What is a good oil and oil filter to use with the 440 engine?  Bringing mine out of storage I'll add conventional oil and run a few thousand miles and then switch to Synthetic (Amsoil).  What would be a good conventional oil to flush with?  Kevin

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In an old Consumer Reports review of different motor oils the summary at the end was that in truth you could use any of the oils they looked at and they would do the job as long as you changed the oil at a 3000-4000 mile interval. Nowadays there are more modern oils and engine requirements but for older stuff that still holds pretty true.

If I were going to do what you say I would probably go pretty cheap to start with. The "Super Tech" oil that is sold at Wal Mart is cheap. It's produced by Warren Oil and pretty basic. Some 10W-30 of that should do you. I use it in lawnmowers and such that I don't feel need full synthetic.

When you move to synthetic it gets a bit trickier. Many modern synthetics are great oils but they are lacking in additives old "flat tappet cam" engines need. One that does is Mobil 1's 15w-50 oil. It's become very popular with owners of vintage muscle cars. It meets ACEA A3/V3 specifications and as a bonus, often goes on sale at Wal Mart for about $22 for a five quart bottle.

Now if you really want to dial into exactly what fits your engine's needs, you want Mobil 1 FS-X2 which is a 5W-50 oil. It not only meets the ACEA specs it also meets Porsche's A40 and Mercedes 229.1 specs which are exactly what vintage flat tappet cam engines need. Unfortunately that oil does NOT go on sale anywhere and in fact I don't think I've seen it at Wal Mart and rarely at auto parts stores. It is however the go-to oil for folks who really love their old cars and want to feed them the best.

Other oils like Castrol and whatever are fine products and no doubt can work well too. But Mobil publishes a chart regularly that make sit easy to keep up with which of their oils is good for what. With others it takes more work to figure out what is what. 

Also note that those two oils are the EXACT ones you would want. If they don't have any, some Mobil 1 10w-30  or 5w-20, whatever is NOT an acceptable substitute. Not only are they different weights they are very different formulations and could be harmful in the long term. As could other brand synthetics that are inappropriate. 

Sometimes changing to synthetic oil can cause oil leaks. People are willing to swear it can't happen but I have one in my driveway that did it. It's VERY rare though and I feel the added benefits of running synthetic worth the tiny risk. Also I happen to be a mechanic so in my case oil leaks are just an annoyance to be dealt with rather than a major repair expense.

Hi there - you're the best!!!  Thanks for your very helpful oil info.  What about a good oil filter?  Fram filters have been junk for years.  I tend to prefer Gold NAPA filters.  What would you recommend (right down to the part number if you know it for the 440).  Thanks!!  Kevin

No I don't know a wedge part number right off, I'm more of a Ford guy.  :) I will say you can't go wrong with a WIX filter, many people have a high opinion of them. Last I heard NAPA Gold's were made by WIX so if it ain't broke...

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