Has anyone on this forum ever had an oil related engine failure?
oil related engine failure?
- Thread starter DCRamsey
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1972 Impala with a 350. When the engine was done about 6 years ago my engine builder said straight 30 weight. Last fall it wiped a cam lobe, and he said it was the fact that zinc was taken out of oils and causing cam failures. He told me to use Rotella 15 40 as has zinc. My normal mechanic says the engine guy is full of it and that a synthetic has twice the lubrication properties and after break in, will be better than such a thick oil.
Cam failure
Quote:
1972 Impala with a 350. When the engine was done about 6 years ago my engine builder said straight 30 weight. Last fall it wiped a cam lobe, and he said it was the fact that zinc was taken out of oils and causing cam failures. He told me to use Rotella 15 40 as has zinc. My normal mechanic says the engine guy is full of it and that a synthetic has twice the lubrication properties and after break in, will be better than such a thick oil.
Cam failure
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Last ones I heard about were many years back. Pennzoil put the wrong additive package in a number of batches, and the oil gelled when cold. Shortly thereafter, they "gave" their extended warranty if one used their product and had it installed by someone other than the owner on a regular basis.
About the same time, there were a number of engine failures, think somewhere in the Dakotas (or that area), where the repeated subzero
and thawing cycles took away the ability to pump well when cold.
Now, failure to change oil, oil pump failure, oil filter failure (or wrong filter), engine design causing sludging---sure.
About the same time, there were a number of engine failures, think somewhere in the Dakotas (or that area), where the repeated subzero
and thawing cycles took away the ability to pump well when cold.
Now, failure to change oil, oil pump failure, oil filter failure (or wrong filter), engine design causing sludging---sure.
While this COULD have been oil related, it is my belief that camshafts and camshaft lifters have been made from inferior materials in the last 10 years, especially for the small block Chevy. For about $160, I see a lot of "rebuild" kits that include the pistons, rings, bearings, lifters, camshaft and gaskets for the Chevy 350. You cannot make me believe that all these parts are good, old, American made quality parts. I also know that a lot of camshaft manufacturers buy blanks from questionable sources and just grind them to their own specs and since they cannot check the quality from start to finish, the end result has come back to bite them in the butt.
Then it's real easy to put the blame on the manufacturer of the oil. JMO.
Then it's real easy to put the blame on the manufacturer of the oil. JMO.
Originally Posted By: **** in Falls Church
Last ones I heard about were many years back. Pennzoil put the wrong additive package in a number of batches, and the oil gelled when cold.
Was this Pennzoil or was it Quaker State? I do remember that in the early 80s, Quaker State put a lifetime warranty on engines that used Quaker State from the very first oil change and thereafter. There was an oil rep that came around to where I worked and explained the warranty and said they were having "gelling" problems. Never heard any more about it, but I do remember it was Quaker State. Pennzoil and QS were not owned by the same company back then, were they?
Last ones I heard about were many years back. Pennzoil put the wrong additive package in a number of batches, and the oil gelled when cold.
Was this Pennzoil or was it Quaker State? I do remember that in the early 80s, Quaker State put a lifetime warranty on engines that used Quaker State from the very first oil change and thereafter. There was an oil rep that came around to where I worked and explained the warranty and said they were having "gelling" problems. Never heard any more about it, but I do remember it was Quaker State. Pennzoil and QS were not owned by the same company back then, were they?
Yes it was QS, winter of 80-81 I believe. Lost over a thousand engines due to a VII problem causing gelling with a slow cooling temperature cycle. The MRV test was developed as a result of this incident.
Tom NJ
Tom NJ
Originally Posted By: DCRamsey
Has anyone on this forum ever had an oil related engine failure?
As in forgetting to check the oil?
Yeah there have been 10+ over the years posted here. Usually with a quote along the lines of "oh I never got a low oil light/oh I thought it was like fuel, fill up when you run out"
Has anyone on this forum ever had an oil related engine failure?
As in forgetting to check the oil?
Yeah there have been 10+ over the years posted here. Usually with a quote along the lines of "oh I never got a low oil light/oh I thought it was like fuel, fill up when you run out"
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Originally Posted By: Chris71
I've never had one but lots of people have wiped cams due to a lack of zinc and phosphorous in their oils.
Most cam failure complaints I've heard about are from improper break-in and happen either very early in the refitted engine/cam's life ..or in a very tired engine ..in most cases with high spring rates.
I'll also have to go with materials. How many OEM cams on pushrod engines have you ever heard of failing? I'm sure that there are some, but I'll be darned if I can recall one unless it was on a 30 year old relic that was neglected its entire existence.
I've never had one but lots of people have wiped cams due to a lack of zinc and phosphorous in their oils.
Most cam failure complaints I've heard about are from improper break-in and happen either very early in the refitted engine/cam's life ..or in a very tired engine ..in most cases with high spring rates.
I'll also have to go with materials. How many OEM cams on pushrod engines have you ever heard of failing? I'm sure that there are some, but I'll be darned if I can recall one unless it was on a 30 year old relic that was neglected its entire existence.
Gary in the late 70s and early 80s G.M. had their share.
Cams rely on the additives to protect them.
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Originally Posted By: Steve S
Gary in the late 70s and early 80s G.M. had their share.
..but that could hardly be attributed to additive levels. It had to either be an engine design issue (inadequate oiling) ..or a material issue with the cams themselves. This is surely most apparent in that you said "GM" ..and not "auto industry wide".
They didn't hang the right engineer or bean counter and, much like the intake gasket problems, tried the same process expecting different results.
Gary in the late 70s and early 80s G.M. had their share.
..but that could hardly be attributed to additive levels. It had to either be an engine design issue (inadequate oiling) ..or a material issue with the cams themselves. This is surely most apparent in that you said "GM" ..and not "auto industry wide".
They didn't hang the right engineer or bean counter and, much like the intake gasket problems, tried the same process expecting different results.
Seen a Civic with a cam that snapped in half. It came in with super sludged crankcase full of BRAND NEW oil on top lol... like adding oil after the cam snaps is going to join it back together ....
I had a Crane Cam fail in a 22RE that I built up like a race engine includeing triple valve springs. I routinely turned 9500 RPM's on that engine valve float happened at 10,000. Two lobes wiped out and self destructed. I replaced it with an OEM cam but kept all the rest of the high perforamnce valvetrain in tact and never had a problem. Crane refused to stand behind their product. Never mind I used their assembly lube and and SAE 30 Wt. + a can of GM EOS for the first 20minute Run in wich was kept above 2000 RPMS the entire time etc.... I did everything by the book. I will never use any of their products again because they wouldnot stand behind their product. You could see a huge air pocket inside what was left of the lobes core. It did not take a rocket scientist to tell what happened. They did not properly degasse the material before they forged the blank and they did not heat treat it properly and they did not sonicly test the part either that is for sure!
So now when I build an engine I test the hardness of the lobes first against what the manufacture claims it should be. I get them nitrided and as wel as the lifters or followers. I have also considered useing NEO's ZDDP coating process though. You notice OEM cams are not failing left and right even in asian products that seldom use a rollerized top end!
So now when I build an engine I test the hardness of the lobes first against what the manufacture claims it should be. I get them nitrided and as wel as the lifters or followers. I have also considered useing NEO's ZDDP coating process though. You notice OEM cams are not failing left and right even in asian products that seldom use a rollerized top end!
I had one of the soft cam GM products, though I read somewhere it could have last longer if I had used the new 5w30 that had come out instead of the cheaper 10w30 which the manual said was ok down to -30C or so.
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Originally Posted By: oilyriser
I had one of the soft cam GM products, though I read somewhere it could have last longer if I had used the new 5w30 that had come out instead of the cheaper 10w30 which the manual said was ok down to -30C or so.
See? It's all your fault
I had one of the soft cam GM products, though I read somewhere it could have last longer if I had used the new 5w30 that had come out instead of the cheaper 10w30 which the manual said was ok down to -30C or so.
See? It's all your fault
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