solid lifter flat tappet engine oil?
 

For those of you with Flat Tappet Solid Lifter cams what oil are you using after breakin?

The Cobra I bought in the spring has a FTSL cam and I will be changing the oil. I understand that most modern oils do not have addiquite zink levels to prevent camshaft lobe wear when the cam is activating the valves through Flat Tappet Solid Lifters.

Thanks for you for your input.

Ray Sackett

Any oil with a minimum of 1200ppm ZDDP. You can use an additive. I like 10-30w. The lifters with a small hole in their face are recommended for insurance too.

Brad Penn 15w-40.

I add a bottle of ZDDPlus at every oil change for all my flat-tappet engines. Avoid engine oils that have the "energy conserving" API donut on the back label, as these oils typically have reduced levels of zinc. Oils that are approved for diesels (API CG4 thru CK4) have higher levels of zinc and anti-wear additives, so I look for oils that are approved for both diesel and gasoline service - API CK4/SN. (API-SN rated oils are approved for gasoline service). If you want to learn more, check out the Petroleum Quality Institute of America at pqiamerica.com They have a lot of info on the subject. Regards, Scott

I use royal purple HPS 10W-30. Seems to work, engine still starts, expensive though

Take a few minutes to read this

https://www.onallcylinders.com/2018/...to-save-money/

take it for what its worth, was probably written by a company that makes high zinc oil, but it does make sense. There are some good hotrod oils that are really cost effective, and I found that buying the oil and additive separate was more expensive. Comp Cams makes a good high zinc oil, I run the 10w30. Lucas makes a Hot Rod oil that's good as well.

I run Valvoline VR1 10w30 nonsynthetic, which is high zinc.

Is anybody using Mobil 1 Advanced Full Synthetic Motor Oil 15W-50? It has a nominal Phosphorus level of 1200 PPM and a noninal Zinc level of 1300 PPM, and according to Mobil the "Recomended Consumer Applications" are high HT/HS applications, Racing and Flat Tappet applications.

https://www.mobil.com/lubricants/-/m...ide-rev-31.pdf

Ray

Check out Amsoil Z Rod motor oil High Zinc content.

I found that Amsoil Z Rod oil has Z-ROD contains 1440 ppm of zinc and 1320 ppm of phosphorus.

Ray

I’ve used Joe Gibbs HR (dino blend) for my flat tapped cam engines for awhile. But I’m slowly migrating back to Rotella 15W-40 as it has everything in it that’s needed in ZDDP and cost a fraction of the other specialty oils. I don’t use synthetic in any of my old cars.

Ray, this is a pretty good short thread on oil for you: http://www.clubcobra.com/forums/supe...il-change.html With a SFT car that gets driven only so many miles a year, you want to keep your eye on the ZDDP levels, your oil pressure levels, the "cling" factor of the oil, and the lab reports. I spend more on lab reports than I do on the oil itself and only change it every three or four years -- and probably don't even need to change it that often. Just like your physician is watching your bloodwork trends over the years to keep an eye on your health, you do the same with your oil's lab work. The presence of wear metals, or moisture, or antifreeze, any unusual new changes, etc. will all tip you off to a problem that is coming your way. One subtle point on the Zinc/Phos nunbers -- the lab report doesn't tell you if the Zinc & Phos are still part of the virgin alkyl/aryl molecule or whether the ZDDP has already been "sacrificed" because of metal to metal contact. You have to keep track of that yourself by knowing what your original levels were and how many miles you've put on the oil, along with any wear metal variances. But you don't have to overthink it. Just use a quality SFT oil, like BradPenn or Joe Gibbs, or any of the others, and have it tested after you've put maybe 500 miles on it, and then periodically thereafter. :cool:

Vr1 20-50
 

I’ve been using VR1 20-50 for 10 yrs with no issues. I bought 3 cases last wk on Woot.com for $19.99 per case. There was a 3 case limit .....
Jon

I’ve been using Valvoline VR1 10w30. Website says “full synthetic” - I don’t think there’s a “non synthetic” version. I wish the 10w30 came in larger size than quarts. I once got excited to find it in the larger jugs only to discover it was 20w50 later.

Vr1
 

It reg oil 20-50 I received 18qts today
Jon

Ray yes we do use a combination of Mobil 1 15W50 & 0W50 Mobil 1 Racing oil in our FE...KMP259......we run the motor harder then anyone on this board.....and it works fine....

Uhhh, but how often do you factor in tear downs and rebuilds as just a common matter of course?%/

I use 20/50 amsoil synthetic racing oil expensive but I like

any disadvantage to running VR1 in a roller engine? cost not an issue..

I ran VR1 20/50 in my 289 race engine with a roller cam and there were never any issues that were oil related.