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IN REALITY, if it has stock valve springs in it and a stock cam you can put any oil in it and it will work just fine. Even the latest SN oils will lubricate with no problem. Literally millions of cars on the road are doing this and the only problems that come up have been on the high performance end of things where people run higher spring pressures on camshafts that accelerate the lifter much more rapidly than the stock cam in your 440.
Many will tell you to use Diesel engine oil.
I just spent a couple of hours studying Joe Gibbs Driven motor oil literature and they have some interesting points to make. The most interesting point is that ZDDP and motor oil detergents are in competition for spots on the metal surface to cling to. Diesel oil has a really high amount of detergents and so it is their contention that even though the Diesel oil has more ZDDP in it than SN gasoline engine oils, the ZDDP is less effective because not all of it can find a place to protect.
Several years ago on this board when the Diesel oil use was being discussed, one member, who was a professional engine builder, posted about a dyno run on an engine using the favorite brand of Diesel oil in which the engine failed due to a lubrication failure. He decided to switch to racing oils. Most of the other comments were that he must have made a mistake because Diesel oil was the best thing since canned peaches. But reading the Gibbs literature, I begin to wonder if he wasn't on to something.

R.

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Well said....Hmmmm this seems to be becoming a habit!

Flat tappets, high spring pressures, new cam and lifters, aggressive profiles and modern low zinc oils set up a potential for problems. Worse perhaps with some oversees lifters and softer cam material.

In your case, I wouldn't worry about it though oil is cheap and it certainly wouldn't hurt to run something better.




Dave