I've been researching this whole thing about oils not having enough zinc in them. I had Blackstone Labs test Penzoil 10w40 oil out of the bottle. 373 ppm zinc. I put that same oil in my Olds along with Camshield according to their directions. I ran the car about 400 miles and had the oil tested. It came back showing about 1200 ppm zinc. I would consider that the minimum for an old engine. So I'm satisfied that Camshield does what it's advertised to do. The alternative would be to use Brad Penn oil. But it's part synthetic so I not sure I want to put it in a 45 year old engine. They claim it won't hurt the seals but I'm not willing to take the chance.

 

my mechanic told me yesterday that Shell Rotella was dropping the zinc, leaving only Joe Gibbs Racing Oil http://www.joegibbsracingoil.com/ ($10/qt) as the only option left.

that's what I was told. and I was assured that my 75/76 need the zinc.

I asked about an additive and was told the detergent counteracts the zinc.

 

i think that camshield is one of the better ones out there. i personally know of some tests that were done with it and got similar results to yours.

 

I have had no problems running synthetic oil in my '71 350.

 

Modern oil has always had detergents and sufficient zinc in them. I really don't think the detergents woud affect the zinc additive. That's why I had the oil tested before and after running it in my car. The zinc was still there in correct amounts.

Joe Gibbs oil is a good alternative but very expensive. Brad Penn would be a better alternative. It has sufficient zinc. The fact that it's part synthetic keeps me from putting it in an old engine that hasn't been rebuilt. I use it in my cars from the 90's that don't have roller bearing lifters.

 

Today a guy at my local parts store recommended Valvoline Racing Oil.
It still has the ZDDP additive, comes in both straight weight and multi-viscosity and is less $$$ than Joe Gibbs or Brad Penn. I'll give it a try next oil change and see.

 

I run the Valvoline Racing Oil in the 455 and everything is fine so far.

 

x2 on the VR1.

 

x3, VR1

 

If your car is a daily driver or weekend warrior it will be fine with Wal Mart oil if you change it regularly. All oils today are superior to what they had 30 years ago. FWIW, I use Rotella T (even if they are dropping Zinc). I can get it cheaply at Sam's Club.

 

Racing oils have plenty of zinc but lack the detergents for going more than a few hundred miles between oil changes. Todays oils are superior to those years ago except in this category. Modern engines have roller bearing lifters. Check with any camshaft manufacturer. They won't guarantee a new cam like they used to. I suggest everyone do their own research like I did. Don' take somebody's word unless they have the data to back it up.

 

VR1 racing for street use has low detergents which is not an issue if you
you change oil every 3000 miles or less. The not street legal VR1 has no detergents at all.

 

Last oil change I added 1.5 quarts of 20 50 VR1. Next oil change I'll go to 100%. I was concerned about the deturgent content so I used mostly conventional.

 

Personally, I cannot be bothered with the 3000 mile change and anyway prefer detergent.

I don`t know anything about racing oils but assume a lack of detergent is acceptable owing to frequent oil changes .?

As I recall it detergents used to be(and no doubt still are) to act as surfactants-ie to lower the surface tension .thats a positive .Also they assisted in keeping particles in suspension to be trapped by the filter. The downsides were when high temp and pressure occurred. The detergent deposited as a shellac type compound . The other downside was in hydraulic systems --can cause foaming.
Seems to me it`s "horses for courses " and one purchases oil for a specific purpose .
I am unable to buy camshield here but I look for a zinc oil with at least 0.1 %
mike

 

So just how little detergents are there in racing oils? I would like to see facts please.

 

Here is what Brad Penn says about their oil:

BRAD PENN® Penn Grade 1® High Performance Oils also contain highly effective detergent and dispersant additives to guarantee exceptional engine cleanliness as well as oxidation and foam inhibitors that offer protection against thermal degradation and air entrainment.
In addition to our unique base oil cut, increased concentration of “zinc” (zinc dialkyldithiophosphate a.k.a. ZDDP) provides outstanding anti-wear/anti-scuffing protection for engines employing either ‘flat tappet’ or roller cams. BRAD PENN® Penn Grade 1® High Performance Oils have been evaluated by a number of premiere camshaft manufacturers with tremendous success. Many are now recommending our Penn Grade 1® High Performance Oils to provide outstanding protection for their ‘flat tappet’ or roller cams.

 

Twas not I 380 who made the claim .twas Nilsson .I have no idea .As I said --I will try to google it and if I find anything other than you rlast post ,I will report back.
mike

 

here we are a few %ages


http://www.zddplus.com/TechBrief5%20...20SM%20Oil.pdf

 

Sorry.

 

Here is the facts you requested. Follow the link to the Valvoline website. Why do racing oils typically have less detergents? Because more detergents can have an adverse effect on the oil film shear strength. I don't care about detergents I change my oil
often enough it is not an issue. I do care about detergents in my daily driver that gets an oil change every 7500 miles.

Is this Brad Penn you refer to high performance or racing?

http://www.valvoline.com/faqs/motor-oil/racing-oil/76

 

My daily driver will have flat tappets. So, in this scenario what oil would be recommended that would not have to be changed every 3000 miles (due to detergent issues).

I am looking at VR1, AMSOIL, and Royal Purple.

 

It all boils down to: I will use what I want and you will use what you want.

 

If you have fat tappets you definitely need the proper amount of zinc. Either use camshield or Brad Penn Oil which is an everyday oil with the right amount of zinc and detergents. Do some research on the net. The ones you mentioned I don't feel have sufficient zinc. They used to but with the government getting into the act they're slowing removing it.

 

I have been perusing the net and came up with this oil which seems to have the most (that I have come across) ZDDP.

http://goldenmotorguard.com/cart/ind...&products_id=5

and from what I have read it is repackaged as a Summit brand located here:

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-MG10W40/

I might try it... but still doing research.

 

Try this web site for a zinc and phosphorous additive which is pretty straightforward to use.

http://www.zddplus.com

 

I use just about any good grade oil then add a bottle of EOS. Worked fine for me for years.
My contact at Erson says they are now putting a notice in every flat tappet cam. No "diesel oils", Rotella etc. Too many detergents.

 

Nice going defiant1: those links show there is another alternative out there. Notice it says not for use in cars with catalytic converters. That's why the government has forced the oil companies to reduce the zinc in oils. It slowly destroys the catalyst. Your converter may only last 100,000 miles. Big deal.

Zddplus and EOS will work but I've found Cam-shield to be a lot cheaper.

Some people used to think Diesel oils were the answer but like someone said, they have too much detergent.