What are the best high ZINC oils in 2024? High performance application.

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Dec 24, 2024
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I've been using Rotella T6 but I'm curious if there are better options out there.

The engine in use is a turbocharged flat tappet high revving Honda B series 4 cylinder with a "larger" camshaft.

So my main goal is to keep the wear down on the rockers. With that being said who out there is offering the best high Zinc oil that is easily able to obtain? I've been running the T6 because it is easy to get from the local Walmart and I have been changing my oil around 2,000 miles. Should I stick to the T6 or go to another option? Also worth mentioning is that this is a daily driver. So I don't know how much I should put in detergents since its a street car (but I also change my oil sooner than most)

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Included here was last year's question but it should be applicable. Mobil 1 publishes a list which is included in a couple of the threads.

 
Royal Purple HPS 10w-40 ,has high zinc and phos. level, and 4.4 hths also Valvoline vr-1 would be a solid choice.

I have some VR1 black (blue oil) BUT 2 things and you guys tell me if it's worth it or not.

1) I was told by Valvoline that this oil isn't good for a street car because of it's lack of detergents. (however I've also been told that if you change the oil like I do 2,000 miles then this is a non issue. Truth?)

2) I have to order VR1 and it's almost double the cost of Rotella T6 oil. Is the price difference worth it for added wear (if there is any with the VR1 over T6).
 
There's plenty of oils on the shelf that are made for classic cars with more zinc. You go that route if you don't want to spend too much, or you can go fancier with something like Amsoil Z-rod or Driven GP1.
 
What are your valves spring pressures with this “larger” camshaft? It’s likely the engine does not require greatly elevated levels of ZDDP. Flat tappet engines only require this during break-in. A good oil would be a Euro 0W-40 such as Mobil 1 or Castrol.

The engine's bearing clearances are set for 5W-40/30 or 10W-40/30.
 
I've been using VR1 on a CL1 H22 with frequent changes. There is some varnish on the valvetrain but the rocker pads are holding up.
 
So I haven't seen anyone here suggesting Rotella. I know it was popular for performance cars in the early 2000's. Has something changed and it is no longer suggested?
 
I have some VR1 black (blue oil) BUT 2 things and you guys tell me if it's worth it or not.

1) I was told by Valvoline that this oil isn't good for a street car because of it's lack of detergents. (however I've also been told that if you change the oil like I do 2,000 miles then this is a non issue. Truth?)

2) I have to order VR1 and it's almost double the cost of Rotella T6 oil. Is the price difference worth it for added wear (if there is any with the VR1 over T6).
So you come here looking for help, after you asked Valvoline and they told you it's not a good idea to use the oil on the street. And yet you don't seem to want to learn what may actually accomplish what you asked, since you've now ignored a.) your engine builder; and, b.) Your oil blender.

kschachn and overkill are right- you've probably got fairly "tame" valve springs since it's DOHC and not pushrod, so you're not dealing with 800-1000+ lb open spring pressures. Not only will the M1 FS 0W40 work like a charm, its also much better suited for your little Honda than the Brotella is, since it's actually rated as a gas-engine-rated oil (API SP) and has numerous Euro certs that the Brotella would choke & die on.

Merry Christmas and welcome to the site. (y)
 
So you come here looking for help, after you asked Valvoline and they told you it's not a good idea to use the oil on the street. And yet you don't seem to want to learn what may actually accomplish what you asked, since you've now ignored a.) your engine builder; and, b.) Your oil blender.

kschachn and overkill are right- you've probably got fairly "tame" valve springs since it's DOHC and not pushrod, so you're not dealing with 800-1000+ lb open spring pressures. Not only will the M1 FS 0W40 work like a charm, its also much better suited for your little Honda than the Brotella is, since it's actually rated as a gas-engine-rated oil (API SP) and has numerous Euro certs that the Brotella would choke & die on.

Merry Christmas and welcome to the site. (y)

You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about here and are only jumping to conclusions. Try again

a.) My engine builder said to run 5W-30/40 or 10W-30/40. People on here are telling me to jump to 0W-40

b.) Valvoline suggested not to run VR1 on the street due to not having as much detergents as other oils. However they also, same day, same rep, suggested that it could be ok if oil was changed more frequently.

So you are incorrect on both of your accusations. However thanks for the friendly welcome and Merry Christmas to you as well.
 
Mobil 1 0W40. It's a track rated oil, has a nice shot of zinc (1000ppm), and can really take the abuse. It also tends to be regarded as a cleaning oil, with a stout detergent add pack, so no issues running it for a good amount of time vs typical racing oils.

You can use any SAE 40 grade oil interchangeably regardless of the winter rating. For example, if an engine requires 10w40, you can use a 0w40 without any issues. The only difference would be the 0w40 would stay thinner for longer at very cold temps, the viscosity at full operating temp would be close to the same with regards to brand variation.

I really wouldn't use a diesel oil in a high revving gas engine, there's 2 types of ZDDP, one that predominantly protects at low RPMs (What most diesel oils contain) and then another that protects at high RPM, gas engine oils have both.

I jumped on the rotella train too for a high revving gas engine, and during that OCI, i also had a valve spring break, don't know if it was related or not, possibly, possibly not, but since then, I stick to gas engine oils in gas engines, and recommend others to do the same.

If you absolutely do not want to run the 0w40, you can get mobil 1 euro 5w40, it's similar, but i've only heard of the 0w40 being used by race teams.
 
You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about here and are only jumping to conclusions. Try again

a.) My engine builder said to run 5W-30/40 or 10W-30/40. People on here are telling me to jump to 0W-40

b.) Valvoline suggested not to run VR1 on the street due to not having as much detergents as other oils. However they also, same day, same rep, suggested that it could be ok if oil was changed more frequently.

So you are incorrect on both of your accusations. However thanks for the friendly welcome and Merry Christmas to you as well.
Since you have an engine builder, which B series is this (block & final displacement), what size turbo (what size compressor & turbine wheels, what A/R), how much boost (intercooled? air-to-air or air-to-water?), projected HP and/or 1/4 mi trap speeds, etc? That's critical info to have as well when choosing an oil.

You'll come to find out this place isn't like 98% of the other message boards on the internet. There are actually some people here that truly know what they're doing... not just regurgitating bad information they got from the kid doing oil changes at the dealer. Always feel free to ignore the advice you're given here, especially when it's at your own peril.

However, we most definitely ask that you do the right thing and post pics of the carnage if something goes wrong. :)
 
I have some VR1 black (blue oil) BUT 2 things and you guys tell me if it's worth it or not.

1) I was told by Valvoline that this oil isn't good for a street car because of it's lack of detergents. (however I've also been told that if you change the oil like I do 2,000 miles then this is a non issue. Truth?)

2) I have to order VR1 and it's almost double the cost of Rotella T6 oil. Is the price difference worth it for added wear (if there is any with the VR1 over T6).

Rotella isn't, nor was it ever, a good choice. People who know little to nothing about oil just like it because it's cheap and perform a lot of mental gymnastics to make it out as this great thing. In truth, it doesn't even meet CK-4 standards for low rpm diesel, much less a high revving gas engine with a fraction of the sump capacity. It foams like a beer, and per some recent UOAs, the ZDDP content is down to <1000 ppm. That oil is formulated as cheap as possible. It fails D892 foam testing horribly, producing 2.5x the max allowed by API. There's good reasons nobody is recommending it.

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As for engine builders, they're not tribologists. Many of them don't even know that viscosity is determined by bearing clearance. They tend to blindly recommend the same oil for everything, usually based on some anecdotal nonsense. One near me hurt $1.5 million worth of LS race engines, switched parts suppliers multiple times, before finally switching the oil. He hasn't had a failure in those engines since.
 
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There's a lot of cars using VR1 and going 3-5k mile intervals in more radical engines. That oil contains a standard DI pack with top treatment. There's no reason it can't do that, and it puzzles me why Valvoline said otherwise. I'm guessing you probably spoke to some marketing desk guy who doesn't know engine oil from olive oil, just spewing the same internet myths with no consultation from the engineering department. It happens a lot, unfortunately. The only commercially available "race" oil that doesn't contain sufficient detergent for street use is Driven XP series.

You don't need high levels of ZDDP for your engine. Flat tappet V8s need it because of the inertia and forces seen in their valvetrains. They have bigger, heavier valves with higher spring rates multiplied across a high rocker ratio with a lot more inertia. Plus, the flat tappet lifters spin in the bore and don't have the best oil splash to the lobes. Thus, you need higher amounts of ZDDP. Your cam lobes don't see nearly the load of even a stock 350 SBC so there's no need for high amounts of ZDDP.

If it was mine, I'd use High Performance Lubricants Bad Ass Racing 5W-40 and change it every 5,000 miles or 1 year. That's being conservative as I've gone 10,000 miles on that oil and still had a bit of life left. Even though detergents aren't the focus of the formula, the use of top shelf base oils makes it quite resistant to oxidation and degradation.

For something off the shelf, a Euro A3/B4 0W-40 or 5W-40 is still an improvement over Rotella for near the same price. Mobil 1 FS Euro 0W-40 is a fairly universal workhorse.
 
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