Opinions please on possible use for zinc oil additive

[mtnmankev]

Not sure where to post this, so I put it here, feel free to move the thread if needed.
Weather here has been brutally cold, so much that I rely on the remote electric start on my generator as I can't hobble out in the cold and snow to start it.
The unit is only 3 years old, and doesn't have a ton of hours on it, and runs rather good.
This morning when I got up at 3AM to relight the woodstove, and fire up the propane Mr Heater rocket to warm the house up quickly, I heard a KNOCK,KNOCK,KNOCK from the generator shed, then it started up and ran normal.
Experience has taught me that when a small engine develops a rod knock it's about ready to blow up, and I'm sure the cold thick oil didn't help matters any.
Anyway, I am now forced to spend a thousand bucks on a new generator, and want to avoid this situation again, and was thinking of adding some zinc oil additive every oil change.
Opinions please if anybody thinks it will help or not ??
I wish there was a way to have a warm enclosed building so the poor thing never gets all that cold, but ventilation for exhaust and fresh air intake would be issues hard to overcome, the generator shed has 3 walls and no door, so that one large opening has provided adequate airflow up to now.
Have I ever mentioned how much winter sucks and I hate snow and single digit temperatures ??

 

[CalSgt]

Probably wouldn't hurt to use a zinc additive... I would just use an oil that has a decent zinc content without the need for an additive. Any oil marketed for "Classic cars" or maybe "High Mileage" probably contains more zinc.

Most new cars don't need the zinc so oil manufacturers stopped using it in their most common engine oils. One of the biggest causes for oil to have zinc is flat tappet camshafts, GM started using roller cams in nearly everything including pick-up trucks by 1996.

 

[mtnmankev]

I have been using Castrol GTX 10W30 in all my 4 stroke engines for many decades, never had an issue from the oil.
I see it's available in a high zinc version for classic cars, but only in 20W50 which is too thick especially when it's cold like it's been.

 

[CalSgt]

Speedway has this neat chart with ZDDP content ratings for some common oils

https://www.speedwaymotors.com/the-...hart-high-zinc-oil-list-brand-breakdown/32479

 

[mtnmankev]

At 610 ppm, I might think that could be sufficient for the GTX.
It's definitely higher than zero, and easy to find 10w30 on the shelf.
I started the generator a couple minutes ago, and maybe the daytime warming made a difference, but no knocking sounds and it fired up immediately.

 

[Camar068]

Below is an excellent site to check and/or compare oils, contents and such. Type in the search bar down a bit and on the right.

PETROLEUM QUALITY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA


Some will even give you a more in depth analysis of the oil such as the link below. The link after that is one that doesn't give you all that info for that specific brand (same website). So if you want to compare Amazon oil to lets say Amsoil, right click on the first one you look up....and open in NEW WINDOW....minimize that window and select the other oil in the other window. resize each window so you can put them side by side on your computer screen and compare.

Amazon Oil

Speedway

 

[Shorty81]

I use Schaeffer oil, contains Zinc.

 

[Grit dog]

At 610 ppm, I might think that could be sufficient for the GTX.
It's definitely higher than zero, and easy to find 10w30 on the shelf.
I started the generator a couple minutes ago, and maybe the daytime warming made a difference, but no knocking sounds and it fired up immediately.

Engine knocks that go away are generally never rod or wrist pin knocking. IE not about to blow up.
I also wouldn’t even spend any $ on zinc. But a quality year round synthetic oil like Rotella T6 5-40 is a good idea.

 

[mtnmankev]

Engine knocks that go away are generally never rod or wrist pin knocking. IE not about to blow up.
I also wouldn’t even spend any $ on zinc. But a quality year round synthetic oil like Rotella T6 5-40 is a good idea.

I can go along with that in an engine that doesn't have oil pressure delivered by a pump.
Have seen many automotive engines with worn rod bearings that quit knocking as soon as oil pressure builds.
Of course, when they wear past a certain point, they are going to tap or knock all the time, even with pressure.

 

[Big Ray]

Sounds like you have the wrong oil in it.
Change it to one with proper temp range for your location.
Just my .02...

 

[Ricko1966]

I was going to say Rotella t4 oil still has zinc and what I use in my flat tappet engines. I was told thats what to run by whatever big conglomerate owns half the oil companies in the U.S. The reason I worded it that way was I think it was valvoline I called to get a recommendation as to which of their racing oils to run in my Chevelle. Their tech guy told me which all companies in their group were the same with different labels,he said Rotella t4 disregard that it says diesel it's B.S. wording so people don't trash the converters in their gasoline cars.
Was going to say it's main purpose is to give pressure resistance to the oil to keep the cams from going flat. But as I thought about it small engines are splash oiled having zinc in the oil so it stays where it belongs is probably a good idea.

 

[Matt69olds]

I would think any engine made in the last 15 years would be fine on low zinc oil. I would especially think a generator engine would be perfectly content on just about any quality oil of the proper weight. Those aren’t high rpm engines, they basically run at the same speed. I bet the valve springs are pretty lightweight.

If you’re really concerned, cut open the oil filter. If something is starting to wear or is damaged, you will find the shrapnel there.

If the filter is clean, install a new filter, refill it with the proper weight oil for the environment, and relax. You might even consider a synthetic oil, synthetic oils flow better at low temperatures, and deal with heat far better than oil school petroleum based oils.

Do you have any paperwork on the generator? Does it give a recommended oil type for cold weather use? If all else fails, read the instructions!!!

 

[mtnmankev]

The engine is a Honda clone, no filter, Cabelas brand generator, runs at 3600 rpm.
4KW unit.
The paperwork is lost, but all the generators I have had over the years say use a good 10w30 all year round for the average temperatures here.
If I lived somewhere it went below zero, I would run a lighter oil.
It is possible however, that single digit temps are too cold for 10w30, and it sucks that I have to use the generator for power when it's that cold, but this winter has been an exception here, it rarely gets much below the 20's

 

[mtbadbob]

Lucus or Amsoil both make zinc additives.

 

[Ricko1966]

I wasn't worrying about camshaft wear I was thinking of the benefits of difference in squishing the oil out of the connecting rod big end with zinc. Squishing is not a technical term but I didn't want to use the word pressure because people are going to start saying that engine doesn't have oil pressure. Correct. But zinc is a pressure additive keeps lubrication in place under pressure. Maybe not necessary but I use a zinc oil in everything.