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Lisaredsgv's avatar
Lisaredsgv
Explorer
May 10, 2023

What type of oil to put in my 1976 dodge F40 sportman

I don't know what type of oil to put in my dodge f40 sportsman motorhome

7 Replies

  • PatJ's avatar
    PatJ
    Explorer II
    I personally have several rigs with flat tappet cams as your dodge would have, and for all of them I use Shell Rotella T 15W-40. The logic behind this decision is more than I feel like typing at the moment, but I'm far from alone in this decision so a simple search will get you all you need. Chevron Delo is essentially the same as Rotella and equally as good. Kudos to you and your family for keeping an older rig on the road; older rigs usually worth the effort.
  • If original, your MH may have either a 360 cubic inch or a 440 cubic inch V-8 gas engine, which, by now, probably consumes some oil between changes. The oil you select primarily depends on the regular ambient operating temperature and the wear condition of the engine.

    Below freezing: 10W-40
    Freezing to +- 80F: 15W-40
    Desert conditions: 20W-50 (hot all the time)

    Use oil that has an API rating of "SN." For older engines that consume oil, I've found that using an oil like Chevron DELO 400 15W-40, or, Shell Rotella T 15W-40 are good values and reduce oil consumption, if that is an issue.

    Chum lee
  • Pretty sure it's the engine oil.. At least that's what my guess is going to be for.. :)

    For that vintage of Dodge engines, it's just a big ol' V8 with a carb on the top and lots of internal tolerance on all the moving parts.

    Any good 10w30 or 10w40 should work just fine. Don't get any of that "synthetic" types of oil, as they just cost more and those did not exist back when that engine was built.

    Spend some extra $ on a decent filter. Avoid the 'cheapest' ones on the shelf.

    Good luck! Mitch