Rotella Oil for a Street Rod
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Rotella Oil for a Street Rod
Posted: June 20 2008 08:03 AM
 
Tim Kinsella (aka timkins) [ View ] [ tkinsell@rochester.rr.com ] [ Car Ads ] [ Blogs ]
Fishers, New York
(585) 924-5964
 
I asked a question regarding break in of a motor and the use of Rotella Oil. After the break in period do you continue to use Rotella Oil and for how long? How about an older motor that you have been using conventional oil in. Is it beneficial to use the Rotella Oil in that?
 
 
Comments
 
Posted by Crazyhorse Rod Shop  -  06/20/2008 08:21 AM
i only use rotella to break in a new cam and engine. i use it to provide friction to spin the lifters during the first 30 min of run time. after about a 1k miles i change to penzoil 10/30 . you can also buy break in additive from comp cams to add to you oil of choice. i use rotella because i have plenty here for other equipment.
dont poke the porchdog........he bites [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] BLUFF DALE, Texas Charter Member since March 2003
 
Posted by srodder39  -  06/20/2008 08:29 AM
Rotella is also being reformulated to reduce zinc. I would stick with the comp cam additive. Newer engines with roller cams are not affected it is the flat tappet cam that is having problems.
srodder39 [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] santa fe, Texas
 
Posted by dixie  -  06/20/2008 10:36 PM
I use nothing but rotella in all my cars all the time.
jim grace [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] dade city, Florida Charter Member since January 2006
 
Posted by DaveHughes  -  06/23/2008 10:17 PM
Hey Tim- srodder is exactly right- I just went to school on this when I swapped a cam recently.. Even rotella has reduced there zinc which is crutial to engine break in. I also advise a break in additive with your oil. Its Cheap insurance imho.
DaveHughes [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] seaman, Ohio
 
Posted by tlp1968  -  06/20/2008 10:59 PM
What about Amsoil. The literature says it has more of the additives others do not. Anybody using it?
StreetRodding.com Marketing Director [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Springfield, Illinois Charter Member since August 2003
 
Posted by sixguns  -  06/23/2008 03:40 PM
I look on the bottle, if it has "SM" on the bottle, it is no good for flat tap cams. regardless what their literatrure says.I picked up a few bottles of ZDDPLUS oil additive today at Chevs Of The 40s
Enjoy the Ride [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Woodland, Washington Charter Member since June 2002
 
Posted by Tweety37  -  06/21/2008 09:47 PM
Tammy. I use Amsoil 10w40 synthetic in my '37 chevy with 350 sbc. It's one of several Amsoil products that have a "safe" level of zinc.
Tweety37 [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Bismarck, North Dakota
 
Posted by tlp1968  -  06/21/2008 11:47 PM
Tweety, I know that reading the Amsoil literature I received it looked like it would provide extra protection. I run a solid cam and wondered how much extra Zinc I really need.
StreetRodding.com Marketing Director [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Springfield, Illinois Charter Member since August 2003
 
Posted by Tweety37  -  06/22/2008 12:07 PM
Most oil companies are reducing the level of zinc in their oils to the level that they will not adequately protect flat tappet cams and lifters from excessive wear. This includes both hydraulic and solid lifters. Roller cams are not affected. A high lift cam increases the loading on these components, so anything you can do to increase the safety factor will be beneficial.

Another of the Amsoil synthetic advantages is that it will maintain the film of lubrication between components that are under extremely high pressure much better than petroleum oils.
Tweety37 [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Bismarck, North Dakota
 
Posted by sixguns  -  06/23/2008 03:50 PM
Due to miss information, I had top edit my response on this important subject. the API code "SM" is the new class oil, that is the code to watch for as that oil
will not protect your flat tappet cam due to its lack of Zinc , "SL" is the previous oil that did offer the protection needed.
Enjoy the Ride [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Woodland, Washington Charter Member since June 2002
 
Posted by motomatt383  -  06/23/2008 06:33 PM
here's the ticket to prevent premature flat tappet camshaft failure. http://www.zddplus.com/ they have formulated the correct zinc/phosphate level for any engine with a flat tappet cam. the beauty of the ZDDPlus is that you can run whatever oil you choose. there is a couple of racing oils out there that have the zinc added to them, but they really aren't designed for being used in 3000 mile interval, just short severe use & then replaced.


not trying to turn this into a sales presentation, but i am a factory rep for ZDDPlus. so feel free to contact me if you have any further questions, or would just like to purchase some.
motomatt383 [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Durham, North Carolina
 
Posted by Starfire  -  06/23/2008 07:22 PM
Solve the problem = go roller = greater engine efficiency, extended engine life, and more horsepower.

Roller cams and lifters are pretty cheap.
Starfire [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Weimar, Texas
 
Posted by da34guy  -  06/23/2008 07:53 PM
Starfire--- Do you have roller in all 7 of your cars?
Still waiting for you to post pictures of your collection.
Been waiting for MONTHS NOW
Don [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Prescott, Arizona Charter Member since October 2001
 
Posted by Starfire  -  06/23/2008 08:32 PM
Only one has a roller. It's a '58 Mercury with what was originally a 430 c.i. MEL block motor. It is now bored .080 over which took it to a fraction of a cube under 460. One of these day's I'll buy or have roller machined for one of my OLDS 394's, one is getting close to 100K miles and though not burning any oil probably needs a rebuild just to freshen it up. I'd love to put roller cams in my Caddy's but probably never will because they just consume too much fuel to really drive much these days. I'm not inclined to get excited about a roller for my cars having 460's in them until or if they are needing a rebuild. Of course one of these days I might get a wild hair and do one or both anyway.
Starfire [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Weimar, Texas
 
Posted by dixie  -  06/23/2008 10:32 PM
Roller engines are great by not nessary on the average streerod old sbc around here with 200k on it never been rebuilt o but that don't count because its just a lil ol 283ci.
jim grace [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] dade city, Florida Charter Member since January 2006
 
Posted by Larry Judkins  -  06/24/2008 05:03 PM
I've used Rotella 15w40 in my El camino, and in my air cooled v twin motorcycle for about the last 9 years. Also add a little STP, or the Wal-Mart equivalent, it has a lot of zinc in it, anyway it used to
Low Buck Larry [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Elgin, Illinois
 
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