Buy oil with zinc, or just buy regular oil & the zinc additive?

[Richard Cranium]

Oils with zinc tend to be more expensive versus off the shelf oil. Not that I'm a cheap bastard, just curious.

What do you all have to say?

 

[tnfastback]

I do both. After spending the coin on machine shop and parts $7 extra an oil change is cheap Insurance. JMO

 

[69Bee]

Do it correct the first time, and get the oil with zinc already mixed in the proper proportion. Using an additive has so many negatives, and can actually make conditions worse such as improper ring seating.

 

[bearman]

Buy premix if you going to do it. I have taken oil samples from additives from the store and some have more and some have less. But the oils that I have samples from are basic flat line same stuff. Additives is exactly what it is I see shops if it's a quart low they add the additive to bring it up to the full mark and that boost up the oil additive to keep the oil in balance. If you are changing your oil and filter every three thousand do the oil. If you run it out to five thousand stay with the oil. If you go higher say ten thousand use your additive to boost up your oil. Beware of long term drains many other factors can destroy your oil faster than just time. Keep your intake pipe clamps good and tight and change the air cleaner often.

 

[bandit67]

Scanning u tube the other nite, watched this guys vid on proper engine break in. He buys the 10 bucks a quart break in oil for all his engines first fire. And this is what I had never heard. He said MOST all lifters made today are made by one of two companies. He said from his experience with other engine builders also, MOST all cam/lifter failures happen with one brand. And he would not name that company but did say, You want lifters made by the other company , Delfi. Then he showed a lifter with a little black line around the lifter base and said , This is what you want to use.....and held up a Competition Cams box. Not sure if any of what he said is true, or all horse hockey, but he sounded very knowledgeable ......food for thought....

 

[T2R9]

With zinc, I stock up when Amazon has a sale.

 

[Aarons Air]

According to google, the phosphorus in zinc can cause carbon build up in valve trains & bores. Which is why it was removed. Google also says it helps protect flat tappet cams from wearing out prematurely. I've bought two bottles of lucas additive, for engine break ins, recently. The additive alone was $15 a bottle.

 

[Aarons Air]

Scanning u tube the other nite, watched this guys vid on proper engine break in. He buys the 10 bucks a quart break in oil for all his engines first fire. And this is what I had never heard. He said MOST all lifters made today are made by one of two companies. He said from his experience with other engine builders also, MOST all cam/lifter failures happen with one brand. And he would not name that company but did say, You want lifters made by the other company , Delfi. Then he showed a lifter with a little black line around the lifter base and said , This is what you want to use.....and held up a Competition Cams box. Not sure if any of what he said is true, or all horse hockey, but he sounded very knowledgeable ......food for thought....

I had a 440 built for a cuda i had. Used comp cam lifters & cam. The lifters had pieces as big as match heads break off and go through the fresh engine.

 

[Dennis H]

Spend your moldy money. Amsoil Signature 10-40 in the BB’s. High Zinc.

 

[R413]

The shelf oils has too much detergent. This high detergent blocks your zinc additive from working like they claim. The high detergent helps out the high mileage oil change intervals recommended in the maintenance schedules on new cars.

Read some oil tests. They test the oil XYZ, then add a zinc additive to the same XYZ oil and the lube quality goes down.

Modern cars have roller cams and don’t need the zinc, which also damages cat converters.

Do we know that the two liquids will mix and work correctly? not really.

Buy the right oil from the start and forget it. Look for a sale and stock up.

 

[747mopar]

I've done both but just run Schaeffer's now, it's formulated for it and isn't expensive. Not a well known name but I deal with them through work and have faith in their products. With a lot of these big companies your paying for all the fancy advertising.

 

[Slap Stick]

The reason zinc was reduced in oil is because it damages catalytic converters over time.

 

[69a100]

I just buy whatever's on sale along with a can of STP oil treatment when I need oil change. I tend not to over think things!

 

[slepr1]

I just buy whatever's on sale along with a can of STP oil treatment when I need oil change. I tend not to over think things!

I do the exact thing on my fairly stock 440 in the cuda. Actually it all went on sale at Walmart a month ago and bought enough for 4 oil changes.
Then I saw the following video. I'll use up my stock and may rethink.

 

[slepr1]

I buy premixed VR1 for my 500hp 440. For my fairly stock 440 in my 71 Cuda I buy regular Valvoline and add a bottle of stp. Most info I find on zinc says once the engine is broken in, the higher level of zinc isn't needed anymore. Regular valvoline oil has sufficient zinc in it. I still like adding a bit of insurance though.

 

[turbine68rt]

VR-1 since break-in. So far so good.

 

[MarPar]

Not that I'm a cheap bastard

 

[Danny Boy]

WOW!
That is enlightning....

 

[451Mopar]

Been doing roller cams in the engines, so it is not a big issue.
I do like that Break-In oil have less detergent than regular oil, so you would have to specify if the oil/additive is for break-in or just regular driving.
In the past I have used VR-1, and a can of additive and not had issues.

 

[dla4567]

It’s not just the zinc but the balance of all the additives.