olds 455 and berkeley jet maintenance

[dekmaster]

Hi All,
Can you guys give me an aproximate maint. schedule for my 455 olds and berkely jet. Things such how often to put grease in the U joints, when to put oil in the bowl and what kind, and also how often to change the oild and filter in the engine and also what type of oil and filter to use.
Thanks,
Dennis

[Wet Dream]

Hi Deck,
Thats all going to depend on your use...or abuse.
I change the oil quite often. About every 10 hours or if I see a pressure drop that doesn't come back.
Change the filter in between oil changes, and with every oil change.
Grease the U-joints and thrust bearing every time you go out or come back, along with your bearing buddies.
Top off the oil in your bowl after every trip.
Personally I probably change my 455 oil a little too much, but I feel better that way. As soon as it begins to change color, it gets one more weekend and I suck out 9 quarts and pump in 9 more.
For oil I usually use Valvoline VR1 50 wt when the water warms up. And I use a remote filter, so I use AC Delco PF2 I believe. Use any filter OTHER THAN A FRAM!!!!

[396_WAYS_TO_SPIT]

Originally posted by Wet Dream
Hi Deck,
Thats all going to depend on your use...or abuse.
I change the oil quite often. About every 10 hours or if I see a pressure drop that doesn't come back.
Change the filter in between oil changes, and with every oil change.
Grease the U-joints and thrust bearing every time you go out or come back, along with your bearing buddies.
Top off the oil in your bowl after every trip.
Personally I probably change my 455 oil a little too much, but I feel better that way. As soon as it begins to change color, it gets one more weekend and I suck out 9 quarts and pump in 9 more.
For oil I usually use Valvoline VR1 50 wt when the water warms up. And I use a remote filter, so I use AC Delco PF2 I believe. Use any filter OTHER THAN A FRAM!!!!
i am 100% witcha on this one wet I do the same for my olds except I run valvoline 60wt.
396

[dekmaster]

How do you top off the oil in the bowl?
I have agrease gun that I just bought and some marine grease. How much are you supposed to pump in?
Also where do you guys buy your oil, grease, filter and oil pump?
Thank You,
dennis

[Back Forty]

Why such heavy weight oil...?
Do you guys run oil coolers..?
I've been running 10/30 castrol and the NAPA/Wix 1049. (long housing)
Oil cooler too. I change mine several times a season as well and have had no problems.
Dekmaster, did you get the carb issue resolved? is your setup running the oil cooler?

[Frosty_pop]

Originally posted by dekmaster
Hi All,
Can you guys give me an aproximate maint. schedule for my 455 olds and berkely jet. Things such how often to put grease in the U joints, when to put oil in the bowl and what kind, and also how often to change the oild and filter in the engine and also what type of oil and filter to use.
Thanks,
Dennis
Step 1: Remove 455 and put in trash
Step 2: Install 454 with fresh oil and filter
Step 3: Have a great trouble free summer

[dekmaster]

I think i'll finish the season with current setup. I'm really beginning to understand this engine and it's really hauling now once I started craping up to the redline instead of just punching it. I've been getting up to 4700 RPM for a couple of seconds and really starts to go fast and screams. I had 6 people in the boat and 3 more in a tube. It took a little while to plain out butt it was still a hell of a tube ride at 50 mph.
Thanks,
Dennis
P.S. Can some one tell me where I can get all of the above mention parts for my boat maintenance.

[ssanddemon]

Jesus, Forty. Dunno you want to be using 10-30, it's pretty thin for high rpm use. I think everyone is in the straight 40-to-60 weight group (though with the 455 oil return issues, I'll let a pro weigh in here). Heard good things about oil coolers, but think I'll wait until I've got an oil temp guage and see if it needs one, probably does. Deck, the easiest way to drain oil is the kit (from CP, I think) that lets you attach a hose to the pan plug and leave it flopping around in the bilge until changing time, then it snakes out the bilge drain plug and into your oil drain pan. My boat came with it, and it's great! I have heard of guys running a Holley electric fuel pump off the hose to suck the oil out quicker, but I'm never in that big a hurry. I get my maintainence parts from the local speed shop, NAPA works just as well, but farther away from me. Bowl oil: pull both plugs, pour it in until it comes out the other plug. Grease: use lots, every other trip or so; couple of pumps does the job. Not sure about marine though; -it's kinda waxy. Some guys like lithium, I like moly. I think it all works if it actually gets used in a timely manner.

[Back Forty]

Stating from a non professional background, oil provides quite a bit of cooling to valvetrain and other areas of the engine. I would rather have more temp maintained(oil cooler) 10/30wt flowing in my system than overheated heavy weight oil that isn't doing anything for cooling. As long as it supports the lower end which if not overheated and clearances are right it should be able to do without a problem.
I just added a thermostat and may switch up to 10/40wt now that the thing will actually run at 160*. I think 50 or 60 wt oil is going in the wrong direction if you have an oil cooler and a bandaid if you don't have one. For clairifcation, I have crappy electric gauges with water temp and oil pressure but no oil temp. Pure logic dictates that counting on a heavy weight oil to thin down to an acceptable viscosity after it is overheated is asking for problems and is not the answer to a problem if there is one.
On the Olds side of things, simply getting what goes though the oil pump back to the sump at the same rate is most of our concern. I have found that my stock oil return holes have been enlarged. I don't know anything else about the internals of the thing.
I have said it many times. My heap has been run for about 15 minutes at 44-4500 rpms several times and above 4000 for hours on lakes like Cumberland in Ky. It never has oiling issues. I check my oil two or three times a day when I'm out all day and running hard. I also change my oil around three times a season and get (I think) less time on the water than most of you west of the Miss. I don't like overkill because it isn't the answer to any problem and should my plant pop sometime, I'll find the root of the problem and address it. Otherwise at some point another self appointed rebuild will highlight any issues I might be having by running 10/30 or 40wt.
Dekmaster. I get my 80/90wt gear oil from any parts store and fill the pump until it is even from both access ports. I change it about twice a season and leave the plugs loose during the winter in case any moisture in the fluid freezes although I think any expansion in the fluid would just push oil past he seal and not cause any real problems. The zerc fitting grease is a complicated issue it seems. I can't offer anything other than to say your local parts joint or WalMart or dam near any other place that carries the stuff will work. I have been using marine variety grease. It seems to be alright but thats all I have on that.
I think your still having some "basic" carb problems if you have to creep up on full throttle. I can go from idle to full throttle as fast as I can get the throttle rolled over. The thing comes to life as fast. Good luck.
Frosty Pop take your sh!t and get out of here please.

[Back Forty]

TTT