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Oil Change - Original 302 1970

tonytony9

Contributor
Jr. Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2024
Messages
95
I am about to perform my first oil change.

Right after purchase, I had my mechanic do an oil change. He used 6Qrts of Mobil 1 5w-30 conventional (I believe it has about 1000ppm of Zync??). New filter. 6Qrts was overfilled I believe by about half a quart. Also too light weight from my slightly uneducated opinion.

I am looking for recommendations for oil weight, brand and filter. I've been reading heated debates between 5-6 quarts. To save us another witty forum banter, I'll split the difference and go with 5.5.

My 302 is completely stock to my understanding...I have leaks (diagnosing right now if I need to replace the rear main seal or not).

With that being said, older motor, leaks, climate that will get down to about 30 degrees by next oil change, safe to go the following route?:

Weight: 10w-30
Type: Conventional
Brand: https://shop.valvolineglobal.com/pr...jCprGmiGQ5X85Hp4kUGK32DZ9yxVNP3WgF6gVIA3B8zof
Valvoline VR1 SAE 10w-30
Screenshot 2024-08-31 101830.png
 

Broncobowsher

Total hack
Joined
Jun 4, 2002
Messages
35,145
I am going to say you are overthinking it a little bit.

For the amount of oil, what does the dipstick read after filling it and running it for a moment? Stock Bronco pan with a filter change, 6 quarts. Cars of the same vintage had a different shaped pan and only needed 5 quarts to get to the same level of oil. Go ahead and do the 5.5 quarts, check the oil, what does the stick say you need for oil level adjustments?

Zinc is good. Breaking in a new flat tappet cam it is really needed. Once the cam and lifter is burnished in, it isn't as needed.

I think you are going the wrong way on the oil weight. 5W30 is a much better cold weather oil than a 10W30 oil. When cold a 5W will flow better.
Think about this fact, pressure is the resistance to flow. Great oil pressure just means it isn't flowing as much. The running 20W50 in a worn out engine to get the oil pressure back up is just running thick oil in sloppy bearings so it doesn't run out as fast. But a good engine that has good bearings in it, I would rather have the flow.

These old engines really don't care like many new engines do. It's not like new engines that will eat a phaser if you run the wrong oil.
 

BronCowie

Contributor
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 24, 2007
Messages
8,063
Loc.
Vancouver, WA
I run the Valvoline VR1 in mine. I use 10w-30. I run either a Wix 51515 or Napa gold filter.
^^^Those^^^ are great filter recommendations. There was a thread on here a few years ago comparing oil filter performance and these two came out at the top. I've been using the Wix 51515 for years now and a 5w-30 since I live in a cold climate.
 
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