I have a high performance sb chevy with flat tappets and high pressure springs,Is there a off the shelf engine oil with high enough levels of additives to protect my engine on the street.
old school hot rod
- Thread starter built
- Start date
Valvoline racing oils are supposed to be pretty good. If you like you can boost ZDDP with Redline Break in Oil Additive as well. There have been some recent posts about this in the PCMO section. Since the BITOG search engine is not so good, try this one. HTH.
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/search.html
This question was ask at Mobil tech.
http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/MotorOil/Car_Care/AskMobil/Flat_Tappet_Engines.aspx
Thanks for the replys, mobile 1 sounds pretty good, any other choices like that in the 1200 ppm of zinc or other good additives for wear.
I have read here alot of conflicting opinions on adding redline or any additives to oil, not sure which is correct.
Kestas
Staff member
One more iota of information... Mobil 0W-40 has moly additives that Mobil 5W-40 does not. This can be important for boundary lubrication conditions.
How about the HDEos? [Diesel oil]
Cheap and very good. 5-40 synth or dino 15-40
The Rotella SAE 30 is still SJ rated.
frankN4, what do friction modifiers do ,what are they ?
I like the sound of 1350 to 1600 zn.
Originally Posted By: built
I have a high performance sb chevy with flat tappets and high pressure springs,Is there a off the shelf engine oil with high enough levels of additives to protect my engine on the street.
Originally Posted By: widman
It is important to note that the API does not qualify oils based on additive levels, but on performance. Performance is determined by base oil and additives. As you will see later, different base oils need different additives for optimum performance. It is the combination of additives and base oil that gives performance and protection. The API Service MS (known as “SB” today) oils had little or no detergent and approximately 250 ppm (parts per million) of zinc combined with 200 ppm of phosphorous. A good CI-4 oil in the market today has 1200 to 1400 ppm of zinc and 1000 to1200 ppm of phosphorous.
Originally Posted By: widman
Low quality oil or excessively high metallic anti-wear additives (ZDDP, Moly, etc.) in the oil increase the deposits. See below for the need to balance cleanliness with anti-wear.
Originally Posted By: widman
Since the additives are polar, they fight for surface area. The addition of ZDDP usually results in reduced cleanliness, higher engine temperatures and more deposits. Some studies have shown that going past 1400 ppm of phosphorus will increase wear over the long term, and going above 2000 ppm will begin to break down iron and result in camshaft spalling.
Originally Posted By: widman
If you want the maximum valve train protection, look for an oil that is certified CH-4/SL or CI-4/SL without CJ-4. If the CH-4 or CI-4 comes before the SL, that is fine. Oils that are only SL certified have less anti-wear additives.
Well i thought maybe bike oil was going to be a good choice but without friction modifiers maybe it would cause more wear but i read alot of people are using diesel oils and no word of wearing issues. so I don't know the answer on that.
I guess the added cost of royal purple might be worth it.
What are you running for valve springs?
The SBC in my camaro has a pretty stout flat tappet cam with comp. #987 (370 lbs/in) valve springs. It has over 100 quarter mile passes on it with Valvoline VR1 20w50. I have also used 15w40 in the spring and fall with good results.
Some of my friends have "Model A" coupes and roadsters with old school SBC's, I have them running 15w40 HDEO's with great results. If you have trouble finding a CI-4 rated 15w40 at your local auto parts store, try your local John Deere dealer. They sell JD 15w40 Plus 50 in quarts.
Plenty of people use HDEO in their bikes. I'm not convinced that the "friction modifiers" in PCMO make wet clutches slip, I think it's the lower viscosity and HTHS value that causes a problem. Seriously, compare PCMO, HDEO, and m/c oil VOA's and you'll see that there's nothing special in PCMO that's missing in m/c oil.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=flat+tappet+oil
http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/engine/flat_tappet_cam_tech/index.html
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
Any HDEO like Rotella or Delvac will serve you fine.
Not sure on the spring pressure. I have the biggest hyd. voodoo cam so it's pretty stout.
this is a street/strip car and i have heard negative things about using a race only oil in a street car so i am unsure whats true or just myths.
50 bucks for each oil change is kinda rough,lol.
When I am planning maintenance for a new vehicle( I get a new truck every 2-3 years max - $40K +/- purchase price ), or for a hot rod or muscle car that I souped the engine up in, the cost of the OC is the least of my concerns. I have spent so much on the initial purchase price or the building of the engine that I only want to use the best oil for it. $50 for oil a couple times a year is nothing.
Actually, IMO, spending a little more for premium oil and filters actually saves you money as the engine last longer and is less likely to suffer a failure due to high RPM use if a high performance application like yours. Doesn't sound to me like your application is a candidate for cheap oil. Sounds like you need a premium synthetic and top of the line filter.
Obviously you have some cash sunk into this vehicle. Don't cheap out on OC's. You don't have to run the most expensive oil out there but pick a good one. You clearly are going to ask a lot of the engine( ie; racing and high RPM use )so don't start cheaping out on oil changes. That is one area where you should go with the best oil and filter can find and afford IMO anyway.
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good advice,thanks.
been wanting an excuse to go purple,lol.
now to find the racing purple and not just regular purple.
or is the regular very good too.
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