Is the CT-4+/SL a deisel oil? Where can I find it?

 

Go to www.lnengineering.com Click on Lubricants. Click on Frequently asked Questions.

Auggie

 

AMSOIL 0W-30 is what I use. Before the engine swap I used Valvoline 10W-30 conventional. I don't remember who said flat tappet engines were of questional durability but before 1987, 95% of all cars on the road had flat tappet cams in them and they were lasting easily to 150K miles.

 

Aggressive flat tappet cams are questionable for durability. Factory flat tappet camshafts usually do not have steep ramps or high spring pressures so they are more tolerant of the newer oil standards but their durability is still in question. The more reading I do on this subject the more questions and doubts I have about what the truth is.

 

Read the artical in Post #52. The truth is that you should use conv. oil on flat tappet cams and stay away from synthetic type oils and don't change your oil too often.

Auggie

 

Synthetic oils are perfectly good in flat tappet engines and have been proving that for at least 20 years. Statements like what you said are what make the truth harder to find.
I may do an UOA on my camaro next time the oil gets changed to see what the wear looks like.

 

I use Mobil 1 synthetic 5W-30.

 

I use Mobil 1 synthetic 10w-30

 

Red86Z28, you didn't read the artical in post #52. Make sure you read it to the end and you may change your mind. There a lot of flat tappet engine's out there with hdy. lifters that have used synthetic oil from day one that have cam problems and don't even know it. I am speaking from experience. Of course if you have roller lifters there is no problem.

Auggie

 

Are you saying that there is undue wear with synthetic oil in solid lifter engines that there isn't with zddp dino oil?

 

Joe Gibbs XP4

 

All I am saying is that I am no expert on oils and that you should go to post #52 and read the whole artical on what some of the experts say and even some of them probely disagree and then make up your owen mind

Auggie

 

mobil 1 full syn 5-30

 

After reading that article again I still do not see where it says or implies synthetic oil is bad for flat tappets. Why do you believe synthetic oil ruined your cam and lifters? I have run synthetic oil in my flat tappet 350 since the break in was completed five years ago. If the synthetic oil was going to ruin my engine I'm sure it would have happened by now.

 

Maybe you have had some cam lobe wear, and are not aware of it.

 

Thats it exactly!!. Story: Built a 406 for my brothers Monte Carlo and he had around 5000 miles on it and he said that the car seem's to be slowing down. He brought it over and we checked the timing, checked for WOT and made sure the sec's were opening. To make a long story short he brought it back and we did a compression check and we had between 190 and 205. Did a cyl leakage test and all were below 10%. When we looked at the plugs there were 4 (I don't remember which one's they were.) that were darker then the rest so we changed all of the valve stem seals and let it go at that and he put in storage for the winter. The next summer we did the tune up things again and they were OK, but every now and then the engine would back fire through the exhaust. I remembered the 4 darker plugs so I decided to check cam lobe lift on those cyl's. Four flat cam lobes. Mobile 1.

Auggie

 

I have no proof of it either way, I use royal purple synthetic 10-30 but... maybe it was a bad cam core. Basically, a lot of flat tappet grinds went flat or broke at the rear because of these faulty cores. Comp even got some of these. There is plenty info on the web about it. They call them "chinese" cores.
There is also the possibility of a few reasons i can think of... one big one is since 4 lobes were wiped clean, how did you break in the engine? What springs are used with the cam? What type of cam lube was used?

 

Some good Dino and a bottle of ZDDP is all you need.

 

Its easy to blame Mobil 1 and synthetic oil but you have no idea what really happened. Your conclusion is too simplistic. If it happened to be the oil and not something else it was likely the improper type of oil for the application, not weather it was synthetic or conventional.

Mobil recommends Mobil 1 15W50 for flat tappet engines.

 

How did you break it in? did you use dino w/any additives?

 

I used the brake in additive that came with the crane cam and some conventional 10w40 for a few weeks.

 

Yep and 10-40 for royal purple. I need to switch! Anyway, 100 miles a month should be no harm no foul.

 

When I assy. the engine I used the Comp Cam lobe lube and we broke the engine in on the dyno using Penzoil streight 30W with Z-7. Fired right up and held the RPM at 2000 for about 15 min then shut it down. Fired it up again and ran it for another 15 min and he shut it down again. I said what gives and he said to pull the valve covers. He then turned the engine over by hand and visuley checked valve action. He then installed the rocker arm clips (oil splash) and fired the engine again and checked the push rod rotation. He said that everything looked good and that he has been going through this routine with flat tappet cams. Made 10 pulls and the best was 412hp/469lb-ft of torque. Valve springs were chev orange springs 100# cl. and 280* open. After the cam went flat we pulled the engine and you should of seen the rod and main bearings. Man they were full of cam grindings. Overhauled the engine, new Comp cam (different grind) and went on the dyno again using Penzoil streight 30W with Z-7. Made 421hp/485lb-ft and needless to say runs like jack the Bear and has great drivabilty. Has over 10000 miles on the engine (only drives it in the summer) and all the plugs look great and still uses the CCC system.

Auggie

 

Okay, those valve springs dont seem to be too tight... I have heard of the cam manufacturer specifying to use lighter valvesprings when breaking in a cam. Also, the cam could have been a bad core as I stated. Next cam I get may be nitrided. I am reviewing the results still. Looks almost like the thing to do so far.

 

Yup, that nitrideding would be the way to go and anyhow I just don't know why someone would pay $5 a qt for oil on a stock 305 or 350 Camaro. On a good day they are hard pressed to see 5000 rpm ????????

Auggie

 

I use Valvoline dino. 20/50 in the summer and 10/40 in the winter.

 

Once you switch to synthetic, you CANNOT switch back to conventional. Your seals will condition to the synthetic, and then crack if you switch back.

 

I have never heard of this.

 

well with convential prices up these days, i decided to use royal purple 10w-30. i'll see how it goes..400sbc .040 over. solid roller cam roller lifters/rockers.

 

It angers the small gremlins inside the motor because they become addicted to synthetic then they start chewing on the seals looking for their fix

 

Ford Motorcraft 10-40 Part Synthetic - L98 GTA

I come from a Ford family so I get it at a great price.

passes emissions, idles well and puts down near factory hp levels. No real performance mods

 

Same here.


.

 

It's an old fact...back in the 70's and 80's, mainly when engines were held together with the "Crud". I.E. You ran 140K miles in your car on conventional oil, with all the sludge build up, it would keep your seals from leaking. You put synthetic in, it cleans out the sludge, and your motor would leak.

I don't know of anyone who's had this issue with the newer oils coming out, synthetic or conventional.

 

I run Mobil 1. I would also be okay with Valvoline Synthetic and I have several customers who run Royal Purple. The point being that they are all high quality synthetic oils.

 

Here's another tidbit that you guy's can try. Check oil level when the oil is COLD. Check oil for color when the oil is HOT. Awaile back I started checking oil color when the oil was hot and oil level when the oil is cold. Cold oil looks dark when its cold and makes you want to change it, but hot oil is clean and clear looking when it is hot. I changed my oil (35 wt Pennzoil) and wrote down the milage. I only checked the oil for color when it was hot and at 7500 miles I could still very easly read the writing on the dip stick. At 8500 miles I changed the oil. I know, I know but thats what I do now on all of our cars and trucks and the Camaro is a 355 on the juice and I shift at 5700 RPM. My wifes car is a Chysler 300 C Hemi and I have a Durango with a 360 engine.

Auggie

 

Pensoil 10W-30 and a bottle of Compcams ZDDP additive. I'm running a flat tappet cam.

 

castrol synthetic 20-50, then mobil 1 10-30 or 20-40 cant remember, way to thin. about to swith to royal purple 20-50 when I get 80 dollars. stock 305 220,xxx miles, runs great

 

I'm curious why use different weight oil than the manufacturer's recommendation. 5 W 30 or 10 W 30 should be fine if you're running stock small block engines.

Legitimately though, why use the heavier oil?

 

Depends on the climate you are in.

I use mobile 1 synthetic in just about everything I own.
5w30 in the lt1
10w30 in the lq4 I think
10w30 in the m52

 

At what mileage did you start running synthetic? Did you have any trouble with "seep"

 

Wow, this one slept for almost 2 years before being brought back from the dead...

People seem to be more loyal to their oil than to their cars or wives. Weird.

Also amazing that 25 year old wives tales still live.

Flat tappet cams need the "old" levels of ZDDP, whether the base oil is synthetic or petroleum. Using a break-in additive to get that is not a good idea.

Other than break-in, I can't justify using a petroleum-based oil.

CT-4+/SL is rated for both diesel and gasoline engines. It can be synthetic or petroleum based.

In two weeks, it will be 2 years since I've had a flat tappet cam. Back in those days, the CT-4+/SL was all that was available. AMSOIL now has a "Z-ROD" line made for people who still have a flat tappet cam. Since a majority of such cars aren't driven regularly (you know, "hot rods"), they also give it better corrosion protection than "regular" motor oils. Great stuff - that I no longer have a use for.

 

I honestly dk, odometer dont work. The oil pan has been leaking forever, then I stripped out the drain plug and that didnt help to much either

 

10w 30 royal purple

 

Brad Penn 10-30 with Lucas Oil Satabilizer.

 

So then what about excessive cam wear with flat tappets do to low zddp? Is all of that a myth?

 

I used to run Brad Penn or Kendall back in pa...can't find it in Idaho i run conv, Valvoline 10w30 in the berlinetta...pushing 140,xxx....runs like a top. I run full synthetic Valvoline in the expedition(120,xxx) and frontier(93,xxx).. never had any engine issues or leaks....

 

Shell rotella syn power 5w40

 

Still running Mobil One Full Synthetic 5w30 in the Z06 and the GTA. I live in Houston and deal with people in the oil industry every day and different oils are good for different things from the people I have talked too. Not to mention, I used to be a technician and have seen the result of different types of oil over long periods of time. Just sayin.

 

By the way, Castrol GTX 5W-30 High Mileage.

 

I went to the Dealer to have a oil change, lube and tire rotation done on my 1984 L69 Powered Trans AM, and noticed that it wasn't running as good as it was before I took it in.

Car only has 60k miles, what Weight and Oil would you recommend me using on it?