Which type and brand of oil are you using?

First, congrats on getting that many miles out of a Harley... I'm impressed.

As for oil, a buddy of mine just rolled 400K on his Cougar, with a stock 302. There is not a single piece that has ever been removed from his motor. Not a valve cover, not an oil pan. It doesn't smoke. It still runs like a raped ape. Mobil 1 full synthetic. Just like what I use.

My Blackbird motor got a new oil pan after a pretty horrific crash a few months ago. Just for grins, I pulled a rod bearing. Just like new. 54K miles on it. Mobil 1 full synthetic for 4 stroke bikes.

Oil type has no bearing on performance. Just because you outran someone means absolutely nothing in regards to oil except for the fact that both engines had some and they didn't sieze up during the run. 88 sporties are a better performing bike than just about anything else the Company puts out stock so I am not suprised you beat him.

I personally run nothing but full synthetic Mobil 1 and run it for 10K miles on my daily. 5K on carburated models.

 

Valvoline 20/50 racing in the stovebolt and synthetic in the new stuff

 

i also buy the cheapest filters i can find. this 5 microns filtration is BULLSHIT. all oil filters really do is catch any large particles in the event of a failure of some sort. a thin screen would work. recently napa had a sale on oil and filters. i think i paid $1.00ea and got two. so they're not chrome... i don't care.

 

the motor can go easily 100K...

it was kindof a joke but still a testament that running "cheap" oil hasn't hurt my engine one bit. BTW: they don't make an 88ci sportster. i ride an 88 Superglide.

 

i use the wally mart synthetic.... I know, i hate walmart too but I know people in the oil biz and they say that their synthetic is every bit as good as mobile 1 and it's 13$ for 5 quarts. as Years ago when i used regular oil i used Rotella.

 

doing something right? or just got lucky so far?? you change it often which is good!!! but delo 400 is ruling!!!

 

Shell Rotella T in everything but the wife's late-model driver - my Diesel pickup gets it, and all the old cars do, too. Either 15W-40, 30W or 10W-30, depending on which vehicle.

 

Castrol GTX 20w50 or Valvoline VR1 20w50 in everything. Usually whichever one I can get in the 5-quart container. I change oil/filter every 2500 miles or so, which comes pretty fast so I usually buy 10 quarts and 2 filters at a time. I run Fram Tough Guard or WIX filters. I also add some MMO to the oil every oil change and a bit in each tank of fuel. I've never had a problem in any of my vehicles.

 

Valvoline VR1 20w-50 Racing in the blower motor. Thats what the builder told me to use.

 

Rotella..........didn't Godzilla fight Rotella in a Japanese movie a long time ago? Anyway, the whole world must've read that Hot Rod issue a few years ago about camshaft failures and recommending Rotella and not picked up an issue since then. Otherwise they would know that ROTELLA NOW HAS THE REDUCED ZINC like everything else now. Mobil One has covered our asses thankfully though and has formulated their 15W-50 just for use in older flat tappet engines. Look for the 15W-50 with the red bar at your participating Mobil One retailer!

 

if so, i've been lucky with every car i've owned. synthetic oil is a scam. besides, there's no way to tell if they are actually putting synthetic in the bottle. if i know my humans, -and i think i do-, they are putting non-synthetic oil in synthetic bottles and getting five times the profit. don't be no foo....

 

I use Lucas Synthetic oils for my street cars, trucks, and Redline Synthetic for my Drag car. Joe Gibbs driven oil is good, but till they start paying contingency money it can sit on the self.

 

Vavoline Racing 20/50

 

Here's a little write up on Lucas additive

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/images/lucas/lucas.htm

 

True rotella is low zinc now... Honestly i haven't used regular oil in a while... except in my F250.. and i use Delvac in it..

Ok.. i don't want to come off like a know it all because i am far from it... believe me.. but here it goes..

Oil is strictly tested especially those claiming to be synthetic. remember this.. synthetic is synthetic is synthetic... the only difference is the additives. Like i said i have friends in the oil refining biz and I sent some in to wok with them here were the results at 5000 miles in my Buick grand national (that i don't own any more ).. Here are the results i got back..

All solids were either not present (0) or were way below site and universal averages, as they always have been. No fluid contaminants (fuel, water, anti-freeze). Nominal viscosity change (!) and only minimal variation from TBN (TBN - 10, TBN at interval 9.2 - anything down to 2 is still acceptable according to their analysis). he also said that the TBN on Mobil 1 is 12 so it is clearly made of slightly better "stuff" but it only matters in the declination of the number. The flash rating of this oil is 498... which is right in there wth Amsoil which is top of its class in that rating of 508.

He also said that at 5000 miles regular oil would not be able to even come close to that number.

I was mistaken on one point though.. i said 5 quarts was 17 $ actually it was 13$ for 5 quarts.

in addition the WALLYmart oil has more ratings for different engines than any of the name oils and is one of the only affordable oil out there that is turbo rated (at least it used to be a few years ago).

Someone said that the key to oil is changing it about very 2000 to 3000 miles.. I agree with that.. I do that and that is why i use the wally mart stuff.. because i don't know about you all but 13$ is much better than 27$ Mobil.. It's all relative though... opinions on oil are just like a$$holes..

 

Use anything but Quaker State. I've heard a lot of people talk about sludge build up from it.

 

These threads are funny stuff!! Years ago starting out in the parts buisness, a then new boss told me" Son, there are three things while on the clock I don't want you having an oppinion on, religion, politics and motor oil, discusions on these are all great in moderation! "

 

Been using Pennsoil for a long time. I had a cam go flat on a fresh BBC rebuild before I learned about the zinc thing. I use the Delo for break in and first oil change, then back to Pennz.

 

Castol with a quart of Marval or Lucas on my daily and I just hit 286,000 last night on the way home

 

Was walking around the oil display at Wallyworld today while the wife bought groceries. Just like others have said, They have an "Accel" brand 10/40 motor oil with the SF rating intended for pre 1988 cars as stated on the bottle. I have no idea who the major manufacturer of this oil is. It is 2.17 per quart and looks like a good choice for my low horsepower , high mileage, 1985 350 cu.in. chevy truck. The truck has a flat tappet cam and with the SF rating there should be Zinc in it, right ?
I did by enough valvoline VR-1 to last me several years when Autozone had it 1/2 price in June for my hot rod though....

 

Valvoline Vr1 is good for hot weather but Kendall GT is the besy all around oil for the money. These are both good oils for older flat tappet engines

 

Brad penn.has the zinc and american made as well.very good stuff

 

question..if you are using an oil with no zinc or less zinc how long in miles or time would it take to develop a flat cam? how do you know?

 

15-40 rotella T with a quart of lucas in the bikes, the race car, and the drivers.

 

I used comp cams additive for the break in and the first oil change in the race motor. Hydraulic cam.

 

yup! my buddy manages a car quest. i use car quest brand 20w50 cuz i get it cheap and change it every 2500 miles or so.

 

Mystik Semi-Syn 15/50 for diesels.

 

When I bought my ISKY cam (flat tappet) they recommended BRAD_PENN

 

Rotella T

 

Using Wal-mar-chey (pronounced "shay") bo-bo brand 20-w50 with ZDDP plus. We'll see how it do's....