Motor oil
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 445
Likes: 2
From: Thomastown Mississippi
Motor oil
I've read several posts recently about the need for zinc in the motor oil on these older engines. I looked at some of the bottles of oil at walmart and most just say "special additives", this and that. Could someone post a list of the brands that actually have the zinc in them?? My car is a 77.
Thanks,
Kenny
Thanks,
Kenny
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
I've read several posts recently about the need for zinc in the motor oil on these older engines. I looked at some of the bottles of oil at walmart and most just say "special additives", this and that. Could someone post a list of the brands that actually have the zinc in them?? My car is a 77.
Thanks,
Kenny
Thanks,
Kenny
Try a search, as this subject gets brought up in a new thread about every week.
Pro
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 575
Likes: 0
From: Nice Lake Ontario
Here's a few
As far as oils to use with decent zddp lvls for flat tappet cam breakin and post cam breakin here are a few (conventional unless otherwise noted) oils that tested as having a minimum of or above of approx 1200ppm Zn which is required for aftermarket flat tappet perf cam protection.
* SHELL ROTELLA SINGLE GRADE 30WT
* CHEVRON DELO 400 LE 15W-40 (APPROVED BY MFG FOR GAS & DIESEL ENGINES)
* CASTROL TRUCK & 4X4 SYN BLEND 15W-40 (NOT DIESEL OIL)
* LUBRIPLATE GPO 15W-40 OIL (BUY ONLINE DIRECT FROM MFG)
* PENNZOIL GT 25W-50 RACING OIL
* VALVOLINE NSL/NOT STREET LEGAL 20W-50 (ORDER FROM NAPA/SUMMITT/JEGS)
* ROYAL PURPLE FULL SYN 10W-30
As far as oils to use with decent zddp lvls for flat tappet cam breakin and post cam breakin here are a few (conventional unless otherwise noted) oils that tested as having a minimum of or above of approx 1200ppm Zn which is required for aftermarket flat tappet perf cam protection.
* SHELL ROTELLA SINGLE GRADE 30WT
* CHEVRON DELO 400 LE 15W-40 (APPROVED BY MFG FOR GAS & DIESEL ENGINES)
* CASTROL TRUCK & 4X4 SYN BLEND 15W-40 (NOT DIESEL OIL)
* LUBRIPLATE GPO 15W-40 OIL (BUY ONLINE DIRECT FROM MFG)
* PENNZOIL GT 25W-50 RACING OIL
* VALVOLINE NSL/NOT STREET LEGAL 20W-50 (ORDER FROM NAPA/SUMMITT/JEGS)
* ROYAL PURPLE FULL SYN 10W-30
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,305
Likes: 2
From: Lewisburg WV
thegazman
To be safe side buy a small container of additive and add it when you change your oil. You can get it from Summit, Jegs, Eastwood, and I notice some of the after market parts suppliers now have it available.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,864
Likes: 195
From: Maryland
I've read several posts recently about the need for zinc in the motor oil on these older engines. I looked at some of the bottles of oil at walmart and most just say "special additives", this and that. Could someone post a list of the brands that actually have the zinc in them?? My car is a 77.
Thanks,
Kenny
Thanks,
Kenny
CJ-4 has a phosphorus limit of 1200 ppm which is adequate for stock flat tappet valvetrains. DO NOT USE ANY OIL RATED SM AS THE FIRST RATING. SM is limited to 800 ppm P and is totally inadequate for vintage flat tappet use.. The best value for the money at Wal Mart is to use their Super Tech Universal 15W-40 rated CI-4 @ about $1.75/qt. Use a quality US made filter (Baldwin, Wix) for the oil change and either CJ-4 or CI-4 oil and your done.
Last edited by Donald #31176; Jul 17, 2008 at 09:33 AM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 2,683
Likes: 34
From: Working on the car NY
, but I've read that zinc/phos added alone is not good. You need a certain amt of detergents along with it. That's why I use STP Red which contains zinc (a 15 oz bottle is good for a change - I add it to 4 1/2qts of Delo 400) and the detergent carrier. It's the Red not the Blue container. All this FWIW.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,864
Likes: 195
From: Maryland
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 7,106
Likes: 38
From: Newark DE
first of all, brand name doesn't matter. All oils (the base) are the same, in fact most companies end up buying base product from each other when needed. The only differences between oils is the additive packages added afterwards.
In the case of flat tappet cams your main concern is the amount of ZDDP in the package.
Because of newer more modern motor designs and especially roller cams the ZDDP is not really needed plus the ZDDP has a negative effect on the catalytic converters and that's the reasons that most oils now have a greatly reduced amount of ZDDP in them.
so, forget about brand name, the only thing you need to be concerned about when looking for an oil for a flat tappet cam is the ZDDP level and the oils that still have enough ZDDP in them to be useful are those in the CJ-4 and CI-4 service categories.
All oils will have the API service categories listed on the bottle - you want to select an oil that has CJ-4 or CI-4 as the FIRST selected service category under the API listing.
forget everything else, it's all marketing.
In the case of flat tappet cams your main concern is the amount of ZDDP in the package.
Because of newer more modern motor designs and especially roller cams the ZDDP is not really needed plus the ZDDP has a negative effect on the catalytic converters and that's the reasons that most oils now have a greatly reduced amount of ZDDP in them.
so, forget about brand name, the only thing you need to be concerned about when looking for an oil for a flat tappet cam is the ZDDP level and the oils that still have enough ZDDP in them to be useful are those in the CJ-4 and CI-4 service categories.
All oils will have the API service categories listed on the bottle - you want to select an oil that has CJ-4 or CI-4 as the FIRST selected service category under the API listing.
forget everything else, it's all marketing.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 2,683
Likes: 34
From: Working on the car NY
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,864
Likes: 195
From: Maryland
