Reply to "Engine Rebuild"

Mark's (Husker) advice is on the mark. ZDDP is a friction modifier that has been slowly removed from gasoline engine motor oil each time the SAE specifies a new oil standard, because it coats the catalyst in catalytic converters rendering it useless, not a good thing for a manufacturer that is mandated by the government to provide a 100,000 mile warranty on an emissions system. The reduction of ZDDP in oil is why there are so many problems with ruined cam lobes/lifters on flat tappet camshafts, and why the big 3 switched to roller lifters in their OHV motors.

A straight weight oil has a more sheer resistant molecule than a multi-viscosity oil, therefore I recommend straight 30 weight if its available to you. Oils designed for diesel engines still contain ZDDP because they are not equipped with catalytic converters. Therefore the best oils you can purchase for yor flat tappet OHV V8 are Shell Rotella T 30 weight, or Chevron Delo 400 30 weight. Most auto parts stores only seem to carry the 15W40 multi-viscosity version of these oils, but they are available in single 30 weight grade as well, and if you look around you should be able to find it. I purchase Rotella T in 30 weight grade at Wal Mart.

On the subject of your lifters, in is NOT advisable to run a used flat tappet lifter on a cam lobe or in a lifter bore that it was not broken in on, therefore I advise you to play it safe and purchase a new set of lifters.

your friend on the DTBB