Modern Motor Oil Can Damage Some Older Engines

Clear as mud...

Much hyperbole rounded out with eventually deciding to use the grade of oil the engine was originslly designed to use.

bwire,

You may not think it's true, but in the last decade or so the oil companies have removed a significant amount of zinc (ZDDP) from their product and pre-1996 engine top-ends are suffering big time from this decease. The article is not full of hyperbole whatsoever.

My brother, who is a Chief Chemical Engineer with Castrol running his company's Racing Oils Program (NHRA....Top Fuel and Funny Car drivers John Force and Ashley Force are one of their sponsored teams) started his own oil additive company approx. 3 years ago (in addition to his daytime career) because he was seeing a lot of engine destruction occurring because of this lack of ZDDP in the modern oils. I've seen the tests and test data done on tappets, cams and cam followers for both treated and un-treated oils, and there is a marked increase of parts protection due to the ZDDP additive. The untreated parts were significantly worn and basically useless....I've seen the test data and the actual parts. I'm not acting as a salesman for his company at all....in fact you can even purchase an inferior product from his main competition if you want.....afterall it's your money, but I will add this: my brother's product contains a great amount more ZDDP than the other guy's junk @ well over 4 times as much ZDDP material per mL.

Check out my brother's website:

http://cam-shield.com

If anyone has questions, just fire off an email to my brother and he'll get right back to you. BTW, this additive is for pre-'96 engines and is intended to be used by the owners of hot rods, street cars, classic cars, antiques, and muscle cars. Heck, I even add it to the oil in my lawn tractors, snowblowers, weedwackers, auger, and chain saw for extra protection....it works!

====Signed CaptMoosie, LPE

Is your brothers additive not intended for post 1996 vehicles?

Hi there Capt,

I claimed hyperbole due the indication one would use a lubricant w/o checking the specifications determining it's application then blame the lube for resultant wear beyond expectation.

Well thought out dispenser though

Be careful using this product--a warning on the web site says: "This product is not for use in emissions controlled vehicles with catalytic converters, irreparable damage to the catalytic converter will result." (http://cam-shield.com/acatalog/Technical.html)

I'm guessing that answers the question posed in the next post about its use in 1996 and later cars.

(But, I thought catalytic converters were installed in cars long before 1996--maybe I'm just getting old.)

Yes, you're correct about the statement regarding not using the ZDDP additive in emission control-equipped vehicles. I am sorry to have not mentioned that earlier....my BAD. But as I stated before that I'm not a salesman for my brother's product. Actually I know very little about it except what he has discussed with me.

In all fairness I did mention in earlier postings that it was intended for classic cars, antiques, street rods and muscle cars...plus racing engines......mainly for those rebuilding their engines, or prolonging the life of the original engine build, etc.

If you have any questions etc, please contact my brother and he'll have the answers for you. Don't ask me because I'm not a ChemE!

Lynlynch, As far as I know it's not intended for post '96 engines, but probably wouldn't hurt them any if it's used. As I understand it, the post-'96 engines were "toughened-up", particularily the yop sides, due to the reduction of ZDDP additive in the newer motor oils and resultant increase in engine parts wear/failures. I'm not an automobile engineer, so I'm not sure of exactly what changes were made. My guess would be new surfacing technologies have been employed to greatly reduced the wear on cam staff lobes and what-not. Next time I talk to Tim I'll ask him and get back to this thread with any answers I receive. As you can see my brother has been branching out on his product line with goodies, such as his cam break-in paste (?) and engine break-in additive. I really don't know much about them frankly, as I'm just a lowly Civil Engineer. They may be intended more for the racing engine and engine rebuilding crowd....muscle cars, street rods, etc.

I have an old Vette that someday may get put back together. I'll use it in that for sure.

lynlynch, When you get your Vettte back together please post some restro pics! I think my brother decided to sell this product because he too has an old Vette that needed some serious engine protection.....he's got an old '65 Sting Ray convertible that's pretty nice to tool-around in on a nice sunny day! I think it has a 327 CID engine in it. *GRINZ* What year is your Vette?

Mine's a '72 coupe. Last year with steel bumpers on front.

If I ever finish it all the suspension and drive train will be new. It had a big block, but I'm replacing that with a 350.

Shorty after I took it apart, my wife's 3 grand children (boys) came to live with us. (6 years ago) For some reason, I don't have much time to work on it. Homework, church, boy/cub scouts and soccer now rule my life.

Someday.........................

bwire, glad to hear that you liked the dispenser design. I'll let Tim know that he had better keep that feature on his product bottles! LOL

lynlynch: here's hoping you find the time to finish the restoration on your Vette! CHEERS!

Would that be a 350 CID LT1 by chance?

After 1987 GM went to mostly hydraulic roller camshafts they are not subject to the zinc content as the solid and solid roller cam.GM has not put a solid cam in vehicles in years,they sound like a sewing machine,though you get the most power from a solid cam,thats whay the race cars that spin hi rpm s use them.hydrolaulic lifters start to float above 6000 to 6500 rpm. many cam company's sell zinc addative.(compcams).anyone that would build a motor today with a solid cam for a street to mild track car should have theire head examand.Unless for OEM nastalgic reasons.I am getting just over 500 gross HP out of a sbc (383)with a hydraulic roller cam,and i use mobil 1. also with a 200 shot of NOS on the side. If i were to rebuild lets say a 72 vette i would put a hydraulic roller in it,then if i wanted to sell the car as origonal I would swap the cam and lifters. no one wants to be under the hood every other weekend adjusting valves..i had a .640 solid roller cam in an 10 second car,i had to adjust the valves every other run.the high lift cam beats the solid valve trane to death. 90% of the time the hydraulic roller is the way to go.just recently they cam out with hydraulic roller lifter that will rev to 8000 rpm's.Yes with out zinc.