of the oil, of course. Those were both emissions exempt also, whereas this one is not. I’m figuring the Valvoline oil oughta be just fine, I suppose I’m just seeking confirmation or advice from those that know better than myself.

 

Yes and oil with a zinc additive would be a good idea.

 

You might consider a diesel oil, like Rotella. It has the zinc angle covered. I run it in my 96 351W.