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

[69Bee]

I need more customers like some of you guys, I'd never run out of work...

 

[69a100]

I need more customers like some of you guys, I'd never run out of work...

Would you care to elaborate on that as to why?

 

[Davison]

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?

There are so many good high zinc/phosphorous oils on the market I decided not to play chemist and let the professionals do it. Take your pick: VR1, Mobil 1 15w-50, Penn Grade, Shell Rotella T-4, driven, and others as mentioned...

 

[Richard Cranium]

How's Brad Penn oil?

 

[Slap Stick]

Its Penn Grade now.

 

[Ranger16]

Shell Rotella T-5 and a zinc additive.

 

[SlinktRR]

I have been using Gibbs hot rod HR6 10w40 in a 499ci with .600 lift solid flat tappet cam for a few years now with a long storage period in between. Great oil recommended by my engine builder. IMHO it's better to use a formulated oil rather than adding zddp separately.

 

[69Bee]

How's Brad Penn oil?

As long as it is a "High Zinc" oil, you should be fine. I have never heard anything bad about Brad Penn.

 

[69Bee]

Would you care to elaborate on that as to why?

Because of the myths and you-tube misinformation. A flat tappet cam engine requires a "High Zinc" oil (whichever brand is your favorite) from break-in and on... I am just relaying proven technical information, and what you do with it is up to you.

 

[khryslerkid]

How's Brad Penn oil?

Its Penn Grade now.

And it used to be Kendall, it's still the same formula and still green

We just did yet another thread on this the other week. I contacted "Penn Grade" when "Brad Penn" sold to them and asked if anything was different. They placed my call through to one of the head chemist and he stated it's still the same as Brad Penn, still the same as the original Kendall.

I was about to break in my new flat tappet cam and asked about using a additive. He said it's already formulated with the proper amount of ZDDP and adding anything else will change the properties and could be defeating the purpose.

Sounds good to me. Cam break in went great, checked everything 500 miles later, went to Penn Grade partial synthetic after the break in and alls good.

 

[Dennis H]

You loved Brad.

 

[minnesota guy]

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

I concur. I use only 2 oils and no additives in my 440's street and strip.
1. Amsoil
Signature Series (only this one of their types) 5w -30
2. Quaker State Ultimate Durability 5w-30--Full Synthetic.
I will never ever worry about cam failures with these 2 oils. It has been shown over and over, that adding an extra product to the oil such as s zinc-may use upset the oil companies formulation and as a result, give you much less PSI protection of the oil.
I blew out 2 cams in Fresh 440's years ago. Wondering what went wrong. Never saw that in the previous 20 years. I did research. A guy called "540 Ratguy" has a blog and has tested and listed well over 200 oils. You would be shocked at some of the high price-so called--specialty oils that perform badly in a PSI test. You must avoid the catchy marketing and cleve bottles thinking you are pouring in magic, because so many oils don't perform. He also has many topics on the same site talking about the myth of adding zinc, thinking that is your cure all. Many horror stories of starting fresh motors, adding a bottle of magic zinc (from whoever) and then wiping out the cam lobes. He also talks strongly against break in oils that offer much less protection. If you use the 2 oils for example I use, you don't need to do any special break in. Go out and drive the vehicle.
If anything, it is a great read. I go to his site often to see if he has tested any new oils. You can also ask him questions if you find him full of BS and he will answer you. I can tell you that my 440 takes longer to heat up running Amsoil Signature series 5w 30 than other previous oils. This specific oil has the highest recorded PSI value on his records. (Other than adding "Pro-Long" to oil which he has shown results as well...and actually adding Prolong to oil is a better cam break in than adding "zinc"

Just my 2 cents....I do not sell Amsoil...Never used it before until last year.

 

[Budnicks]

And it used to be Kendall, it's still the same formula and still green

We just did yet another thread on this the other week. I contacted "Penn Grade" when "Brad Penn" sold to them and asked if anything was different. They placed my call through to one of the head chemist and he stated it's still the same as Brad Penn, still the same as the original Kendall.

I was about to break in my new flat tappet cam and asked about using an additive. He said it's already formulated with the proper amount of ZDDP and adding anything else will change the properties and could be defeating the purpose.

Sounds good to me. Cam break-in went great, checked everything 500 miles later, went to Penn Grade partial synthetic after the break-in, and alls good.

I use to Use the old Kendall oils (before Brad Penn)
(Kendall Oil, Chuck Etchells NHRA F/C sponsored fame )
I never really ever had any issues
(albeit I'm not a huge fan of any paraffin-based oils, like those from Penn.)
before I got sponsored by Torko Racing, best oil I ever used
& for a while Amsoil, great product too
I use Royal Purple Synthetic in my DD's, 99 Dakota for about 15 years now
hydraulic roller camshaft & HS 1.7:1 roller rockers
(at $8.00 a qt it's far cheaper than many other synthetics & it's done very well)
Shell Rotella in the Powerstroke diesel

I still do use a break-in oil, with Phosphorous zinc
whenever I 1st fire any motor up
I figure it's not going to be in there long anyway,
it can't really hurt much
(newer engines, rollers (can be too thick, make sure to get the proper viscosity)
& computer control &/or catalytic converters or O2 sensors it may affect/effect)

If you're running any type of flat tappet camshaft
just make sure to do the proper camshaft break-in procedures

better to be safe than sorry

to each their own

even if it's just old school "hyperbole", it's never let me down
maybe all of the engines

 

[khryslerkid]

I use to Use the old Kendall oils (before Brad Penn)
(Kendall Oil, Chuck Etchells NHRA F/C sponsored fame )
I never really ever had any issues
(albeit I'm not a huge fan of any paraffin-based oils, like those from Penn.)
before I got sponsored by Torko Racing, best oil I ever used
& for a while Amsoil, great product too
I use Royal Purple Synthetic in my DD's, 99 Dakota for about 15 years now
hydraulic roller camshaft & HS 1.7:1 roller rockers
(at $8.00 a qt it's far cheaper than many other synthetics & it's done very well)
Shell Rotella in the Powerstroke diesel

I still do use a break-in oil, with Phosphorous zinc
whenever I 1st fire any motor up
I figure it's not going to be in there long anyway,
it can't really hurt much
(newer engines, rollers (can be too thick, make sure to get the proper viscosity)
& computer control &/or catalytic converters or O2 sensors it may affect/effect)

If you're running any type of flat tappet camshaft
just make sure to do the proper camshaft break-in procedures

better to be safe than sorry

to each their own

even if it's just old school "hyperbole", it's never let me down
maybe all of the engines

Back in the 70's and 80's I owned three different CB 750 Hondas. Every one had a noisy primary chain especially in neutral and with the clutch out. Nature of the beast you might say but the only oil that would quite this down was Kendall.

My father-in-law and brother-in-law both bought brand new V Twin Hondas and they had noisy valves. They tried adjusting the valves, changed to different brand oils and couldn't get rid of the tinny valve noise. My brother-in-law took my advice first and tried the Kendall. The noise was totally gone. He tried relentlessly to get his Dad to change over and finally he did with the same results.

Those small engines are sensitive to octane differences, oil viscosity and quality and you'll see and hear the difference quicker than a V8 engine.

My wife at the time had a AMC 258 six cylinder and she would have her dad change the oil when it was due. Well he swore by Quaker State. One day checking the oil level, it needed a quart. I removed the oil cap and there was this nasty white and tan goo hanging off of it.

I had a case of Kendall and just changed the oil and filter. I didn't clean off the nasty crap on the valve cover cap on purpose and two days later removed it and it was as clean as new. The Kendall cleaned it off.

Just a couple examples of my experience with Kendall, "The Green Oil"

 

[hunt2elk]

How's Brad Penn oil?

Been using Brad Penn and now Penn Grade for the last 15 years and knock on wood, no problems.

 

[khryslerkid]

Been using Brad Penn and now Penn Grade for the last 15 years and knock on wood, no problems.

Do you buy if from Summit? I'm living right here where it's been made for all these years and no one local stocks it.

 

[hunt2elk]

Do you buy if from Summit? I'm living right here where it's been made for all these years and no one local stocks it.

There is an auto salvage parts store a couple of towns away from me that sells it. Wasn't that long ago they were getting $50/case. The last box of it that I bought this summer was $62, and they mentioned that it will be going up by the next time I need more. Guess I have been lucky as I see Amazon is $88 and Summit is at $113.

 

[69L48Z27]

VR-1 10w/30 is very affordable for a high zinc oil. When you have a fleet as large as Richard’s it takes a lot of oil. Not sure if you get 55 gal drums.

Now the next thread should be - ‘How often do you change your oil’. Miles and/or time.

If Kendall became Penn Grade, what is the Kendall that’s on the market now?

 

[khryslerkid]

If Kendall became Penn Grade, what is the Kendall that’s on the market now

I'm thinking the non ZDDP formula.

 

[Slap Stick]

Its ConocoPhillips.