if your running a flat tappet cam...

[grumpyvette]

if your running a flat tappet cam you might want to look into this, its been tested by an independent lab and it does add significant ZDDP to the oil, that reduces wear like the old oils used to do.

 

http://cam-shield.com/acatalog/index.html

[cygnusx1]

It is critical to get the correct amount of ZDDP in your oil. Too little or too much is bad.

 

Make sure you add the RIGHT amount and consider how much ZDDP might already be in your oil before you add more.

 

For example: Mobile 1, 0W-40 already contains 1000ppm of ZDDP.

Here is Mobile's data:

http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/MotorOil/Files/Mobil_1_Product_Guide.pdf Look at the last column, which is the PPM of ZDDP.

 

http://www.cam-shield.com/acatalog/How_to_use.html

[Tony D]

What is the downside of 'too much' zinc and phosphorous?

I know it is an issue with current-generation catalytic converters and the 100K mileage requirement for emission compliance with EPA...

But on our cars, what's the practical downside of 'too much'?

 

Other than phosphorous will combat acids in engines that sit a long time, keeping the TAN lower...that's why is was added to sour gas ICE Prime Movers.

[getZ]

A buddy of mines told me about this, so I thought it would be easy enough to just run a synthetic oil. It was on my to do list.

[cygnusx1]

Of course there is a ton of info and mis-info on the net so I try to read both sides of every story and make my own educated guess. From all the reading, I have learned that you need the right kind of ZDDP to match the detergent in your oils, and that the correct amount of ZDDP for your application is a defined range. (sorry i don't know what it is for an L28ET)

 

http://www.lnengineering.com/oil.html

 

http://www.lnengineering.com/oil.html#Z9

 

 

When it's all said and done, my entire L28ET long block probably cost me around $400 and that includes the paint on the block. I really don't worry too much for this engine.

 

 

Here are some scary quotes from the above links:

Is there any potential problems with boosting the Zn and P in my API SM or CJ-4 oil or such a thing as too much ZDDP?

 

Beware of ZDDP boosters and concentrates being sold under various names. These products should truely only be used at time of break in. I haven't tested every one of these products, but one thing is very obvious to me. Every product previously sold to boost ZDDP, be it STP or EOS, always had roughly an equal amount of detergents to offset the affect of ZDDP in reducing the TBN of motor oil. Most of these ZDDP concentrates omit detergents altogether or have very little compared to EOS or STP! I'll have to go back through the various SAE journals to find exactly where it is, but it is in there that you have to have additional detergency because of the breakdown of ZDDP in peroxides and its interaction with combustion byproducts to form sulfuric acid. More acid, will increase the oils TAN, and will lead to corrosive wear of bearings. For once, I will have to say that more is not better, especially in this case. EOS and STP are decades old, and proven products that work synergistically with your existing motor oil and were never designed to boost the Zn and P more than 100-200ppm - unlike some recommendations to run double the ZDDP, in excess of 2000 ppm! It is not only the level of Zn and P that is important, but also starting with an oil that meets the ACEA A3/B3 standard would assure a starting TBN of 10 or higher and with similarly higher HTHS viscosities will also give you greater protection too. If you do choose to use these products, you must do used oil analysis to determine drain intervals and monitor overall TBN retention and ensure that the TAN increase does not lead to increased bearing wear! Too much ZDDP can also foul spark plugs and oxygen sensors, not to mention plug EGR valves and the catalytic converter.

 

 

How can I boost the level of Zn and P safely?

 

IF YOU MUST, PLEASE REMEMBER MORE IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER AND THAT USING THE RIGHT OIL IS ALWAYS BETTER THAN ADDING OIL SUPPLEMENTS TO INFERIOR OILS!

 

We're shooting for 1200-1400ppm Zn and P! Some may say that it is out of date to be recommending EOS (new part number for EOS is 88862586) or STP. Well, I am concerned about the various highly concentrated products being marketed, aiming at boosting Zn and P to 2000+ ppm. There is no published evidence to show that you need those levels of Zn and P and more importantly, you are drastically altering the chemistry of the lubricant by doing so. Remember, STP and EOS have been around for decades and are proven!

 

One way would be to use GM's Engine Oil Supplemental additive. By our calculations, between .5 and .66 oz of GM EOS has to be added to each quart of oil to raise the Zn and P by 100 ppm each. For a Porsche 911, I recommend using 1 bottle (pint) of GM EOS with every oil change if the oil you are using has less than the recommended 1200-1400 ppm (0.12-0.14%) Zn and P. If the oil you want to use has less than 1000 ppm (0.10%) Zn and P, choose a different oil, since you will need to add too much of the GM EOS to boost this. One pint of GM EOS is sufficient to boost the levels in the very popular SM rated Mobil 1 0w40 and Mobil 1 15w50 products in a 911. For a four cylinder Porsche, 1 bottle of STP 4-cyl treatment (red bottle) is the perfect amount for boosting the Zn and P in a ~4 quart fill. Alternatively, about 1/3 of the bottle of EOS will be more than enough.

 

If adding oil additives isn't for you, alternatively you can use Mobil 1 MX4T or V-Twin, as these oils have significantly more additives. If you were to blend 50/50 regular Mobil 1 and the Mobil 1 V-Twin, you will end up with Zn and P in the 1400-1500ppm range, which is basically like a SJ or CI-4. Similarly, you can blend 50/50 Mobil 1 0w40 and Mobil 1 10w40 MX4T (4T Racing) giving you a good level of Zn and P, balanced detergency, and the proper viscosity for required by your 986 or 996 (and later) water-cooled Porsche.

 

EOS should be used as a last resort now that we know what oils are best for our engines OR as an assembly lubricant as originally intended.

[blue72]

There is always Valvoline VR-1 Racing Oil which contains ZDDP. Of course, last time I mentioned it the discussion veered toward the durability of something marketed as racing oil.