another oil question...suggestions?

[MrHernandez]

My dd 305 is getting vortec heads with comp springs, rockers, p-rods, comp 268, edelbrock performer rpm & edelbrock 1406 carb. Question is, after break in what oil should I use? I've heard rotella t5, delo 400, vr1 and everything else. I don't want to use synthetic and I'm wary of the blend. I just want some old Dino oil. That being said, what do you recommend for a dd? BTW I live in TN so it's gonna be getting pretty warm soon so that may factor in. Thanks in advance!

 

[DRIVEN]

The 305 in my '79 has had a steady diet of Delo 400 since day one. I tore it down last year (at roughly 160,000 miles) for a reseal and detail and found there was absolutely no sludge and the bearings were in great shape.
The valley after a quick BrakeKleen bath:

The rotating assembly immediately before the pan was reinstalled:

The rear main bearing and cap:

The only notable wear was the timing chain, which is to be expected from a factory GM piece. It uses no oil and doesn't smoke at all. I'm a believer in Delo 400.

I've used Valvoline and store label equivalent in most of my cars and had similar results. Look on the back of the bottle for Ashland Oil. I know Napa and some other auto parts stores relabel Valvoline as their house brand and it's quite a bit cheaper.