Club Cobra - Oil change

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I have a 392 ford windsor stroker crate engine with 2k miles and I am getting ready to un-winterize. I would like to know what is the beat oil and weight to use.

This is a loaded question.
You will get answers all over the place.
I will tell you what I use in my 408 Windsor.
Brad Penn 20w-50
If you have a roller cam your options are many but if you have a flat tappet cam be VERY carful what oil you use.
Brad Penn works for either.
Dan

If your motor is flat cam a high zinc content oil is important.

ERA #3010 289 Slabside

As the others have said, that question on this forum will lead to opinions as multitude as the stars :roll eyes: Ditto to what they say about high zinc with solid lifters. I use 20-50 and my FE runs well with it. You will notice a slight increase in oil pressure with a heavier weight oil. What was in the engine previously and how did that work?

There will be as many opinions as there are cars. I run Rotella T with a bottle of STP oil treatment.

This is the first oil change sense I purchased the car. Has a roller cam..u

I believe fms recommended 10w30 on my crate 351.

I've used Penn, Gibbs, and Valvoline VR1 conventional in my Cobra and other cars. They're all high zinc. Right now I'm using VR1 10-30 in the Cobra because I like the way it flows when the engine is cold, and VR1 is cheaper than the others.

You should run as light a weight as you can that gives a ~15% difference in hot/cold pressure. This will take a little experimentation and will depend on build clearances. 10W-30 may be a good place to start. Just remember - heavier oil is not better if not needed to maintain pressure. It's counterproductive during the critical cold start time - where much wear occurs.

And semi-synthetic is a good idea for these old Ford engines as well (vs dino or full synthetic). I make my own with a mix of 15W-50 Mobil 1 (high ZDDP) and 5W-30 Mobil 5000 (about 2 parts dino to 1 part synthetic). Kendall GT1 is a fine choice as well. Many other fine choices out there.

BTW - oil should be changed in the fall for sure in order to get the byproducts of combustion out. Mixed with condensation, they form acids that can etch interior surfaces. Ever wonder why old unused cars often smoke or rattle when recommissioned? You can change again in the spring if you want, but benefits then are minimal if the vehicle has not been started during storage (also not good - as the engine oil never truly gets warmed up).

Keep us posted on what you choose...