Engine oil for older flat tappet engines-ZDDP, etc

[Steve Bakken]

Been reading alot about how the reduced levels of ZDDP in all the oils nowdays is bad for older engines with flat tappet lifters. I know there are additives you can put in. Also alot of guys are running Shell Rotella T in their bikes because of their additive package. Kinda curious what everyone is running.

 

[axisg]

Ed touched on the subject a few weeks ago. I was a little shocked I went to my local performance store for a bottle of Additive and the price had almost tripled !

Until this point I have been using the 3 gal pail Rotella + Additive to keep the cost to about $30, but now that will be closer to $50 plus filter. Otherwise a specific racing oil ( brad penn, rp, etc..) will be closer to $70 per oil change !

If you can get VR1 its supposed to be the thing to use. Tough to get it here in Canada in a 10w30

https://gbodyforum.com/threads/flat-tappet-camshaft-specific-oil.60676/page-2#post-548401

 

[lilbowtie]

Brad Penn

 

[Bar50]

Valvoline VR1 Racing Formula here. It is available at my local stores. I stopped using Rotella when it dropped ZDDP to meet Low Sulfur diesel emissions.

 

[Steve Bakken]

Wow, so even Rotella cut their levels. I figured maybe they were a bit more exempt since they were more of an industrial application

 

[AxiumVlor]

Valvoline conventional + additive oreillys had a sale on lucas additive and i bought them out was buy 1 get 1 ive got enough for my next 10 oil changes planning on switching to synthetic once motor is properly broke in had really good luck with castrol synthetic had a 4 cylinder corsica that ran 350k miles with it still ran when i sold it but body was long gone

 

[V8 Rumble]

I currently use 10w30 vr1 since I can get it locally. I have also used Brad Penn.

 

[ed1948]

Case of Brad Penn = $112 Canadian

 

[TURNA]

VR-1 is not the same formula anymore they lowered there zinc levels which is was on clearance in just about every store it was in.

I always strictly used Valvoline in all my cars. Daily drivers and "hot rods"

But now will be moving to Brad Penn for the Malibu.

 

[ck80]

Realistically, depending on the amount of driving, there's a point where you can make the excuse it "saves" money in the long run to build a higher performance roller cam motor and mothball an original with the trajectory on some of the trajectory of these prices...

You know, for those of us who like to rationalize such things...