Hi,
I had some work done at a machine shop on my '65 b18 block and head. The owner suggested using diesel oil in place of whatever I was using. He said that the new oils had been reformulated and lacked compounds that had previously protected older type engines. Any of you guys know anything about that?
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'61 PV544 - '65 PV544 - '64 Lincoln Continental

On May 25, 2008 I posted this:

I originally posted this information to a message on this forum about "Isky Cams", however it seems to apply here as well...

The Diesel Oils are great, but unless they are API CI-4 rated, they don't have the necessary "minerals" in them to work properly with Flat Tappets. Most of the current formulations of Diesel Oil are API CJ-4 rated and have had the desireable Zinc-dialkyl-dithiophosphate (ZDDP) engineered out of them. Look at the bottle markings before you buy.

You can also use Regular Gasoline Engine Oil - if it is API "SF" rated. This vintage oil contains the proper amounts of ZDDP but is now usually available only at stores specializing in Racing Oils such as Valvoline VR1 or Kendall GT-1

Strange as it seems, Wal*Mart also sells a SF rated oil - Brand name "Accel" - which is specifically marked as SF Rated and for Engines manufactured before 1988! The SF rated oils were engineered out of the market as they shorten the life span of the Catalytic Converter. Not a big concern to the owner of a 1960 something Volvo.

Finally, try and find some GM "EOS" or a generic equivalent. This is a special additive for use in the initial Break-In operation of new Cams. Current Oils (Rated SM) seem to be death on the Cam and Valve Train of Flat Tappet, solid lifter, engines.

If you really want to get educated, try this link: http://www.ttalk.info/Zddp.htm

Suppo176
65 PV544

Hello, All the new oils have lost the zddp and zinc phosphate that has helped cam lobes on high spring pressures. You can use a supplement or a good oil. The comp cams supplement works well I used it when I rebuilt my B18 havent had any problems. You can use the diesel oil to but they are now LE meaning low emission. You can use regular oil but it will have to be SJ API rating or prior no SL OR SM which is the rating today. You can use Bradd Penn oil which is about 4.80 a quart on amazon, and has all the stuff you need, it is a synthetic blend, and the funny thing is it smells like the comp cams additive oil. If you want to read a real good article on oil go to www.lnengineering.com, the article is about which oil is best for my aircooled porsche or any high performance engine. It has the parts per million (ppm) for the different class API ratings and the diesel oils. Hope this helps.

I've been following the engine oil issue for years. I own several cars, various diesel-powered ones, and interestingly, almost every car gets a different engine oil, based on engine type, useage, mileage, etc.

Generally speaking, yes, everything developed today has to pass emission standards, including engine oils. If you have a car without a catalytic converter, such as a Volvo PV544, an "older standard" diesel oil would work well. Since you don't need 13 gallons of Redline at $16.00 each (the amount my Cummins-powered Dodge pickup uses), money isn't much of an object. I could write a long essay about this but here's the bottom line:

For your Volvo I would use 10-30 non detergent oil for the first 100 miles, then change it once. Do it again until you have 250 miles, then drop it again. That will allow the engine to break in properly. Then I would go to Valvoline VR1 20-50 Racing (which, as a racing oil, has all the good stuff in it) at about $3.99 each quart or, in case you prefer synthetic, Rotella Synthetic Diesel Oil, which I use in my Mercedes Diesel. The suggested Rotella Triple Protection has received very, very, very, very bad reviews, tested second to last in an important oil test last year. One of the best non-synthetic Diesel oils (which I use in all of my trucks, Diesel or not, and my old motorcycles is Valvoline Blue (Cummins approved), which was only surpassed by extremely expensive Synthetic Diesel oils, such as Redline. It sells for $ about $9.70 a gallon.

Hi.

I had my B16 rebuilt completely by a shop that builds race engines and he had agreed that diesel oil has many of the additives no longer in car engine oils due to emission standards. That said; he also said that diesel oil is going down that same road.
What he gave me to use for the first oil-up and oil changes up to approx 1500 klm. was AC DELCO OIL SUPPLEMENT found in a 500ml bottle. This would insure that the engine would have all the necessities to complete the break-in.
Hope that helps.

Bob G

A lot of diesel oils now have reduced levels of the zinc-phosphorus compounds (ZDDP) our old flat-tappet cams need. These are not pollutants, but they shorten the life of catalytic converters, which is why they are being removed from most oils (and many diesels now also use cat converters).

Still good, and readily available, are:

Shell Rotella T "Triple Protection" (and only the Triple Protection formula)

Valvoline "All Fleet"

There are some others I don't remember off the top of my head. Chevron Delo 400 is no longer good.