Oil additive question

[coops09gxp]

First and foremost, this is NOT a which is best question or asked to start any type of pissing contest!! I would just like to ask what are some of the better brands of ZDDP additive for conventional motor oil? I have been doing some reading online and was ready to make the switch to Rotella but have noticed they have recently changed their additive package to better suit newer type diesel engines, i.e. cat friendly. Now, does this mean quit using Rotella......NO! I would however like to make sure I'm using a good ZDDP additive for the oil I chose to go with. Again, this isn't asked to start a huge debate, rather just to gather more information on the available ZDDP additives out there.

Thanks for any information and personal experiences that you can provide! Happy motoring!

Tony

[toedrag]

Have you checked bobistheoilguy dot com?

[norm8332]

RP did the same thing so I switched to their non-API HPS that has much higher zddp. I haven't checked if rotella has non-API oil.

[Chewy]

Instead of zinc, have you looked at moly or ceramic?

I'd still run the Rotella 5W40 synthetic or Redline which IMO is the best out there.

[realcanuk]

Some good oil info here..... http://540ratblog.wordpress.com/

[coops09gxp]

Toedrag, thanks for that link!! I have heard about him.

Norm, all of the Rotella I could find now has the API cert on it now and the have moved to I believe the CJ-4 standard.

Chris, I use to run Redline, damn pricey but good oil! With the new motor I will stay away from synthetic oils for a while which is why I'm looking for a good ZDDP additive to run with the conventional oil.

Real, thank you as well for the link, will have to read that when I can get actual time at a computer.

Thanks for all the input thus far!!

Tony

[drumsbh]

In the process now of swapping cams, Rick said to use the Rotella synthetic 5w-40 from now on. I know that doesnt help but, just thought I would share. Good Luck Coop.

[tchr49]

Some good oil info here..... http://540ratblog.wordpress.com/

Very interesting thread.

[coops09gxp]

Drumsbh, your doing a cam swap!? Sounds like somebody has that late season horsepower bug lol!! Thanks for the input with the Rotella and Rick's suggestion! I did a lot of reading last night on the site Toedrag posted, a ton of damn good info and I have learned a lot already. Made it through chapter 9 on oil. After reading that I am going to run either Mobil 1, or Rotella conventional oil with NO ZDDP additive and after enough miles on the fresh motor make the switch back to Redline. I have been running 5W-30 Valvoline VR-1 with the new motor but will switch to either the Mobil or Rotella and at the same time move to 0W-40.

I can't say thanks enough for the link Toedrag provided, damn good reading and educational as well! I still have to get to the link realcanuk provided as well! There is a good deal of info about what all the letters and numbers mean on the side and back of the oil bottles. It helped clarify and debunk a lot of myths about oil and the viscosity and how temperature effects the different weights of oil.

Thanks for all the help so far everyone!! If there are any other links post them up, wouldn't hurt a bit to get more informed! Have a great day!

Tony

[G8Headache]

Im just curious, simply because I dont know. But I assume because you are FI or Cammed, the Rotella and others are better for those applications because of the types of additives they use? Does it help with the wear and conditioning the metal better?? I know a buddy of mine only uses Lubrication Engineers products on EVERYTHING he owns. He said he uses it because of the additives.

[jcmGT]

have a look at gibbs ls30, uses mPAO synthetic base stock and plenty of zinc.

[coops09gxp]

G8Headache, if you have the time, do as I did and read the links that were posted earlier in the thread! The information in them truly is something that we should all know and I learned a great deal and at the same time realized that my thinking was probably like many others, wrong. Using the info from the 540rat link and also from bob is the oil guy link it eduacated me in many ways and also corrected some of the old time thinking about oils. Just a great deal of information to be had from those two links!!

To very, VERY loosely sum up bob is the oil guy, you idealy want to run a oil that has the lightest weight rating as possible to help avoid damage on start up, where most of engine wear happens. Running a 0w-30 would be a good choice or even a 0w-40 if need be. Both links do a great job explaining how everything works together including the effects of oil pumps and oil pressure and how it interrelates to what oil you are running. The break down of oil that 540rat did is simply amazing and a real eye opener for sure!! Some of the oils that you might swear are the best ones out there didn't fair very well in his testing and some that you would not expect did very well!! The big shocker for me was the off the shelf O' Reilly brand oil if I remember correctly, preformed very well compared to oils two and three times the price. They also get into the effects of Zinc and many of the false or misleading info about having oils with high Zinc content and what effects it ACTUALLY has on the oil. If you have the time, check out the links, very, VERY informative!!! Hope this helps steer you in the right direction a little bit.

Tony

[-Ray-]

I'm going to stick with my Mobile 1 high mileage 10W40.

[G8Headache]

@ coops09gxp, Yeah at that moment, I didnt have time to get to in depth with that reading. When I have some more spare time, Ill deff read those, sounds like an awesome read. Thanks for the "lose" explination, lol.

[EcoBrick Bob]

I'm going to stick with my Mobile 1 high mileage 10W40.

Personally, it doesn't matter which oil I use as long as I have G8Headache girls changing it for me... I change my oil every Saturday!

[coops09gxp]

Personally, it doesn't matter which oil I use as long as I have G8Headache girls changing it for me... I change my oil every Saturday!

LMAO!!! I couldn't agree more with this statement!!! I'm thinking a bi-weekly oil change might be in order! ;)

[texn884]

Pictures of these hot oil change girls? I might drive from Texas for
A lube and filter

[tchr49]

Pictures of these hot oil change girls? I might drive from Texas for
A lube and filter

At my age, you can skip the filter...

[jpG8GT]

So it looks like from reading 540RATS oil testing using MB1 is not ever gonna cause me issues (#6 on the list). I was using Rotella T this summer. I have a year supply of MB1 so I will continue to use that. The Pennzoil surprised me! Seems like a great oil. Basically From his testing proves others findings as thicker oil does not provide any better protection. It actually hinders it at startup which is the most important. I showed my buddy the info from 540rat and he agreed 100% with his findings. He works for a company called SFR which does all kinds of oil testing also.

[STL_G8GT]

So it looks like from reading 540RATS oil testing using MB1 is not ever gonna cause me issues (#6 on the list). I was using Rotella T this summer. I have a year supply of MB1 so I will continue to use that. The Pennzoil surprised me! Seems like a great oil. Basically From his testing proves others findings as thicker oil does not provide any better protection. It actually hinders it at startup which is the most important. I showed my buddy the info from 540rat and he agreed 100% with his findings. He works for a company called SFR which does all kinds of oil testing also.


Pennzoil Platinum 5w30 for me. I do waste it, though, 3k oil changes :(

[Chewy]

Basically From his testing proves others findings as thicker oil does not provide any better protection. It actually hinders it at startup which is the most important. I showed my buddy the info from 540rat and he agreed 100% with his findings. He works for a company called SFR which does all kinds of oil testing also.

I've tried telling people that for years. When all done with my motor, I'll end up running a 0 or 5W40 oil I think. Anything with a higher cold number is overkill and does more harm than good I think.

I really like Redline oils and seeing that I'd be lucky to put 3000 miles a year on the G8, it'd be a once a year oil change. lol

[coops09gxp]

jpG8GT, like you, I was very shocked at the Penziol Ultra and how it performed and especially with no other additives to it. Mobil 1 also did very well in 540rat's testing. The ones that kinda threw the curve at things were some of the high end oils like Royal Purple and Redline. They did ok, but compared to other oils that can be about half the price it really starts to turn into a case of are you just buying the name? ;) I have run the Valvoline VR1 conventional oil in my new motor since changing out the break-in oil. From the findings, it ranked #1 for conventional oils, Texas Speed was spot on for recommending it to me and the new motor! When I am able to switch to the synthetic oils I will run either Mobil 1 or the Penziol Ultra in 0W-30/40 or if I have to 5W-30/40. Would prefer to run the 0W-40 but we can be limited with our oil choices sadly.

Chris, I know you like the Redline, I have also. After reading both links, there are some other oils out there that vastly out perform the Redline. Doesn't mean the Redline is a crappy oil, but for what you pay for that stuff, DAMN, I will give some the higher ranking yet cheaper oils a good honest try and see how they do. I'm not gonna push any particular brand, plain foolish and worth a smack to the head if I did!! All any of us can to is read posts or links like that and learn from them what we can and then make our own choices based on what we feel best.

The original post started out asking about oil additives, what I got in return was one hell of an education thanks to a couple people pointing me in the direction of some links. At the same time, I didn't and still don't want this to turn into some huge pissing contest about my oil is better than your shit hole oil!! If what the next guy or gal uses makes them happy, rock on!! Would I suggest that more people read the links that were posted in the thread............HELL YES!!! It has made me a better informed person, not to be mistaken with all knowing though!

Some of our oil choices between brands can come down to something as simple as what is readily available. If the top performing oil isn't sold locally in your area and you don't want to pay shipping from one of the speed shops, get the next best ranking brand on the list that you can easily get. If you do the reading and heed some of the information provided you should be just fine going with the #7 ranked oil vs. the #3 oil.

Personally, I want nothing but the best for my motor and car! If the Penziol Ultra can't be had in my area, I'm good with the Mobil 1 oil, it did very well in the testing. :)

[Executor999]

Some good oil info here..... http://540ratblog.wordpress.com/

I finally read this and am very glad you posted it. I was also glad to learn that Mobil 1 5w30 was in the top 10 as that is what I use here in Oregon. And being a complete non-mechanic, I didn't know what grade of Mobil 1 I was using until I got home today and checked my records. :)

[Chewy]

How many of us have honestly seen an oil related failure? I mean honestly... I can't say that I know one person that changes their oil regularly and uses a quality brand that has had a failure or oil burning issues/premature wear. Personally, I think we put too much time and thought into it all and I think oil analyses are great, but aren't the holy grail.

I know a guy that literally went 48,000 miles on the original oil in his Crown Victoria. Not once did he get it changed from new. Now, the outcome was when he pulled into a tollway and stopped to pay, the motor locked up, but still, THAT is AMAZING IMO.

Tony, I'm not trying to troll your thread at all, I'm just saying that IMO, most name brand oils are great as long as you use common sense and replace it on time. Also, the filters are important. I've read that Royal Purple has one of the better ones on the market. I imagine it's made by Champion Labs like many others including K&N and Mobil 1. I use the Mobil 1 Extended Mileage filter. If I spent as much on my motor as you did, I'd make sure I was using the best too.

All this being said, I've used Mobil 1 since around 6000 miles in the G8 and changed it at 150 miles, 1000 miles, 2500 miles and then at 6000 miles I think. Yes, I too am OCD. lol

[coops09gxp]

Lol, Chris, all is good!! I'm glad to have your opinion in this thread as I know you and I are pretty similar in the care we take of our cars! You are very correct that we probably put WAY to much thought into the oil that we run and you also bring up a very valid point about oil related failures. Now, it may be a little more common for those who still run flat tappet cams but with the technology in todays engines and oils it is probably safe to say if you use one of the major brands such as Mobil 1 you will enjoy many years of trouble free performance from your car.

Like you Chris, I have been accused of being juuust a tad OCD at times about things with my vehicles lol. We always want the best for our babies right lol! The biggest thing that I gained from this post was a better understanding about engine oils and a more indepth education about the roll that oil, oil pumps, and the various additives out there all actually work. I always like the feedback and opinions, it is how we learn and it aids in making more informed and hopefully better decisions. So, thanks again for the posts and feedback, we probably ot hopefully all gained a little something from the thread. :)

Happy motoring!

Tony