I purchased this oil many months ago after I saw it advertised in Old Cars Weekly. I did not ask for a breakdown of the zinc levels etc..but I suspected this oil may be a re-packaged diesel oil as the viscosity is identical to the popular diesel oils. From the text it seems my suspicions are unfounded? Anyone taken a close look as to how this oil compares to Rottela, Valvoline Super Blue, etc...? Tom Mooney
Wal-Mart sells a 10W-40 oil that states on the bottle that it's specifically made for cars built before 1988. I forgot the brand though but I will take a closer look at it next time I'm there.
Wal-Mart? What are the chances that it's 1988 oil that's been sent ot China to be recycledl?:Brow: Ed
I hear ya and I'm skeptical too. It goes by the brand name Accel if anyone is interested. Anyway I looked at it tonight and it's non-API (no donut) SF rated and the label on the bottle states that it won't protect against sludge build-up in newer engines. I guess the the looser tolerances in the nailhead and frequent oil changes called for make that a moot point. I also found the Valvoline 15W-40 and Mobil 15W-40 there for $9.00 a gallon. Also, the Wal-Mart brand 15W-40 seemed to still meet the older classification for diesel oil. I'm kinda stumped on this oil issue as well but I am leaning towards trying the Accel stuff. If anything, I'm sure it's better than anything used in the 1960's. And at less than $2.00 a quart, changing the oil every 2 months would be cheaper on the wallet. I just don't want to do anything that damages the engine but with all the newer oils blended for emissions, I'm starting to feel confused as to what's the best way to approach this.
Jim- Don't buy the Accel stuff if it does not have the API star. The comment about sludge tells me that they have little or no detergents in the oil. You don't want that. There was a lot of ZDDP in the oil in the 60s; how do you know they have that much in the Accel oil? You don't. The Mobil and Valvoline 15-40s for $9/gal. sound like conventional (as opposed to synthetic) diesel engine oils. Probably your best choice among what you found (but you should call the Mobil Oil 800 number and ask them how much phosphorus is in that oil - 800-662-4525).
I agree and that's why I'm skeptical about the Accel stuff. But the sludge factor is a moot point when the manual calls for oil changes every 2 months or 6000 miles and that tells me that 60's oil was no better in controlling it than the Accel stuff. From what I've been reading is that you don't want a current rated API oil now because in order to get the rating, lower levels of ZDDP and other additives have to be used. But this oil is rated SF and it is a detergent oil. I'll buy a quart of it and take a few pics and let you take a closer look at it. http://www.ls1.com/forums/showthread.php?t=74825 Lot's of good info on not using an API-SM rated oil. The 15W oil goes against everything I've learned but if it comes down to it, I'll use it. I just can't see myself using an oil that heavy in an engine with 10,000 miles on it that is ran so little. Right now I've got a 5W-30 semi synthetic in it and except for it leaking a little out the rear main seal, it works fine especially now since I might drive the car once every 2-3 weeks. My main concern right now is getting the oil flowing fast throughout the engine. BTW, I own two cars that have flat tappet camshafts, both of them Taurus SHO's with the Yamaha engines in them. What I've learned about the effects of oil without the 1200 ppm of ZDDP and the wear that occurs on the lobes and tappets has been an eye opener to say the least. I'm not really concerned about the tappets because of the hardened shims that are used but the camshaft lobes are another story. Especially when I have to deal with 24 and 32 valves respectively in each. Now I'm really starting to worry and I intend to bring it up with other SHO owners ASAP to see what they think.
Before I retired , we would spot a tank car at an oil distribution company in Houston, We would put one tank on the unloading hose. Then we would walk around to the front for a coke. In the front they were selling all the different brands of oil in cases to the auto supply jobbers, all the different brands, enco,penzzoil,texaco, amalie,ect. All the same oil but different labels. Hmmmmmm..........
Ok bought a bottle of the Accel stuff. It is API SF rated and states on the bottle that it meets prior API performance standard SE. The oil is distributed by Warren Performance Products. My fault for not remembering the API rating but it's in a square instead of a donut for some reason. The labels also says and I quote, "an all season, multi-viscosity, heavy duty detergent motor oil recommended for gasoline engines in older model cars and trucks prior to 1989. This oil provides oxidation stability and antiwear performance relative to oils meeting the prior API performance standard SE. This oil also provides protection against engine deposits, rust and corrosion. Caution: this oil is rated API Service Catagory SF. It is not suitable in use in most gasoline powered automotive engines built after 1988. It may not provide adequate protection against the build-up of engine sludge." And I also came across this link which shows the API ratings for oils since 1930: http://www.burkeoil.com/pdf/oilguide.pdf
The zinc is not "phased out", it's just reduced a bit. If the cam has more than a hundred miles on it--that's a "hundred", not a "hundred thousand"--and you have stock (weak-ass ordinary factory-style) valve springs, you have NO need for ultra-high zinc levels. What is supplied in current-production (CJ-rated) Diesel/Gasoline oil is MORE than sufficient to protect the cam and lifters. If the cam was brand-new at engine rebuild--sure, add some extra oiling insurance in the form of a can of MOA or GM's EOS until you're through the break-in period. Heck, maybe even add a can at the first oil change so you're "covered" for the first thousand miles. No point in continuing after that, though. If the cam is radical, and the valve springs are therefore particularly stiff--MAYBE you need to add extra zinc on a regular basis to your oil. Personally, I'd think the valve springs would have to be VERY stiff to need more than what's offered by a dual-rated (Diesel/Gasoline) oil like Rotella. In reply to the first post--where the lifters are silent for the first ~600 miles of a fresh oil change; and then rattle thereafter: What you're describing is classic symptoms of lube oil contamination. Do you have a defective carburetor, choke, or fuel pump that would contaminate the engine oil with raw gasoline so the lube oil becomes excessively thin in 600 miles of driving? Do you experience excessive fuel consumption?
