Thread:

oil for MILD engines w/ non roller cams

After reading the threads about oils for race motors, what commonly available oil is best for a cruiser engine that is still banging a hydraulic non-roller cam? Im not about to drop the $$ for Brad Penn when the case price is more than street value of my 455. What is reasonably good oil that is affordable, and can be found at a local parts store. Grade info would be helpful too. Im not opposed to synthetic if it is worth the stretch. I was leaning toward Rotella as I heard the diesel oils still have a reasonable zinc package.

Originally Posted by slim pickens

After reading the threads about oils for race motors, what commonly available oil is best for a cruiser engine that is still banging a hydraulic non-roller cam? Im not about to drop the $$ for Brad Penn when the case price is more than street value of my 455. What is reasonably good oil that is affordable, and can be found at a local parts store. Grade info would be helpful too. Im not opposed to synthetic if it is worth the stretch. I was leaning toward Rotella as I heard the diesel oils still have a reasonable zinc package.

IMO, Brad Penn 20w/50 is the best ...Valvoline 20w/50 "off road" raceing oil is also good...Rotella 20w/50 is good...i would stay away from the synthetic's...your motor never had it before & i personally dont like switching to it...just sayin' my .02 cents

FastRat

p.s. there is a member on here, who sells (dealer) Brad Penn & might be able to get you a deal! (dont remember his name lol)

For Crying out loud!

In 4 years Bob that is by far the nicest comment on VALVOLINE I ever saw from you! Who woulda thunk HUh??? 60wt VR1 racing oil You Gonna Back me up this time around??

Originally Posted by gn7

Yeah, I'll back you on that. But none of my engines are equipped with an oil pump that can move cold tar But hey, at least you didn't say 70wt, which is the oil of choice for Mr Haselrigs GN

You need a better pump? I know where to get them... Let me know I get a pretty good discount

Without getting into the full oil analysis discussion, I found a product that appears to be a good additive to bring up the zinc phosphate package level. I have also had it tested in a lab mixed with the oil for our A/Fuel engine and it indeed brought up the ZDDP to the levels I was shooting for. We currently have a company blending our A/Fuel race oil and they are blending in the requested level of the ZDDP that we want, but you can't purchase custom blended oil off the shelf.

The product is called ZDDPlus. Several of the cam manufactuers and Nascar teams use this product. I have been using this product for about a year now and have had no flat tappet camshafts go down while dynoing. As I was in the oil business some 30+ years, I am real skeptical of snake oils, but I do think this is a good product. Don't use it with catalytic converters. It is not a miracle additive, just an additive to try to restore an additive that has been reduced in our modern shelf emission oils.

Originally Posted by LSXINDUSTRIES

Bang for the buck and high zinc content. . . .Delo 400 15w40 is a excellent non-syn oil for the $$$. High zinc content (not as much as brad penn, but its a good amount), strong additive package, and it always tests very well in used oil analysis. It tests out much better than Rotella, and pretty much any other NON SYNTHETIC diesel oil. I run it in my turbo motors, my diesel truck, and my solid lifter 427 BBC with fairly heavy spring pressures (for a non-roller). Just dont use a fram filter!

I too think the Delo and Rotella are good oils. The only concern I have with using oils blended primarily for diesel engines versus gasoline engines, is that typically these oils have a higher detergent content to keep the combustion contaminates suspended in the oil. High detergent has a lower tension and lower shear strength rating. This lower shear strength can cause bearing wear on a gasoline engine as compared to a diesel the gasoline engine has a lower journal size to displacement ratio.

I am more referring to higher powered gasoline engines....... Is'nt that what we all have

Originally Posted by gn7

Here goes, and I am going to catch it for this, and deserve it!
Any straight weight Valvoline VR1, or the 20/50 VR1 is fine. Stay the hell away from the 10/30 or lighter stuff from anybody. Including Valvoline VR1.
If you can swing the price, any of the Mobil 1 syn is great stuff, and you can run it all summer and them some with no sweat. I could write a novel on the wives tales and misconceptions regarding syn oils. Evidently nobody ever told them to Mercedes, Porsche, Cadillac, GM DuraMax trucks and Corvettes, BMW and ......etc etc etc.and every high dollar exotic you can think of.


I have heard some good things about Kendall Titanium straight weight and 20/50 from people I trust, but have no first hand experience with it. Again, stay away from the lighter multi weights.

The oil may cost more than the street value of your motor, but you'll change your tune when the engine is toast. Remember, you are straining that thing worse than a truck towing a trailer up hill, all the time its on the water. They haven't built a truck or a road to put it on, that can dupilcates the load a boat puts on a motor!

FYI, OSH, yes Orchard Supply Hardware, carries Mobil 1 20/50 by the quart and by the case and it's less than anywhere else I've found.
Rotella is good for the diesel and the dirt bikes and quads. The regular white jug and the synthetic blue jug are JASO MA certified, works for wetclutch, trans fluid and motor oil.