Zinc Additives

Wildman113

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What is "good oil" now that the new API spec has required a significant reduction in the amount of Zinc??

I was previously running Royal Purple HPS 5W-30, but its expensive and I haven't yet found it in any stores.
 

Black Thunder 715

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Going to switch to a 10W-30 oil for my car since I added the blower. Just wondering if the additive would help.

I wouldn't use 10W30 in KY just yet. I imagine it's still very cold up there and there is the possibility of another polar vortex sweeping down from Canada next week. You should stick with 5W20 or 5W30 at least until April IMO.
 
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Tim Comer

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Amsoil Z-Rod is advertised as a high zinc formulation. But I don't know how much is in it. Other than that, Pennzoil Ultra seems to have the most zinc in it right now. But then again, do these Coyote engines really need that much zinc? They don't have flat tappet cams.
 
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UnleashedBeast

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High ZDDP in engine lubrication has not been proven to reduce wear in modern engines, in most "normal" aplications.

Reading UOAs comparing a high ZDDP lubricant, versus a low ZDDP lubricant, in the same engine....no differences were noted.

In most applications, API SN levels of ZDDP have shown to be more than suffient. Only in the most demanding (punishing) engines would I expect it to make an impact.
 

NA_Cobra

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Did the search, couldn't find anything. Anyone use zinc additives? Would there be any benefit to using them on these Coyote engines for added wear no matter what oil you used?

Hyper Lube Zinc replacement

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Tim Comer

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Umm. Got 2 jugs. So, the zinc isn't needed in these engines. Good to know. It's just the dragsters that I know lament the loss of zinc. About 10 years ago, a friend of mine wrecked the cam and lifters on initial break in. Didn't realize he needed break in oil. I got lucky. Mine did fine on break in. That was on dino Pennzoil.
 

Prariedog

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here is the deal.. GM sells a flat tapped break in additive that is basically Zinc... I run it with mobil 1, the name escapes me ....
 

oldmodman

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I thought that the whole "zinc" problem came about when Cam manufacturers started sourcing their lifters for the flat tappet cams from China.

And since they were poorly made, improperly heat treated and would gall if you looked at them wrong people jumped to the assumption that the fault was in the newly mandated low zinc oils.

The solution of adding zinc to a good oil is a band-aid fix for lousy followers.
It will let the followers to burnish into proper contact with the cam (break in), and can then be discontinued.

HotRod magazine did a test a few years ago by running a newly built engine in on a dyno and tested not only the zinc additive, high zinc content old stock oils, bad Chinese followers, and the WAY more expensive new followers from the last American manufacturer.
They would run one combo then pull out the cam and followers for examination and after a dozen tests came to the conclusion that a properly made and heat treated follower did not require any special break-in or additive to the oil to function properly.
But, and this is a very important but, you have no real way of knowing where your new followers were sourced so it is just an insurance policy to use high zinc break in oil or use the additive to your normal oil for the first 500 miles.
 

5.0Flareside

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high zinc oil is not needed for modern engines. does it hurt? no..

but older engines with Flat Tappet cams, need it. but in that case better oil is the way to go not additives..
 

5.0Flareside

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Amsoil Z-Rod is advertised as a high zinc formulation. But I don't know how much is in it. Other than that, Pennzoil Ultra seems to have the most zinc in it right now. But then again, do these Coyote engines really need that much zinc? They don't have flat tappet cams.

Z-rod according to a few VOA(virgin oil analysis) shows 10w30 zrod shows over 1400 ppm of ZDDP, which is more than most diesel oils anymore since CJ-4 spec. most people think that diesel oils are still as robust as before.. theyre not..

only reason for this comparison is typically people use diesel oils for older cars for the "high zinc content"


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silvercyanide

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Too much ZDDP can be a bad thing. ZDDP is surface aggressive. Essentially the ZDDP blocks many of the other additives in the oil from doing their jobs. Yes ZDDP is good to have in your oil, but adding more is unnecessary. Just buy a good oil, Amsoil being my preference as a dealer, and run on a regular replacement interval.
 

bodon

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In our drag racing motors we always used Mystic diesel oil with Cam Shield zinc additive. One quarter ounce per qt.
 

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