Oil for an anciente engine

[twas_brillig]

I've got another project (a 1973 BMW 2002) that hasn't been started for probably 3 years.
Is there any advantage to using diesel engine oil? I'll pull the dip stick and see how clean/black it is; if clean, I'll pull the valve cover and trickle some oil over the springs and squirt some two stroke oil into the cylinders before starting, but if it's black (my recollection is that the carbs (dual side draft Mikunis - definitely not what the elves in the Black Forest installed) were running realy rich, then I'll change the oil and filter. My understanding is that the diesel oil has a higher level of detergent/cleaning, and I'm thinking that that might be appropriate in a potentially crudded up engine, with a change to 'normal' oil (see earlier threads from other authors) at about 800 km (500 miles).
Recommendations/knowledge/thots appreciated.
Thanks
Doug

 

[Hap Waldrop]

I don't see using diesel oil or a high zinc content oil as being big issue with this engine since it is OHC, high zinc oils like diesel oil or other high zinc oils being offered are mostly designed to address the wear protection needed for pushrod, solid lifter engines like our Spridget engines, not the case with your BMW engine. Now if this was fresh rebuild, then I would recommend a high zinc oil or zinc additive for new camshaft break in for the first break in oil for the new motor, but since this is used engine, there again, not really neeed, any quailty brand name 20W/50 ought to be fine. Hope this helps.

 

[Roger]

Hap, those of us with solid lifter OHC engines have the same issue. There are quite a few twin-cam engines with bucket-style tappets that get scuffed with modern oils.

 

[Hap Waldrop]

Then I recommned Vavoline VR1 20/50.