Break-in oil No ZINC

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Hi yall, not long ago i posted an oil sample in another topic. Long story short.
Old 97 Audi receives brand spanking new engine unit (not rebuild) and for break-in oil was used this http://www.pqiadata.org/AutoZoneSAE30ND.html
Oil was used for 500 miles break in process. Every manufacturer recommends EXTRA anti wear additives, and i had none in the oil. Not visual damage was done, except some tiny metal flakes after 1-2-3 oil change withing first few months.
It is 4ppm Zinc, 0 moly, 0 boron, 10 calcium and 1 magnesium, 4 phos
Probably an average beer-pee would have more additives.

How good idea is to do that or should i say how bad idea is?
original post of UOA https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/foru...di-cabeiolet-650-mile-amsoil#Post5296367

Thank you
 
I would have used a good oil with Red Line Break In Oil Additive added to it. It is the first 20 minutes that is crucial for breaking in a new engine. Others might say the engine was already broken in when you got it, which could be the case. All I can say is you can't do anything more regarding that first crucial 20 minutes now. Having said that I would have a good oil in there now, a ZDDP additive, vary the speed for the first thousand miles, not beat on a cold engine, and at the end of a thousand miles change the oil and the filter.
 
Many engines need to be broken-in. Yours included. Let the process undergo, as it should.

There are new vehicle purchasers that replace factory-fill conventional or synblend oil with products like Mobil-1 EP, as soon as the new vehicle arrives home with 50 miles on it. Some of these vehicles will struggle to get broken-in, since top oils like Mobil-1 EP are rich in anti-wear ingredients.

My rule-of-thumb has been to keep factory-fill for at least 3-4k. I left and will leave the factory synblend in my (2) Korean models. At 3-4K, with the vehicle more modestly broken-in, I have in the past (my Hyundai) and in the future (my Kia), will then switch to full synthetic.

Don;t sweat your vehicle being broken-in for 500 miles, or even 5K miles. Let the process occur.
 
I wouldnt worry at all. I redid my head on my 97 1.8t and only ran 15/40 for 1500 mile intervals, that was 16 years ago and although I dont use the car much, it still runs fine and have put 110k on it since the head was done. Id probably run a shorter interval again, but after that go back to once a year/5k. My a4 is pearl also, I absolutely love that color!
 
It has oil in it, that's the main thing.

Too much AW/EP and you end up extending the process.

If you didn't run at high revs for over a second or two, you are likely good to go.
 
Why on earth did you purchase oil made for engines built in 1920?
Didnt you read the Classification of API SA ?

I suspect you didnt but nothing can be done about it now.
As far as how good or bad it is, well, you used an oil made for engines 80 years ago, no matter what anyone else posts, I would be kind of upset.
Heck, they most likely didnt know at that point in time that they could add zinc to oil.
 
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It was common in my younger years, especially race engine builders, to use a non-detergent oil for break in. But those engine machining and rebuilding days are long past.
 
Thats nuts. Whoever used that oil is very old school. Needs to be updated on oil. In the old days nd oil still had addatives. Todays nd oil does not. I would have used whatever oil the engine calls for and added a break in lube with it.
 
I would never use that oil for anything, except maybe a gas mower that had one foot in the grave. I hope you did not use it during the colder months in Chicago.
 
Originally Posted by rubberchicken
I would never use that oil for anything, except maybe a gas mower that had one foot in the grave. I hope you did not use it during the colder months in Chicago.


Not even in a mower after looking at the specs.
 
500 miles was a very short drain interval and doubtful if you did any real damage. My opinion..the rings/rockers/camshaft lobes/pistons and crankshaft/bearings polished in very quickly..500 miles is about right. Old school break-in. Not a problem.

Using a quality synthetic oil going forward and you are just fine.
 
I use Driven BR30 for break-in on my engines. Break-in oil is more about the type additives rather than the amount. You want additives that can activate at low temperature and pressure so they can start working from the moment the engine is fired. Miscibility at low temperatures is crucial to ensure good distribution of the additives throughout the engine. This is why a lot of break-in oils are straight grades with group I or II base oils with no VII.
 
Thanks for all the replies
Originally Posted by DB_Cooper
500 miles was a very short drain interval and doubtful if you did any real damage. My opinion..the rings/rockers/camshaft lobes/pistons and crankshaft/bearings polished in very quickly..500 miles is about right. Old school break-in. Not a problem.

Using a quality synthetic oil going forward and you are just fine.

I really hope thats the case here. After those 500 miles i started putting all the new Castrol, mobils, etc. Now amsoil all the 5w40 apropriate specs.
no noises smokes or rattles so far at 6100 miles.

Originally Posted by rubberchicken
I would never use that oil for anything, except maybe a gas mower that had one foot in the grave. I hope you did not use it during the colder months in Chicago.

It was made down south. And it had 0 cold starts at all.

Originally Posted by SLO_Town
Using that oil seems to be a very foolish thing to do. Look at every single FF UOA and you'll see every one of them has a full additive package.

Scott

I though so but the mechanic was master in the Audi dealership and installs new engines on all cars from A3 to R8 and his knowledge for any small details was on another level.

At this point i was not aware of this forum and oil analysis and that car was my first DIY steps. I started changin oil at around that moment as well as brake job and other misc stuff. If i knew I would definitely get a sample and see whats inside. Maybe there was something else added but who knows.
Kind of too late to even write about it but i though its good to share and would be interesting for some of the folks here

Originally Posted by Audios
My a4 is pearl also, I absolutely love that color!

yes, totally

here is the story i sent to blackstone with the last UOA
http://media.snimka.bg/s1/6482/039207331-big.jpg
http://media.snimka.bg/s1/6482/039207334-big.jpg
 
I doubt you have anything wrong with the engine, and you changed it after a low amount of miles. Do a UOA on the next change and monitor the progress.
 
Quote
...If i knew I would definitely get a sample and see whats inside. Maybe there was something else added but who knows...


For sure this whole thing is an after-the-fact situation and you really don't know what the total oil make-up is.

Hopefully the mechanic used a break-in oil or paste to coat the bearings and camshaft and or added a break-in oil supplement such as EOS or other supplement high in Anti-Wear agents.

If I were you I would get an engine rebuild manual for this engine and find out what the break-in procedure is and what oil is required.

With all of the modern break-in oils out there I can't fathom why any mechanic would use a monograde SA rated oil for break-in, if indeed that is what he used.
 
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This is a great thread, as zinc both encourages wear and discourages it. Would it not be better to have nothing in the oil for break it? I like the idea, but I think it would take some pretty fancy testing above my pay grade to answer the question.
 
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