Gil’s Garage
Gil Baumgartner
CTCI Authenticity Chairman
As you know when you go into an auto parts store to purchase oil you have many choices.
The subject of engine oil has been a hot topic for the past few years primarily due to changes in requirements for newer automobiles. We have been led to believe that our Thunderbirds and other collector cars with flat tappet engines will fail without additional Zinc and Phosphorus (ZDDP). ZDDP is one of the wear additives in modern engine oil, but the PSI value is more important and actually shows how motor oil truly performs regarding wear. The purpose of this article is not to recommend or condemn a brand of oil, but to connect you to the most detailed valid research provided by a Professional Degreed Mechanical Engineer. This engineer has dedicated extensive time, several years, in providing information regarding motor oil film strength, load carrying capability, shear resistance and thermal breakdown limits. The following quote is from his research.
“A high level of zinc/phosphorus is simply no guarantee of sufficient wear protection. And to make matters even worse, excessively high levels of ZDDP can actually cause engine damage, rather than prevent it. Motor Oil Industry testing shows that motor oil with more than 1,400 ppm ZDDP INCREASED long-term wear. And it was found that motor oils with more than 2000 ppm ZDDP started attacking the grain boundaries in the iron, resulting in camshaft spalling (pitting and flaking). The ZDDP content is simply the average of the zinc and the phosphorus values, then rounded down to the nearest 100 ppm (parts per million).”
I highly recommend you search http://www.540ratblog.wordpress.com — by reading this blog, which is very long, you will find the most accurate information that I am aware of regarding engine oil. You will also find reports on most brands of engine oil available today.
Click Here for Engine Oil – Part 1
Click Here for Engine Oil – Part 2 (Engine Oil and ZDDP)
Gil