Featured Technical Good Zinc Oil - Rotella T4

Welcome to the H.A.M.B., otherwise known as "Oil Wars".

 

Lake Speed Jr. is no dummy.... I run Rottela in my Powerstroke, I run Lucas Hot Rod oil in my hot rods. Its your engine, do what you want.

 

I intend to run oil wrung from the wings of the rarely seen Pensacola Pygmy Gnat. If my math is correct, I will hopefully have collected enough by the time I'm 437 years old ... give or take. I'll provide an update later if I live long enough. I expect good things. If anyone has a good supply of these critters, it would be of tremendous help to me.

 

Voh, there is a wide variety of opinions on here, some based on personal experience, some based on documented information distributed by the companies who actually formulate the oil, and some based on who knows what........... The attachment posted above by tjm73 is a great explanation of what and why ZDDP is used and the basic differences in WHICH ZDDP is used in each type of engine. It also basically addresses the issue of the detergents and why they are different in diesel and gas engines, and what using the wrong ZDDP or the wrong detergent (or amount of detergent) can do in an engine. You should read that attachment and see what you think is logical, and then pick whatever oil you think is best, whether it be the Diesel that many diehards swear by, or the more modern oils as explained in the attachment. You will never find agreement between the two sides in this issue, so take it all in and see what seems best to you.

 

it’s gm automatic transmission approved. Says so on the jug

 

That funny looking guy is Lake Speed Jr. Engineer, racer, engine builder and son of NASCAR Winston Cup driver and owner driver Lake Speed!

Perhaps you should do some research before you criticize!


https://themotorhood.squarespace.co...14/all-about-oil-lake-speed-jr-breaks-it-down

https://www.enginelabs.com/features...alks-about-going-faster-despite-nascar-rules/

 

Would Wisconsin black gnats work, I could send you tons of them if you want. Lol Not sure how they would work for an oil additive however they are an excellent spray paint additive as they give you a nice textured look.
Dan

 

Oil good

Fire bad. Lol

 

https://blog.amsoil.com/can-i-use-diesel-oil-in-my-gas-engine/
interesting read.
Has a couple pics of @Moriarity rides

if you have a mixed fleet looks like it’s ok.
So make sure you have a diesel somewhere nearby before using diesel oil

 

You beat me to it, a good article I didn’t know some oils are both S and C rated.
Dan

 

I wasn't going to comment on this thread is I did a few weeks ago but that article tells it all but some people need stick a fork into a outlet twice to figure out that it's bad for them.

 

Here is part of a SAE paper on ZDDP that @Blues4U has posted many times that clearly many who keep bringing up the same points and posting the same articles in every oil thread haven't read.

 

It's an old Irish saying [say it fast]

 

Whale oil is a good rust inhibitor

 

This. Some diesel oils have what seems like a lot of zinc, but if you look closer, they also have a lot of phosphorus, which is a dispersant used to hold diesel combustion generated soot in suspension. The phosphorus doesn’t play well with zinc, making the zinc less effective as an anti wear additive. Bottom line is that the zinc has to be overdosed, so, the net result is that what looks to the neophyte to be a high zinc motor oil really has no more antiwear protection than an oil with low phosphorus but a lower zinc dose.

Chemistry makes my head hurt, and I’ll bet that most of the self anointed oil chemistry experts here never even took a basic chemistry course in high school.

 

Thank you interesting read, however I didn’t see recommended zinc levels or wether diesel oil is a good oil for spark ignited flat tappet engines or not.
Could you post a link for the whole article? I could not find it, my search techniques are crappy at best. I love articles on lubrication after all lube is the life blood of our rides.
Dan

 

I use it in my air cooled VW and my small block Chevy, no issues

 

Search ZDDP threads that Blues4U posted in. He has gone through all of that ad nauseum.
The part of that paper that everyone seems to ignore is that ZDDP will only plate onto a part to a certain thickness no matter how much is in the oil. More ZDDP doesn't add more protection it adds longer lasting protection.

 

mobil1 15/ 50 1200ppm phosphorus 1300 ppm zinc updated in2019 says for flat tappet and racing engines

 

Thank you for the search tip I was looking at Oil and @Blues4U not ZDDP under Blues4u. I dove down that rabbit hole- good stuff.
My take always
1. Not all ZDDP is the same.
2. Use a known quality oil
3. Rotella is good.
4. Zinc additives are probably not good
And much more. I will be returning to Blues4u posts on this subject.
Thank you
Dan

 

My choice as well.

 

Yea well, his ethanol treatment puck brown shit is garbage! I have stated this before on another senseless oil thread. That's it for me responding to this dribble crap oil thread BS!!!!!!! Rant over, just like this thread.

 

Explain why rotella t4 would or would not be a good choice to use in a 1953 flathead ford v8 engine
ChatGPT said:


Alright, let's get into it:

Rotella T4 is a 15W-40 conventional heavy-duty diesel engine oil. It's popular because it's tough, affordable, and has a good additive package for wear protection.

Would Rotella T4 be a good choice for a 1953 Flathead Ford V8?

• YES, it could be, mainly because:
  
  • High ZDDP content (zinc and phosphorus additives): Flathead V8s have flat-tappet cams, and those cams really benefit from higher ZDDP levels for wear protection. Rotella oils, especially the older formulas, were known for this. T4 still has moderate ZDDP compared to modern car oils, though less than older Rotella versions.
    
    
  • Thicker viscosity (15W-40): Flatheads were built in an era when oils were much thicker than today's typical 5W-20 or 5W-30 oils. The 15W-40 will provide good film strength and protection, especially in warmer weather.
    
    
  • Robust additive package: T4 is built for hard service (diesels), so it handles soot, contaminants, and heat well — handy if your old Flathead runs a little dirty or hot.
    

However, there are some downsides too:

• Cold starts in winter: 15W-40 is fairly thick when cold. If you're starting the engine below freezing temperatures (say, Canadian winters), cranking can be hard, and oil flow might be slow. A 10W-30 or even 5W-30 classic car oil might be better in extreme cold.
  
  
• Reduced ZDDP compared to older diesel oils: Rotella was reformulated around 2007 to meet new emissions standards (like DPF compatibility), which lowered its zinc content somewhat. It's still higher than modern car oils, but maybe not ideal if you want maximum camshaft protection. Some people add a ZDDP additive or use a "classic car" oil like Valvoline VR1 instead.
  

Bottom line:
✅ Good for summer driving, good if you want inexpensive protection with decent ZDDP.
⚠️ Not ideal if you're winter-starting the Flathead, or if you want the absolute highest zinc for maximum cam life.

 

It’s not the oil.
It’s the metal.

Bethlehem Steel has been closed for how long now?
Sloss, in Birmingham closed in the 70s.
USS in Fairfield went from a real steel mill/blast furnace to making seamless pipe only.
Stockom Valve where they made stuff for Battleships.....gone in the 90s.
Talking battleships, we could not build one those jokers if we wanted to. We don’t have the stuff. The infrastructure is gone.

But hey, we got got to enjoy cheap parts for a while. It may dissolve after 15 minutes. It may last years years but it’s not the oil.

Of course if it does dissolve it’s always the oil.


OH.....the humanity I knew I should have used the zinc......on my replica cam made in Bangladeshi.
It may have been cast here but the metal came from Timbuktu.

 

Are these the same as Eastern Iowa DP (Dog Pecker) gnats?

 

Yes, fun little buggers aren’t they!
Dan

 

Hello Dr of trucks I knew you’d be back, you just can’t stand passing up a good train wreck can you? Do you use dog pecker gnats for paint texture also?
Dan

 

I'm no chemist but have a layman's opinion.

Valvoline racing oil VR1 is my choice.

FWIW; on the jug/bottle it says "specially designed for push-rod & flat tappet engines."

I've been trusting Valvoline racing oil for 50 some odd years.

YMMV

 

Yay, another oil thread!!!!