Some know I've been rebuilding two\three SBC's a year for extra cash and experiance points. I just read that the Rotella T oil is required for proper break in. The manufacturers of regular oil took the zinc and I think maybe magnesium out.
How does the zinc help break in?
Why do we not use this oil for everyday use?

How long has this been going on? I've rebuilt one just a couple months back with regular oil with no problems.
Thanks,

Do a search for motor oil & motor oil with zinc etc here in t/chevelle and you will find a lot of info on this subject as we have been beating it to death over the last yr or so and you will get ansewrs to your qustions from it.

But for a short ans DONT USE THE NEWER CJ RATER ROTELLA THAT HAS THE REDUCED LVL OF ZINC,ONLY USE THE CI RATED ROTEALL 15W-40.

You can also use Chevron delo 400 CI or even the newer CJ rated LE version 15w-40 oil with a bottle of GM EOS or a bottle of STP 4 CYL OIL TREATMENT IN RED BOTTLE . (not stp in blue bottle,it has less ZDDP and more viscosity thickners) The newer CJ rated delo was recnely tested showing decent lvl of Zn which were higher then rotella CJ both 15w-40.

Or you can use the st 30wt rotella which supposedly has enough zinc(1200ppm-1400ppm) to properly protect a flat tappet cam for breakin with the stp in red bottle.

You can get the 4 cly stp in red bottle from THE AUTO BARN on line and it USUALLY shows up at your door step in 3-4 days.

I just bit the bullet & sent out the following 6 additives/oils to Balckstone labs for testing of Zn/P/and detergent lvl's to re-verify the CURRENT/TRUE ZDDP & detrgent lvl's in them which is often less then what the mfg states they are or what we think they are from out dated data sheets/info etc.

* 4 CYL STP OIL TREATMENT IN RED BOTTLE

* GM EOS ASSEMBLY LUBE IN BLACK CONTAINER

* AC DELCO VERSION OF EOS ASSEMBLY LUBE IN WHITE CONTAINER WITH DIFFERENT PT# THE STD GM EOS BUT IT STATES THE SAME INFO ON LABEL AND LOOKS/SMELL'S THE SAME A STD GM EOS BUT THE TEST WILL TELL THE STORY ON THAT ONE.

* VALVOLINE VR1 20W-50 RACING OIL

* VALVOLINE NSL 20W-50 RACING OIL

* PENNZOIL GT HI PERF 25W-50 RACING OIL

After i get these results i will post them ,then i am going to test valvoline vr1 & nsl both in 10w-30 grades along with the crane super assembly lube thats advertised as having high lvl's of ZDDP along with a few other motor oils of my choice since i am paying for it.

Scott

I've got several dozen short/long block (of all makes) rebuilds, of wildly varying performance levels under my belt. All have survived initial break-in using:
A good 10W-30 "dino-sauce" oil
A dose of GM's EOS (Engine Oil Supplement)
Proper assembly - meaning:
Double & Triple checking all clearances & settings
Use of same-brand-as-cam lube on the camshaft & lifters
Pre-Oiling/Priming
Using known ignition & carbs (meaning a known/working ignition system, and known/working carburetor.... not necessarily the same components that'll finally be used on the engine)... something I KNOW that works and will fire immediately.

What this comes down to is tried & true components & solid assembly techniques. The 1st 20 minutes of a new engine are critical.... 100's of new parts getting to know eachother.
The EOS adds the base/weak metal (sacrificial) content to the oil - the stuff that isn't in base oils anymore. After 20 minutes at 2000rpm you're going to shut it off and drain the oil/change filters anyway... regardless of what was in there in the 1st place.

dont forget that even after cam breakin is completed its still imprtant to run an oil with approx 1200-1400ppm Zn & P in it to properly protect flat tappet cams esp with elevated spring rates like most of us are running in out sbc/bbc muscle car motors.

Scott

I have been using the comp cams break-in oil additive part #159.

Rotella T Oil no longer have zinc in it anymore. I use either Cenpenco or Brad Penn racing oil. They both do have high level of zinc.

that rotella smells like gun cleaner :)

RACECAR100,FYI,Bradpenn racing 20w-50 oil tested low on Zn & P earlier this yr and they/Brad penn refuse to devulge any ZDDP info so i would no trust it unless you have a new sample tested to confirm the ZDDP lvl in appros 1200ppm-1400ppm.

Here is the bradpenn test data for 2 samples tested in 2007 both well below the 1200ppm-1400ppm ZDDP requred for proper flat tappet camprotection.

Brad Penn Grade 1 Racing 20w50 664ppm(P)/ 852ppm(Zn)

Brad Penn Grade 1 Racing 20w50 801ppm(P)/ 1058ppm (Zn)

Also,shell rotella t 15w-40 does still have Zn & P in it,its just that the newer CJ rated oil had lowered ZDDP lvls due to new epa/gov regs that have reduced the ZDDP lvls so low they are not good enough to protect our flat tappet cams but the older CI rated rotella has the higher ZDDP lvl for better cam protection.

Scott

I feel the crane cams grey moly cam paste put on cam lobes that stays stuck there untill fireup along with crane super breakin lube(adv as having enhanced lvls of ZDDP) or GM EOS with known higher lvl's of ZDDP poured over cam/lifters prior to intake install with some draning into crankcase are better then the comp stuff any day of the wk IMHO.

Scott

Yes but Brad Penn do have break in oil with zinc.

Yes but Brad Penn do have break in oil with zinc.

But I dont think they have the required amount of xinc needed for a cam to be comfortable. If they wont devulge the amount of zinc like in Sweaton's post, ill stick with something else.

Racecar100,i am well aware b/pen n makes breakin oil but you stated you use the b/penn racing oil and didnt say anything about it being the b/penn breakin oil which is a different animal so i had to assume you were reffering to the std b/penn racing oil.

Anyway,since the std b/penn racing oil didnt live up to its adv ZDDP lvls i would not be surprised if the breakin oil was lower on ZDDP too but we dont know for sure unless someone has it tested .

Scott

So how does the zinc help break-in?
Why do we not use this for everyday use?

Thanks