I recently contacted Valvoline about this. This is what they said:
Broc, thank you for contacting Valvoline Product Support.
Valvoline MaxLife Synthetic Blend motor oils are formulated with 830 ppm zinc and 770 ppm phosphorus. Although this oil is very capable of protecting flat tappet camshafts in stock pushrod V-8 engines, we do offer Valvoline VR-1 Racing 10W-30 and VR-1 Racing 20W-50 which contain 1400 ppm zinc and 1300 ppm phosphorus if higher levels are desired. VR-1 Racing oil is recommended for use in performance street engines, racing applications, and for use during the break-in of a new engine where the highest level of protection is required and modern emissions systems such as catalytic converters are not used.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us via phone at 800 TEAM VAL or by email at [email protected] for assistance.
Thank you and have a great day.
Michael
Valvoline Product Support
So I currently have only flat tappet motors at home. Wife's Jag is OHC, but nothing else and nothing I drive. I use Delo 400 15W-30 SD (severe duty) as my break-in oil on fresh flat tappet motors. It's 1,000+ PPM ZDDP, but according to all I have read, that's plenty.
Howards is my usual cam supplier and they specify Brad Penn oil which is 1,200 to keep the warranty, so I do that if using one of their cams. But, to me, it's always been about the cam assembly lube used - I only use Crane cam lube during assembly. And their recommendations are for break-in only.
Thing is all of these refiners are having to step back the ZDDP for most of their products. So they are doing alternative chemical strategies. Chevron claims 50% less wear with their new CK-4 HDEO's, even though they have less traditional AW compounds in them. I think most of the big refiners have had their labs working on organic calcium compounds and such with good success. And those will not show in VOA/UOA tests.
For flat tappet motors, it's all about the metal hardness of the cam lobe and the lifter face and the radius of the lifter face. Get any of those wrong, no oil will save you ... Ex was GM's soft cam cores in the late 1980's and onward for a while ...
If your engine is OEM stock or close to it, no sweat. I have over 220,000 on the Bronco now just running off the shelf oils. My last BBC Chevy truck left with over 400,000 and only it's second engine on mostly Chevron Supreme 10W-30 which, by modern standards, is nothing special.
If it's a Hi-Po street motor or a race engine, obviously that won't hold true. But that is due to much higher valve spring pressures. So then you are into oils for conditions. Follow your cam makers recommendations