Brad Penn, Joe Gibbs, VR1, and Amsoil are all outstanding oils. I wouldn't hesitate to use any of them. VR1 conventional is fairly cheap tho. I can grab a case of 12-qt for less than $60.

 

Let's just say that I have a professional experience in the industry, and have an insider perspective of the industry.

I'll stick with what I'm running.

Anyone remember the slick 50 or Z-max commercials where the guy has a lever on a bearing and pulls down, and the bearing seizes, then add the magical oil and the bearing doesn't stop? That's the same test that was done in that article.


Don't believe everything you read on the internet or made up tests.

 

Alchemist, so do you think adding some zddp additive to off the shelf oil is fine? I like my M1 0w-40 plus rislone zddp additive.

 

I say it's better to add it then not, but honestly it's best to run something with it already in it at decent levels.

 

So, you're saying the test is crap? What was it about the test that was no good? Most would fall for that easily, marketing is excellent with snake oils.

 

I'm not sure how you fudge ZDDP levels, as well as other levels in oil, without flat out lying. No matter who conducts the test, additive levels in oils is very objective, not subjective.

 

What I'm saying is it's one test, and the results can be skewed easily. You need to look at big picture. Read the rest of that specific thread, lots of people called him out on his results.

Go do some reading on bobistheoilguy before you start to just take one test, with a random psi number as gospel of what oil to run.

 

absolute truth...I do like ZDDP, however I do not solely choose my oil based on it/and or one test. I like to look at the UOAs of other oils in those threads and generally make my choices based on that info, i.e. look for an oil that does not shear a lot/break down between changes...

 

I have looked at other sources for information and all seem to show VR1 as one of the best options, not to mention that it's only a fraction of the cost of some of the others.

 

Here's my point, a psi rating on an oil at room temperature is a pretty meaningless test.

What happens to the oil as the temperature changes? What's it do at 210 degrees (or more)? How does it react to having moisture introduced to it as all oils do when a motor shuts off and cools? Is it stable over multiple heat cycles and for at least a 1000 miles or more?

That's my point in discrediting that one thread. And yes, there's more than just ZDDP levels which dictate which oil to run.

 

There's nothing wrong with VR1, I just chose to run CAM2.

 

Do you run the 0w 30 or the 10w 30 Blue Blood?

 

In the TA I run 20w50 due to specific bearing tolerances that we chose in building the motor. I run a high volume oil pump, and my bearing tolerances are a little looser since I'm running boost, and I like the thermal properties of the 20w50. Sure, I could get another 5-10hp on the dyno with thinner oil, but the protection is what I'm after.

 

Any more updates ?

 

What scares me the most after reading this is the fact I really don't know what I have or how it is setup. I was told I had worked 706 heads and a Comp XER281 cam. I don't have a clue it might as well be a time bomb.

Oh well it never sees street use if it goes it lets me build better.

 

Regarding the oil article, it had Mobil-1 5w-30 as a top 3 oil and Delo 5w-40 down in the 80's. When I bought my 2002 at 58k miles the owner said it had Mobil-1 in it with about 1500 miles on it. Dropped it, sent a sample offf, ran Delo for 2000 miles, sent a sample off, and all of the wear metals dropped by about 50%. They weren't that high to begin with but they dropped nonetheless.

 

VR1 is $2 off 8.99 to 6.99 right now for a few weeks at autozone and advanced auto. But some only have/can order thick 20-50w, no 10 anything, heads up

 

One year ago my car was about to go into the shop for a cam when this thread took off. One year and 16k miles later, daily driving through all of New England's finest weather, triple digit heat to single digit ice storms, Boston traffic jams, you name it, with a Comp Cam in my engine, I haven't had a single problem.

And I'm going to wager a lot of that is because:
1. Comp Cams aren't junk
2. The rest of my valve train parts aren't junk
3. The valve train was set up properly by a reputable builder
4. I use quality oil with good ZDDP content and change it every 3-5k miles

*Knock on wood, I plan to keep driving the car as is.

And I'll also wager a great deal of Comp Cam failures were caused by:
1. The valve train not being set up correctly in the first place
2. Owner neglected oil changes/used El-Cheapo Walmart Special motor oil
3. The above two things combined with not driving the car very much, which actually kills the valve springs over time.

I will keep everyone posted and let you know if I do have a problem. And if I do have a problem, I'm not blaming anyone, because theirs always the case of "sh*t happens."

 

What lobes does your Comp cam have? It's the more aggressive lobe designs that are having the most problems, which makes total sense.

 

My forged 347 experienced main bearing failure at about 15k miles. It was assembled with a COMP custom grind cam with XFI lobes that was brand new but had been stored for at least a year before install. Damage done when pulled apart:
Some of the COMP cam lobe surfaces showed signs of hardening failure
Some LS7 lifter rollers showed signs of hardening failure
Clevite main bearings showed signs of improper tolerance or fine material wear
No bearings had been spun

I thought that it was the main bearing tolerances but I'm not so sure after seeing this thread. Either way, I'm out an engine and not looking to get another COMP cam.