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Discussion starter · #21 ·
In the old times people used diesel, kerosene, and water. They could also replace a rear seal in hours. The build up took time what is the rush to remove it?

I had a 1970s car that no one admitted that they had changed the oil on. It looked really bad. I just followed the same basic plan sherlock9c1 has already suggested. Cheap oil filters and oil also worked for me.

Engine seals especially 25 year old ones may fail when exposed to ATF. As sherlock9c1 has suggested large particles can be hard on the pump. The greater problem is if they plug a small oil passage.

Some long hot drives with clean oil and filter would be a plan few would argue with. And much more fun than running a engine in the driveway.
that's true ATF would clean too well and could destroy a oil pump with large grease particles or if it goes through a bearing, along with buildup on seals which helps be clean but would make a oil leak more noticeable. I shouldn't be in a hurry to get rid of the unseen, its been kicking ass just fine as long as I've had it and before that. also to keep it at idle forever with ATF and drain isn't fun at least you can still drive. I will be trying to see where the external leak will be so I can work on that next.
 
Discussion starter · #22 ·
Make sure vacuum lines, elbows to the PCV do not leak vacuum. Sometimes they are loose or have cracks. Check your throttle body, you may find oil in it too.

Even with 80% of high speed highway driving, change oil light turns on in less than 4000 miles. I would take that number as a reference point and change oil and filter AT LEAST every 4000 miles. The old PF52 filter was much better than new PF52E. Occasinally, you can see that old PF%@ available for about $4 at Advance autoparts.
I won't go over that number anymore thank you for telling me that. I'll check with brake clean for vacuum leaks I shouldn't have any but its hard to know until you recheck cause of the age of parts. Really the only lines that are deteriorating are the gas tank EVAP lines almost all of them, Cali gas destroy's the stock rubber lines and o-rings and the stock injectors so I have to probably address that before it gets worse. I checked the throttle body recently I have a picture but very little trace of a oil trace. Thank you for that part # the big and small version are the same price at $8.
 
I would not run 4k intervals; the oil change light is unaware of YOUR motor's condition. I'd watch the oil and filter very closely to see what is washing out of the motor before deciding how long to run it. I don't know how expensive regular oil is where you live, but it's $13 a change at my local Walmart, and that's way cheaper than engine work.

10w30 is fine for a temperate climate. The first number is indeed the cold number; the second number is the hot number.
 
Another idea (not saying it's a good one :)) would be to put one of these in the oil cooler line mounted up somewhere that you can easily see it. A 4" one would be plenty big and you can get various screen mesh sizes (they're cleanable) down to 28 micron which is right in line with what a factory oil filter works at.


I've used these filters quite a bit (ironically, never on an engine though...) and can attest to their high quality. No affiliation, just a satisfied customer.
 
Once, I used 10w30 and the engine would jerk around a horizontal axis every time I started it up. Switched back to 5w30 and stopped experimenting.
 
… I live in Ventura, CA and … my owners manual says to put 10w30 in it instead of 5w30
does anybody else think its okay since it never gets below 40°F?
Read it again.
Every owner's manual for every LT1 Caprice Roadmaster Fleetwood Camaro & FireBird I've ever seen says
SAE 5W30 Preferred.
I suppose you can get away with 10W30 if 5W30, if for whatever strange reason you can't seem to find 5W30 - but I cannot.

0W30 or 5W30
 
Interesting. I have been using 10w-30 for decades, even in my multiple LT1 cars. Only the 2 new cars in the driveway get what is on the cap because they are under warranty. Force of habit I suppose as I have never looked at the cap or owners manual.
 
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