Zinc, Engine oil and flat cams

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

t44e6

Full Access Member
Joined
Dec 23, 2021
Posts
106
Reaction score
92
Location
NH USA
First Name
David
Truck Year
1982
Truck Model
K10
Engine Size
350
As you said, most engines will do fine without higher ZDDP levels especially if they aren't driven hard. I also agree that many people are worrying about it needlessly, the automotive version of "gluten free" food. In the Porsche shop we always used VR1. There are numerous high ZDDP racing oils, and break in oils. The best thing to do is do your research if you are building an engine and follow the guidelines of the people that make the components. I have seen anecdotal reports of people having wear issues in older off road equipment, and things like old motorcycles or cars that have such things as lifters that aren't designed to rotate. If in doubt, do some research and if you don't find anything it won't hurt to use higher ZDDP content oil as long as it meets the requirement of the application. The best strategy is to send a sample of your oil to be analyzed, then you will know exactly what is happening inside your engine. As for additives, if you use the proper oil for your application and change it at the proper interval I think they are pretty much placeboes.
 

Goldie Driver

Full Access Member
Joined
Mar 19, 2018
Posts
4,036
Reaction score
6,619
Location
Houston, Texas
First Name
Britt
Truck Year
1980
Truck Model
GMC K1500 Suburban
Engine Size
350
Anyone seen or tried this ?
It will be my next experiment on Goldie.
 

Attachments

  • 20220604_200028.jpg
    20220604_200028.jpg
    78.6 KB · Views: 76

SirRobyn0

Full Access Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2019
Posts
6,755
Reaction score
11,402
Location
In the woods in Western Washington
First Name
Rob
Truck Year
1984
Truck Model
C20
Engine Size
305
Anyone seen or tried this ?
It will be my next experiment on Goldie.
I was unaware of it. If you haven't seen it Castrol is very up front about what's in it. I REALLY like that. So many motor oils it's digging around the web for someone's test result and hoping it's accurate.

Here is the link to their info: https://msdspds.castrol.com/bpglis/...1CB34448025867E0048D3EA/$File/WEPP-BYBE6A.pdf

Says 1,400PPM zinc.

So at the shop we are stocking Valvoline VR1, which is available in 10W30 & 20W50.
The Castrol Classic seems to only be available in 20W50, I'm not sure I'm 100% happy about that. I'd like to see a 10W30 as well.

I'm back to using the diesel oil in my truck again, and I have to say I rather like it.

I hope you'll report back if you notice any changes when you are running the Castrol Classic, do you remember the price?
 

mtnmankev

Full Access Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2014
Posts
1,623
Reaction score
3,293
Location
Ash Fork, Arizona
First Name
Kevin
Truck Year
1984, 1983
Truck Model
K10, C20
Engine Size
383 Stroker, 350
I was unaware of it. If you haven't seen it Castrol is very up front about what's in it. I REALLY like that. So many motor oils it's digging around the web for someone's test result and hoping it's accurate.

Here is the link to their info: https://msdspds.castrol.com/bpglis/...1CB34448025867E0048D3EA/$File/WEPP-BYBE6A.pdf

Says 1,400PPM zinc.

So at the shop we are stocking Valvoline VR1, which is available in 10W30 & 20W50.
The Castrol Classic seems to only be available in 20W50, I'm not sure I'm 100% happy about that. I'd like to see a 10W30 as well.

I'm back to using the diesel oil in my truck again, and I have to say I rather like it.

I hope you'll report back if you notice any changes when you are running the Castrol Classic, do you remember the price?
If you live in a hot climate like I do, and one of my trucks is low oil pressure, 20w50 is the cat's meow.
I'm lucky to get 40 psi fully warmed up and at highway speed.
Idles at 15 or less.
If I was running anything less than 20w50 those numbers would be lower.
 

Goldie Driver

Full Access Member
Joined
Mar 19, 2018
Posts
4,036
Reaction score
6,619
Location
Houston, Texas
First Name
Britt
Truck Year
1980
Truck Model
GMC K1500 Suburban
Engine Size
350
I was unaware of it. If you haven't seen it Castrol is very up front about what's in it. I REALLY like that. So many motor oils it's digging around the web for someone's test result and hoping it's accurate.

Here is the link to their info: https://msdspds.castrol.com/bpglis/...1CB34448025867E0048D3EA/$File/WEPP-BYBE6A.pdf

Says 1,400PPM zinc.

So at the shop we are stocking Valvoline VR1, which is available in 10W30 & 20W50.
The Castrol Classic seems to only be available in 20W50, I'm not sure I'm 100% happy about that. I'd like to see a 10W30 as well.

I'm back to using the diesel oil in my truck again, and I have to say I rather like it.

I hope you'll report back if you notice any changes when you are running the Castrol Classic, do you remember the price?

I think I will put it in tomorrow.

$ 22.47 for the 5 quart jug at Wally World- I think the spare quart was 5 something.

Something I just randomly saw today and grabbed.
 

SirRobyn0

Full Access Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2019
Posts
6,755
Reaction score
11,402
Location
In the woods in Western Washington
First Name
Rob
Truck Year
1984
Truck Model
C20
Engine Size
305
I think I will put it in tomorrow.

$ 22.47 for the 5 quart jug at Wally World- I think the spare quart was 5 something.

Something I just randomly saw today and grabbed.
VR1 is $32, in a 5 quart jug. Oreilly's brand 20W50 is $22.99. Wow that's a good price for the Castrol classic! Def keeping that in mind. I'm pretty happy with the diesel oil, but always like the idea of more protection, especially affordable ones.
 

SirRobyn0

Full Access Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2019
Posts
6,755
Reaction score
11,402
Location
In the woods in Western Washington
First Name
Rob
Truck Year
1984
Truck Model
C20
Engine Size
305
If you live in a hot climate like I do, and one of my trucks is low oil pressure, 20w50 is the cat's meow.
I'm lucky to get 40 psi fully warmed up and at highway speed.
Idles at 15 or less.
If I was running anything less than 20w50 those numbers would be lower.
I understand. My truck runs good oil pressure, but I've had rigs in the past that definitely didn't.

When I had my old 77 class C RV I ran nothing but 20W50 in it winter and summer, but I always reasoned that it took nothing but long trips and worked hard so the added protection of the thicker oil was a good thing and cold starts even in the winter didn't really matter because there would only be one cold start then a lot of driving.

Now with the square, I do my fair share of hauling and towing, and when I'm doing that I really think that a thinker oil would be good, but I also drive it to the shop 4 days a week and various other light work. Lots of cold starts. So for a long time I stuck with 10W40, but I kind of feel like the 15W40 diesel oil is a compromise. It's also a little higher on the zinc, but IIRC it's somewhere around 1,000 - 1,100 PPM on the zinc so lower than the Castrol classic. Of course my engine is stock and well broke in, so zinc might not matter much.
Anyhow that's been my thought process.
 

Goldie Driver

Full Access Member
Joined
Mar 19, 2018
Posts
4,036
Reaction score
6,619
Location
Houston, Texas
First Name
Britt
Truck Year
1980
Truck Model
GMC K1500 Suburban
Engine Size
350
I was unaware of it. If you haven't seen it Castrol is very up front about what's in it. I REALLY like that. So many motor oils it's digging around the web for someone's test result and hoping it's accurate.

Here is the link to their info: https://msdspds.castrol.com/bpglis/...1CB34448025867E0048D3EA/$File/WEPP-BYBE6A.pdf

Says 1,400PPM zinc.

So at the shop we are stocking Valvoline VR1, which is available in 10W30 & 20W50.
The Castrol Classic seems to only be available in 20W50, I'm not sure I'm 100% happy about that. I'd like to see a 10W30 as well.

I'm back to using the diesel oil in my truck again, and I have to say I rather like it.

I hope you'll report back if you notice any changes when you are running the Castrol Classic, do you remember the price?

One day of highway - almost hitting 40 psi on the freeway in ~ 95 ish temps with the A/C off, and hot idle around 25 - 29 psi, so higher than what it was doing.

I am curious if it will lose less oil, but, not going to bet on it.

If, for example, my problem is an intake manifold gasket then I don't think weight or the zinc content is going to effect that.

:anitoof:

Oh - I basically have 4 quarts of the 20W50 and 1 quart of 10W40 semi syn as I had changed the oil filter last change after about 200 miles to see if that had an impact on the oil pressure.

It did not, but I was not going to waste a good, slightly used AC Delco PF1218 with good oil so put it in a closed box until I used it last weekend.

So, maybe I am running 16W46 oil ?

:Big Laugh:
 

80BrownK10

Full Access Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2019
Posts
1,878
Reaction score
1,247
Location
Greenwood, SC
First Name
Nate
Truck Year
1980
Truck Model
K10
Engine Size
350
One day of highway - almost hitting 40 psi on the freeway in ~ 95 ish temps with the A/C off, and hot idle around 25 - 29 psi, so higher than what it was doing.

I am curious if it will lose less oil, but, not going to bet on it.

If, for example, my problem is an intake manifold gasket then I don't think weight or the zinc content is going to effect that.

:anitoof:

Oh - I basically have 4 quarts of the 20W50 and 1 quart of 10W40 semi syn as I had changed the oil filter last change after about 200 miles to see if that had an impact on the oil pressure.

It did not, but I was not going to waste a good, slightly used AC Delco PF1218 with good oil so put it in a closed box until I used it last weekend.

So, maybe I am running 16W46 oil ?

:Big Laugh:
Not to side track this...ah what the heck that's what a good forum does. What was your warm oil pressure at various operating conditions. I really only care about warm or operating temps. Idle, cruising etc?
 

SirRobyn0

Full Access Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2019
Posts
6,755
Reaction score
11,402
Location
In the woods in Western Washington
First Name
Rob
Truck Year
1984
Truck Model
C20
Engine Size
305
One day of highway - almost hitting 40 psi on the freeway in ~ 95 ish temps with the A/C off, and hot idle around 25 - 29 psi, so higher than what it was doing.

I am curious if it will lose less oil, but, not going to bet on it.

If, for example, my problem is an intake manifold gasket then I don't think weight or the zinc content is going to effect that.

:anitoof:

Oh - I basically have 4 quarts of the 20W50 and 1 quart of 10W40 semi syn as I had changed the oil filter last change after about 200 miles to see if that had an impact on the oil pressure.

It did not, but I was not going to waste a good, slightly used AC Delco PF1218 with good oil so put it in a closed box until I used it last weekend.

So, maybe I am running 16W46 oil ?

:Big Laugh:
I've done what your talking about, wanted to switch oil, but had just changed it recently and didn't want to throw away a perfectly good oil filter.

I'll say this about oil usage. I've had rigs in the past, with valve guide, and ring issues. The worse was an old 20R Toyota, all of them reduced oil usage at least some with 20W50 and more with hyperlube added to it. The thing about the intake manifold gasket was that oil usage was not that much, maybe a quart every 1K, but would foul a plug in 100 miles. Looking back on it I should not have dismissed the intake gasket in the beginning.

Appreciate your update and info. Hope you'll keep them coming and would also be curious as you put mileage on it if you think it gets dark at the same rate or different.
 

Goldie Driver

Full Access Member
Joined
Mar 19, 2018
Posts
4,036
Reaction score
6,619
Location
Houston, Texas
First Name
Britt
Truck Year
1980
Truck Model
GMC K1500 Suburban
Engine Size
350
Not to side track this...ah what the heck that's what a good forum does. What was your warm oil pressure at various operating conditions. I really only care about warm or operating temps. Idle, cruising etc?
Goldie runs a tad bit cooler at idle than down the road - fan clutch engaged at slow speeds, I guess.

Warmed up to hot, with the 10W40 I would see 20 to 25 at idle right after a freeway jaunt and maybe hit 30 to 35 on the highway.

Mechanic confirmed the electric gauge was accurate, so I have no reason to distrust what I am seeing now.

I am an oil pressure fan.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
43,999
Posts
947,515
Members
36,062
Latest member
kurtsut
Top