How Do YOU Get Zinc In Your Engine Oil?

I'm aware of the different methods. I had been using Rotella until the last couple of years. Now I use whatever is on sale with Lucas ZDDP. I'm always open to new solutions to old problems.

So what do YOU personally do to make sure your old engine is protected? And conversely, what has NOT worked? No wives tales, just real world experiences need apply.

Thanks!

 

Some guys are gonna say if your engine is already broken in, you don't need to worry about it, any modern oil will do. This has been a concern of mine though and I've always used Castrol GTX 20-50 with a can of ZDDP Plus at each oil change. On my last oil change I switched to Valvoline VR-1 without the additive, I hope this is a good move.

I'll be watching this thread to see what everyone else thinks.

 

Valvoline VR1 Racing oil, both 10w-30 and 20w-50, has 1400ppm of zinc in it. This is the equivalent amount to AMSOIL's "high zinc" synthetic oils.

 

I don't do squat with mine. I use castrol and have since I started using oil.

There was a while when I had a couple of cases of Oilzum that I used that in my Hawg. But then it became a pain to have someone ship it to me all over the country so I went back to Castrol.

I don't use oil additives, most of them are just snake oil. I've got over 100K and 4 bodies on the engine that was in The Pusher and soon to be in an old stude. That'll be 5. Flat tappet cam etc.

I do have to admit that I have babied it.

I know that everyone says that you'll flatten your cam etc. But if you make it past break in, you have used good quality parts you're golden.

 

I Switched to Valvoline VR1 20w-50.

 

i use valvoline vr1 in my truck.

i use castrol in my car usually.

plus right now at autozone it's 1/2 price right now. only 12 quarts to each customer. i'm gonna stock up on it!! just letting you guys know.

 

Valvoline VR1 is what I use in the SBC in my '54 and it is great plus the price is right. I use Amsoil in my 512cid caddy engine that's in my '30 coupe and it better, but the Valvoline will do just fine for a mild SBC. It's cheap insurance and it's better to be safe than sorry.

 

I'm not sure if I am going to worry about it. I'm with the guy's on once it's broke in don't worry. I did break mine in with Rotella and GM's EOS then just Rotella for the first oil change. From there probably just a high quality oil.

 

I've always used castrol gtx 10w 30. I recently had to do a head gasket job, inside was clean as could be. This is a previously rebuilt engine, pulled out of a junkyard, run for 5 years. found out it is .80 over. I fond no signs of wear, engine shop said after it is broken in, don't worry about it. Guess I'll keep on with the GTX.

 

Muti-vitamin's made for seniors?

 

I use Valvoline VR-1.

 

Motorcraft Diesel 15W-40 in my 302 with a Motorcraft filter.

 

15-40 farm rated heavy duty diesel oil

 

I cant believe you guys, after all the tech articles about the removel of the ZDDP'S that you aren't using a replacement!!!! I'm using ZDDP plus on al my "OLD" stuff

 

I use a quart of break in oil in each oil change- has enough zddp- and I do this in all my old engines-

 

ZDDP in my SBC... Engine builder nextdoor say I should use it. Cheap Insurance. I do not baby my engine.

 

Yea somebody posts something on the internet and then it is gospel.

Hey maybe I'll start selling Dyno-Don bobbleheads and post an article thay you will never win a race without one.

You wanna buy a bobble head?

Let me ask ya this how many people do you know personally that have flattened a cam, one that was properly broke in and they used quality parts and can prove that it was because they didn't buy additive.

reason i ask is because i now a lot of people that don't have a dyno-don bobble head and have never won a race.

 

Pork.

I with you but still on the fence. Sometimes you read all these "tech" articles and you dont know which way to go...What IS right...what IS wrong?

I never added any additives, I run Generic (no name parts house brand) 30 or 40 weight non-detergent oil as a recommendation by an old friend of mine who's been there done that.

Anyone have any 'Results' of proof regarding this subject?

I suppose its like being a Christian, you cant see or touch God; its by Faith you know its the truth.

 

Read up on this subject here: www.ZDDPlus.com An Alliance Vendor on this site sells it.

 

It's really expensive up front, but I add a roller cam and rockers and forget about it.

Seriously, that's how I did it. Who's laughing now, small block haters?

 

One guy says you need it, another says you don't. Who do you believe?

I figure I'll use it, if it helps great, if it doesn't, at least it won't hurt to have it in there.

I use Joe Gibbs Hot Rod Oil.

Supposed to have the zinc in there. Whatever.

 

^^^^^ We use Joe Gibbs Oil also. They don't make a OEM oil so thay don't have to meet the SAE specs. Making for a much better product.

 

I appreciate the input guys. Surfing around the webz leads me to believe flattening cams from lack of zinc is not just a SBC problem. Almost every auto manufacturer has their fans and they're all afraid of the lack of zinc in modern engine oils. From the searching I see lots of "first hand" experience on fucking up engines around the time the EPA regulated the zinc content of engine oil either from not knowing zinc had been eliminated or not knowing it was ever needed in the first place (as it had always been there) and all of a sudden it was gone. That said, I don't know how many of those stories are true.

That's why I'm looking for real world experience from hambers. I trust hambers. Thanks again!

 

A friend lost a lobe or two!

I Emailed STP and in their reply, they said one bottle of blue or red STP brings modern (zero zink) oil to pre-zink removal levels. They said the amout of zink in STP was a trade secret, but one bottle of STP for 5 qts. of oil would do the trick.

Don't take my word.........Email them, and see if you get the same answer. (www.stp.com)

It's only $2-something a bottle!

 

You may want to check out TORCO oil. They have an MPZ additive that can be added to any oil and brings Zinc levels up where they need to be.

 

It's really common in circle track racing to wipe out a cam without using the zinc additives.

We run Brad Penn oil in all solid lifter motors. Also put a bottle of STP in for break-in with a common oil like Castrol.

I have 3 year old cams still in great shape in circle track motors with 145# to 150# seat pressure, 262*@.050 lift and .589 lift stuff. More radical than most street cams so maybe that's why we see more problems with cams on dirt tracks.

Most circle track motor builders are demanding additives or special zinc rich racing oils like Brad Penn or Gibbs.

The new diesel stuff has also been cleaned up to where is is marginal for solid lifters.

Another consideration is if you are on a mild cam with lite spring pressure, you won't see the problems a bigger solid cam with killer springs will see.

SPark

 

Last fall I sit through a course about motor oils at an instructor's conference. The class was not a sales pitch by any manufacturer, it was done a very reputable auto instructor and book writer with many years of experience in the field. In a nutshell he stated that zinc was reduced to 800 ppm in most conventional oils, it was 1200 ppm just a couple years ago and was about the bare minimum for flat tappet engines. years ago it was at 1800 ppm. the purpose for the reduction was for emissions reduction since all engines have an oil film present in the combustion chamber and it is burned. it is only needed for flat tappet engines. The reason many of you haven't experienced issues yet is because this has happened fairly recently. You may get lucky with a high mileage engine bacause the cam is fully broken in, valve springs get weaker with age etc, but I'll not take the chance. I've been using regular oil and adding camshaft break in lube up to this point in mine, but the VR1 will work as well, I thought it only came in 20w50 and straight 50, but I have learned differently thanks to you folks. Hope this helps!

 

I've heard that a bottle of STP will add all the zinc you need.... not sure if it's true, but cheap insurance. I got a stock 194 6 in my Acadian, I'm not even sure if zinc is really a problem in a old engine with a stock cam?