What Motor Oil To Use

Have a recently rebuilt 225 Dauntless and have been using Shell Rotella diesel oil because of zinc content. Now my NAPA tells me that zinc has been removed and I may have to go to a Valvoline Racing oil. What oils are everyone else using?

Fltfndr

 

ZDDPlus additive.

 

Brad Penn.
Has lots of ZDDP for use with flat tappet cams.

 

Delo 400 XLE Synblend, 10W-30

Delo 400 XLE Synblend 10W-30 | Chevron Lubricants

 

Rotella 15w40 easiest to find anywhere..
has more than enough zinc and wear protection..

if you feel like fancy oil..
Lucas 30w break in oil..
run this for the first couple of oil changes..
same thing.. available everywhere..

 

Quaker state high mileage or the defy has more than enough zinc and wear protectants.

 

All current Diesel engine Oils have reduced the Zinc content to around 1000-1200 PPM much lower then the recommended 2100-3000ppm required fro flat tappets. This was done to meet new emissions requirements with the Ultra Low Sulphur fuel being required for new trucks.

 

It was my understanding the zinc content was important for high compression flat tappet engines with high-lift cam shafts ... muscle cars and hot rods. These engines have very high valve spring loads, that keep the valves from floating at high RPM. The F134 hardly qualifies. Maybe for the 225, depending on the build.

I would expect the Rotella or Delo would be fine, regardless of the new formulation. Diesel engines have higher wrist pin loads than gasoline engines, and the extra ZDDP was added to accommodate that difference. AFAIK those loads have not gone away, and the new formulation is still adequate for the existing engines.

I run 20W50 Rotella or Delo in my Jeeps.

 

I run Valvoline racing for that reason.

 

I currently run Valvoline Racing, "Not street legal" 10-30. I am considering trying this on my next oil change. Super HDS Motor Oil | Lubriplate Lubricants Co.
This oil is advertised to have ZDDP for anti wear.

 

I think the napa people are wrong, and at this point I personally don't take advice from people that work at parts stores.
That said an internet search shows rotella has a 1200 ppm zinc content

Brad penn or Valvoline racing oil are good alternatives both available at summit racing dot com

Edit: I deal with NAPA on a daily basis in my line of work

 

Hydraulic or not does not matter AFAIK. It's the faces of the lifters where they contact the cam lobes - and the cam lobes - that are in jeopardy. I expect there is no significant difference between the contact force of a solid and hydraulic lifter.

 

It doesn't matter solid lifter or hydraulic, both are considered flat tappet. Most all v8 or v6 engines since the early 90's are all roller lifter now so they don't require that much zinc for general wear.

 

There is some oil out now that I just heard about called Shell Classic. Auto Zone is selling it. Don't know much about yet. Going to look at it this weekend.

 

Just picked up my engine from the rebuilder. He told me to add a zinc additive to the oil for break in, after that, regular oil is OK. He said that a lifter will spin as it rides on the cam shaft. If a lifter is not spinning, it will wear the cam lob flat.

 

now that you ask
been running pennzoil 30W for nearly 100K on 225 rebuild . can still see casting numbers on top of head . when looking in to fill hole

 

I hate to be the odd one out but I always ran mobil1 10W-30..