When I lived in Chicago..I ran 10W-30W..I think I have the original owners manual for my '67 Travelall.. That motor will run on most anything..however..I have had a 392 and 345 round off cams in the 80s..so a little ZDDP add would hurt.
I worked for the postal service as a mechanic and we ran 345's and 392's and saw a lot of excessively worn cams. The oil had plenty of ( 70's-80's)ZDDP and whatever else EPA has ban and really don't think the oil had anything to do with wear issues in those motors. It was strictly motor design and Parts quaility. Strict records were kept and the oil and filters got change at half the recomended change intervals for heavy service.I personally think the ZDDP issue is a smoke screen. There is no subs***ue for quaility American made parts, better yet correctly made parts and unfortunately most of us have very little choice when it comes right down to it.This issue is the same thing that happened with Freon 12. The people who make ZDDP are going to sell it one way or another.Is there in proof that there problems with motors wearing excessively before the oil refineries started using it?? My guess is only a few have stopped to take a look at the track record before they started using all these additives any way. This ought to get me clobbered .... just my 2 cents.
I think you're probably on to something to some degree. That school of thought has been proposed in other threads. Also, the other side ("ZDDP additive is a must" group) and everything in between has been proposed as well. It appears that for some time there are going to be at least two opinions on this matter. I wish there was one definetive answer. I've read compelling views from all sides.
I just went through this whole shi bang last month... this oil that oil blah blah. I tried the Valvoline VR1 20 50 it was too thick and wasnt oiling correctly... called my engine builder... he now puts valvoline VR1 straight 40 in all his motors... and all the people in the NAPA machine shops are using it too.... all works great.. pleanty of ZDDP.. price is good and you can get it at most any auto store.
Use any of the ones already posted ,BUT,if you add 1/2 qt syn to any of them it does wonderfull things to your seals. ask riply regular oil and syn blend just fine . my 2 cents
anything you read about "what has worked for years" means absolutely nothing anymore. The oils are not the same as they were. no more zinc. Even rotella etc and other diesel oils don't have it as of lately. The non synthetic vR1 20 50 racing has it still since I last checked, it will say zinc additive on it. Just get zdd plus and add it. Anyone that does not think engines don't need it are remaking science. Older motors must have it, and I think newer ones need it also, just not as much. Good luck, no it is just the science and facts. People would rather have to rebuild their engine than make oil changes more expensive. The world has moved on, get with it or wipe your camshaft etc... www.sakowskimotors.com
I've got some "15W 40 Multigrade Commercial engine oil." The make is Mobil. Will it be alright??? HC.
I have been using Valvoline Racing and All Season oil since 1967. I used Gulf Pride Single G in my '56 Chevy until 1965 because that oil seemed to keep the engine cleaner than any other oil I had used previously. In 1965, I was at the NHRA Summer Nationals Green Valley Raceway in Fort Worth Texas and I noticed **** Landy laying under a big oak tree a**** some other famous racers, Ronnie Sox, Don Garlits and Art Malone a**** others. **** Landy was smoking one of his big cigars and I could not resist asking him why he used Valvoline Racing oil. Landy told me personally that he liked Valvoline Racing oil for it's anti-foaming qualities. I was sold! After he told me that, I have used Valvoline Racing oil and Valvoline all season oils exclusively. I use Valvoline Max-Life synthetic blend 10W-30 (amazing stuff) in my old original cl***ic cars and Valvoline Full Synthetic 10W-30 in my 1999 F-150 pick-up and my wife's Crown Victoria P-71 Police Interceptor.
"Even rotella etc and other diesel oils don't have it (zinc) as of lately." I just got off the phone with Shell's tech service. I hope we can agree that they are an acceptable source of information. Without hesitation the tech said that both the current Rotella 15w40 and Rotella straight 30 (which is all I asked about) have .... "approximately 1200 ppm of ZDDP." Early in the thread I posted, "In the end, how do you choose whose advice you are going to take?" HeyyCharger is still not sure what to put in his engine. Oil paranoia.
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