What oil/oil filter are you guys running in your stock 340's?

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jimharvard

jimharvard

JimHarvard
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I took my 68 Barracuda 340 4 sp to a car show Sunday and noticed lifter tapping for about 15 minutes before some driving and engine heat-up quieted down the motor. This was the first time I had the car out since winter so it had sat for 7 months without being started.

My 340 is stock and I think the prior owner had rebuilt it at some point so I don't know how many miles are on the motor. The motor is pretty clean with no leaks and doesn't smoke and runs pretty strong so I think it's been rebuilt at some point.

Does anyone have an opinion on putting the new synthetic oils in a stock 340?

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engine compartment.JPG
 
I run straight 30 or 20w-50 VR1 Valvoline Racing. I would not hesitate to run PennGrade 1 either. I have always run Fram tough guard or Hastings/Wix short filters. No advantage for synthetic that I can see. I change oil and filter every 3,000 miles anyway.
 
Beautiful engine bay. I am running Castrol 10W-30 in mine with a Zinc additive for the hydraulic flat tappet cam. I had lifter tick on my 340 but that was a different issue that was rebuild assembly error from prior owners. (Too short pushrods). I have currently redone that and going to switch from a shorty filter to a larger oil filter that is remote mount (headers).

You may just be experiencing the lifters pumping back up after sitting all winter, which could take a few minutes for sure. I wouldn’t get too excited as long as you have good oil pressure and the tick goes away after it warms up.

I hope you have a battery hold down not pictured because that is a beautiful engine bay, hate to see the battery get loose in there.
 
jimharvard said:
Does anyone have an opinion on putting the new synthetic oils in a stock 340?
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Yes. I have an opinion. LOL.

Filter: Some filters are more effective than others in keeping the oil from draining out of the galleries.

Oil: When cold (cold here being any temperature below warmed up operating temperature) 'Synthetics' tend to have bettery flow than their conventional counterparts. By that I mean a conventional oil of the same viscosity grade.
For example if the engine has a conventional 10W-30 in it now, the oil in a synthetic 10W-30 will almost always flow better during start and warm up. Also a synthetic 5W-30 can be used with really no drawbacks for any normal street use, and have even better flow during start and warm up.

At operating termperatures (coolant between 180 - and 220) it makes no difference to speak of.

"Synthetic" in the US is used more loosely than I think many people realize. A more precise description would be one that actually stated the base stock. I think looking that up for each oil is more time consuming than most people want to deal with.
But if you are looking at similar oils I feel the broad generalizations I made hold true.
One way to spot how easily an oil will flow at lower temps is to look up the oil's pour point. The pour point is an extreme. Its useful even if your car is not parked in the Upper Peninsula because clearly shows at how low of a termperature the oil will flow.

Video showing pour point of three 5W-30 synthetics and one conventional.
 
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Since it's stock, I would stick with stock specs. Valvoline VR1 30 wt. straight out of the bottle, no additives needed.

P.S. I use WIX #51515 oil filter in my '69 318 and '70 340. It's black.
 
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I use Joe Gibbs Driven “Hot Rod” Synthetic 10W30 oil and a K&N Gold oil filter.

I really like the welded nut on the end. Works great if you use a short 6 point socket.
 
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be sure to get oil designed for a flat tappet cam - there are several out there these days

Filter Wix 51515 - all you have to do is cut a few different brands of filters apart to be a Wix user for life...
 
jimharvard said:
I took my 68 Barracuda 340 4 sp to a car show Sunday and noticed lifter tapping for about 15 minutes before some driving and engine heat-up quieted down the motor. This was the first time I had the car out since winter so it had sat for 7 months without being started.

My 340 is stock and I think the prior owner had rebuilt it at some point so I don't know how many miles are on the motor. The motor is pretty clean with no leaks and doesn't smoke and runs pretty strong so I think it's been rebuilt at some point.

Does anyone have an opinion on putting the new synthetic oils in a stock 340?

View attachment 1715739207

View attachment 1715739208
Click to expand...

If you switch to synthetic, you WILL find all the leaks that the old style dino-oil couldn't escape out of. Stick with dino-oil until you rebuild the motor.
 
Mattax said:
Yes. I have an opinion. LOL.

Filter: Some filters are more effective than others in keeping the oil from draining out of the galleries.

Oil: When cold (cold here being any temperature below warmed up operating temperature) 'Synthetics' tend to have bettery flow than their conventional counterparts. By that I mean a conventional oil of the same viscosity grade.
For example if the engine has a conventional 10W-30 in it now, the oil in a synthetic 10W-30 will almost always flow better during start and warm up. Also a synthetic 5W-30 can be used with really no drawbacks for any normal street use, and have even better flow during start and warm up.

At operating termperatures (coolant between 180 - and 220) it makes no difference to speak of.

"Synthetic" in the US is used more loosely than I think many people realize. A more precise description would be one that actually stated the base stock. I think looking that up for each oil is more time consuming than most people want to deal with.
But if you are looking at similar oils I feel the broad generalizations I made hold true.
One way to spot how easily an oil will flow at lower temps is to look up the oil's pour point. The pour point is an extreme. Its useful even if your car is not parked in the Upper Peninsula because clearly shows at how low of a termperature the oil will flow.

Video showing pour point of three 5W-30 synthetics and one conventional.
Click to expand...
I had a guy tell me that synthetic oil, you only have to change it every 7,000 miles. In my opinion, that's just still just as filthy after 2500 miles
 
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Ironracer said:
I had a guy tell me what synthetic oil strikes you only have to change it every 7,000 miles why is there a homeless that's just still just as filthy after 2500
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only as filthy as the quality of filter you use.
 
I have run 10-30 Mobil 1 oil for over 20 years in a stock 318. Very high mileage now. Starting adding STP just because. And using the "high mileage" version now.
Years ago at a lubrication seminar, Mobil told us:
" If synthetic oil didn't get contaminated you would never need to change it. But we make money selling oil'.
Started running a Mobil 1 filter as well since you get what you pay for.
The quality is evident just from appearances.
 
Wvbuzzmaster said:
Beautiful engine bay. I am running Castrol 10W-30 in mine with a Zinc additive for the hydraulic flat tappet cam. I had lifter tick on my 340 but that was a different issue that was rebuild assembly error from prior owners. (Too short pushrods). I have currently redone that and going to switch from a shorty filter to a larger oil filter that is remote mount (headers).

You may just be experiencing the lifters pumping back up after sitting all winter, which could take a few minutes for sure. I wouldn’t get too excited as long as you have good oil pressure and the tick goes away after it warms up.

I hope you have a battery hold down not pictured because that is a beautiful engine bay, hate to see the battery get loose in there.
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LOL! yes, the way i drive this car, i'm surprised my battery hasn't been thrown out through the grill already! all the original gages work in the car and the oil pressure is always mid-gage or higher. i checked the dipstick last night and the oil is pretty dirty. the lifters may just be trying to tell me "change the oil dumbass!"

thanks for the engine bay compliment. that is old-school Turbine Bronze Acrylic Lacquer - as is the entire car.
 
jimharvard said:
i never thought about the clear plastic fuel filter. i suspect the plastic can degrade and crack and start leaking gas. thanks for the suggestion, i will change that.
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Chrysler used both plastic and metal filters.
examples here: What years did Mopar use a plastic fuel filter?
More Discussion here:Correct Fuel Filter on '68 Satellite

IMO more important will be to get metal fuel lines installed. Get or make a copy of the factory set up. Also if non-factory insure the filter has a slight tilt to it, per factory advice.
Carburetion and Performance Diagnosis: Session 63-7 Master Technician's Service Conference. page 13
upload_2021-5-21_7-36-9.png
 
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Mattax said:
Chrysler used both plastic and metal filters.
examples here: What years did Mopar use a plastic fuel filter?
More Discussion here:Correct Fuel Filter on '68 Satellite

IMO more important will be to get metal fuel lines installed. Get or make a copy of the factory set up. Also if non-factory insure the filter has a slight tilt to it, per factory advice.
Carburetion and Performance Diagnosis: Session 63-7 Master Technician's Service Conference. page 13
View attachment 1715740540
Click to expand...


thank you for posting that service tip on the fuel filter....
 
There is no reason to ever run a single grade oil. It’s not 1955 any more.

Those who advocate against synthetic oils (good synthetic oils, not that **** the “supreme” court says is synthetic) have never actually tested anything.

Synthetics do everything better. Everything. I’m not talking about over the counter Group III base oils, I’m taking about Group IV and V base oils, and most likely a blend of the two.

With a synthetic you can use a different and better additive package, and you can use more of it. It will last longer for that very reason. The base oils don’t “wear out”, the additive package gets used up.

Oil analysis is cheap and effective.

The only drawback to the synthetic is upfront cost.
 
jimharvard said:
is Rotella 15/40 a synthetic oil? and where do you buy Wix filters? i live in Pittsburgh, PA and i don't think i've seen those filers around here.
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Rotella is available as a synthetic it will be T_ Might be T3. T6 is the 5W-40.
If the hot oil pressure is a little low, thats an indication when a 40 should be used.
 
jimharvard said:
is Rotella 15/40 a synthetic oil? and where do you buy Wix filters? i live in Pittsburgh, PA and i don't think i've seen those filers around here.
Click to expand...

there are 2 different Rotellas, one is dinosaur the other synthetic. The dinosaur is T-4 the synthetic is T-5. I use the T-4 for the large amount of zinc in it. The Wix filters are sold at O’Reillys, which is the only reason I go there.
 
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