Just a quick mention here, as I never hear mention of it on automotive forums, but for my older flat tappet engines where I need a good additive package containing ZDDP...... And even for our newer roller cam engines which were originally broken in with dino oil and tend to leak and burn oil if even a synthetic blend oil is used at regular oil changes...... Let alone a full synthetic...... For the past 10 years, I have been running Valvoline 4-stroke motorcycle oil in these engines with excellent results. Additive package is similar to same weight VR1, only not a synthetic base. This stuff. Looks like they have it in blue bottles now. The ones I have stashed here are black bottles...... https://www.valvoline.com/our-products/motor-oil/4-stroke-motorcycle-oil Best regards to all, Harry
Wife's present daily driver (2013 VW P***at) was designed for and broken in on synthetic oil, Mike. Has 135,000 miles on it and no issues there except its a direct injection engine, so we have the oil changed by the dealer at 5,000 mile intervals rather than 10,000 as per mfg. Have done that since it was new. Our previous cars...... Even the newer ones which were broken in on dino oil, though...... No go. A while back...... Could no longer get down under wife's previous 2003 Nissan Maxima to change oil out in our driveway after the knees went, so I took her car to a good mechanic shop we've used many years for things I did not take on at home (not an el cheapo oil change place) and had the oil changed. Unbeknownst to myself, they only carried synthetic and synthetic blend oils at the time. And they put a synthetic blend in her car. Shortly following that oil change, her car began smoking, burning a quart of oil every 500 miles and leaking from seals onto our drive. Took it back and discovered what they had done. Bought some 20-50 Castrol GTX (what we had run in her car since new and changed at 3,000 - 4,000 mile intervals) and had him change oil and filter again. Brought it back again 3,000 miles later for next oil change and by then, the smoking and leaking had stopped and she was running fine again. From then on, I brought him the car and provided the oil and let him provide filter and labour and no more issues. I might add that around that time, Castrol changed their additive package (dropped ZDDP content) and for our newer daily drivers, I began using Shell Rotella T and following their taking out most of ZDDP as well, used Delo 400 whilst our older flat tappet engines got Valvoline 4-stroke Motorcycle Oil. When I had used up all the Delo 400 I had on hand around 10 years ago, we began using the Valvoline motorcycle oil in everything to keep from having so many different kinds of oil on hand. And except for my wife's 2013 VW P***at which takes synthetic, we still run the Valvoline motorcycle oil in all our other cars. As for our mechanic shop...... Within a year of our having issues with my wife's previous 2003 model car, he began to stock dino oil from another supplier because a good many of his customers with all but the newest cars designed for and broken in on synthetic oil were experiencing the same issues with synthetic and synthetic blend as we had. FWIW...... I'm building a new engine for my '57 Chevy and my youngest son and I are putting together a new engine for his '92 Camaro as well. Neither engine was designed to run synthetic oil and neither will ever see anything but a good grade of dino oil with the additive package each needs. Son's engine is a '96 factory roller cam design and mine is an early '60s era flat tappet design. Happy Motoring, Harry
Chances are real good that had you just left the synthetic blend oil in your engine it would have stopped smoking and leaking, just like it did when you put the GTX in. Sometimes when you change oil brands the new additive chemistry will clean up deposits left by the previous oil, resulting in an increase in oil consumption, and sometimes leaks. Eventually the engine adjusts to the new oil and the issues go away, seen it many times. Sometimes though, the leaks are due to some seal shrinkage which can occur with some synthetic oils, but which was a problem decades ago and is pretty much a non-occurrence today, as lubricant companies now know how to blend these oils with the right amount of seal swell agents to prevent this. Regarding Rotella "their taking out most of ZDDP as well", yeah, that never happened. There was a reduction in zddp due to limits placed on phosphorus content in 2007, but that limit only reduced zddp levels a couple of hundred ppm, the level remained about 1200 - 1300 ppm in most heavy duty diesel engine oils, including Rotella. And in fact, Chevron has now reduced zddp in Delo 400 to around 800 - 900 ppm, Rotella remains up around 1200 - 1300. How much zddp do you need?
Wait a minute, I'm not done. How is an engine ? What specifically is different in 1 engine vs another to deal with synthetic oil?
Blues4U, don’t mean to **** in, but this thread reminded me of an experience I had on my then girlfriends truck, a 2000 Ford F-150, V-6. She always changed/ had changed oil every 3000 miles and used 10w30 Valaline Oil. Well at about 150,000 mark I mentioned adding my favorite additive, “ Power Up” as the engine was getting some miles on it. She always helped me change it on my shops four wheel lift and we both marveled at how dry the engine was! Absolutely no leaks, power dry! Well after I talked her into putting my additive in, the next oil change, 3000 miles later, the engine had started leaking at several points, pan gasket, front seal, rear seal, etc! Well she was pissed, I was the bad guy! So we didn’t put no more of my “ snake oil” in it any more. After several more oil changes, the engine slowly dried up! We drove the **** out of that truck. Eventually quit driving it when it started running bad at about 245,000 miles, but the engine had no leaks! Wonder what caused that? Ps! I know we’ve talked about this additive before! Bones
I don't know what to tell you. Apparently these was enough of a change in the chemistry with the Power Up added to cause something to lead to the leaks. From what I can gather off the net it looks like Power Up is chlorinated parafin with an over base sulfunate in a base oil. The chlorinated parafin is to form a tribo film on the mating surfaces of moving parts to prevent metal to metal wear; and the overbased sulfunate is a detergent to clean surfaces and neutralize acids and corrosives in the oil (some of which may be from the chlorinated parafins...). It's possible the detergents removed some lacquer films that lead to leaks in those areas, and when you removed it and went back to the Valvoline those films reappeared and sealed up the leaks. That's just a WAG (wild *** guess). It doesn't look like anything that would've dried out the seals and caused shrinkage, but again, I really can't say for sure. Just taking a guess at it cause you asked.
Blues4U thank you for taking the time to answer my question. But you do realize that I am a country boy from Muskogee, Oklahoma? At about the second line.... you kinda lost me!... But... I did glean out of your post about “ metal to metal” wear! This is where this additive excels! I truly want to know about this “ stuff”. While I understand your stand on “ snake oil” I have used this stuff with success! I am at a dilemma! Pertty big word for me! Bones
Maybe there's a more simple answer than you might think Bones, the oil additive may have caused the oil to lose "lubricity" and higher internal engine component temperatures. Higher temps, clearances open up? Another WAG.
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