Zinc oils/additives in newer vehicles.

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Feb 20, 2017
Messages
9
Location
Ohio
Hello all, my first post here.

Great site with great info, lots of smart peeps here. My question is about using a zinc infused oil such a Brad Penn in a modern car equipped with roller cam, variable valve timing & catalytic convertors.

Car in question is my own personal vehicle, 2015 challenger hellcat. Recommended oil is 0w40 Pennzoil ultra pure platnium, i have been using Mobil 1 0w40. I change it often & run it hard, lots of 1/4 mile racing, over 200 recorded since i bought it so i do flog it quite regularly. 8800 miles on the odo & i have changed the oil 4 times now.

Now heres what i have done. The cats have been replaced with a direct fit straight pipe, so there is no catalyst's whatsoever. I may be upping the boost from 11 to 14 via pulley but other than that there will be no internal modifications to the engine. This is a very mild modification for the hellcat engine stress wise, some guys are really pushing these things hard on ethanol in the neighborhood of 1000+ RWHP. I am not doing this. I dont want to be tearing things down yearly.

Fuel will be 93 octane street & VP110 leaded fuel for race.

Given the tighter tolerances of newer engines would 0w40 be ok & could i (or should i) switch to a Brad penn or equivalent zinc oil? I have no issues with Mobil, or pennzoil for that matter its just that i buy the mobil bulk & its much cheaper for me.

Thanks!
 
It is nice that you are running the Hellcat out of the Hellcat. I would wonder is the extra zinc is needed with the roller cam. What do the guys that pump up the motor run? Tighter clearances,tolerances are the allowed variation of the clearances FYI.
 
I do run the tar out of her.

I own a European auto repair shop & have always been up to date on manufacture specific oils. Not always using their chosen brand but always using an "approved" oil vs. "meets or exceeds". Mobil 1 0w40 has worked well for me, as well as the 5w40. I understand that the manufacturer has to balance many things in oil choice/viscosity. The most important obviously being whats best for the longevity of the engine, but also fuel economy, change intervals & marketing, etc.

I am not concerned with fuel economy. I change my oil every 2k average on the "cat" & probably would more if i wasnt under other cars all friggin day......i also do not drive it in the winter. If its below 40 degrees it doesnt get started. it sees a fair amount of regular street driving, 50/50 highway i suppose. Most of the miles on it now are from driving back & forth to the drag strip. I have since purchased a trailer to cut down on the mileage #1, & also i know at some point i will break something & dont want to be stranded.

I have read various articles about the engine & the tolerances involved. Im no machinist but i think its wound pretty tight. I just want whats best for her given my situation & circumstances. Brad Penn is pretty highly regarded around here for pre cat engines but i have no experience with it. It seems that zinc wouldnt hurt considering i have no cats. If i change oil brand i will send blackstone a 2k sample to keep check, it just seems to me that i could be something more for her & am looking for some advice. Mabye the mobil 0w40 is perfect.....others use it & have sent blackstone in samples with great results, im just thinking with no cats if i could shift gears a bit.
 
Last edited:
I would wager fuel economy isn't a big factor in the viscosity spec for any of the SRT vehicles. They are niche with low production numbers, much more weight would be given to performance and longevity.
 
Originally Posted By: Camprunner
I wonder how M1 15w50 would do in this situation?


It doesn't have much zinc. It's SN rated just like all the other oils. I think it will have more than a 5w30, but still around 1000ppm.
 
One more quick thing for those that dont know, 6.2 liter pushrod V8 supercharged.

It has more coolers than i can count. Hottest ive ever seen the oil temp is 225 hot lapping at the track. Cruising temp is 190ish.
 
A 15w50 wont need as much ZDDP as a 0w40, SN or not. Bike oils are more stable, since they have to cope with a shared sump for tranny too. A 20w50 synthetic bike oil and you won't see metal to metal contact at track time.
 
I am no engineer or chemist, but would it make sense with the added boost & no cats to go to a M1 0w50 racing with the higher zinc & hot viscosity?

Overkill mabye, but again, i do flog it!!!
 
Last edited:
The M1 racing oils are not designed for street use in any way, shape or form. However M1 0w-40 has had a significant presence at venues like LeMans and Sebring, and you are already using it.
 
Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
The M1 racing oils are not designed for street use in any way, shape or form. However M1 0w-40 has had a significant presence at venues like LeMans and Sebring, and you are already using it.


Fair enough, i will stick with Mobil 1 0w40 FS.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top