Which Oil with added Zinc
- Thread starter Steveinak
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Any HDEO diesel motor oil (Rotella 15W40, Rotella T Synthetic 5w40, Delo, etc) at your local auto store or at WalMart.
Mobil 1 15W-50 EP is another good one, but for my dime Rotella T Synthetic 5w40 would be the best choice.
They are taking the zinc content out of EVERYTHING or at least lowering the PPM and that includes Rotella. I'm a truck driver and diesel motor oil is having the zinc content lowered.
Mobil 1 15w50 extended performance has about the highest ZDDP content of any of the Mobil 1 oils at 1200 ppm. Their "extendend performance" oils have higher ZDDP. It is what I use in my '73 Coupe DeVille but I STILL add ZDDP additive. The new API standards REQUIRE only 800 ppm of ZDDP which isn't enough for a flat tappet engine and an air=colled VW would be even MORE at risk IMO.
The older oils had as much as 15 ppm or more of ZDDP while most of the new "green" oils have only 800 ppm. That's NOT enough for a flat tappet engine especially if you have a high lift cam.
Use any oil you want but put in a ZDDP additive when you change it. That's what I do. Amsoil makes one and Maximum Torque Specialties carries one. MTS builds high performance Caddy engines which mine is not but I'm not taking any chances eventhough the 472/500 Caddy motor has notoriously weak valve spings because it was never designed to "rev".
Amsoil and Red Line both make oils that have plenty of zinc in them. If you want to spend the money on oil like that. Mobil 1 is more than enough for me though.
Mobil 1 15w50 extended performance has about the highest ZDDP content of any of the Mobil 1 oils at 1200 ppm. Their "extendend performance" oils have higher ZDDP. It is what I use in my '73 Coupe DeVille but I STILL add ZDDP additive. The new API standards REQUIRE only 800 ppm of ZDDP which isn't enough for a flat tappet engine and an air=colled VW would be even MORE at risk IMO.
The older oils had as much as 15 ppm or more of ZDDP while most of the new "green" oils have only 800 ppm. That's NOT enough for a flat tappet engine especially if you have a high lift cam.
Use any oil you want but put in a ZDDP additive when you change it. That's what I do. Amsoil makes one and Maximum Torque Specialties carries one. MTS builds high performance Caddy engines which mine is not but I'm not taking any chances eventhough the 472/500 Caddy motor has notoriously weak valve spings because it was never designed to "rev".
Amsoil and Red Line both make oils that have plenty of zinc in them. If you want to spend the money on oil like that. Mobil 1 is more than enough for me though.
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You would probably be better off using your favorite oil and adding something like Redline Break in additive which adds Zinc.
http://www.redlineoil.com/products_coolant.asp?subCategoryID=35
http://www.redlineoil.com/products_coolant.asp?subCategoryID=35
There are also other additives such as:
http://www.zddplus.com/
http://www.buylucasoil.com/viewitem.asp?itemid=10063
http://www.zddplus.com/
http://www.buylucasoil.com/viewitem.asp?itemid=10063
I did find Joe Gibbs Racing Oil. It has high Zinc:
http://www.joegibbsracingoil.com/products/engineoils.html
http://www.joegibbsracingoil.com/products/engineoils.html
Unless you have a hotter than stock cam with stiffer valve springs you need not worry about the ZDDP level, although a break-in additive that fortifies ZDDP would be a good bit of insurance during engine break-in.
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Originally Posted By: Steveinak
My dad has had his VW engine rebuilt and its not running as of yet, but the guy putting it together suggested that he run a oil with Zinc in because of the Cam lobes? Anyway what is a good oil with Zinc in it to satisfy the cam lobes?
Almost all oils contain enough "zinc" and certainly enough AW additives to protect all modern engine cam lobes.
If it a special race set up you may want to take a look at these:
Amsoil Racing Oils
OR take a serious look at these: Amsoil Diesel Oils
In particular the 10w30
My dad has had his VW engine rebuilt and its not running as of yet, but the guy putting it together suggested that he run a oil with Zinc in because of the Cam lobes? Anyway what is a good oil with Zinc in it to satisfy the cam lobes?
Almost all oils contain enough "zinc" and certainly enough AW additives to protect all modern engine cam lobes.
If it a special race set up you may want to take a look at these:
Amsoil Racing Oils
OR take a serious look at these: Amsoil Diesel Oils
In particular the 10w30
I use this in all my muscle car engines. I have not experienced any cam failures to date. Some of these engines have modified valvetrains with higher than stock spring pressures as well. It is available in several grades, is suitable for regular passenger car use even though the label says "racing" and is priced reasonable.
http://www.valvoline.com/pages/products/product_detail.asp?product=50
http://www.valvoline.com/pages/products/product_detail.asp?product=50
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Rotella or Delo 15w40. Cheap, readily available, great grade for the VW air-cooled engine, and plenty of zinc for that flat-tappet cam setup.
Valvoline VR1 has a lot of zinc (about 1200 ppm vs SM oil's 700). What year VW?
"...suggested that he run a oil with Zinc.." makes me think this is a very old engine that originally ran something like an SA oil with no zinc. Then the engine builder would be recommending a modern oil. Or did the builder recommend MORE zinc than typical?
"...suggested that he run a oil with Zinc.." makes me think this is a very old engine that originally ran something like an SA oil with no zinc. Then the engine builder would be recommending a modern oil. Or did the builder recommend MORE zinc than typical?
Extra zinc, well I like VR1, and it comes in 10w30, 20w50, (mix those two for a 15w40), and straight weights 30, 40, 50, and 60. Product data sheet on VR1 at Valvoline.com will show zinc level. The zinc level in VR1 is about what your oils in the early 70s would have had.
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