[Fot] Zinc Additive.

[Robert M. Lang]

Hi,

Jumping on what Larry says, I think the last API rating with high zonc was 
SG. If you look around, you can find oil with that rating, but it's not 
going to be sold as automotive-use because I believe the API has an 
agreement to remove various metals (mostly zinc and manganese compounds) 
from automotive motor oil due to various reasons (like catalytic converter 
service life intervals).

That said, and echoing what others have said, the Brad Penn stuff has the 
high levels as do a number of others that are specialty oils. Do not 
assume that because the labelling says "racing" in it that this is any 
indication of the actual content of the bottle. There's a lot of 
"marketing" in automotive motor oils. You either want the SG API rating or 
you want an actual MSDS or other documentation that the oil has >1200 ppm 
of ZDDP.

Regarding the additives, you can get them from various sources including 
the big three and a few of the specialists (like Goodparts to name just 
one). There's ZDDP+ and the RedLine break-in additive to name two that 
I've used.

I've used Castrol GTX since forever and I started loosing cams in about 
1997 when the change to SJ occurred (if memory serves). It was either SJ 
or SL (I do not believe there was an SK, if you want to try to follow that 
logic). In any case, I used up cams in under 100 hours of operation on a 
race motor (12:1 TR6 motor with nothing too fancy in there and lots of 
proper break-in steps taken. But GTX used to be good stuff, now it doesn't 
seem to work the way it used to and I just use it out of habit.

Lots of FOT racers use Brad Penn - that's a pretty good endorsement in my 
book.

:-)

I don't have any data regarding the additives as I only started using them 
recently. I can say that I had ONE cam last 5 or 6 race seasons with zero 
wear / pitting on the cam and lifters, and that cam and lifters were cryo 
treated - that process def. helped in my case.

regards,
rml
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Bob Lang              Triumph TR6!!            |  This space for rent
Former NER Solo Chair                          |
Voice:617-253-7438                             |  Cell: 339-927-4489
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