Ok guys i hope I dont get yelled at. I have done many oil changes, tunes ups, changed starters, alternators on newer cars. I have looked up on the threads and cant seem to find the info im looking for. I have never done an oil change on a 54 chevy. Im sure its the same process like any other car. i need to know what type of engine oil i need to use on a 56 chevy 235 engine. the engine is a rebuilt. I know i have a lot to learn so please take it easy on me.
Fresh rebuild, use break-in oil Royal Purple, or Joe Gibbs, there are others. After breakin,for your climate, 10w30, any brand.
Hey 29nash to answer your question. its not a fresh rebuild. i dont know how long ago the engine was rebuild. thats what the guy told me when he sold me the car? I never bothered to ask him how long ago cause i was to excited about the car. Lesson learned. the guy seemed very honest and till this day i have not had a problem with the car. i wish i could call him but i lost his number.
I would go 20-50 oil, preferably Valvoline, and a Wix filter. Thats just me. NAPA Gold filters are good too.
I use Rotella diesel oil because of the zinc it still has versus the gasoline motor oils which have a little less since 2007. The flat tappet lifters of a stock chevy 6 don't have too much pressure, so you probably are fine either way. In your neck of the woods and an old motor that has low oil pressure when warmed up at idle, you can use SAE 30 straight grade all year round. That's what I have in my 35 year old 235 despite the freezing temps we get for a few months in winter up here. My new 261 gets 15W-40 rotella during the winter months. It has a little less zinc than the SAE 30, but still enough to protect this kind of motor. Btw: Wix and Napa Gold filters are the same, from the same factory. Just different labels and colored can.
I've had 235 Chevys in at least one of my cars for over 40-years. Some were used, condition unknown and some I tore down and rebuilt myself. I've used 10w-30 oil and WIX air filters on all of them. On average, I put 3-5k miles a year on each car and never had an oil or filter related problem.
You can use whatever oil you want, and if you want the zinc (more commonly known as ZDDP) use a pint of STP. It has the ZDDP that the oil companies took out. Says so right on the back of the label.
I'll expand a bit the reason I suggested 10w30 for you in your climate. Unless you drive out in the mojave in temps above 90 a lot in the summer, heavier numbers are an extra load on the oil pump when the oil is cold, so with frequent short drives like most of us do, 10w30 is a good choice for temps from 50 to 80, remembering that 90 percent of normal engine wear is when the motor first starts up until the oil temp is up to normal. In the winter where I am I use 5w30. When I'm going to AZ or TX in the hot summer I go to 20w50. Have I ever had an oil pump fail? No, but my reasoning for going to lighter weight in winter is primarily for that reason.
i also have a rebuilt 235 in my 54 chevy..i also dont know when it was rebuilt because the previous owner didnt mention it to me but it runs fine. I use 20-50 and it runs fine
all the info is being helpful. i reread what i wrote and for some reason i think it might not be clear. i have a 54 chevy 210 sedan, rebuild 1956 235. you guys are truely the best.
Ditto on the Wix filters and Napa Gold are made by Wix. I am guessing that your 235 has a byp*** oil filter so remember to take the old one with you or write down the part number of the old filter when you go to buy a new filter. There were more than one size byp*** fiters on the old GM sixes. I also second 10/30-40 in Calif climates as long as it maintains good oil pressure on that viscosity.
What these guys said. Just stay away from FRAM filters! Do a search, lots of issues over the last few years with them!
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