My GSX should be back on the road with a re-freshed Stage1 motor very soon. :laugh: What oil grade is recommended for the initial break-in and start up period From start-up to the first 250ish miles? o No: VinMan out....
Hey Vinman, Take a look at this thread: http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?t=62050&highlight=Shell+Rotella Seems Shell Rotella Diesel oil has alot of anti wear additives. That's just what you want on break in. Read Jim Weise's comments on this. If you can find it in a straight 30 weight, that would probably be ideal.
After being around truck diesel engines for the past 8 years I can say Rotella T 15W-40 is the worst stuff you can put in a diesel engine. There's alot of different manfactures who produce better 15W-40 for diesel engines. The one I found best was Kendall. I had an oil analysis done after 10,000 miles of use and Kendall told me to keep it in until I hit 19,000 miles. My boss uses Rotella T in the Freightliner I run and after 10,000 miles I'm adding a gallon every 5,000 miles. The stuff breaks down too fast compared to the other brands. Another good 15W-40 oil is Castrol.
Rob, We're talking what oil to use in new motors initially. This is what Jim Weise said in the thread link I posted. "I pick my Rottella up by the case at Walmart.. comes in a case of 4 1 gallon jugs. It's not the cheapest oil, but a good price on a good product. It is exactly what goes in every new motor here, from the $5K resto motors, to the $20K race jobs, and everything in between.. If there was a better conventional oil to use in new motors, I would be using it." JW It might not be the best diesel oil out there, but apparently it's good for a new BBB engine. It's not like it's going to stay in there for a long time. Jim says to change it every 1000 miles for an engine with a lopey cam.
I used Rotella 15w-40 and Gm EOS in the last 5 BB engines I built. All went thru break in fine - no cam or lifter issues. I do the break in, then change the oil and filter. I use the same mix as above for 500 miles. Then I change the oil and filter again, using just the diesel oil. BTW - I ran a Olds 455 for 15 years and 70,000 hard street miles on diesel oil. I took it apart last week to replace gaskets, and the inside of the engine looked as clean as the day it came from the machine shop. That stuff works!
