A good read on motor oil

[c9zx]

https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/diesel-oil-in-gasoline-engine/Taken from TAcoupe's post on the Boss 302 forum. Chuck

 

[Stanglover]

Interesting read. Thanks Chuck.

 

[tony-muscle]

Very good indeed. Maybe using diesel oil is not the best option for a gasoline engine.

 

[Stanglover]

I'll have to look for the following articles.

 

[CarCrazy73]

Good article. I’ve been told by various auto mechanics and engineers,(there opinions) for older cars the best solution is a conventional oil with a ZDDP additive. Synthetic oils tend to rot out gaskets on either original non rebuilt engines and/or older rebuilds causing oil leaks.

 

[timachone]

Thanks for the article, Chuck! Very interesting read!

 

[c9zx]

Good article. I’ve been told by various auto mechanics and engineers,(there opinions) for older cars the best solution is a conventional oil with a ZDDP additive. Synthetic oils tend to rot out gaskets on either original non rebuilt engines and/or older rebuilds causing oil leaks.

Synthetic will not rot out gaskets. It will remove the gunk from the cracks in the gasket revealing the leak. It will also clean most of the carbon out of the ring grooves allowing the rings to move more freely and seal better and reduce consumption. I'm not a fan of most oil additives, including ZDDP additives. Each oil manufacturer formulates their additive packages (ant-wear, anti-foaming, viscosity modifiers, level and kind of ZDDP, etc.) somewhat differently. Introducing additives outside of the formulation can have adverse effects, like ZDDP overdose for example. Is synthetic appropriate for all engines in all situations, probably not. Chuck

 

[piper62j]

I agree with c9zx. The current synthetic oils out there are a blend and safe to use on older engines.. I contacted Amalie oil and was enlightened by their response.. No worries now on my 68 Galaxie engine..

 

[tony-muscle]

Synthetic will not rot out gaskets. It will remove the gunk from the cracks in the gasket revealing the leak. It will also clean most of the carbon out of the ring grooves allowing the rings to move more freely and seal better and reduce consumption. I'm not a fan of most oil additives, including ZDDP additives. Each oil manufacturer formulates their additive packages (ant-wear, anti-foaming, viscosity modifiers, level and kind of ZDDP, etc.) somewhat differently. Introducing additives outside of the formulation can have adverse effects, like ZDDP overdose for example. Is synthetic appropriate for all engines in all situations, probably not. Chuck

Great explanation!

 

[turtle5353]

I still like my old Rotella 15/40

 

[c9zx]

A follow up article on ZDDP additives. It touches on ZDDP overdose. Chuck
https://www.onallcylinders.com/2018...e-with-off-the-shelf-motor-oil-to-save-money/

 

[jspears]

https://schaeffersoilshop.com/products/0708-006-supreme™-7000-synthetic-plus-racing-oil-15w-40
called racing oil because it does not meet the current engine oil standards. It does protect flat tappet cams and is not formulated to be better for diesels or gasoline engines. Most racing oils are designed to be drained after every race but this stuff has anti corrosion and oxidative stability. Diesel specific oils (modern) are not designed to handle the water vapor that a gas engine puts out. There are other oils out there but this one was recommended to me by someone who actually has his own engine oil formulation but does not advertize this or sell it to anyone. Probably for liability issues or sponsorship or to keep it from being analized or to keep the formula from being changed or whatever. Nascar doesn't use tide in the car either right.

 

[Stanglover]

A follow up article on ZDDP additives. It touches on ZDDP overdose. Chuck
https://www.onallcylinders.com/2018...e-with-off-the-shelf-motor-oil-to-save-money/

I bookmarked that link. Interesting indeed. I think I'll be using a different oil in Spring when the car is on the road again. in the past, I've used Castrol GTX 10W30 plus ZDDP. May have been not such a good idea!

 

[Hemikiller]

I've been running Rotella T4 conventional 10W30 with good results. Seeing that Castrol has now released their "Classic" 20W50 that's intended for flat tappet engines, hopefully they'll release a 10W30 or 10W40 in the near future for the factory stock types. The 20W50 is $25 for a 5 quart jug, which sure beats the $8~$15/qt price of the "specialty" high zinc conventional oils.

 

[kevken1959]

Very good reads, but I'm still a little confused as to the best way to go. I have a moderate build 351C 4V in my 1972 Q code Grabber Blue Convertible that has been driven sparingly over the past 15 years. I run the car hard about once a year. I have not had an engine failure yet. During most of that time I ran 20W50 Castrol or Valvolene. I always added a pint or so of this as well: https://lucasoil.com/products/engine-oil-additives/heavy-duty-oil-stabilizer. I got hooked on the Lucas Oil Stabilizer when I played with one of those little displays at the local parts house showing how much better the oil stuck to the little Teflon gears when the stabilizer was used. Most people probably don't know what I'm talking about, unless they are an old geezer like me. When I heard about the issues with low zinc, I started adding a small bottle of ZDDP with each oil change. In Birmingham, AL the outside temperature stays hot most of the time when I'm driving the car, so the higher viscosity didn't bother me. I was satisfied with my oil pressure staying around 60 at idle and 80 while cruising. Then I got the idea to switch to low viscosity 5W40 ? Mobil One while still using the additives, and now I don't like my oil pressure which now runs 35 to 60 most of the time. So far the car is not using any oil. I'm thinking about going back now with just 20W50 Castrol. Any ideas?

 

[Stanglover]

I've been running Rotella T4 conventional 10W30 with good results. Seeing that Castrol has now released their "Classic" 20W50 that's intended for flat tappet engines, hopefully they'll release a 10W30 or 10W40 in the near future for the factory stock types. The 20W50 is $25 for a 5 quart jug, which sure beats the $8~$15/qt price of the "specialty" high zinc conventional oils.

I've not seen that Castrol oil here in Ontario yet, but I'll definitely keep my eyes open, especially for 10W30. I've been a Castrol fan forever.

 

[kevken1959]

I've not seen that Castrol oil here in Ontario yet, but I'll definitely keep my eyes open, especially for 10W30. I've been a Castrol fan forever.

Castrol just seems to hold it's viscosity better and I have good oil pressure with it, especially the 20W50. I even run it in my Dodge Stealth RT Twin Turbo which is notorious for having low oil pressures.

 

[Stanglover]

Castrol just seems to hold it's viscosity better and I have good oil pressure with it, especially the 20W50. I even run it in my Dodge Stealth RT Twin Turbo which is notorious for having low oil pressures.

I just submitted an enquiry to Castrol about the Classic product and why is it only in 20W50 formulation. No idea when I'll get a reply. I'd prefer to run 10W30, or is that just my old school thinking?

 

[Cleveland Crush]

Very good reads, but I'm still a little confused as to the best way to go. I have a moderate build 351C 4V in my 1972 Q code Grabber Blue Convertible that has been driven sparingly over the past 15 years. I run the car hard about once a year. I have not had an engine failure yet. During most of that time I ran 20W50 Castrol or Valvolene. I always added a pint or so of this as well: https://lucasoil.com/products/engine-oil-additives/heavy-duty-oil-stabilizer. I got hooked on the Lucas Oil Stabilizer when I played with one of those little displays at the local parts house showing how much better the oil stuck to the little Teflon gears when the stabilizer was used. Most people probably don't know what I'm talking about, unless they are an old geezer like me. When I heard about the issues with low zinc, I started adding a small bottle of ZDDP with each oil change. In Birmingham, AL the outside temperature stays hot most of the time when I'm driving the car, so the higher viscosity didn't bother me. I was satisfied with my oil pressure staying around 60 at idle and 80 while cruising. Then I got the idea to switch to low viscosity 5W40 ? Mobil One while still using the additives, and now I don't like my oil pressure which now runs 35 to 60 most of the time. So far the car is not using any oil. I'm thinking about going back now with just 20W50 Castrol. Any ideas?

Hey kevken, why aren't you happy with 30psi low and 60 psi high oil pressure? That's right where Ford wants it.
PS-Very familiar with the Lucas oil gear display. Play with it every time I'm at our local Autozone!

 

[Steve McMahan]

Wait, I thought “old geezer” was an entry criteria for this forum?