When I found my 55 a few years back, it had the 223. It was getting tired so I located a 58 292 which i rebuilt and swapped. I'm looking to change the oil and know it takes a high zinc 10W30 or 40. Does anyone know which brand to get as a best option and where to get it? Any help is much appreciated.

 

Any oil is better than no oil. There isn't a common automotive engine oil that will absolutely trash your engine. Getting into the specifics of which specific oil to run will get a different answer from anyone you ask depending upon their biases and preferences.

I run straight SAE 30 Motor Oil with a Zinc ZDDP Additive is about as close as one can get to what Ford calls for and change it at the beginning of every driving season.

Some people use 10W-40 Diesel Oil (or similar) thinking that its additives are beneficial to the flatheads/older engines, but the zinc additive formulation is usually different than what is used for gasoline engines and not nearly as useful. There is uncertainty out on how these other additive packages/formulations are compatible over time. I think this diesel oil preference gets perpetuated around due to the novelty of the "life hack" or that "I know something you don't" mentality.

If not using the original spec straight SAE 30 Motor Oil coupled with a ZDDP Additive, any modern multi-weight XW-30 Motor (not diesel) with a Zinc ZDDP additive will likely suffice.

The traditional wisdom is that synthetic oil will have tendency to liberate old sludgy deposits in the oil system. Some of these deposits may have been acting as a seal and so it has the potential to highlight weaknesses by weeping and leaking. Also, some of the liberated deposits may relocate to a inconvenient place and crate a new more problematic restriction.

Again, for what it is worth, I run straight SAE 30 oil in my engines coupled with Rislone ZDDP treatment. Straight 30 conventional oil is not as prevalent on the shelves as it once was.

 

When you found your truck, very nice looking truck by the way, and it had the 223, did it have the V8 emblem on the grille?

 

The OP swapped in a rebuilt engine so I don't think there are chunks of sludge that will dislodge and cause problems. I use 10w30. Some say old engines should use 10w40. The thinking is 40 weight would leak less???? What do some of you think?

 

I use this for years --LUCAS HOT ROD--CLASSIC motor oil-- SAE 20W-50w HIGH IN ZINC-- ( LUC- 10689-1 )---GET IT AT summit-- OR EBAY

 

As far as oil brand and weight, choices are as scattered as colors of trucks. It all depends on how YOU use your truck and what is available near you. And as mentioned the zinc additive is something you can add to what ever you chose to run. If you put in the additive it opens the door to almost literally hundreds of choices between brands, weight, additive packages, etc... Either provide a lot more info or better yet make a choice your good with and run it.

 

I really appreciate the info and especially the detail behind it. I'm going to go with SAE30 and a zinc additive. Thanks much for your reply.

QUOTE=bmoran4;21830131]Any oil is better than no oil. There isn't a common automotive engine oil that will absolutely trash your engine. Getting into the specifics of which specific oil to run will get a different answer from anyone you ask depending upon their biases and preferences.

I run straight SAE 30 Motor Oil with a Zinc ZDDP Additive is about as close as one can get to what Ford calls for and change it at the beginning of every driving season.

Some people use 10W-40 Diesel Oil (or similar) thinking that its additives are beneficial to the flatheads/older engines, but the zinc additive formulation is usually different than what is used for gasoline engines and not nearly as useful. There is uncertainty out on how these other additive packages/formulations are compatible over time. I think this diesel oil preference gets perpetuated around due to the novelty of the "life hack" or that "I know something you don't" mentality.

If not using the original spec straight SAE 30 Motor Oil coupled with a ZDDP Additive, any modern multi-weight XW-30 Motor (not diesel) with a Zinc ZDDP additive will likely suffice.

The traditional wisdom is that synthetic oil will have tendency to liberate old sludgy deposits in the oil system. Some of these deposits may have been acting as a seal and so it has the potential to highlight weaknesses by weeping and leaking. Also, some of the liberated deposits may relocate to a inconvenient place and crate a new more problematic restriction.

Again, for what it is worth, I run straight SAE 30 oil in my engines coupled with Rislone ZDDP treatment. Straight 30 conventional oil is not as prevalent on the shelves as it once was.[/QUOTE]

 

Forgot to answer the question about the V8 grill emblem from 55F250. Short answer is that it originally had a chrome, 4 point star. When I swapped out the 223 for the 292 I rebuilt, I replaced the star with the V8 emblem. I know it's not OE correct from a purists perspective, but it makes me smile and feel good about the work it took to make the conversion. Otherwise, everything else is original to the truck. The color Regatta Blue, was original but it may have been an option. I never saw it on the 55 truck paint color sheet but I know it was available on the 55 Thunderbird. Restoration took about 8 years but I'm pretty close to being all done, if you ever are on a 71 year old truck! Lol

 

FWIW you don't really need high zinc/ZDDP oils for low performance, stock valve spring engines. The real issue is for high lift cams and high pressure valve springs.

I haven't run high zinc or added additional zinc to my oil in my 223 or other old cars I own in several years. I run synthetic 5w-30 year round here in CA in my 223, in my caddy 500 in my other car as well.

 

I am using Shell Rotella T4 10w-30. It's has 1200 ppm of ZDDP which is one of the highest levels available in an oil. When I researched it that seemed to be the recommendation for a flat tappet cam. It may not be necessary but I am a belt and suspenders kind of guy.