Zinc oil additives
That is a delicate subject. Most on the shelf oils are formulated for catalytic converter autos these days. The ZDDP kills converters so the OEMs pushed oil companies to remove most of the harmful additives, which necessitated the swith to roller cams.
Oil formulation is a complex subject. Do you know how much of what is in the oil? Do you know what is beneficial and what is not? Best to purchase an oil formulated for flat tappet followers. You need about 1,200ppm of zinc to protect the cam and lifters. Too much may also be harmful. That additive bottle, do you put 1/4, 1/2 or all of it in?
Once again, for the umpteenth time ALL engine oils have some form of phosphated zinc in it. ALL of them.
It can’t be engine oil without it. It wasn’t all removed it was reduced.
Since that particular additive is a consumable it gets used up. With less to start with you run out (or don’t have enough left) sooner and then you get a failure.
Phosphated zinc is a power eater. When you add more than you need, power drops. Quite a bit.
When an oil is blended the tribologist takes into account how each component affect the others in either a positive or negative way. Because any component brings its own chemistry to do a certain job but it can (and will) affect how the other components do their job.
If the oil someone is using is so bad that it needs some additive its time to buy a better oil.
Adding a zinc product is a bad idea because no one on here knows exactly what the outcome will be when it’s done. You can add something and it may make the dispersant package less effective. Or it can make the detergent package less effective.
Unless someone has the ability to analyze the original oil and then analyze it again with the additive it can’t be predicted or known what the outcome will be unless it has been tested before.
I know the myth that additives fall out of the oil. I’ve only seen that happen in one situation. The issue is what happens when someone adds something to an oil that the tribologist who built the oil never intended to use.
Buy the right oil the first time and leave the additives on the shelf for the suckers.
