Engine Longevity Tips

[wyrmrider]

Don Bass Propane Performance and Speed-O' Motive were one of the first to add plates to the impellers to prevent cavitation
still works
a "bypass" thermostat that shuts off the bypass works well (413 Dodge Truck vs passenger car for example)
air bleeds from the top of steam pockets (think 300 Ford 6) can really help, 400 chevy, 261 chevy 6 etc
brass plugs do not rust out
Redline Water wetter works
Cadillac 500 guys are plumbing water to under the exhaust seat AN lines and fittings
cross flow/ reverse flow
detonation, pre-ignition, pinging kills durability
discussion is good

[Orr89rocz]

Just follow what new automotive manufacturers are doing. Most motors will last well over 100k miles and make hp doing it. My ls1 is beat on alot yet still over 320 whp with bolt ons through an automatic and running at 125k miles and counting. 12.15 et on 17" radials. No reason you cant have a powerful reliable long lasting engine as oems are doing this. New ls3 5th gen is up over 420 whp with bolt ons and tune now and will last 100k miles.
Good heads and mild valvetrains. Good cooling and oiling. Keep up on maintenance and it will live

[crock]

What is a plate attached to the impeller? I have also heard of creating a bleed hole on top of the water pump so that the air caused by cavitation and boiling can escape and keep the impeller rotating in water instead of a water/air mixture. Apparently this is an old Chevy 350 problem.

[cuslog]

As much as I'm an old school "carburator guy", and don't know that much about EFI, I must say that I believe that EFI is probably the biggest single reason behind the much increased longevity of the newer engines.
Simply much better fuel control, no more over-fueling / washing cylinders.
I'll stick with my carbs on my hot rod though, just cause that's what I know and I'm too old to change now.

[BigBlocksOnTop2]

As much as I'm an old school "carburator guy", and don't know that much about EFI, I must say that I believe that EFI is probably the biggest single reason behind the much increased longevity of the newer engines.
Simply much better fuel control, no more over-fueling / washing cylinders.
I'll stick with my carbs on my hot rod though, just cause that's what I know and I'm too old to change now.

Damn! X2

[Matt Gruber]

i'm a carb guy too. Eliminated fuel washing with a $3.25 fan and duct. Switch it on when a hot engine is shut off, and the carb won't boil a half hour later. If gas gets in the oil, it could reduce the life of other parts; cam, lifters, bearings, rings, etc.

[crock]

A solution to the fuel wash issue from overly rich mixtures is to use a fuel additive with excellent lubrication qualities like FP60.

[540 RAT]

There have been a number of good suggestions here, but one important consideration has not been mentioned yet.

And that is that thinner oil flows quicker at cold start-up to begin lubricating critical engine components much more quickly than thicker oil can. It's no secret that most engine wear takes place during cold start-up before a flow of oil can reach all the components. So, quicker flowing thinner oil will help reduce that start-up wear, which is really reducing wear overall. Specifically, I'd suggest that oil no thicker than a multi-viscosity 30 weight should ever be used in most cases. You don't need any oil pressure higher than the old rule of thumb of 10 psi for every 1,000 rpm. So, there is no reason to run thicker oil just to up the oil pressure. Oil that is thicker than needed to meet the rule of thumb pressure, will only reduce flow/lubrication for no reason. Remember oil flow is lubrication, but oil pressure is NOT lubrication, it is only a measurement of resistance to flow.

And whatever viscosity oil is used, it will be impossible to instantaneously flow to all critical engine components on start-up. It will take some amount of time, and thinner oils will reduce that time, but not eliminate it. While the engine is running before the oil flow gets there, however short that time may be, all you have preventing wear is the film strength of the oil that is still coating the parts. So, this is another situation where the better the oil's film strength, the better it can prevent wear. It's no secret to most folks that I've done extensive dynamic "Wear Testing" under load, to measure each oil's "load carrying capacity/film strength". And very clearly, not all oils are created equal. Some are very impressive, while some are rather disappointing. So, if you are looking for the best longevity with an engine build, selecting the best oil is one of the main contributing factors.

Recently David Redszus mentioned in another thread that my motor oil wear test data addresses a situation that is “after the crash”, as he put it. But, I beg to differ, because he obviously doesn’t fully understand the nature of my testing. My testing measures the size of the wear scar that a particular oil allows. And that “wear” is what he is calling “the crash” because wear took place. The fact is my tester performs a torture test on motor oil that is a worst case scenario. That way you can tell how various oils compare to each other without waiting for 100,000 miles to see what happened. An engine is designed to NOT allow wear if at all possible. But, my tester is designed “TO” create wear in order to measure the difference between oils. No motor oil ever created by man is capable of producing an infinite wear prevention capability in my testing. So, every oil tested “WILL” create a wear scar, and the size is determined by the capability of the oil. The better the oil's film strength, the smaller the wear scar.

Keep in mind, the only thing that separates one oil’s ability to prevent wear, compared to another oil’s ability to prevent wear, is their individual film strength capabilities. Film strength is the last line of defense to prevent metal to metal contact, which causes wear and/or damage. And in order to reach metal to metal contact, you MUST penetrate an oil’s film strength. Therefore, the higher an oil’s film strength, the better it will protect against wear/damage. Oil film strength capability DIRECTLY APPLIES to flat tappet lobe/lifter interfaces, cam gear/distributor gear interfaces, mechanical fuel pump pushrod tip/cam eccentric interfaces and other highly loaded engine component interfaces.

Oil thicker than a mere film, is liquid oil. And “liquids” are NOT compressible, which of course is how hydraulics work. So, ALL oil’s in their “incompressible” liquid state are absolutely EQUAL regarding wear protection, no matter if the oil costs $1.00 per quart, or $20.00 per quart. Because LIQUID oil cannot be compressed, there CANNOT be any metal to metal contact or wear/damage. If conditions are such that the liquid oil can be pushed out of the way, then you are left with only a film of oil remaining to protect your engine. And you are right back to needing the best film strength you can get, if you want the best protection possible.

This is why “Oil Film Strength Testing” is the Gold Standard for determining the FACTS as to which oils provide outstanding wear protection, and which oils don’t.

So, I’d suggest selecting one of the better ranked oils from the oils I’ve tested so far. That would provide you with excellent motor oil film strength to provide the best possible longevity from a motor oil standpoint.

Here is the “load carrying capacity/film strength” ranking list from all the motor oil “Wear Testing” I’ve performed so far. NOTE: The HIGHER the psi value, the BETTER the wear protection.

Oil categories for gasoline engines:

• Over 90,000 psi = OUTSTANDING wear protection

• 75,000 to 90,000 psi = GOOD wear protection

• 60,000 to 75,000 psi = MODEST wear protection

• Below 60,000 psi = UNDESIRABLE wear protection


1. 5W30 Pennzoil Ultra, API SM synthetic = 115,612 psi
I have not been able to find this oil with the latest API SN certification. The bottle says, “No leading synthetic oil provides better wear protection”. For once, a product’s hype turns out to be true.
zinc = 806 ppm
phos = 812 ppm
moly = 66 ppm

2. "USED" 5W30 Chevron Supreme, API SN conventional with 5,000 miles on it = 112,992 psi
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD
total anti-wear = TBD

The wear protection capability psi value shown here is 13% "higher" than the wear protection capability psi value for this oil when it was brand new oil. Repeated testing of this used oil showed consistent values within a few percent of this posted value. Those test results were averaged and came out to the final 112,992 psi value shown here. So, the number is correct. Each time I’ve tested used oil, its psi values have been noticeably and consistently higher that the value it had when brand new.

The new and used oils no doubt came from different batches of oil, because of the purchasing and testing time differences. But, the consistent improvement of the used oil's wear protection capability, does indicate a change in the oil as it ages. And the important thing is that testing proves that there is NO LOSS of wear protection in used oil, even though the anti-wear component levels drop SIGNIFICANTLY due to normal depletion over time. Higher levels of anti-wear components only provides "longer" wear protection, NOT "more" wear protection. As long as those anti-wear components are not completely exhausted, you are still good to go.

These results also show that the normal practice of "Wear Testing" brand new oil is representative of the oil's overall wear protection capability, since the used oil’s wear protection capability does not drop.

3. “USED” 5W20 Castrol Edge with Titanium, API SN synthetic with 5,000 miles on it = 107,391 psi
zinc = 791 ppm (down 251 ppm or down 24% from new)
phos =643 ppm (down 214 ppm or down 25% from new)
moly = 67 ppm (down 33 ppm or down 33% from new)
titanium = 36 ppm (down 13 ppm or down 27% from new)
total anti-wear = 1537 ppm (down 511 ppm or down 25% from new)

The wear protection capability psi value shown here is 7% "higher" than the wear protection capability psi value for this oil when it was brand new oil. Repeated testing of this used oil showed consistent values within a few percent of this posted value. Those test results were averaged and came out to the final 107,391 psi value shown here. So, the number is correct. Each time I’ve tested used oil, its psi values have been noticeably and consistently higher that the value it had when brand new.


4. 10W30 Lucas Racing Only synthetic = 106,505 psi
zinc = 2642 ppm
phos = 3489 ppm
moly = 1764 ppm
NOTE: This oil is suitable for short term racing use only, and is not suitable for street use.

5. 5W30 Mobil 1, API SN synthetic = 105,875 psi
zinc = 801 ppm
phos = 842 ppm
moly = 112 ppm

6. 0W30 Amsoil Signature Series 25,000 miles, API SN synthetic = 105,008 psi
zinc = 824 ppm
phos = 960 ppm
moly = 161 ppm


7. 10W30 Valvoline NSL (Not Street Legal) Conventional Racing Oil = 103,846 psi
zinc = 1669 ppm
phos = 1518 ppm
moly = 784 ppm
NOTE: This oil is suitable for short term racing use only, and is not suitable for street use.

8. 5W50 Motorcraft, API SN synthetic = 103,517 psi
zinc = 606 ppm
phos = 742 ppm
moly = 28 ppm

9. 10W30 Valvoline VR1 Conventional Racing Oil (silver bottle) = 103,505 psi
zinc = 1472 ppm
phos = 1544 ppm
moly = 3 ppm

10. 10W30 Valvoline VR1 Synthetic Racing Oil, API SL (black bottle) = 101,139 psi
zinc = 1180 ppm
phos = 1112 ppm
moly = 162 ppm

11. 5W30 Chevron Supreme, API SN conventional = 100,011 psi
This one only costs $4.29 per quart at the Auto Parts Store where I bought it.
zinc = 1018 ppm
phos = 728 ppm
moly = 161 ppm

12. 5W20 Castrol Edge with Titanium, API SN synthetic = 99,983 psi
zinc = 1042 ppm
phos = 857 ppm
moly = 100 ppm
titanium = 49 ppm

13. 20W50 Castrol GTX, API SN conventional = 96,514 psi
zinc = 610 ppm
phos = 754 ppm
moly = 94 ppm

14. 30 wt Red Line Race Oil synthetic = 96,470 psi
zinc = 2207 ppm
phos = 2052 ppm
moly = 1235 ppm
NOTE: This oil is suitable for short term racing use only, and is not suitable for street use.

15. 0W20 Mobil 1 Advanced Fuel Economy, API SN synthetic = 96,364 psi
zinc = 742 ppm
phos = 677 ppm
moly = 81 ppm

16. 5W30 Quaker State Ultimate Durability, API SN synthetic = 95,920 psi
zinc = 877 ppm
phos = 921 ppm
moly = 72 ppm

17. 5W30 Castrol Edge with Titanium, API SN synthetic = 95,717 psi
zinc = 818 ppm
phos = 883 ppm
moly = 90 ppm
titanium = 44 ppm

18. 10W30 Joe Gibbs XP3 NASCAR Racing Oil synthetic = 95,543 psi
zinc = 743 ppm
phos = 802 ppm
moly = 1125 ppm
NOTE: This oil is suitable for short term racing use only, and is not suitable for street use.

19. 5W20 Castrol GTX, API SN conventional = 95,543 psi
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD
NOTE: Oil numbers 18 and 19 were tested weeks apart, but due to the similarities in their wear scar sizes, their averages ended up the same.

20. 5W30 Castrol GTX ,API SN conventional = 95,392 psi
zinc = 830 ppm
phos = 791 ppm
moly = 1 ppm

21. 10W30 Amsoil Z-Rod Oil synthetic = 95,360 psi
zinc = 1431 ppm
phos = 1441 ppm
moly = 52 ppm

22. 5W30 Valvoline SynPower, API SN synthetic = 94,942 psi
zinc = 969 ppm
phos = 761 ppm
moly = 0 ppm

23. 5W30 Valvoline Premium Conventional, API SN = 94,744 psi
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD

24. 5W20 Mobil 1, API SN synthetic = 94,663 psi
zinc = 764 ppm
phos = 698 ppm
moly = 76 ppm

25. 5W20 Valvoline SynPower, API SN synthetic = 94,460 psi
zinc = 1045 ppm
phos = 742 ppm
moly = 0 ppm

26. 5W30 Lucas, API SN conventional = 92,073 psi
zinc = 992 ppm
phos = 760 ppm
moly = 0 ppm

27. 5W30 O'Reilly (house brand), API SN conventional = 91,433 psi
This one only costs $3.99 per quart at the Auto Parts Store where I bought it.
zinc = 863 ppm
phos = 816 ppm
moly = 0 ppm

28. 5W30 Maxima RS530 Synthetic Racing Oil = 91,162 psi
zinc = 2162 ppm
phos = 2294 ppm
moly = 181 ppm

29. 5W30 Red Line, API SN synthetic = 91,028 psi
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD

30. 5W20 Royal Purple API SN synthetic = 90,434 psi
zinc = 964 ppm
phos = 892 ppm
moly = 0 ppm

31. 10W30 Quaker State Defy, API SL semi-synthetic = 90,226 psi
zinc = 1221 ppm
phos = 955 ppm
moly = 99 ppm

32. 10W60 Castrol TWS Motorsport, API SJ conventional = 90,163 psi
This oil is manufactured in Europe and is sold in the US for BMW models M3, M5, M6, Z4M, and Z8.
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD

33. 5W20 Valvoline Premium Conventional, API SN = 90,144 psi
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD

34. 30 wt Castrol Heavy Duty, API SM conventional = 88,089 psi
zinc = 907 ppm
phos = 829 ppm
moly = 56 ppm

35. 20W50 LAT Synthetic Racing Oil, API SM = 87,930 psi
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD

36. 10W30 Joe Gibbs HR4 Hotrod Oil synthetic = 86,270 psi
zinc = 1247 ppm
phos = 1137 ppm
moly = 24 ppm

37. 5W20 Pennzoil Ultra, API SM synthetic = 86,034 psi
I have not been able to find this oil with the latest API SN certification.
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD

38. 15W40 RED LINE Diesel Oil synthetic, API CJ-4/CI-4 PLUS/CI-4/CF/CH-4/CF-4/SM/SL/SH/EO-O = 85,663 psi
zinc = 1615 ppm
phos = 1551 ppm
moly = 173 ppm

39. 5W30 Royal Purple API SN synthetic = 84,009 psi
zinc = 942 ppm
phos = 817 ppm
moly = 0 ppm

40. 20W50 Royal Purple API SN synthetic = 83,487 psi
zinc = 588 ppm
phos = 697 ppm
moly = 0 ppm

41. 20W50 Kendall GT-1 High Performance with liquid titanium, API SN conventional = 83,365 psi
zinc = 991 ppm
phos = 1253 ppm
moly = 57 ppm
titanium = 84 ppm

42. 5W30 Mobil 1 Extended Performance 15,000 mile, API SN synthetic = 83,263 psi
zinc = 890 ppm
phos = 819 ppm
moly = 104 ppm

43. 0W20 Castrol Edge with Titanium, API SN synthetic = 82,867 psi
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD

44. 5W30 LAT Synthetic Racing Oil, API SM = 81,800 psi
zinc = 1784 ppm
phos = 1539 ppm
moly = 598 ppm

45. 15W40 ROYAL PURPLE Diesel Oil synthetic, API CJ-4 /SM, CI-4 PLUS, CH-4, CI-4 = 76,997 psi
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD

46. 5W30 Lucas API SM synthetic = 76,584 psi
zinc = 1134 ppm
phos = 666 ppm
moly = 0 ppm

47. 5W30 GM's AC Delco dexos 1 API SN semi-synthetic = 76,501 psi
zinc = 878 ppm
phos = 758 ppm
moly = 72 ppm

48. 5W50 Castrol Edge with Syntec API SN, synthetic, formerly Castrol Syntec, black bottle = 75,409 psi
zinc = 1252 ppm
phos = 1197 ppm
moly = 71 ppm

49. 5W30 Royal Purple XPR (Extreme Performance Racing) synthetic = 74,860 psi
zinc = 1421 ppm
phos = 1338 ppm
moly = 204 ppm
NOTE: This particular bottle of oil was just opened, but was out of a 3 ½ year old case.

50. 5W40 MOBIL 1 TURBO DIESEL TRUCK synthetic, API CJ-4, CI-4 Plus, CI-4, CH-4 and ACEA E7 = 74,312 psi
zinc = 1211 ppm
phos = 1168 ppm
moly = 2 ppm

51. 15W40 CHEVRON DELO 400LE Diesel Oil, conventional, API CJ-4, CI-4 Plus, CH-4, CF-4,CF/SM, = 73,520 psi
zinc = 1519 ppm
phos = 1139 ppm
moly = 80 ppm

52. 15W40 MOBIL DELVAC 1300 SUPER Diesel Oil conventional, API CJ-4, CI-4 Plus, CI-4, CH-4/SM, SL = 73,300 psi
zinc = 1297 ppm
phos = 1944 ppm
moly = 46 ppm

53. 15W40 Farm Rated Heavy Duty Performance Diesel Oil conventional CI-4, CH-4, CG-4, CF/SL, SJ = 73,176 psi
zinc = 1325ppm
phos = 1234 ppm
moly = 2 ppm

54. 15W40 SHELL ROTELLA T Diesel Oil conventional, API CJ-4, CI-4 Plus, CH-4, CF-4,CF/SM = 72,022 psi
zinc = 1454 ppm
phos = 1062 ppm
moly = 0 ppm

55. Brad Penn, Penn Grade 1 Nitro 70 Racing Oil semi-synthetic = 72,003 psi
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD

56. 0W30 Brad Penn, Penn Grade 1 semi-synthetic = 71,377 psi
zinc = 1621 ppm
phos = 1437 ppm
moly = 0 ppm

57. 15W40 “OLD” SHELL ROTELLA T Diesel Oil conventional, API CI-4 PLUS, CI-4, CH-4,CG-4,CF-4,CF,SL, SJ, SH = 71,214 psi
zinc = 1171 ppm
phos = 1186 ppm
moly = 0 ppm

58. 10W30 Brad Penn, Penn Grade 1 semi-synthetic = 71,206 psi
zinc = 1557 ppm
phos = 1651 ppm
moly = 3 ppm

59. 15W40 VALVOLINE PREMIUM BLUE HEAVY DUTY DIESEL Oil conventional, API CJ-4, CI-4 Plus, CI-4, CH-4, CG-4, CF-4, CF/SM = 70,869 psi
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD

60. 15W50 Mobil 1, API SN synthetic = 70,235 psi
zinc = 1,133 ppm
phos = 1,168 ppm
moly = 83 ppm

61. 5W40 CHEVRON DELO 400LE Diesel Oil synthetic, API CJ-4, CI-4 Plus, CI-4, SL, SM = 69,631 psi
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD

62. 30wt Edelbrock Break-In Oil conventional = 69,160 psi
zinc = 1545 ppm
phos = 1465 ppm
moly = 4 ppm

63. 5W30 Motorcraft, API SN synthetic = 68,782 psi
zinc = 796 ppm
phos = 830 ppm
moly = 75 ppm

64. 10W40 Edelbrock synthetic = 68,603 psi
zinc = 1193 ppm
phos = 1146 ppm
moly = 121 ppm
This oil is manufactured for Edelbrock by Torco.


65. 5W40 SHELL ROTELLA T6 Diesel Oil synthetic, API CJ-4, CI-4 Plus, CI-4, CH-4, SM, SL = 67,804 psi
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD

66. 15W40 LUCAS MAGNUM Diesel Oil, conventional, API CI-4,CH-4, CG-4, CF-4, CF/SL = 66,476 psi
zinc = 1441 ppm
phos = 1234 ppm
moly = 76 ppm

67. 15W40 CASTROL GTX DIESEL Oil conventional, API CJ-4, CI-4 Plus, CI-4, CH-4, CG-4, CF-4/SN = 66,323 psi
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD

68. 10W30 Royal Purple HPS (High Performance Street) synthetic = 66,211 psi
zinc = 1774 ppm
phos = 1347 ppm
moly = 189 ppm

69. 10W40 Valvoline 4 Stroke Motorcycle Oil, API SJ conventional = 65,553 psi
zinc = 1154 ppm
phos = 1075 ppm
moly = 0 ppm

70. 5W30 Klotz Estorlin Racing Oil, API SL synthetic = 64,175 psi
zinc = 1765 ppm
phos = 2468 ppm
moly = 339 ppm

71. “ZDDPlus” added to Royal Purple 20W50, API SN, synthetic = 63,595 psi
zinc = 2436 ppm (up 1848 ppm)
phos = 2053 ppm (up 1356 ppm)
moly = 2 ppm (up 2 ppm)

The psi value here is 24% LOWER than this oil had BEFORE the ZDDPlus was added to it. Oil companies always say to NEVER add anything to their oils, because adding anything will upset the carefully balanced additive package, and ruin the oil’s chemical composition. And that is precisely what we see here. Adding ZDDPlus SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED this oil’s wear prevention capability. Just the opposite of what was promised. Buyer beware.

72. Royal Purple 10W30 Break-In Oil conventional = 62,931 psi
zinc = 1170 ppm
phos = 1039 ppm
moly = 0 ppm

73. 10W30 Lucas Hot Rod & Classic Hi-Performance Oil, conventional = 62,538 psi
zinc = 2116 ppm
phos = 1855 ppm
moly = 871 ppm

74. 0W20 Klotz Estorlin Racing Oil, API SL synthetic = 60,941 psi
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD

75. 10W30 Comp Cams Muscle Car & Street Rod Oil, synthetic blend = 60,413 psi
zinc = 1673 ppm
phos = 1114 ppm
moly = 67 ppm
This oil is manufactured for Comp Cams by Endure.


76. 10W40 Torco TR-1 Racing Oil with MPZ conventional = 59,905 psi
zinc = 1456 ppm
phos = 1150 ppm
moly = 227 ppm

77. Summit Racing 10W40 Premium Racing Oil, API SL = 59,483 psi
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD
This oil is manufactured for Summit Racing by I.L.C.

78. 10W40 Edelbrock conventional = 59,120 psi
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD
This oil is manufactured for Edelbrock by Torco.


79. 0W20 LAT Synthetic Racing Oil, API SM = 57,228 psi
zinc = TBD
phos = TBD
moly = TBD


80. “ZDDPlus” added to O’Reilly (house brand) 5W30, API SN, conventional = 56,728 psi
zinc = 2711 ppm (up 1848 ppm)
phos = 2172 ppm (up 1356 ppm)
moly = 2 ppm (up 2 ppm)

The psi value here is a whopping 38% LOWER than this oil had BEFORE the ZDDPlus was added to it. Adding ZDDPlus SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED this oil’s wear prevention capability. Just the opposite of what was promised. Buyer beware.


81. “ZDDPlus” added to Motorcraft 5W30, API SN, synthetic = 56,243 psi
zinc = 2955 ppm (up 1848 ppm)
phos = 2114 ppm (up 1356 ppm)
moly = 76 ppm (up 2 ppm)

The psi value here is 12% LOWER than this oil had BEFORE the ZDDPlus was added to it. Adding ZDDPlus SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED this oil’s wear prevention capability. Just the opposite of what was promised. Buyer beware.

82. “Edelbrock Zinc Additive” added to Royal Purple 5W30, API SN, synthetic = 54,044 psi
zinc = 1515 ppm (up 573 ppm)
phos = 1334 ppm (up 517 ppm)
moly = 15 ppm (up 15 ppm)

The psi value here is a whopping 36% LOWER than this oil had BEFORE the Edelbrock Zinc Additive was added to it. Adding Edelbrock Zinc Additive SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED this oil’s wear prevention capability. Just the opposite of what was promised. Buyer beware.

83. 10W30 Comp Cams Break-In Oil conventional = 51,749 psi
zinc = 3004 ppm
phos = 2613 ppm
moly = 180 ppm

84. “Edelbrock Zinc Additive” added to Lucas 5W30, API SN, conventional = 51,545 psi
zinc = 1565 ppm (up 573 ppm)
phos = 1277 ppm (up 517 ppm)
moly = 15 ppm (up 15 ppm)

The psi value here is a “breath taking” 44% LOWER than this oil had BEFORE the Edelbrock Zinc Additive was added to it. Adding Edelbrock Zinc Additive SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED this oil’s wear prevention capability. Just the opposite of what was promised. Buyer beware.

85. “Edelbrock Zinc Additive” added to Motorcraft 5W30, API SN, synthetic = 50,202 psi
zinc = 1680 ppm (up 573 ppm)
phos = 1275 ppm (up 517 ppm)
moly = 89 ppm (up 15 ppm)

The psi value here is 22% LOWER than this oil had BEFORE the Edelbrock Zinc Additive was added to it. Adding Edelbrock Zinc Additive SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED this oil’s wear prevention capability. Just the opposite of what was promised. Buyer beware.

86. 30wt Lucas Break-In Oil conventional = 49,455 psi
zinc = 4483 ppm
phos = 3660 ppm
moly = 3 ppm

540 RAT

[MadBill]

Building on Rat's start-up lubrication point, an electric solenoid-equipped Accusump is a huge benefit.

[raynorshine]

540RAT,

do you have a list of conventional oils only? some of the super common ones?

-interesting how well the synthetics perform

[GuysMonteSS]

I use a block heater,oil pan heater and an Amsoil Preluber,which is apparently now discontinued;
http://www.smartsynthetics.com/products ... -amk02.htm
Hopefully this combination helps reduce unnecessary wear with cold start up's.
Guy

[wyrmrider]

you push the impeller off the shaft, the stamped steel ones not the good cast ones
then you spot weld a thin round plate on the flat side of the impeller and press it back on
Makes an imitation cast impeller
water cannot escape around the vanes
hence less cavitation

[crock]

I'll throw out a few that I know:

1. Use a high quality oil filter. The best I know of are the Amsoil EaO filters. Clean oil is THE big item in bearing and timing chain wear. The synthetic media with depth, as used in the Amsoil filter, is the best available to date.
2. Don't mix coolant chemistry. This is huge. There are alt least six different chemistry's out there and they don't mix with each other. HOAT, OAT, Ethylene and propylene glycol to name a few.
3. Check that the oil passages line up with the holes in the bearings
4. Clean out the oil galleys with a .17 or .22 rifle cleaner. Compressed air misses too much that you can't see.
5. Coating the piston skirts with the dry lubricants must work because lots of OEM's are using it, they don't spend money where it can't be seen and doesn't work.
6. Coating the valve faces with a thermal barrier reduces metal temps so much that you can see it on a dyno with Webers where you can look right at the intake valves glowing.
7. Engine parts usually die from too much heat before the stresses of high rpm. Cool metal lasts longer.
8. Corollary to above, run your oil at 180+ degrees and the water at a lower temp. I am not sure this is advisable on modern fuel injected cars without changing the programming.
9. Use distilled water to mix with your coolant, not tap water.
10. The crankshaft thrust bearing clearance should be set to the manufacturer's minimum clearance, which is usually .003 inch (am I wrong about this?).
11. Painting aluminum flat black will reduce the temperature from 150 to 135 degrees compared to unpainted silver anodized aluminum heat sinks. Flat black works to disperse heat, even though paint is an insulator.
12. Coating the exhaust port with a thermal barrier works to reduce air cooled cylinder head temps at the spark plug about 15 degrees on VW and Porsche 356.
13. The zero gap rings work on the antique air cooled cars.
14. You can reduce underhood temps quite a lot with coated headers. Reducing temps is good.
15 Get a dyno tune with a knock sensor attached to your engine and an air fuel meter to the exhaust.
16. On older carbureted engines, it is best to tune the idle for minimum (zero) oxygen with a full four or seven gas analyzer available at every smog shop. You will watch your HC's drop with this, and then you tune for minimum CO consistent with low HC. This is THE trick for setting up multiple carbed cars and bikes. If you are getting oxygen out the tailpipe you have a misfire.
17. Air cooled cars need more gas at full throttle to kill the threat of detonation. Typically run 11.5 to 1 air fuel ratio. Turbo and supercharged cars also like this extra rich mixture.
18. Mounting a knock sensor on your modified car is probably worth the $200 bucks. If you are hot rodding your engine you are usually pushing the limit of detonation and you often can't hear it.
19 If you see little globs of metal on your spark plugs you are detonating.
20. You cannot, repeat cannot, judge your air/fuel ratio by reading your plugs. This technique simply does not work. I have done hundreds of perfect plug cuts on all kinds of cars on a chassis dyno and the plug color simply does not change based on air/fuel mixture.
21. You can do a lot more damage to a valve train with valve clearances that are too large than valve clearances that are too small.
22. The valve guide clearance is critical for long lasting valve life. You need the valve guides precision reamed. Can anybody tell me what valve guide materials wear the best? (I don't know)

[Belgian1979]

Not meant to hijack but when can you go from regular to a synthetic 0W20 on a new motor ? Or do you stick with half synthetic ?

[Matt Gruber]

i like cbernhardts 62 vette
has a camaro 6 speed .5 OD w/3.08 rear
70 mph is 1400!
gets 29 mpg.
has a GM Ramjet 350 all stock.
should last a long time!