Technical 20w-50 engine oil

Not wanting synthetic, what brand is comparable to Amalie 20w-50 which is what I have been using but having trouble finding it now...

 

I have been using Valvoline VR-1 20w-50 in my motorcycle for many years, with good success.

It has flat tappets, yet unconventional bearings on the crank (caged ball bearing on the front, tapered roller on the rear). Not a problem yet, since the 90's.

 

Castrol 20-50 at WalMart or auto parts stores, I've been using it a lifetime.

 

I use either Valvoline VR1 race oil or Schaeffer's race oil. Both 20 w50

I also add BG MOA at each oil change.
I probably dont need to, but after losing a 355 to a wiped out cam i want all the protection i can get.

Been doing it for years now with thousands of miles and never had a problem since.

Tony

 

Valvoline VR1

 

Brad Penn 20/50. Great for flat-tappet cam engines as it's high in ZDDP.

 

Sorta curious to know more about your aversion to synthetic.

 

Used Castrol 20W-50 in a '85 Jetta GLI. Parents bought it new, I took it over at around 150K. Drove it to the junk yard with 365K on it and it started immediately with the hit of the key.

Point of the story, that was some good oil....

 

All we use is Brad Penn 20-50

 

What criteria do you use to compare oil brands?

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/s/ref=is_s?k=amalie+motor+oil+20w50

 

Zinc content, in conjunction with locally availability.

Plus, I check with Bob the Oil Guy.

 

I use off-the-shelf 15W-40 'Diesel' oil in all my flat-tappet engines, they have more anti-wear additives and more detergents and dispersants that catalyst-friendly 'car' motor oil lacks nowadays. And, it's a lot cheaper than high-end specialty stuff!

Eli

 

I've been using Valvoline for ever but happy to use Penrrite as well, if its cat friendly it probably isn't for me, I carefully choose what goes into engines I have rebuilt.
there are a few tests oline like this one you can read and make your own decision from http://bestmotoroil.weebly.com/car-oil-testing.html#.Vxh7x7T9nIV

NB the above results came from : https://540ratblog.wordpress.com/2013/06/20/motor-oil-wear-test-ranking/
lots of info there............

 

Valvoline VR-1 20-50W conventional oil. Has all the zinc and phosphorous you need.

Gary

 

My vote for Valvoline VR-1 with WIX filters.

 

This is exactly what I use.

 

I use Brad Penn 15-40 seams to work fine!
they also make 20-50

 

Been using VR-1 for years!

 

Me too

 

I use Amsoil Synthetic Zrod, comes in 10/30, 20/50 about $8/qt/case, it was designed for old style flat lifter cams. Curious as to why you do not want Synthetic oil, it is better, (many studies prove this) have been using in my drivers for 25 + years and was putting in 410 Chev Sprint motors, starting in 1987. Think Brad Penn is a blended oil, ass u me you are looking for a oil w/ zinc additive which has become rare due to EPA emissions control

 

That's a good question Jim, mostly ignored by everybody. I don't think most people know what to look for. Gimpy mentioned zinc level, that seems to be everybody's main or only concern.

There's more to oil than zinc content. And not all zinc compounds are created equal.

"Zinc" is an element (zn on the periodic table). Zinc by itself offers nothing for an engine, it has to be compounded with other chemicals to form Zinc dialkyldithiophosphate (ZDDP) . But even then there are different ZDDP compounds with different characteristics. Just because an oil has X percent of Zinc does not mean it has better performance than another oil with less ZDDP, it all depends on the compound.

ZDDP performs two functions in motor oil, anti-wear and anti-oxidation. Both are critical to longevity. But again, not all ZDDP compounds are created equal, some may perform better at anti-wear and not so good at anti-oxidation, others may do the opposite, and others might excel or suck at both. How do you know which is which? One thing to consider is, performance costs. A cheaper oil with high zinc content, you're probably not getting the protection you think you are. Paying more doesn't automatically mean better performance, but paying less usually means less performance.

 

Also, high ZDDP is important for highly loaded sliding parts (such as flat tappet cams), but not for most of the parts of an engine.

I guess I have a different criteria for comparing oils...if it provides enough protection to help the engine last as long as I want it to last, it's good enough. Then I shop by price. Usually, the more ads you see for an oil, the more the oil costs.

So I have mostly been using house brand Walmart oil for the past 10-15 years. seems to work, my engines don't explode. I haven't lost a cam since 2005.

 

Personally, I haven't been convinced that the fear of wiped cams isn't mostly urban myth. Not that there hasn't been a problem, I'm just not convinced it's been properly diagnosed. A former co-worker of mine that was very involved in NHRA racing and formulating racing oils was definitely convinced there was a problem with modern S class motor oils and flat tappet cams. I guess I tend to be skeptical of claims until I see supportive data, and I just haven't seen the data yet to confirm it. Just a lot of internet discussion and people repeating what they've read on other internet sites or heard from friends. I'm not convinced the rash of cam failures weren't a result of some improperly hardened cams in some cases and some poor assembly practices and break-in procedures in other cases. It's always easier to just blame the oil, I've dealt with that for over 15 years, and IME it's never the oil. Severe lift conditions, extreme slope angles, these may need special consideration. But probably 90% or more of aftermarket cams in use, and 100% of OEM cams, shouldn't require special oil. JMO. Anyone have data on cam failures to share I'd love to see it.

 

Nobody suggested that an oil manufacturer would put raw, uncompounded Zinc into motor oil, as none actually do.

Of course it is ZDDP, but that is an initalism, and thus unpronounceable in common parlance. Additionally, Zinc dialkyldithiophosphate is more than a mouthful to pronounce.

For this reason, as in many other cases, we subsequent resort to vernacular nomenclature.

In other words, it is easier to just say Zinc, but far be it from me to remove the satisfaction of pedantry.

 

Them's some big words. While on the subject of 20w-50. Is there advantage of 20w 50 over 10w-40 in a standard small block, non-race, street driven cruiser? I would guess 10w-40 is fine considering the varity of situations one drives in. Cool spring or fall days, warm summer days.

 

I'm using 5W30 in everything these days...don't tell anyone...

 

yep

 

Didn't mean to imply you thought it was pure zinc, just clarifying it for whoever might be interested. I also wrote more about it than that.

 

X2!! From my power washer,lawn mower,generator,2 OT cars,Flathead(avatar),SBC(305)37 Chevy Truck!! Castrol Edge 5-30 Synthetic! Pete