I have a 70 Buick 455 Stage-1 Short-Block, that was still in the Crate from the factory. It is now fitted with Restored Stage-1 Heads, Manifolds, Carb, Distributor, Water pump. The Timing Cover is NOS. This is a basically Stock Engine Build, Except for the following. To help Preserve and "Bulletproof" this Engine...Per Steven L. Dove's We added a Gear Oiler, High Volume Oil Pump and Larger, Deep-Sump Oil Pan, larger 5/8 Pickup Tube. With all this in Mind, I want to know what the Best Oil and Oil Filter would be to Preserve my Investment. Jim Jaeger USMC, Retired
https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/buick,1970,gs+455,7.5l+455cid+v8,1379763,engine,oil+filter,5340 The Wix, Hastings/Baldwin, or Mobil1. Be careful with that oil pump. Use 10W/30 if possible and don't lean on the engine until the oil warms up. Make sure you have oil pressure and coolant temperature gauges.
I use wix on my race and street motors. I use the wix racing on my race motor because it has great flow.....but not the highest filtering.......but the filtering on the regular wix or xp are very good. System 1 are great for washable
I have not seen my engine in over 7 years...After looking at an old TA/ Performance Catalog, that I ordered all my parts from...It may be a Stock Oil Pump, with an added Oil Pump *Booster-Plate*...and I believe an *Adjustable, Oil Pressure Regulator* in place of the *Relief Valve, Nut & Spring* that they put on for me. My engine is being built 1,700 miles away in Illinois. I am now living in Arizona,.. Full-time. Jim
Stock gears with booster plate & adj regulator is the way to go with correct pump gear end clearance. Good advice above on filters. Buy two, because you're going to throw the first one away pretty quickly. Oil & filter change is in order after 30 minutes or so of camshaft break in. Devon
My preference is to do oil & filter right after break in. Prefer to get all the assembly lube out & fresh oil in for the first drive. Devon
In 1970's and 1980's...I was told to Break-In...a New Engine Build...I should use a Conventional type of Oil for a few thousand miles,..Then Switch to a Synthetic Oil to run it regularly. Nowadays,...Is this still, the best way to go..?? Jim
You could probably switch to synthetic even sooner if you'd like, but still that seems like a good rule of thumb. Devon
New oils are not adequate to break in a flat-tappet camshaft. You need to break it in with a specific type of oil that has high zinc content (like Rotella T) for the first 20 minutes or so by running it around 2200 rpm to preserve the camshaft. Don't know if crate motors come with the camshaft broken in, but I would do it myself just to be on the safe side.
That is what I did. I ran conventional for the first year, then switched to synthetic. I used Joe Gibbs Hot Rod Oil. https://drivenracingoil.com/c-1389462-shop-by-product-hot-rod-engine-oils.html The builder broke it in on the Dyno with BR-30, https://drivenracingoil.com/i-30497749-br-30-5w-30-conventional-break-in-oil.html I filled it with Conventional 10W/30, https://drivenracingoil.com/i-30497803-hr2-10w-30-conventional-hot-rod-oil.html One year later, the switch to Synthetic 10W/30, https://drivenracingoil.com/i-30497805-hr4-10w-30-synthetic-hot-rod-oil.html
Not a few thousand miles, 500 and change oil and filter and you’re now good for synthetic and regular change intervals. That’s how myself and my buddies have done it for 40 years.
