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Wondering what the correct oil is for older vehicles?

I have a few old trucks (74, 76 & 85).

What is the general consensus on older gas engines? Standard (non-synthetic) oil? That has always been my understanding, DO NOT USE SYNTHETIC on old engines like this.

What brand of dino oil is best for these? I ask this in relation to modern oils not having zinc etc in them.

I have a 76 ford F150 with a 360, I think in it. Would like to get oil changed today and trying to figure out best option.

The 85 is a little more simple as it is a toyota 22r. Use penzoil dino oil with recommended weight in it.

The 74 I have gone with penzoil dino oil in it also.

I use NAPA Dino straight 30 in my 79 Ford 400. It’s going on towards 200k on it and fairly tired but it still leaks more than it burns. I probably add a quart every 1k or so.

Valvoline vr1 racing oil, Maxima, and Brad Penn all make high zinc oil for flat tappet stuff. I like the Valvoline 10-30 racing oil for my 396 in the car. I run 10-40 with a zinc additive in my truck with a 383 and no problems with either.

Though both of my old cars (70 & 73) have full roller engines I use Valvoline VR1.

I don't know if the 74 is old enough, but it was common not to switch to detergent oil if non detergent was always used. I use to always use Penzoil 30 wt, 20 in the winter. After 3 engines did not last as long as I thought they should ,I switched to Valvaline. 5-30 or 10-30

Stop overthinking this. Rotella T4 has all the Dino vitamins needed.

Dad’s last Chevy Ranch Truck 3/4 ton 350 V8 he bought new is still going with over 380,000 miles on it.
I still use it quite often. It’s never had anything but Penzoil 30 wt,except a few times during the Scamdemic when I couldn’t find straight 30 wt. So I added some 10w-30 a few times. Still doesn’t really burn any oil. Leaks about a quart every oil change.

There is a way to go from non-detergent oil to detergent.

Please explain

clean the heavy sludge build up out of the engine before switching to detergent oil and everything will be fine... if you don't!, that detergent loosened sludge is gonna' block oil flow and fail the engine...

Quite true, but how many would disassemble the engine and clean as stated. Also changing usually ends up of cleaning the piston ring grooves and then burning more oil

it's a moot point anyway... non detergent oil is a thing of the distant past(cept' for air compressors & such), and the engines that used it were scrapped long ago, or need a complete rebuild by this time... but savvy mechanics back in the day used to desludge an engine by adding a pint or 3 of diesel fuel or "Motor Flush" to the oil & change/repeat (like every 20 or 30 minutes) with new filter, as required until it cleaned up... we did this to many no maintenance groid cars purchased at auctions back in the day... never failed an engine IIRC...

Just about any 10-30 or 10-40 if you're wanting a detergent oil.

Whats the current oil used?

Another way to flush an engine is adding atf to the oil. Same principle as above, not as risky. Depending on the situation, I'd probably start off using about 8oz run until warm, drain.
If it's ugly I'd use less atf, cheap oil and filters and change the oil frequently until it starts cleaning up. Works well for diesel engines also.

Had the lady at the parts store tell me she uses that in her old vehicles also.

Will have to look into it. Thanks.

i've switched to Chevron Delo HD 30 wt in my ole 55 Chevy (original 265 V8)... $3 or 4 bucs a qt in bulk at my local farm Gas/oil distributor... got sick of payin' $10+ a qt for Schaeffers, Driven, Maxima & such... i like it so far, started using in all my power equipment too... Rotella T is a popular one as well for the old stuff... you can add some ZDDP (aka zinc) additive as well to any of the modern oils to improve the anti wear on old flat tappet engines... .gov pulled it out under the guise of pollution control... likely though, that Big Corporate just wanted to wear out our engines faster...

I used to do stuff like you guys are preaching, because that is what I was told to do...

but with age and maturity over the last several decades....

Want to clean our the sludge in your engine? Then run Some Seafoam for the last 500 miles before your oil change. It will clean a lot of that off your engine's inside. Use an ounce per quart of oil your oil pan holds. ( thats their formula or advise ).

My vehicles oil pans are between 4 to 6 quarts. I just run 4 to 5 oz's before the change. Removing the valve cover, you can see how well it cleans that crap out of there.

For oil? Any 15W40 diesel engine oil... they have very high detergent package, and will keep that sludge out. If your engine is sludged up, still run the 15W40, but change your filter every 2500 miles or so. I've done that on high mileage engines on cars I've bought. If the engine has oil leaks, I've used Bars Leak Engine Oil Stop Leak. It softens the dried out gaskets, and swells them to cut down on the leaks.. eventually you'll experience having very little oil consumption.

The last vehicle I bought new was back in Sept 1987, a Toyota 4 Runner with a manual and the 2200 RE engine. Left the lot with 2 miles on the odometer. Its got 595K on it now. Its had Mobil Synthetic Diesel Engine oil in it most of its life, with 20 to 25000 mile oil changes, with 5K filter changes most of its life. The original head was replaced at 549K, the factory one had zero sludge on it. It was just cheaper to buy one on line, that was planned down 20/thousandths to increase compression and over sized valves.

I run gas engines with Diesel Truck oil.. about the toughest oil made. Has high detergents, and invest in a decent filter. I use Mobil 1 Filters, I get at Walmart for $11.50 each.. and run them the 20K they are 'rated as'. Stuff runs and last longer than the advertisements tell me... and Blackstone has verified for me on all of my vehicles.

If you deal with cold weather, then I have ran 5W40 synthetic.. if its really cold, half 5W40 and half 5W20 synthetic, but non diesel rated, or 0 W 20. Especially in the wife's Camry. Change her oil every 12,500, she puts on 7500 miles a year.
Just replaced the valve cover gaskets, and its getting ready to roll over 200K... ( its a 2004 with the V 6 ). NO sludge on the valve train at all.

All my habits have been verified from Blackstone over the last 20 years or so... just here and there. Before that, I used a company out of Minnesota when I lived back there...

88 4 Runner 595K
08 Camry 210K
04 Camry 198K
06 Honday Pilot 334LK

Last Camry I gave away.. 94, 360K. Get Good Products and verify longevity via Oil Analysis.

Tag

Yep. Rislone or ATF also worked.

Diesel fuel added to oil will work to clean one up.

Just make sure you're at idle only.