I would like to start a thread to get an idea of the lubricants and fluids people are using in their FGF cars. Brands, convential or synthetic, weights, types.
Oil - Brand, weight, conventional or synthetic Power steering- Brand, type Brakes- Brand, type Rear differential - Brand, weight, conventional or synthetic Transmission - Brand, weight, conventional or synthetic Additives Antifreeze Chassis grease
Oil - Valvoline 30 weight Racing, as recommended/originally installed by my engine builder. Plenty of ZDDP. Would consider Brad Penn or new Classic Car Oil from Classic Car Club of America. I have roller rockers anyway - but I want to be safe.
Power Steering - ATF as recommended by Pontiac. Tried clear "modern" power steering fluid, too noisy.
Brakes - DOT 3/4. Usually not too picky here about brand.
Read End - Valvoline 80/90 dino with GM posi additive. Tried semi-synthetic - too noisy. Full synthetic would be worse.
Tranny - Valvoline Dex/Merc
Anti-freeze: Real full-strength Prestone only. Mix it myself with distilled water. Refuse to pay extra for somebody's water in today's 50/50 mixes.
Gas: Real 100% gas 93 Octane Premium from Conoco. I always add Sta-bil to a fresh tank of gas. Today's gas sours quick.
Additives: Considering stuff from these guys after recommendations:
2012 Mustang Boss 302 #1918, Competition Orange. FGF replacement 2006 Mustang V6 Pony, Vista Blue. Factory ordered. 2019 BMW X3 (Titled to the wife, but I'm always driving it for her. So I'm claiming it) Old projects, gone but not forgotten: 1967 FB 400, original CA car. After 22 years of work, trashed by the guy who was supposed to paint it. I had to sell it. 1980 Turbo Trans Am 1970 Mustang fastback, 351C 4Bbl, auto 1988 Mustang GT, 5 speed 1983 F-150 4x4, built 302 1994 Chevy K2500 HD 4x4, 454 TBI
Oil: Nothing but 30W Pennzoil conventional for decades now but with a bottle of ZDDPPlus since the zinc was reduced. Gas: All we can get is 10% corn squeezins at 92 octane. I add some lead substitute since my engine is untouched. Trans: Dexron X (whatever is the number available now) PS and Brakes, whatever PS and brake fluids I have on the shelf at the time. Nothing exotic. Coolant: Prestone at 50/50
Engine oil-Royal Purple(syn) 10/40 or 15/40 Coolant-Prestone 1.5gal and fill er up with the hose. PS-dex/merc Brakes-DOT4(I think it was, for higher heat) Trans and Rear-80w/90w(whatever happens to be on the shelf)
Oil - Brad Penn semi-syn 10W30...one of the few brands out there that still has a ton of ZDDP with no additives needed or recommended...critical for flat tappets IMO. Modern SM rated oils can really hurt these motors IMO... Power steering- I have no idea what is in there LOL... Brakes- Dot 3, generic auto store on sale Rear differential - Conventional 80W90 Pennzoil (cuz it's cheap) with a bottle GM slip additive for the posi. Transmission - generic auto store dexron on sale Additives - Other than the GM Posi additive, I run nothing but pure fluids...except some StarTron Ethanol fuel stabilizer in the last gas tank of the summer mostly for storage purposes. We have had 10% Ethanol in all fuel here for about 20 years running...never found nuthin' wrong with it. Antifreeze - Peak 50/50 extended life, cuz its cheap & always has rebates. Chassis grease - whatever's on sale
Engine Oil 20W50 Valvoline Racing Was using ZDDP additive but quit using after so many said the racing oil had enough. Everything else I stay with Prestone (stop leak) and factory weights. Mobil1 Synthetic Grease for everything in the gun and a small tub where applicable.
Engine oil Valvoline VR1 Racing Oil 10W30 Lucas Safegaurd Ethanol fuel conditioner with stabilizers Water Wetter mixed with a 60-70% water to 30-40% antifreeze ratio... I live in the south I have found this to lower my temp by ~20 degrees.
Additives- Limited slip additive in diff, syncro mesh fluid added to 89/90 in Muncie. Sta-bil added to gas during winter. agb octane booster added to gas when I can't get good
Oil - Brad Penn High Performance SAE 30W. High in Zinc 1500 PPM and 1340-1400 ppm Phosphorus
I sent an email to Brad Penn Oil and with in seconds one of the technical engineers calls me on the phone. I explained I have a Flat tappet cam and need a good oil high in zinc. I wanted to know if their 30W break-in oil was just as good as the high performance oil, as far as zinc PPM. He explained how it was different and the zinc was lower in the break in oil then the everyday oil. The zinc in the High performance oil is 1500 PPM compared to the 1000 PPM in the break in oil. I hate that I have to order it but it seems that it is a very good oil and less then $6.00 qt from Amazon.
Power steering- Dextron III was suggested by the person that rebuild my gearbox and pump. I could only find Dextron III in a Napa brand.
I was told to only use GL4 in the Muncie Transmission because GL-5 was harmful to the yellow metals in the transmission.
From their site:
Brad Penn's SAE 80W-90 is specially blended using high quality PENN-GRADE® mineral base stocks and select additive technologies. It is designed to be used with “yellow” metallurgy (brass, bronze, copper) and other ‘soft’ metals used in synchronizers, bushings, thrust washers and other components typically found in classic manual transmissions and transaxles.
Additives - Not yet
Antifreeze - something green, not sure yet.
Chassis grease - CRC Sta-lube Wheel bearing Grease It states premium lithium complex grease for chassis so why not.
Engine oil Valvoline VR1 Racing Oil 10W30 Lucas Safegaurd Ethanol fuel conditioner with stabilizers Water Wetter mixed with a 60-70% water to 30-40% antifreeze ratio... I live in the south I have found this to lower my temp by ~20 degrees.
bernie, you're saying that 10% (or so) of water wetter made a 20 degree difference?
I'm a hobbyist. Not a professional. Don't be hatin'!
After reading this great oil article I'm going to use a muti-grade oil. I'll start with 10W30 and see how it does. Maybe a 0W30 or 5W30 would be better.
According to the article if doing mostly under 30 minute trips a 0W20 may even be better. To bad Brad Penn does not make that high in Zinc.
List below is my changes to the oil.
Here is my list and reasoning's
Oil - Brad Penn High Performance Partial Synthetic SAE 10W30 .
High in Zinc 1500 PPM and 1340-1400 ppm Phosphorus
I sent an email to Brad Penn Oil and with in seconds one of the technical engineers calls me on the phone. I explained I have a Flat tappet cam and need a good oil high in zinc. I wanted to know if their 30W break-in oil was just as good as the high performance oil, as far as zinc PPM. He explained how it was different and the zinc was lower in the break in oil then the everyday oil. The zinc in the High performance oil is 1500 PPM compared to the 1000 PPM in the break in oil. I hate that I have to order it but it seems that it is a very good oil and less then $6.00 qt from Amazon.
Power steering- Dextron III was suggested by the person that rebuild my gearbox and pump. I could only find Dextron III in a Napa brand.
I was told to only use GL4 in the Muncie Transmission because GL-5 was harmful to the yellow metals in the transmission.
From their site:
Brad Penn's SAE 80W-90 is specially blended using high quality PENN-GRADE® mineral base stocks and select additive technologies. It is designed to be used with “yellow” metallurgy (brass, bronze, copper) and other ‘soft’ metals used in synchronizers, bushings, thrust washers and other components typically found in classic manual transmissions and transaxles.
Additives - Not yet
Antifreeze - something green, not sure yet.
Chassis grease - CRC Sta-lube Wheel bearing Grease It states premium lithium complex grease for chassis so why not.
Harold, regarding multi-grade oil; In 1973 a Pontiac Service Department told me that I could reduce a tapping I was hearing in the engine if I used the 400HO recommended straight 30W in warm weather rather than the 10-40 I told them I was using. He said check the owner's manual, Sure enough, it does single out HO engines for straight 30W in a note.
Bronze, I think it's a combo of the Water Wetter and diluting the 50-50 antifreeze with more water and less antifreeze. When I was researching using an additive to lower the temp, I read about upping the water content of a 50-50 mixture. I only have an idiot light, so I bought an infrared thermo. After going for a ride and then leaving the motor running, the temp would be around ~215-220 (taking readings around the thermostat area). After diluting the mixture and adding the wetter and doing the same thing, I get readings of ~195-200.
I used Water Wetter once. Noticed no change so I'll never buy it again. Of course I've never really had a cooling problem either as my system works very well and I've never been in an overheat situation.
Certainly a dilution of more water/less antifreeze combo results in better heat dissipation, this is well documented. Antifreeze is poor at moving heat, the water is the portion of the formula that takes it away. So more water = better heat removal. Of course less antifreeze also = worse freeze protection, less corrosion inhibitors, etc...
Anti-freeze is funny stuff. 100% transfers heat very poorly. Pure water is MUCH better at cooling. There is nothing wrong with diluting antifreeze from traditional 50/50 a little bit...and 30 to 35% is OK but flirting with the limits. If you go less than 25% and the stuff can really degrade and basically turn to jelly, so be cautious you don't accidentally dilute it too far or you'll have a real mess on your hands. Check out page 25 of the link below and see what an 11% mixture can look like...of course that pic is ethylene glycol...not propylene like our normal green stuff is...so not apples to apples...but they can react similarly.
With respect to the green stuff, 50/50 is basically the safest and best overall mix. But anywwhere between 30% and 70% works fine without risk of gunking up the works. 30% will cool much better than 70%. But if you want absolute MAX cooling performance, pure water will always beat any mixture. As long as you have no objection to the corrosion.
Dexron. Same stuff that is spec'd for the auto trans on these cars. Be aware there is a bleed process for refilling the power top. Process is explained in the service manual. You don't just dump it in.
Dexron. Same stuff that is spec'd for the auto trans on these cars. Be aware there is a bleed process for refilling the power top. Process is explained in the service manual. You don't just dump it in.
FYI.. The Manual actually calls for Type A Transmission fluid. Which was the original Dexron I believe. III is suppose to be backward compatible with I and II.
Anti-freeze is funny stuff. 100% transfers heat very poorly. Pure water is MUCH better at cooling. There is nothing wrong with diluting antifreeze from traditional 50/50 a little bit...and 30 to 35% is OK but flirting with the limits. If you go less than 25% and the stuff can really degrade and basically turn to jelly, so be cautious you don't accidentally dilute it too far or you'll have a real mess on your hands. Check out page 25 of the link below and see what an 11% mixture can look like...of course that pic is ethylene glycol...not propylene like our normal green stuff is...so not apples to apples...but they can react similarly.
With respect to the green stuff, 50/50 is basically the safest and best overall mix. But anywwhere between 30% and 70% works fine without risk of gunking up the works. 30% will cool much better than 70%. But if you want absolute MAX cooling performance, pure water will always beat any mixture. As long as you have no objection to the corrosion.
Man....that scares me. I wasn't really exact when I diluted the mixture (I think I drained about a gallon of 50-50 and replaced with a gallon of H2O). Now I might just go back to 50-50.....
Craze- No worries on causing alarm. I am glad you brought this to my attention as I did not know what the possible effects could be by adding too much water. I'll definitely spend $5 bucks on the tester!
I have found this to lower my temp by ~20 degrees. 
